Interior & Design

LET THOSE GREEN FINGERS WAVE

This is how you prepare your garden or balcony for summer in five steps

Summer has finally kicked off in the Netherlands. And okay, maybe the weather is a bit less now, but the sun has already shown itself and that means we are going outside again. So it's time to blow the moss off your balcony and remove the weeds between the tiles. You are going to make your garden or little balcony summer-ready and then enjoy it for a long time.

Step 1 – Pruning, weeding and other chores

The least fun task. Weeds find the sun quite cozy and even produce flowers. Now I don't know if that makes you very happy, because you probably prefer to see some violets and other flowery delights. Weeds spread like wildfire, so get to work quickly to weed everything out. Also grab the pruning shears to cut away old branches and remove unwanted growth.

Step 2 – Cleaning

A slightly less fun task, but not nearly as bad as pruning and weeding. All the furniture could use a fresh cloth and moss doesn't look great on the tiles. Besides, you don't want to sit in your white summer shorts on a bench full of greenery, so it's actually better for everything. Green soap – grandma's tip – solves everything.

Step 3 – Flowers

Ohhh, I always find this the most fun. My vegetable patches are now in full bloom, but flowers make everything even cozier. Daffodils, crocuses, and tulips that no longer work indoors can also find a nice spot in the garden, because they will come back to life again. Oh, and you understand that you should do all this in nice pots or containers, because they immediately give your garden a summer upgrade.

Step 4 – Lighting

A balcony can often be a dark spot in the evening, so create enough light. And a garden can shine too. Extra romantic. So don't fill your entire balcony and be careful with all those containers hanging on the balcony, because they can block both your view and your light. No plant will be happy about that, and neither will you. So work with light strings, like that cool fairy light, or nice lanterns and little lanterns. If you have an incredibly large garden (lucky you); then lanterns can actually create coziness. It all becomes a bit cozier.

Step 5 – Dressing up

I naturally end with the absolute, most fun step: dressing up. New cushions and nice funny garlands in the garden. But do be a little careful. If you've chosen flowers in rainbow colors and plant pots that represent Mexico, then pink, yellow, and blue cushions can also turn it into a circus paradise. It looks cozy, but you also want to relax a bit. Keep it clean is all I can say. Go for a neutral color palette. Plant pots in light colors and cushions in soft colors. This way, your garden looks a lot more spacious.