How to transform your lawn in time for summer entertaining

With the weather warming up, now’s the perfect time to get outside and give your garden some TLC so that you can enjoy it for the months ahead. Joe Rogers, lawn expert and technical manager at Lawn Solutions Australia, reveals five essential steps for getting your lawn back into shape.

1. Allocate enough time

The first step is to set aside some time to get your lawn back into shape. For the average suburban backyard, you’ll need around two hours across two weekends to give your lawn the love it needs.

I like to put some music on and really throw myself into it. Gardening can be fun – even more so if you can get family and friends to join in (the promise of a barbecue afterwards might sweeten the deal).

2. Identify your lawn’s needs

If you live in the colder parts of Australia, you may have noticed some frost on your lawn during winter. This can burn your lawn, which means your yard will need some extra care. If your grass is brown and patchy after winter, this could have been caused by outdoor furniture or pets.

Repair the issues by regularly aerating all areas of your lawn with aeration shoes. Or, if your lawn isn’t too big, a three-pronged cultivator on your hands and knees. Remember to move around your outdoor furniture and children’s play areas as well so that wear and tear is dispersed across the entire yard.

3. Use a natural fertiliser

Your lawn needs a little pampering after winter to get it back into top condition. Fertilising will help boost growth and density, resulting in thick, lush grass. A fertiliser without harmful chemicals is best, particularly if you have pets or children.

4. Dust off the mower

The colder months can make your lawn brown at the tips, so get out the mower and give yours a good shave and you’ll see an instant difference. Be sure to adjust your mower height to suit your lawn type and the season – the average height for most household lawns in spring is 35-50 millimetres.

5. Fake it ’til you make it

Planning a barbecue for the coming weekend and don’t have time to wait for your lawn treatments to work their magic? Consider giving your grass an instant makeover by painting it green. Yes, you read that right – you can buy a natural turf colourant that gives you a golf-course-green lawn with the flip of a hose. Simply attach the bottle of colourant to a hose, spray your lawn and wait for it to dry. You’ll be left with a safe, UV- and fade-resistant lawn that’s ready for outdoor entertaining.

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For more gardening tips check out six uses for artificial plants and our guide to low maintenance high impact landscaping.

This article was originally published on Houzz.com.au. Read the original article here.

Written by:
Georgia Madden is a senior writer for Houzz Australia. She specialises in home renovations, design and decor trends. She is a freelance interiors journalist and writer and a regular contributor to House & Garden magazine and a number of interiors websites. Confessions Of A Once Fashionable Mum is her debut novel.