Key garden tips for summer 2026

Breathe new life into your garden today with B&M, NEXT’s, and WICKES ' great selection of trending garden ranges and make 2026 the year you give your garden a glow-up with these 4 garden tips.

1. Start with the right tools

A good selection of quality tools is essential for all your garden needs and will ensure that your plants and lawn thrive. It'll also make garden maintenance a lot easier and more manageable. Alongside the all-important lawn mower, always have a pair of great secateurs, shears (either manual or electric), a pruning saw, a long-handled trowel, a hand fork, for easy garden weeding.

2. Create somewhere to sit in the sunshine and chill

Identify a sunny, sheltered corner of your garden and set about making it a comfortable and welcoming place to sit and relax. Start by tidying the area and getting rid of all the junk, or weeding and digging over the garden.

If you're making over a corner of a garden, start by painting the wall or fence. Add plants to containers or a border to soften the hard landscape and absorb the noise from the road or next door. Choose scented plants to create a more relaxing atmosphere, such as roses, honeysuckle, or sweet peas.

Furnish your 'outdoor living room' with a garden sofa or day bed, cushions, a rug, a pair of lounge chairs and some string lights. Kit out your space for when the temperature drops too by investing in outdoor blankets, a fire pit or a patio heater.

3. Plant a container with summer bedding plants

One of the easiest things to do to add instant colour to a drab backyard. Summer bedding plants (geraniums, petunias and cosmos, to name a few) are not hugely expensive, and you can pick up an inexpensive plastic container for just a couple of pounds. Use container and basket compost, which also contains some fertiliser and water retention gel – it saves you from giving additional feed and means the plants will also survive dry periods for longer.

4. Plant up a herb container

There’s no doubt that a handful of fresh herbs can liven up a simple dish. Plant several species in the same container, avoiding common mint and horseradish, which will soon swamp everything else. If you like Mediterranean food, try thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary and basil.