FLOWER POWER
These cheering spring prints are sure to brighten up your home
Enamel mug, £7.50, sassandbelle.co.uk
As lawns get older, most develop problems that need addressing early in the year, as soon as conditions permit. Here are some common grassy ailments and how to fix them.
LUMPS, BUMPS AND HOLLOWS
Slight hollows: Spread half an inch of sifted compost or topsoil evenly over the sunken area and work it in with a stiff broom or rubber rake.
The top-dressing must be only a thin layer that sinks in without burying the grass.
Repeat every few months all year round until the area is level with the surrounding grass.
Deeper hollows: First remove the turf over the affected area, then fill the hollow with topsoil and replace the turf over the top. Tread well down afterwards, and adjust the soil level if necessary to leave the area flush with the surrounding lawn.
Bumps: Strip off the turf, then level the ground underneath with a spade.
Prick it evenly all over with a fork to loosen compacted soil so the turf roots back in easily. Replace the turf and firm it down, checking it is flush.
PROBLEM EDGES
Collapsed edges: Dig out a square of turf all round the hole, lift out and
Give your lawn some care and attention now and you’ll reap the benefits in the warmer months to come
replace it in the same spot after turning it round, so the lawn now has a solid edge with a hole a few inches further back. Repair the hole by topping up with soil and sitting a pre-cut piece of turf over the top, or reseed, ideally in April.
Blurred edges:
Lawns and borders gradually merge over time, so you can’t see where one ends and the other begins. To remedy this, every year or two in early spring, redefine lawn edges using the back of a spade or a half-moon iron.
Moss and liverwort: Rake moss or liverwort out, then improve the surface drainage by sprinkling a bucketful of sharp sand evenly per square metre. Spike the area well with the points of a garden fork.
If the grass in affected areas still
looks thin by April, over-seed using a mixture of grass seed and sifted topsoil or seed compost for the best results.
BARE PATCHES
Quick fix: Grass often wears out in places where people walk regularly, especially when the underlying ground is wet and boggy or the same garden route is taken regularly.
Prick over the bare area with a fork to loosen compressed soil and unroll turf over the top.
Add or remove soil to ensure it fits flush with the adjacent grass, and firm well down with your feet.
Make sure there’s no raised rim where the old and new grass meet.
Long-term solution:
If the same patch of grass is regularly worn bare, a better option is to set a staggered row of paving slabs into the lawn as stepping stones.
Sink them in so the surface is flush with the
lawn and the mower glides safely over the top – or put in a proper path. Set a square of paving slabs outside the shed door and any other heavily used areas. Well-worn lawn: Where large parts of a lawn are frequently muddy or scuffed due to heavy use, it’s best to reinforce the turf with stiffish plastic mesh with holes about an inch across.
Some products are designed especially for this job but you can use any strong plastic mesh sold for general garden use.
Cut the grass short then lay the mesh out all over the area. Pull it taut and secure firmly with the special pegs provided, making sure they’re not sticking up to wreck your mower later.
Ensure that edges and corners of the mesh are secured, for the same reason.
Then apply a light top-dressing. Grass will soon grow through the mesh so you can mow over the top of it.
Rake moss out then sprinkle sharp sand to improve drainage
Telegraph Hotel, Coventry
Relive the glory days of newspaper publishing in Coventry. The former Coventry Telegraph offices have been turned into a luxury hotel and the building’s original mid-century style is beautifully preserved with artefacts and period furniture.
Some rooms have black and white photographs of the old newsroom reimagined as wallpaper plus original light fittings and woodpanelled walls.
Yet all the 88 rooms are well up to date with massive beds, coffee machines and free-standing baths. There are penthouse suites and 11 superb Winter Garden rooms overlooking an indoor terrace. For that special occasion, book the Lord Iliffe Suite, named after the newspaper’s founder, with a hot tub and terrace.
History buffs will love the library featuring post-war design and newspaper heritage. Guests can dine at the Forme & Chase restaurant, while the Generators rooftop bar takes in the twinkling lights of Coventry.
From £85 per room, per night, B&B. Opening date to be announced. telegraph-hotel.com
West Sussex will welcome a new little piggy this summer.
The Grade II listed Madehurst Lodge near Arundel has been reimagined to take the form of another stylish Pig hotel.
It’s also the location for the first Pig vineyard, thanks to its favourable elevation and soil, planted with 4,000 vines.
Food, as ever, will be a focus and sourced from within a 25-mile radius. Decor is distinctively shabby chic with old and mismatched furniture and clashing patterns.
It looks like it’s been there forever, but each piece has been painstakingly curated and it works so superbly you’ll want to re-create it (probably unsuccessfully) at home. There will be 30 rooms, each with their own style, and some garden rooms too.
There’s a miniature spa and, of course, plenty of nooks and crannies stuffed with cosy chairs and roaring fires to hunker down in front of.
From £155 per room, per night, room only. Opens summer.
thepighotel.com