Lawn scarifying and seeding

Lawn scarifying and seeding

Last minute scarifying and overseeding in spring 2017

It’s the last call to do some scarifying and reseeding to improve your lawn. We have done it in this garden on top of some edging and turfing.
Please come back here to see more photos when grass starts to grow. It should not take more than two weeks in this weather. WATCH THIS SPACE !


House sale garden tidy up

House sale garden tidy up

Are you thinking of a house sale?

Are you thinking about how best to present your house ?

but what about the garden ?


Do not forget a well presented, tidy, clean garden can make a huge impact upon your potential buyers.

Believe me it’s not about trying to charm your buyers or you might think cheat them by making the garden look better than it really is. No it is not about this. It is actually about showing your potential buyers the full picture of the garden, the full potential, full size.


I have seen and worked in many gardens. Many of them so overgrown that even it’s owners after we’ve done our work were amazed how big their garden really is !
Don’t make that mistake and book us in to do work in your garden before it goes for sale!

Our first job in 2017 was to tidy up front and back garden of the house that was going for sale very soon.
This time there’s no photos instead just few words left for us as a review of this job.
House sale garden tidy up review


Garden clearance 2016

Garden clearance 2016

Garden clearance this autumn. This is how we do it

Job was to clear it all out. We did just that. All lifted, disposed of and soil rotovated.
How do you like it ? Do you need something similar ? Do you need more ?

JUST GET IN TOUCH WITH US

 

Edging in garden using paving blocks

Edging in garden using paving blocks

Never underestimate the importance of separating flower beds from lawn areas. Edging in garden can be done using various materials.

 

Most recommended material by us for edging in garden will be paving block ( concrete paving block ) Be it an edging block in red, brindle or charcoal colour. These are the colour options.

Cheaper of course would be materials like log rolls – various designs. We don’t recommend these. Will not last long and of course you still need a strimmer to cut the grass along this edge.

Most expensive one is of course natural stone. Comes in different shapes, colours, sizes and prices… Very good choice if your budget allows for it.

 

Ok.. so without further ado please see for yourself and let us know what you think.

Before and after edging work in a garden. Click on photo to browse.

 

Weeds as soil type indicator

Weeds as soil type indicator

Weeds can be a good soil indicator

 weeds

In this article I will provide some information about how to determine type of soil in your gardens.
It’s based on weeds observation. Some weeds as well as more desired plants like certain conditions. By observing carefully what weeds grow in your garden you can then assess what “good plants” would thrive in this spot.

Observing the most prevalent weeds can indicate if soil is:

  • acidic
  • alkaline
  • healthy and balanced
  • depleted of certain nutrients
  • poor draining soils
  • sandy soils – poorly retaining moisture

Some points you have to take into consideration:

  • You have to observe several the most prevailing weeds
  • Pay attention to healthy weeds. You might find a certain weeds growing in many places, but in some of them the same weed will be healthy and in some others not so much ..

Plants like hydrangeas or cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus)are excellent soil indicators.
Some grow very well in most soils like: purple nettle ( lamium purpureum ) and Shepherd’s purse ( Capsella bursa pastoris )

Today I would like to concentrate on weeds that prevail in acidic soils. Weeds that may indicate an acidic type of soil are:


Plants that grow well in an acidic soil are amongst others: azaleas, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, camellias
And fruit and vegetables like: rhubarb, potatoes, shallots, sweet potatoes, endive and watermelons, blueberries

Next I would like to list some weeds that prevail in alkaline soils, that is soils which PH is higher than 7.0. Weeds that may indicate an alkaline type of soil are:

Please find a few plants that will grow well in both acidic and alkaline soils but are also good for partial shade, clay and poorly drained soils – these are conditions most common for Reading, Berkshire.

Anny’s Winter Orange (Cornus sanguinea), Bamburanta (Ctenanthe lubbersiana), Chilean rhubarb (Gunnera manicata), Snowberry Hancock (Symphoricarpos chenaultii), Strawberry Fields (Deutzia hybrida), Veitchii (Deutzia longifolia), Chestnut-leaved rodgersia (Rodgersia aesculifolia), Golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Knotweed Superba (Persicaria affinis), Variegated Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis), Bleeding heart ‘Langtrees’ (Dicentra formosa)




Where grass won’t grow

Where grass won’t grow

*

“Now, here on this ragged patch of earth called” a lawn..


landscaping where grass wont grow

Grass doesn’t grow well everywhere.. hence sometimes you have to come up with something different.
Here’s two patches near the house that barely got any sun.. landscaped to give a maintenance free area and of good appearance.

* Quote from 300. One of my favourites.. 🙂


Call Paul