As the weather begins to warm up ever so slightly, you may be tempted to escape out into the peaceful space that is your garden. Often these areas can go neglected over the winter, with many not knowing how to optimise this space for the colder weather, meaning that you might not have had the opportunity to spend as much time outdoors as you may have wanted to. However, now that spring has sprung, it is the ideal opportunity to breathe in some fresh air from the comfort of your home.

If you fancy yourself as having green fingers, you may find gardening is one of the most relaxing and rewarding activities that you can do and, if you’re looking ahead to the summer, wandering around your fantastically manicured garden is the perfect way to soak up all your hard work. For those of you who are beginners or are struggling to decide where to start, minimise the potential stress that you are giving yourselves by providing yourself plenty of time to sort out your space before the summer begins. There are a plethora of ways in which you can organise your garden, from flower beds and trellis’ to flower pots and crates, the only thing that you need to consider is how much space is available for you to use.

For those of you who are looking for a simple and accessible way to inject some colour into the surroundings of your home, personalised wooden garden planters or boxes are a brilliant way to do this. Not only do they give you a contained area to help grow your chosen plants, but are easily transportable if you fancy switching your garden around for summer. Whether you’re selecting a hand-crafted apple crate or are opting for a ceramic plant pot, their conditions are precisely what you need if you’re a beginner planning on cultivating plants.

After you’ve selected what the plants will be growing in, it’s time to think about what you’re planning on decorating them with. There is a multitude of different plant varieties that all make lovely options for the coming months, with a rainbow of colours for you to choose from. For some inspiration as to what would work best in your garden, check out our helpful list below!

Herbs
Nothing beats the aroma of fresh herbs that have been homegrown. The perfect accompaniment to many meals, as well as an essential part of some of your favourite dishes, and having these readily available is a great way to get you motivated to try new recipes! Depending on the herb, these can add nutritional value and can help you to increase your knowledge on many of the other bonuses that they have.

For those of you who are looking to start growing your own herbs, there are some different varieties to get you on your journey! Some of the most popular choices are basil, bay leaves, chives, coriander, mint and parsley, but rosemary, thyme and sage are also fantastic additions to have in your kitchen.

Vegetables
Growing vegetables can often seem overwhelming, as well as time-consuming. Although it is true that, to get the best vegetables, you need to take some time caring for your produce for it to be the best it can be. However, it is easier than you may have first anticipated. For many, they believe that growing vegetables requires a large allotment, but planter boxes are also a fantastic alternative for those who have less space.

Salad leaves and radishes are just a few of the options that you have if you’re limited with room for them to grow. Although options like potatoes require some planning, with the best time for the seeds to be sown in late February, peas and spring onions can be sprinkled into your planter box until June, taking a couple of months until you can sample them.

Pansies
Pansies are the perfect options for those of you who are just starting to delve into the world of gardening. Available in a variety of beautiful colours, they are a fantastic way of injecting some colour into your garden, and matching them to your planter boxes or plant box can tie your outdoor space together, no matter how small your space is!

When growing from seeds, there are many different times throughout the year that are perfect. However, if you’re looking for summer bloom, early spring is the time that you should be aiming for! Looking after the plants as they grow is not a difficult feat, but it is essential to ensure that you’re using rich soil that has been well-drained for the best results.

Geraniums
Geraniums grow best in small conditions and tiny plant pots, so use your personalised garden trug to produce these before transporting into your crate once grown.

Sunflowers
Synonymous with the warmer weather, sunflowers are one of the most popular choices for home growing. Depending on the space available, there are a number of different options which can grow up to as tall as 4m! Late-April is the ideal time to sow these seeds as they are an annual plant, growing once a year and typically flowering in August after taking just over two months to grow fully.

For the best results, place your sunflowers in a position where they will receive a lot of light, as well as watering regularly. Watering them is essential in helping them to grow, but should be done in the morning so that they can dry out overnight. One of the benefits of doing this is that it prevents the chance of the plants growing fungal mould.