1st Class Gardens
Home and Garden News and Information
Author: George (page 10 of 18)
Whilst it’s been wonderful basking in glorious, almost uninterrupted sunshine for what feels like forever, the heatwave presents a number of challenges for the green-fingered among us. Whilst warm weather in summer is not unusual, it’s rare for it to be so dry for so long. Believe it or not, actual rainfall isn’t that far off normal averages for this time of year, but what is different is how it falls. Rather than falling steadily and lightly over a number of days, some areas have had their month’s rainfall in just one day. Hitting the parched ground, much of this will run off without soaking into the land, meaning it does little good for vegetation. All around I see parched grass, nearly brown from lack of water – if this is... Continue reading
Unfortunately, garden vandalism and theft are on the increase and people are looking more at the ways in which they can not only secure their homes but gardens too. If you have items in your garden that you want to protect them you may wish to anchor them down using a chain or bolting them into the ground. Many people want to display their floral arrangements or statues but having them in easy reach of the pavement is often asking for trouble. Keep items a few feet away (at least) from the kerbside to ensure that someone will actually have to enter your property in order to take it. Make hanging baskets harder to steal by hanging them on lockable brackets or by threading chain through the basket rim and... Continue reading
We Brits are great at complaining, we often complain in the winter that it’s too cold and the snow is causing disruption but then also moan during the summer if we have a week or two of hot weather. The hot weather can though be welcomed by many but if you are an avid gardener then you may struggle to keep your garden as vibrant and lush as you wish. Watering your plants and grass throughout the summer, especially during dry periods is a must. Ideally, they should all be watered once a day and not during the hottest time of the day. If you water plants when the sun is blazing on them you may end up scorching them. Wait until the late evening or if you are up... Continue reading
So it’s time to overhaul your garden, you have a bare patch of land that you have cleared and levelled and it’s time to decide what to do with it. If you are wanting a lawn area then your three main options are to lay grass seed, turf or use artificial grass and there are pros and cons to each method. If you choose to lay grass seed then it’s important you choose the correct seed for the area depending on how much sunlight the area gets and how much traffic the grass will need to cope with. Once laid grass seed takes around 14 days to germinate but a good few weeks to become properly established so you’d need to play the waiting game. Grass seed does also tend... Continue reading
If you are a parent of children over the age of 1 then you will probably already be aware of how hard it can be to maintain a child-friendly garden that still looks nice and is a place for adults to relax in too. Children’s play equipment seems to be getting bigger and taking up more of the garden and not only does it leave little room for anything else but it often can damage the grass. Paddling pools are also a nightmare for avid gardeners as the area around them often gets damaged, muddy and makes it very hard for the grass to recover even after the pool has been removed. If you really want to have a child-friendly garden and still keep areas untouched then it is advisable... Continue reading