With Easter around the corner and the prospect of better weather on the way, this is the traditional time of year for us to fill our weekends with visits to the garden centres and begin to make the most of our outdoor space. After months of neglect, spring is the time of year when we poke our heads out of the window and see what's been going on out there in the back garden over the winter and start to prepare for the summer months ahead.

Spring is a time for renewal and there's nothing more uplifting than seeing the first spring flowers begin to bloom. Don't forget to pick off the dead flower heads which will encourage the plants to produce more flowers and prevent the plant wasting energy by producing seeds. After removing the heads of flowers such as daffodils and tulips, leave the foliage intact to help the plant store energy in the bulb for the next growing season. It's not necessary to tie leaves back. Just let them die down naturally before completely removing them.

A job that all the family can help with is tidying up the garden. Arm yourselves with some garden refuse bags and rid the garden of left over leaves from autumn and any other debris lying around after all the strong gusty winds and the heavy rainfall we've had this winter. Start to remove weeds as they appear and continue once a week to stop weed seedlings becoming established. There's no need to go mad every year digging too vigorously with the soil unless you want to incorporate more compost or other soil conditioners. Forking over the surface of the borders should be sufficient. You will start to see a difference just from this simple task.

To ensure you have a really good summer display in your borders, now is the time to prune and feed a mixed border containing climbers, shrubs, perennials and bulbs - start at the back of the border and make your way to the front. Most pruning is done in the spring and make sure you're armed with a pair of secateurs and protective gloves. Equally any herbaceous perennials that were not cut back in the autumn can be cut back now. This dead top growth can then be used for compost.

If weather permits plant new climbers in prepared ground or in containers. Check established climbing plants to make sure their ties aren't too tight and cutting into the stems. Tie in any stray stems with raffia or garden string.

Make sure you're not too keen to get rid of any plants that look dead. If you are unsure about any climbers or shrubs wait until May before removing them as they may shoot up late from the base of the plant.

And don't forget to check over your garden furniture. After all this hard work you want to make sure you've got somewhere to sit back and enjoy the view!