How does your garden grow?

Spring is upon us and for licensees it's time to start to thinking about making the most of their outdoor areas.

Last year, summer was fairly non-existent, bar a few weeks, so this year the trade is due some luck.

And with the smoking ban now in full swing it's essential pubs have their beer gardens and patios looking in tip top condition.

Martin Godden, retail property manager at pubco Shepherd Neame, has developed a keen eye in helping ensure the group's estate reaps the reward from their outdoor areas.

The mantra he abides by is: treat your outside areas as you would your inside. "Often the outside area is treated as secondary, but it's a key trading area," he says.

"Gardens are now a central trade space and very important for pubs going forward."

Furniture fix

He also advises licensees to look at their furniture. "Would you tolerate a rickety chair inside the pub? No you wouldn't, so make sure it's in good condition. And if it's a nice day, put some cushions out for people."

When it comes to heating, Martin says that customers are much more energy conscious these days and will be put off by a pub having heaters raging all the time.

"If there's a blatant abuse or waste of energy it makes people feel uncomfortable," he says.

If the sun does miraculously appear, Martin says that people must have somewhere to take shade, so umbrellas are necessary.

"Customers are mostly health conscious and don't want to get burnt. Just sitting in blazing sunlight is not conducive to a relaxing experience, so it's vital you have plenty of places to take cover," he says.

Plant choice

On the tricky issue of deciding what plants to use, Martin warns against "just going to a garden centre and buying what's on offer". He says it's important to get expert advice, which could even come from customers.

He adds: "Your plants are the pictures on the wall on the outside and your lawn is your carpet."

And finally he says that in the summer, warm evenings are just as important as sunny afternoons at the weekend. And warmer weather could mean that the predicted new wave of post-smoking ban customers will emerge. "People who do not usually go into pubs are happy to stand outside a pub with a nice beer garden in the summer," he says.

Charlie Dimmock's expert advice for a great beer garden

• Introduce plants to a beer garden; ensure you have a good backdrop of evergreen and flowering shrubs as these don't need a lot of maintenance and they add real interest and colour to the garden all year round.
• An obvious one, but having a good clean up everyday - sweeping away leaves and dirt - will just make sure that the garden looks clean and tidy.
• Keep wooden furniture looking tip top and brand spanking new by coating it with a hard wearing garden furniture oil - these come in a range of colours. Go for a water based product that is eco friendly, as not only will you be making the wood look great, but you'll be doing your bit for the environment too.
• Think about how you want to use your space - by creating little alcoves with your planting you can create more private spaces within the garden.
• If you want to incorporate a children's play area, rather than buying expensive play equipment, think natural and incorporate a balancing beam or some stepping logs - not only will the children enjoy playing on these, but they look good and are cheap too!

Charlie Dimmock is currently working with Ronseal to promote their new eco range of woodcare products ​