Some blooming good ideas for your summer garden

Summer is coming and with long bright evenings and the soil heating up, gardens around the country are transforming and need some attention.

May is the perfect time of year to transform your garden from spring Eden to summer sensation.

Woodie’s gardening expert Brian Burke, who is also a familiar face on our screens as a judge on RTÉ’s Super Garden, takes a break from the final preparations to share three tips to help your garden bloom and grow in the months ahead.

Location, location, location

If you’re planning on planting summer bedding in hanging baskets and planters, it’s important to consider the location.

Some flowers do better in certain areas than others, but, depending on your designated location, choose the best summer flowering bulbs for a spot that they’ll thrive in.

There are loads of different options for window and door pots, places in the sun, windy or shaded areas. May is the last real chance to plant any summer flowering bulbs, so make it a priority.

Short on space

If you’re short on garden space, opt for a vertical hanging garden. This is a great alternative for anyone who wants to add more colour to the outdoor area, but doesn’t have the space to do it.

Water

Watering is an important task when it comes to gardening as it prevents plants from wilting in summer. But how much and how often should you be watering?

Most plants depend on even moisture, so maintaining good soil moisture levels is extremely important.

To keep on top of the moisture levels, invest in a moisture meter to know exactly when your soil needs watering. And, more importantly, water in the evening time when it’s cooler.

Bloom garden

As he gets back to work, we asked Brian for a sneak peek of what visitors to Bloom can expect from his garden design, ‘As I Live and Breathe’…

“Woodie’s want Irish people to love their spaces, so this garden was designed with domestic gardens in mind - it’s an achievable design for your own back garden,” he says.

“There is a natural flow from the house into the garden – an intersecting path leads from two openings from the home to two large, covered spaces at the back of the garden.

"The X-shaped paths create four large beds that have been planted with flowering perennials and grasses like salvia, calamagrostis and agapanthus and the inside corner is anchored with multi-stem birch trees.

"The covered spaces are connected with timber decking matching that used on the pathways. The spaces provide a sanctuary and a place to relax, unwind and take in the garden.”

Bord Bia Bloom returns to Phoenix Park, Dublin, across the June bank holiday weekend (1-5 June) and is one of Ireland’s largest showcases celebrating the best of Irish horticulture, food and drink.

Brian will be on hand with Woodie’s horticulturalists to offer tips and advice to visitors.

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