Amateur Gardening 30-Mar-2019

“The weather this year has been pretty good for gardening so far (finger’s crossed!). Last year’s combination of late freeze followed by a heatwave and near-drought played havoc with many of our lawns, and certainly baked a section of mine into a brown-scorched disaster! The scars of last year are still visible in lack of growth, but I’m hoping that with better weather, hard work and some good products, it will improve. A healthy-looking, well-managed lawn makes such a difference to the overall effect of a garden. See Ruth’s tips on pages 4 and 5 to give your lawn the best start.”…

How to revive your lawn! These smart tips will make it ready for summer, says Ruth IT’S fair to say that our front lawn is currently letting the side down. We have never been fond of the ‘bowling green’ look, but right now, it’s a disaster area. In previous years, we have been pretty blasé about the amounts of moss growing among the grass – it was green, and could be mowed, and in any case, the lawn was hidden behind a shrubby hedge. But now we have been hit by a double whammy, having taken out some of the hedge, making the lawn more visible, just in time for the moss to die off after last summer’s drought and the long wet winter. So something needs to be done, and if you are in…

Not all lawn seeds were created equal. Some are designed for a pristine ornamental sward; others are more rugged for areas of heavy use. You can also buy seed for shaded areas or seeds mixed with wildflowers for a natural meadow. Some are purely seeds, while others have additional ingredients to boost germination (Johnson’s Lawn Seed Thickener with Seedbooster) and some contain moss- and weedkillers (such as Westland’s Aftercut All-in-One or EverGreen Complete 4-in-1). The most recent developments in the grass seed market are products that will boost and thicken grass and prevent weeds, while also being safe to use around children and pets.…

1 Start removing the area of moss by digging around its borders with a sharp spade blade. There is no need to cut too deep. 2 Peel back the moss. It shouldn’t be hard to strip off, as the roots are shallow, and I found it easier to peel it back by hand than use a rake. 3 Rake over the soil to create a fine tilth and seedbed. You may need to add more topsoil if a lot came up with the moss. 4 Sow the grass at the recommended rate, either by hand or by using a handheld or wheeled seed spreader. 5 Water the seedbed well, using a watering can fitted with a fine rose. You may need to repeat every few days if the weather is set dry. 6 Protect the…

FORCED bulbs that brought welcome scent and colour to the house in winter will have finished flowering now. They often fail to perform as well indoors in future years, so instead of composting them, why not add them to your garden? Like many bulbs, they will mature and improve in the ground year on year, if planted in the right situation and given the right care. Last year, I planted out some finished forced hyacinths, after removing their flower spikes to prevent them setting seed and letting their foliage die back and return energy to the bulbs. They are successfully back this year, robust and healthy and with beautiful flowers that have scented the areas where they grow. They are growing under a deciduous tree, where they get maximum sun and come into…

Things are hotting up under cover and outside, so take time to ready the greenhouse for this summer’s seedlings, cuttings and tender veggies. Wash down the glass to remove smears and algae, and let the maximum light through to your plants. Wipe down all surfaces and the framework with warm water and detergent or diluted Jeyes Fluid, and get rid of overwintering pests by lighting a garlic candle. Check overwintered plants. Compost any that have died and prune out dead or failing growth. Start watering overwintered tender perennials to start them back into growth. Keep a couple of layers of fleece handy to throw over tender plants on frosty nights.…