RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020: Sarah Eberle shares her top summer gardening tips

Sarah Eberle, the most decorated female designer in Chelsea history, welcomes visitors into her naturalistic, woodland garden whilst sharing tips on how to make the most of your garden.

SUMMER GARDENING TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE

Enjoy your garden – it’s not meant to be hard work. Use the space to make you happy.

1. REVEL IN YOUR GREEN SPACE

Sarah recommends making the most of any green space you have, be it a balcony or even just a window box. Take the time to acknowledge the beauty of nature, especially around spring when flowers are in full bloom. It’s is a great way to unwind after work, especially if you have been working from home, and indoors all day.

SeeSmall garden ideas – maximise a compact gardening space

2. BE MINDFUL AND OBSERVANT

It is easy to let nature pass you by, especially if you’ve spent the past few weeks in isolation. Sarah suggest that we use this time to be aware of our surroundings. Take pictures of the things you love, and plant well in order to create an ecosystem that thrives.

With bee numbers in decline and trees and plants that support ecosystems under threat from pests and diseases, it is more important than ever to use nectar-rich flowers and habitats for birds and beneficial insects. Biodiversity is another factor to consider in urban designs. In the past, British cities have been planted with just a handful of different tree species, which means that a disease affecting just one of them could have a catastrophic effect on our urban landscape.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO MOMENTS OF JOY

Do you adore certain colour? Perhaps you like the shadow or silhouette that a certain flower creates when in full bloom? This can give you a good prompt as to how you wish to develop your summer garden. Grab every chance you can to ensure your garden remains a riot of colour until the first frosts.

See How to transform your garden into a picture perfect paradise

4. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NURSERIES

Now is the perfect time to buy from a local nursery. Buying local and starting small allows you the opportunity to experiment with colour, style and position. Now is a good time to refresh beds. Fill in gaps with later flowering plants, such as Petunias or Heleniums that will last until later in the season – potted plants are also handy for moving around and filling gaps. Feed soil with an organic fertiliser, sprinkling it all over, underneath shrubs and around the base of plants.

SeeRHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020: The Queen shares her favourite flower to mark this year’s event

5. ENJOY THE UNEXPECTED

Take advantage of the plants that may have moved themselves around your garden. Often the best gardens are the ones that let nature take its course.