Blog

As we rapidly approach the start of Spring, now is the time to get ready for the imminent arrival of warmer weather.
Many of us would have neglected our gardens over the colder months of winter and it may well require a little TLC before we consider planting for summer.

Love Your lawn

One of the trickiest parts of a garden is the lawn. These very small individual plants of grass take some real abuse as we walk all over it in the summer and leave it to freeze in the winter. It’s a wonder it survives at all!
Showing your lawn some love in the spring will help it repay you in the summer. When temperatures reach a steady 14 degrees in the day then you can start.

A light raking over (when dry) with a springbok rake will remove any moss and thatch that may have built up through the milder autumn and early winter. This gives the grass breathing space and also allows any treatments to fall right down to the soil thus allowing them to work efficiently.

You may find that your lawn will also benefit from an aerating. This helps to improve the drainage of the lawn which in turn will reduce the chance of moss growing again.

There are several spring treatments available for your lawn from single use products to multipurpose products. We generally recommend the single use products as they tend to be more efficient. The most beneficial at this stage would be a lawn fertiliser. They have a high nitrogen content which plants use for leaf growth. It is important to follow the application instructions on fertilisers as making a stronger mix can often result in scorching and can make your lawn look worse.

Love Your Plants

We all want a garden full of fabulous plants and who wouldn’t? However, one of the most important aspects of stunning shrubs is pruning. Most people are scared to take the secateurs to their plants as they do not want to kill them. Yes there are some plants that can be quite fussy but most deciduous (lose their leaves in the winter) shrubs will respond well to a prune as we enter spring. This is especially the case for any late winter/early spring flowering plants such as Forsythia, Chimonanthus and Hamemelis.

There are also summer flowering shrubs that will also need a trim before they get going too. Buddleia, Lavatera, Cotinus, Philidelphus, Weigela, and Physocarpus will all respond well and its essential in order to stop them from going ‘leggy’ and ‘woody’ prematurely.

Look for some good healthy buds as low down as possible and cut at a 45 degree angle just above the second or third bud up from the bottom one.

Once pruned, the side shoots will burst into life but keep the growth habit bushy and compact.
Evergreen foliage shrubs such as Euonymus, Photinia and conifers will all respond to a spring prune too.
Some of the flowering evergreen shrubs will respond best to a prune immediately after flowering. For example Viburnum tinus would be best pruned in March, however Choisya would be pruned closer to the end of May.
If you are unsure what the plant in your garden is, then why not take a picture and pop in and see us? We will be able to tell you all about your plant and its needs.

Love Your Furniture

Hopefully as we race through March there will be a few dry days so we can get our garden furniture un-covered or out of the shed ready to be cleaned up in time for summer.

For those more traditionalists with wooden furniture it’s time to give your furniture a little rub down. With some very fine grade sandpaper, lightly smoothen the wood and brush all residual dust off. Then apply some outdoor wooden furniture treatment or oil. This can really bring the grain back to life and prolong the lifespan of your furniture for several years.
Barbeques may also need a little spring clean too. Removing the grills and giving them a good clean up ensures you’re ready to cook as soon as the sun comes out. If you own a gas barbeque it may be worth checking your bottle and get it filled up now to beat the rush. We are Calor

Love Your Healthy Living

Twice a year we promise ourselves we are going to get healthy. Firstly in January, where we sign up to a gym membership and nearly half of us don’t make it there anyway.

Secondly is in spring, when we promise to have a go at growing some of our own fruit and veg and use the opportunity to get the kids involved too. This is a fantastic time of year to start planning and getting some fresh air after being cooped up inside for the winter.
It is all very simple really. Firstly list all the things that you like to eat. This will determine what you will eventually grow. Once this has been decided all you need to do is found out how much space you will need. This information is readily available in many places but just come and see us and we can help you turn your list into reality.

There are so many different types of plants to grow and eat and many different ways to do it. We just have to tailor your shopping list to suit your facilities and requirements and that’s what we do very well.

We even have an edible garden display area where we have everything you could possibly need.