Maintaining a green lawn

The sun is your lawn best friend. However, this means it will require regular watering to keep the plants healthy. To prevent the root system from growing to the surface, it is much better to water deeply once a week rather than to water often and lightly. Your lawn will need about 1 inch of water each week in mild climates and warmer climates apply an inch of water about every three days. The easiest way to achieve this and not to waste and over water is to place a 1-inch deep container in the middle of your lawn and stop watering when the can is full.

Fertilising your lawn is essential to provide nutrients necessary for plant health and growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. You will notice on the bags of fertiliser they will be labelled N, P, and K. The Nitrogen is needed for healthy green growth and regulation of other nutrients. The Phosphorus helps proper roots and seeds develop and resist disease, and Potassium which is also important in root development and disease resistance.

Sandy Loam soil is the very best kind of soil which is a combination of sand, silt, and clay. Have your soil tested to find out what nutrients are needed. For the health of your plants and the environment, don’t go to the home improvement store and buy pesticides to control harmful insects. We have learned that pesticides can pollute water and they also kill beneficial as well as harmful insects. Horticulturist has researched and discovered many natural alternatives to control harmful insects and save you money. Alternatives to chemical pesticides would be non-detergent insecticidal soaps, garlic, hot pepper sprays, one teaspoon of liquid soap in a gallon of water, used dishwater, or a forceful stream of water to dislodge insects.

What’s so great about real Christmas Trees?

Real Christmas trees are expensive, disposable and messy yet more people buy real Christmas trees than fake, so why is it? Well, there’s something quite pleasant about having a real Christmas tree in your home isn’t there? You can take in the smells from the natural tree, look at its fine characteristics and it just looks a whole lot better than fake trees. That said, real Christmas trees are a nuisance as they shed, leaving lots of sharp splinters on the floor but it won’t put many people off. Having a real Christmas tree symbolizes you’re taking part in Christmas and going all out. Having a cheap plastic tree will never be the same and even though we don’t like the fact these beautiful trees are cut down and killed every year, you have to appreciate their beauty in the house around Christmas. Perhaps all of these trees want to spend their final few hours this way.

Combatting snails and slugs

With the winter weather conditions taking shape we’re all going to be spending more time indoors over the coming months, but there are some creatures that love these weather conditions. Yep you guessed it, snails and slugs. These will be out in full force this winter and they may be munching on your plants, flowers and growing vegetables right now so be sure to keep them at bay if you can. One of the best ways in which you can do this is by placing plastic cups into the ground near the flower, plant or shrub half filled with beer. This will attract them and should they enter the cup they will struggle to get out, so you can depose of them as you wish. It’s one of the cheapest and easiest ways to keep these slimy pests away from your precious plants, so do consider it if you’re finding snails and slugs are ruining your garden.

Brighten up your garden with daffodils this spring with these easy tips

Are you looking to spruce up your home and garden this spring with some colourful arrangements of plants and flowers, but fear you just don’t have a green thumb?

Brighten up your garden with daffodils this spring with these easy tips.

The daffodil, sunny and yellow in looks and disposition, is a perfect first flower for the novice gardener to plant. This hardy perennial is easy to grow and looks great in gardens or groves, or even in a pot. With yellow or white flowers and a trumpet-shaped central corona, the daffodil is definitely a crowd-pleaser and popular in bouquets as well.

Continue reading

Insect Screens for Sliding Doors

I know we’re just about to head out of summer and into Autumn and Winter, but if you found you had a fair few problems this summertime with flies, mosquitos, wasps and other bugs, you may want to invest in an insect screen ready for next year. These can be installed with new or existing sliding doors, so whether you have a balcony, a conservatory or a kitchen with sliding doors, the insect screen will do a great job. It does not block out any daylight whatsoever, it just gets rid of those pesty bugs. It means you can sleep easy knowing you are not going to get bitten, and it also prevents flies from ruining your alfresco style meal when you want to relax with the doors open. Many people realise they need these doors in the summer when it’s too late but you can get prepared for next year now.