Water time to enjoy your hard work

SUMMER is here and we are getting the chance to spend more and more time in the garden as the nights are warmer and lighter, letting us enjoy the colour and smells of the season.

There are a few jobs though – keeping your lawn tidy is one of the biggest, if you have a wee patch of grass in your garden you can get away with mowing it once a week or even once a fortnight.

It depends on weather as grass can grow faster with sun and moisture in the ground.

Some lawns take up most of the garden. Some see it as the easy option: no digging or weeding of beds – fine until you have to cut it!

For a small garden a rotary mower is ideal, it also helps if you have a box fitted to collect the cuttings – however, if you want stripes on your lawn like a bowling green it is best to use a cylinder mower.

It also helps to trim the edges with edging shears to finish off the look of your lawn and can help make the difference between a grassy patch in amongst beds and paths and a lawn area framed by flower beds you want to look at and show off.

And with the weather being so good watering is the biggest task.

It is best to do this first thing in the morning or in the evening when the sun isn’t as strong and it is cooler – or you risk scorching the garden.

If you have a greenhouse it is even more important to check the watering as the build-up of heat inside can get so hot it is like an oven.

In this case it is also beneficial to water in the morning or evening because you don’t want to be inside for any length of time when the sun is at its strongest.

You could damp down the floor area in the afternoon – this helps to cool and dampen the atmosphere.

Ventilation is also very important for a greenhouse as it saves the build-up of heat, condensation and the chance of pests and diseases taking over.

Feeding is important but doesn’t have to be difficult and can be included in other jobs.

Liquid feeding like Tomato Fertiliser can be added when you are doing the watering.

You can also use granulated fertiliser like Growmore or Chicken Pellets to feed your beds, just lightly fork or hoe them in when you are weeding, which is another main job at this time of year as the weeds love the attention given to the garden, feeding and watering wise.

It is also key to allow time for yourself to sit back and enjoy the results of your work.