Maintaining your outdoor area

De-slime the deck

Without enough sunlight and heat to dry your deck, the wood tends to sit and soak in the cold for days, sometimes weeks on end. You’ll often notice a change in colour and texture; suddenly that lovely earthy timber has become sallow and spongey, as though it has been living in a swamp for the past few months. Mould might grow in places, and accumulations of sticky plant matter will form hither and thither. Before you know it, you’ll be travelling across your deck one rainy night with armfuls of groceries, only to slip and send everything flying as you land on your backside in cold, damp frustration.

Not an ideal deck situation. Fear not. We have a few suggestions for buffing the winter blues out of your deck and giving it a new lease on life all year long:

• Apply wet’n’forget to your deck: a special solution that will clean and protect the wood during this winter and many winters to come. This solution must be applied on a clear day, so keep an eye on the weather forecast.

• Water blasting. Quite literally fighting fire with fire by battling water with water sprayed at such a powerful rate that the sticky plant matter and mould slide away like raindrops on a windshield.

• Foliage trimming. Cut back surrounding plant life to afford your deck ample access to healthy, drying sunlight while avoiding further accumulations of leaves and flowers. 

Ah, the serenity

Try planting evergreen trees and plants that will provide you with shelter where you want it and ambience all year long. Enjoy the gentle rustle of leaves as you soak up the sights of your thriving winter garden.

If you find yourself unsure about evergreen gardening (what plants are evergreen and where should you plant them, for example), you can look to your local Wellington landscaping expert for a bit of guidance.