Summer has arrived, and with it the season of entertaining and outdoor gatherings. If your garden beds are looking a little neglected and unkempt after a busy year, you may think that doing something to revamp them may be too time-consuming to bother with. Fortunately, there are some simple and easy ways to give your unsightly garden beds a fresh new look that are quick, easy and inexpensive. Here are three ideas that you might like to consider for your garden.

1. Add a layer of mulch

Mulch is such an excellent garden all-rounder for garden beds. Mulch is light and easy to work with, so adding a generous layer to your disheveled garden beds won't be back-breaking work. Mulch is generally made from organic materials, such as bark, sugar cane or wood chips, and can be delivered right to your doorstep by your local mulch delivery company.

As well as making your garden beds look fresh and well cared for, mulch helps to keep weeds at bay and will provide nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Summer is an excellent time to add mulch to garden beds because it helps to protect the roots of your plants from the heat of the sun and also helps the soil retain moisture.

2. Add some new garden edging

Replacing tired, damaged or just plain old garden edging may sound like a fairly extensive project. However, it's actually a lot easier and less time-consuming than you might imagine. This is largely because there is such an excellent range of pre-made garden edging products available that require very little preparation and no expert skills.

Concrete edging blocks are a popular choice for many unenthusiastic gardeners. They're designed to interlock with each other, so they don't require any concrete or mortar to keep it in place. Concrete edging blocks also come in a variety of styles which mimic the look of different natural stone varieties, such as sandstone, limestone and granite.

3. Add some feature plants

Once you've added mulch and replaced your old garden edging, the final step is to add a few feature plants. Ideally, plant them in patches of your garden bed that are looking a little bare to give the area a more established and cohesive look.

Architectural plants, such as Yuccas, Lomandras and Bromeliads, make excellent choices for feature plants. They're inexpensive and they add some drama and structure to a garden bed. Another plus is that they're also very hardy and will thrive with very little attention or care.