1st Class Gardens

We have recently been experiencing some colder weather than what we can usually expect for this time of year. We have very little snow over the winter months, but many parts of the UK have experienced a number of snow outbreaks along with hail and heavy rain over the last few weeks. This weather has made it difficult for many people to maintain their gardens and finding a time when you are not at work and the grass is dry enough to cut it is seeming almost impossible for many. If this is the case you could consider hiring a gardener for the next few months to come and cut the lawns when you are out (weather permitting) as leaving it could make it extremely hard work when you finally... Continue reading

This month is supposed to be the most popular time for people to start their spring cleaning. But when we talk about spring cleaning we are usually on about the house, but what about the garden. With the evenings getting lighter again and the sun shining through, plants and grass are starting to grow again. Mowing your lawn early on (but only when dry) allows the sun to shine through to the ground and will stimulate grass growth. You can also plant grass seeds on any sections that are bare, giving them time to grow before the summer starts. If you have a problem with weeds on a flower bead, then why not dig it up, add a weed blanket and then cover with bark. Not only does this look... Continue reading

Weeding is something almost all of us despise. It can seem like a never ending task and if you do not remove the weeds properly, you can often see them starting to grow back even within the space of a few days. Ideally when weeding, you need to remove the weed and all of its roots. You also need to be carefully not to spread any seeds that may come off the plant when weeding. Once you have removed all the weeds you will need to try and do something if you want them to stop growing back. You have a number of options available that can eliminate or significantly reduce weed growth. Adding weed killer can kill or any roots remaining for weeds and therefore remove or slow down... Continue reading

This current December looks set to be one of if not the warmest December on record, and this has profound implications for the natural world. Flowers that normally wait until early Spring to bloom are instead blooming at the beginning of Winter. We’ve seen bees come out, and birds which should have migrated are still present in the UK. For gardeners, what does this mean? Thanks to the early flowering, what we’re likely going to see is a much less flourishing Springtime than typically seen, which means that the expected appearance many people were hoping for their garden during early April may not fully materialise. We could see failures of a number of plant species, and wildlife is also likely to affected. It’s not all bad news though, as the... Continue reading