Spring has sprung, which means it is time to take your gardening tools out and start planting! Before you start, you might want some fabulous gardening and planting tips from TV’s best gardening professionals. The experts we call on at Together TV include the Garden Rescue team Charlie Dimmock and The Rich Brothers and the gardening guru Monty Don. They know all about the perfect garden, so we are sharing their greatest tips with you!

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Whether you are building a garden on a budget or a fan of upcycling there are so many ways to save money and create your dream garden at the same time. Charlie Dimmock lets her imagination run wild when it comes to upcycling tips. If you have an old mannequin around the house or happen to find one on the street, Charlie’s tip suggests cutting the top of the head off and filling the bottom part with some funky plants. You can even use plants like Carexes to make it look like it has curly hair. You can’t just give a mannequin Carex hair though, it is going to need a name. May we suggest Fern?

Adding a mannequin in your garden is definitely going to add a cool new look. The Rich Brothers know that you’ll want to ensure your shed is just as trendy. Harry and David's tip to a trendy shed is to make your shed an extension of your garden. The brothers suggest turning your shed’s roof into its own garden. This two step tip involves a bit of extra work though. Get your tool box out because you are not only about to become a gardener, but a handy man too.

1. Start by creating a border on the roof of your shed using planks of wood. This will keep the plants from falling off.

2. This is where the fun starts, which is picking your plants. Choose from a variety of plants ranging from herbs to flowers.

An extra tip that The Rich Brothers suggest is keeping your plants in their nursery containers so that you can change the plants whenever you fancy. Your mini garden has to keep up with all the trends, just like our mannequin Fern’s hair.

Eat What You Grow

While spring has just started, it is never too early to start prepping for an autumn feast. A delicious planting tip is if you are looking to grow vegetables, Monty Don shares that the best vegetables to plant together are pumpkin, corn and beans. This is considered the technique of The Three Sisters, which allows you to grow complementary plants together. Corn stalks allow the perfect amount of sunlight for the pumpkins and provide support for the beans to climb tall. We see a delicious home grown meal in your future.

 

The great thing about gardening is that vegetables are not the only foods you can grow, many other plants are edible. There are herbs like mint, thyme and basil, which grow their own edible flowers. If you are looking into planting your own edible flowers we have some great recommendations. Since some plants and flowers are poisonous to eat, here are some edible plants to start with that are easy to sow:

• Marigolds
• Roses
• Nasturtiums

These flowers are not only beautiful to look at, but they also taste delicious. Think of all the things you can make! A cake with rose icing or a salad with some marigold petals…sounds like a refreshing spring meal.

A Family Garden

Sharing is caring and that extends to your garden too. Whilst you take some sun on the south side, your little ones will need a space to kick a ball around. Charlie Dimmock has got your back with this tip for your garden and knows the perfect way to make your garden perfect for everybody.

 

When creating a brand new garden for a family with two little kids, Charlie recommends an area that is just for the kids that blends in with the rest of the garden. A boardwalk and swing, using pieces of upcycled wood are easy to install and are family approved. Creating a swing is pretty simple. You will need three sleepers, two swing hangers, some rope and a plank of wood. You are also going to need to pull out your tool box again.

1. Once you have all the tools you are going to dig two holes for the sleepers. Once the holes are dug you are going to place your two longest sleepers in the holes upright.

2. After the sleepers are standing up you are going to attach them with the third sleeper. This should give you a rectangular shape.

3. Now you can move on to building the seat. Take your piece of wood and drill four holes into it. Take your rope and cut it in half. Place the ends of the rope into each hole and tie a knot at the end of each end keeping the rope secure.

4. Lastly, drill the swing hangers into the third sleeper at the top and then attach the rope to the hangers.

Who needs the park when Charlie’s tip is taking the park to you. Now you can focus on building your dream garden while the kids reach new heights on their new swing.

Making a Splash

As the days get longer and the temperature rises, adding a water feature for your garden can add a whole new vibe. Whether it is a pond or a small fountain, Charlie has tips for adding them all.

1. Reflective pools are great additions to gardens. They reflect the surrounding area making the garden appear bigger than it already is. You are right in thinking to yourself, “Water is already reflective” the magical ingredient used in reflective ponds isn’t water. The way to turn your pond into an outdoor mirror is to add some black dye! It deters algae and it shows off your beautiful reflection. If you are looking to dip your toes in, instead of using black dye, add black pebbles. The water won’t stain your skin but still gives that gorgeous reflection. They are great for children to play in, and it can help cool you off on a hot summer's day.

2. Having a fountain instead of a pool would be the best option for someone who doesn’t have the space for a pond. Fountains come in different sizes so that they are easy to fit in any garden, and they still bring a fun water element. To keep the water quiet, Charlie has a fun DIY project you can do. If you create a path made of leaves for the water to trickle down from the spout, not only does it look cool but it creates a gentle stream.

 

Time to Garden

If you have Charlie Dimmock’s green fingers and are looking forward to gardening season, we hope these gardening and planting tips from the Garden Rescue professionals and Monty Don will help you to achieve your perfect garden. Everyone has their own dream garden and hopefully these tips can get you one step closer to yours. Let creativity take over and your imagination be your only limit! You can stream episodes of Garden Rescue for more budget friendly tips from Charlie, Harry and David on Together TV for free.