Smart changes IN GARDENING
In the 50 years since Gardeners’ World ƓTUV CRRGCTGF on our screens, countless advances that we can’t imagine life without have made our hobby easier
Looking back, it can be hard to remember just how much effort went into looking after our gardens. Most of us might have inherited a handful of tools – spade, trowel, shears – but often precious little in terms of gardening know-how. For the younger generations in the late 1960s and early 70s there was less interest in growing as a hobby, so any innovations that could make it easier to look after the garden were welcomed with open arms. Today, we have masses of powered mower choices and they’ve become a staple part of the garden shed – can you imagine going back to a push mower? And over the years it’s been the same with a whole host of garden machinery and kit – the cleanest, most convenient and economical of which are powered by electricity. Things that might have seemed novel when they were introduced have been widely adopted if they are easy to use, hasslefree, and save us time and effort. Sheds now bristle with electric garden tools and equipment – hedge-trimmers, nylon-line trimmers, pressure washers and electric greenhouse heaters. It hasn’t stopped there. Garden lighting, pond filters and even powered secateurs are becoming the new norms to take the effort out of gardening and help us get the most from our favourite hobby.
Money saving
Garden machinery and equipment is now big business. That means companies are constantly looking for ways to make their products more saleable by being easier to use, quieter, safer, compact and lightweight, and more energy efficient – all things that have benefited us. This is not only good on our pockets, but also lessens our impact on the environment by reducing the output of greenhouse gases that remain a large byproduct of our current power-generation industry. And there are steps you can take, too, such as leaving grass uncut during the winter months at around 4cm long, preventing frost damage. And setting the blades on your mower high during the growing season – between 2-3cm in height – will give you a harder wearing lawn and allow you to reduce mowing frequency and the amount of energy you use. Clipping your hedge in late June will mean that your hedge trimmer will easily cut through the soft growth, and take less time and energy to do so. Before you do start clipping your hedge though, check carefully for any nesting birds. And don’t forget to insulate your glasshouse or conservatory with bubble polythene to reduce energy wastage in the winter months. You might
Don’t forget to insulate your glasshouse or conservatory YKVJ DWDDNG RQN[VJGPG VQ reduce energy wastage
also think about dividing off a small section at the end of the greenhouse using bubble polythene, rather than trying to heat the whole thing. Nevertheless, the amount of electricity we use to help us garden has increased. The way we monitor our consumption, however, has remained unchanged during the last five decades, with basic meters showing no more than a reel of numbers. This means that we have to wait until the bill arrives to discover how much our hobbies and their various accompanying tools, cost us. Smart meters, like so many of the powered gardening tools and kit that are part of our daily lives, are simple to use, reliable and time-saving. Not only that, but this new generation of meters show at a glance how much it’s costing to power your home, all in near-real time through their handy in-home display units. There’s nothing hidden – all the information is at your fingertips. That’s why smart meters are set to become as indispensable as the garden mower. So take time to look back fondly on how we used to garden, back in the day, but let’s celebrate along with and reflect on just how far we’ve come in 50 years!