Garden Guru: Sock it to 'em

If you think your garden is looking a little tired then its time to freshen it up with some colour and variety of shape. Photo / Supplied

A student fridge, like a packet of cigarettes, should carry a stern health warning. Milk with scum on top, cheese long past its use-by date and a mini-rainforest sprouting on the yoghurt - that was the sort of kitchen I kept back in the good old days studying horticulture before I turned sensible.

Back then, whether it was the state of my bedclothes or my collection of socks, which walked by themselves - keeping things clean and fresh seemed to slip off the radar.

Now I'm married and settled, and - thanks in the main to my wife's hard work - I've pulled my socks up and washed them along the way.

Gardens aren't a million miles from beds, socks or fridges. They need to have a healthy sense that somebody laundered the linen and turned down the sheets if we are to allow anyone else to sniff the flowers.

But maintaining freshness is a skill and there's more to it than just trimming the lawn edges and keeping on top of the weeds. What gardens need is a youthful and dynamic framework so you can sense that the owner, and the plants for than matter, are not resting on their laurels or going to seed.

Those gardens where nothing changes from season to season soon start to look boring.

It's relatively easy, at this time of year, for everything to look brand-spanking new as leaves uncurl in their best translucent colours and spring bulbs flood beds with a shot of colour. But how will things be during that testing time in high summer when blackspot has got a grip of the roses, when the sun has bleached the colours, and spring leaves have thickened and sagged?

That's when you will need to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep your place looking perky and vibrant. One important component of freshness is youth. Rather than plod on with pedestrian trees and shrubs it's far better every few years to look for something to remove to make way for new blood.

No plant lasts forever and more than a few thrive, but never give value for money.

A plant you barely notice from one week to the next, lurking at the back of a border, may well be ready for demolition. If you rely heavily on leaden evergreens to provide the dreaded "year-round interest" then consider introducing some deciduous and herbaceous material. Such plants have the advantage of clothing themselves with fresh outfit each year so they always look less jaded come summer. If you have too many deep green and purple plants you may want to liven things up with some pale variegation or some luminous golden foliage to add light to a dark corner.

Certain colours look fresher than others. White instead of greys and electric pinks instead of sober purples will always add zest, as will hot colours like orange and red. Lime green is an excellent all-round hue to introduce if you want to give any existing colour scheme a spring clean.

Species such as lime tobacco plants (nicotiana), ladies mantle (Alchemilla mollis) or euphorbias with bright flower bracts all work in with a range of colour schemes without clashing or stealing the show.

We don't need to replace plants to make things more youthful. Regular thinning and pruning of shrubs and bamboos is primarily to encourage long life. The idea is to take out the oldest growths at the base and make room for new shoots which will have the vigour of youth. Rather than wait for such plants to get too large, thin them little by little. This is an ideal time to be tackling spring-flowering shrubs such as philadelphus and weigela when they have finished flowering. And many herbaceous plants enjoy being divided. The smaller pieces replanted will be lusher with a better quality of flower.

It's a little late now to split perennials but if you trim them back by half and water-in well after replanting you'll get away with it.

A quick and easy way of blowing away the garden cobwebs once and for all is to inject a degree of extra season colour with some high-energy ephemeral plants such as annuals and biennials. A sprinkling of such long-flowering performers such as marigolds or gazanias can be the icing on the cake. Make a point of concentrating them in a few key containers and pots and no one will ever suspect that just a week ago your garden was starting to smell of old socks.

Could do this week

* Groom grasses, flax and bamboo, cutting out any dead growth and thinning to encourage new leaves.
* Trim old leaves from pulmonarias - those spotty-leaved groundcovers, and aquilegias, to maintain their youthful good looks. They will soon make fresh leaves that will last through the summer.
* Make cuttings of aged lavenders, santolina, hebes and argyranthemums, aiming to replace old plants later in the year.
* Now the weather is getting better consider painting any fences or sheds to freshen them up. Experiment with vibrant bold colours in places to add some zing.
* If you haven't already done so, plant containers, windowboxes and baskets with tender bedding plants pelargoniums or marguerite daisies as well as a cornucopia of other potted colour. Don't forget to introduce trailing plants and something with feature foliage if you are planting up a mix.
* Keep on top of weeds, lawns and edges to keep the bones of the garden looking firm.