Spring makeover

Two dry days in a row have motivated me to start the spring tidy-up. There's not that much else to do at the onset of spring, assuming you've worked your butt off in autumn and winter, so you may as well enjoy tinkering around fixing all those little things that you'll be really conscious of when summer visitors arrive.
In most Kiwi gardens the lawn is a major focus, so earmark areas that need attention. Re-seed bare patches (at this time of year the new grass will be visible in a matter of minutes), look at adding drainage to low-lying areas where water tends to pool, and if there's a well-worn, muddy track across one particular area, consider whether it may be more user-friendly with the addition of paving stones or a stone chip path.
Clean up the junk in your garden beds. It's easy to leave rotting foliage to accumulate under trees and shrubs, telling yourself, 'Hey, surely it's good mulch'. But it can spread plant diseases and it looks a mess. While you're at it, check trees for damaged branches and remove them, and cut back anything overhanging that slaps you with wet fronds as you walk past.
Check out the hard landscaping. Repair cracked or chipped seal, and where stone chip or shell have been used, buy a trailerload and add to what's already there - you'll be amazed at how quickly this will refresh the look. Replace cracked or broken pavers, or add a whole new area of paving stones on which to set an outdoor seat or a dining setting. You can achieve this with a relatively small number of pavers laid in a grid pattern with pebbles in-between - nine pavers 400mm x 400mm will give you an area large enough for a cafe table and a couple of chairs, while 20 pavers will accommodate a dining setting.
But bear in mind that outdoor seating areas are like yachts - as soon as you've built one you realise it should have been a lot bigger. Remember people need to push their chairs back after dinner and you don't want guests lurching off the paving into the garden.
After a long, grey winter, most of us are yearning for colour. Have a close look at the hard landscaping around your garden and select a wall, an arch, a garden seat or even a large container that can be painted to give instant impact to the space. Don't paint it grey. Re-stain or oil structures that have faded or dried and cracked over the winter months.
If you have concrete ponds or water features, empty them and give them a serious scrubbing - there are numerous products available designed specifically to rejuvenate them without too much elbow grease. Rinse thoroughly, especially if you plan to reintroduce plants or fish, and fill with fresh water. If fish are on the agenda, you'll need water plants. Fish do not like to sunbathe and you must provide adequate shade. About two-thirds of the surface of the pond should be covered. They also seem to like interesting things to swim in and out of so create an underwater playground with rocks or old bits of terracotta pot.
If you don't have water in your garden, now's the time to introduce it.
The sound of running water adds a whole new dimension to an outdoor area, so a water feature with a pump which recycles the water is a great choice.
Most garden centres and hardware chains have a good selection of ready-made water features which require only simple assembly and an outdoor plug.
Otherwise, buy a big basin-shaped container in concrete or glazed terracotta, set it on a concrete column or plinth, and fill with water. Add oxygen weed and water lilies, and be prepared to top it up every few days.
It's a pleasant task easily done with one hand so you can hold your wine glass in the other.