Getting the garden ready for summer guests: a sensible half-day list

There's a specific sort of Cotswolds week in July where people from other parts of the country suddenly materialise in your garden. Grown-up children, their partners, the grandchildren, a friend from Somerset, a cousin from Bristol. Everyone wants to sit outside. Everyone wants to admire the garden. Suddenly you notice the gate's dropped, the patio's got weeds, and the outside tap's been dripping since May.

Here's the list I work through when someone books me in for a "get it ready" morning.

1. The gate

Garden gates take a hammering. Wind, weather, kids swinging on them. If yours has dropped, the top corner scrapes the path. If the latch sticks, every guest has a mild fight with it on the way in. 20 minutes to re-hang or tighten the hinges, 10 to adjust the latch. Often both together.

2. The patio, a quick once-over

Not a full clean (see my separate post on that). Just a sweep, a pull of the obvious weeds, a scrape of the algae line along the north-facing edge. Before-and-after in 20 minutes that people will comment on.

Mossy patches of the patio can take a spray of biological cleaner if you've got a week before guests arrive. If it's tomorrow, skip it, and just do the sweep.

3. The outside tap

Outside taps in the Cotswolds get used twice a year: once in May for the first watering, once in July when it's too hot to move the hose. The rest of the time they sit outside and corrode. Common problems:

• Dripping from the spout: new washer, five minutes.
• Seized handle: penetrating oil on the spindle, wait ten minutes, gentle persuasion.
• Leaking at the wall: compression fitting loose, quarter-turn tighter with a spanner.
• Split pipe inside (winter damage): bigger job, might need a plumber if the feed is off the internal system.

4. Bench, table, chairs

If your garden furniture has been out all winter, most of it will need:

• A wipe down with warm water and a stiff brush
• Tightening of any loose bolts (metal chairs especially)
• Oiling the wood, if oak or teak, which sucks up a teak oil like a sponge after a winter out
• Replacement cushions from the loft, aired in the sun for an hour before use

5. Outdoor lighting

If you've got outdoor lights, check them in daylight. Half the failures I see are:

• A blown bulb that nobody's changed
• A solar light that the battery's given up on (eight quid for a new battery, five minutes)
• A motion sensor that's set to "twitch at a passing butterfly"
• A cable that's been nibbled by a squirrel or caught by a mower

A BBQ dinner in July lasts till ten. Lighting matters.

6. The gutter on the house or garage

Unlikely to blow the guests away, but a blocked gutter pouring water onto the patio during a summer shower is the worst possible welcome. A quick clear while I'm there with the ladder. See my longer gutter post for the detail.

7. The BBQ

Not my usual territory, but I'll lift the lid and give the grates a wire-brush if we're in the mood. If the gas bottle's empty, I'll flag it. Twice I've turned up and discovered a BBQ that hadn't been cleaned since last September.

8. The little things

These are the ones that save embarrassment:

• The string-light run from the tree to the house. Check the plug, check the bulbs, replace any that have gone.
• The dead planter that still has last year's geraniums in it. Empty, refill, plant something cheerful.
• The sun umbrella that's stuck in one position. Usually a seized pole, a bit of WD-40 frees it up.
• The back door mat. Outside doormats last about 18 months before they're just a flattened pancake.

What it costs

A half-day (4 hours) gets through most of the above. Around £125. If you've got a longer list, a full day (8 hours, £230) covers a lot more ground including small painting and repair.

I'll bring most kit. What I won't bring is the gas for the BBQ. If you want me to pick one up on the way, I'll add it to the shopping. Two minutes at the Shell on the London Road.