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With so many, often conflicting, demands on our daily lives, from family, friends and work to our constantly pinging phones, it can be hard to make time for all the things we love, including gardening.

What’s more, it’s one of those labour-intensive activities requiring the investment of a fair bit of time before you can even hope to see any results – and these certainly don’t happen overnight.

But the good news is there are things you can do to make the most of the hours and days you put into making your outdoor space the place you want it to be:

  • Little and often

If you can get into the custom of committing a little bit of time to your garden every day, you’ll get into the good habit of getting out into your outdoor space daily. Some regular weeding, for example, will save time in the long run. You’ll understand any issues right away, and be able to stop them from worsening, since you’ll be fully in tune with your patch of land.

Carve out a few hours a week at a time if that’s easier – mark it up in your calendar as you would any engagement, and stick to it.

Equally, break down jobs into manageable, tangible units and think long-term without expecting immediate results. Starting small also gives you an idea of the amount of time the various gardening tasks take, and so you can make any necessary adjustments for next year.

  • Prioritise jobs

As with anything else, you need to focus and prioritise. Even in, say, one afternoon, it probably won’t be possible to complete all the tasks you’d love to finish. Think ahead, and concentrate on those jobs which really need doing. When you step outside to garden, be clear in your head about what exactly you wish to achieve in the available time. Writing goals down and keeping them within sight should help.

Spread out jobs throughout the year. Spring and summer are typically a gardener’s busiest times, and so it’s a good idea to do anything you possibly can in the autumn and winter, to set yourself up for the warmer months.

  • Make it a family affair

If you have children, involve them. Even very young kids can pull up weeds or sow seeds. Consider giving yours a small patch of garden to look after. It may take some persuasion, but they’ll learn a lot – and you may be pleasantly surprised at how helpful they can be. And if you’re all gardening together, you can get on with some jobs outside too, and won’t have to think of any other activities to amuse them. Plus it’s something you can all enjoy.

  • Start early

Looking ahead is vital. Once spring comes around again, you should have plans for your garden drawn up, your seeds purchased, your tools ready and your raised beds in place. This will allow you to make the most of your time during the peak gardening season.

Get help from professional landscapers

At Surrey-based AS Landscapes, also covering Windsor and Ascot, we provide a wide range of landscaping and gardening services, from hard landscaping to creating planting schemes and offering a full landscape-design solution.

Talk to us today about your outside space – and how we could help you make the most of it, and your time in the garden.