Ten steps to...

You may find that majority of men these days don’t have the greenest of fingers. That won’t matter however, not with JOE’s ten steps to improving your garden.

One aspect of the home that often goes overlooked by us blokes is our garden. It should be an extension of our house and not a dumping ground for half deflated footballs and rusty old bikes (and empty cans/bottles). With that in mind, here are JOE’s ten steps to improving your garden.

1) Put down some decking

One sure way to make your garden look and feel like a new extended room in the house is to put down some wooden decking. It’s a fairly easy task once you’re a dab hand with a saw (we recommend a non-electric saw if you’re not) and once you know how to hammer a nail. Check this out for more info.

2) Put in a water feature

One easy way to add some extra pizazz to your garden is to add in a water feature. Once you buy the pump (or one of those statutes of a bloke taking a wizz) and source some water, you can pretty much make it as big or small as you like. Dig a hole, add the water and the pump and hey presto, you have a water feature. Here's how to make one.

3) Fertilise

Sometimes, all your garden needs is a little pick me up. So in that case, why not fertilise your grass and whatever flowers you have out the back garden. This will help to give your garden a new lease of life, and colour. We recommend that you go out and buy some fertiliser, but if you want to make your own 'home brew' thats up to you.

4) Grow your own… vegetables that is

Starting your own vegetable patch can be fun for all the family (there really isn’t much that the kids can mess up here). All you have to do is pick a spot that isn’t too shaded, buy the right type of soil and plant your seeds. Give nature it's time and you’ll be eating like a homemade vegetarian king in no time. More on that here.

5) Picking out flowers – man style

Picking out flowers doesn’t have to be as girly as it sounds. You can always pick plants that have a bit of edge to them such as the Venus Fly Trap, which eats insects to get its nutrients or even the Snake Plant, which is also commonly called the Mother in Law's tongue - nice. There’s a whole host of manly plants to chose from so don’t bother saying it’s all for girls. The only thing you'll have to watch out for is if the plant is a house plant or not.

The Snake Plant: Called so, because it looks a bit like a snake (or your Mother in Law's tongue)

6) Organising your garden

Sorting out the dead leafy plants from the flowering plants can make your garden look like a whole new place. Grouping all the various types of plants together makes the garden look uniformed and less like the missus forced you out with the Marigolds on.

7) Cutting the hedges

After you’ve finished giggling like a schoolgirl, you might want to put some thought into actually trimming the hedges. Neat trimmed hedges can do a world of good for your garden. Like grouping all the various plants into groups, trimming your hedges can make the garden look more uniform and less all over the shop.

8) Make your washing line look a bit better

Your washing line doesn’t have to be a protruding eye sore ruining your otherwise lovely view. Make a nice decorative surrounding around the base of the washing line with slabs or even a small flowerbed.

9) Debug your garden

Keeping nasty pests away from your garden will be like trying to keep Calum Best away from a hen night. You’ll be fighting a losing battle. However, you can do your best by putting replant down so that your own pets won’t go messing things up on you. You could also try getting rid of slugs and snails with beer.

10) Create YOUR spot

It’s nice to be able to go out into the garden and just listen to the sounds of nature. When you’re doing up your garden make sure to mark out a spot that will become ‘YOUR’ spot. Put a nice bench or fancy chair in this spot and use it whenever you’re out doing a spot of gardening. Or if you just need a break from reality.