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What plants will add colour to my garden in winter months?
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Some of the best plants to give your garden colour during winter are Conifers. They come in shades of green, gold and blue, the 'Cornus Alba' variety has striking red stems throughout the winter.
There are also many winter flowering Heathers that come with different coloured foliage. A good example being 'Hamamelis Mollis' which has yellow flowers.
Universal pansies are also a good choice as they flower throughout the winter and into the spring.
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The roots of a tree in my garden are exposed above the ground. Is there a way to prevent them from growing like this permanently?
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Some trees do have shallow roots and as the tree matures you sometimes get soil erosion around the base, which exposes the surface roots.
Pruning these roots will not solve the problem. You need to apply several layers of soil on top of the roots, ensuring that they are completely covered.
Leaving the roots exposed will do no harm to the tree but they do become a nuisance when it comes to mowing the lawn.
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How can I guarantee that my shrubs and roses establish quickly?
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1. Water the plant thoroughly before removing it from the pot.
2. Dig a hole twice the width and depth of the pot.
3. Fill with a mix of compost and soil with a good sprinkling of Bonemeal (always wear gloves when using bonemeal).
4. Put the plant in the ground and cover the rootball with soil and compost mixed together.
5. Firm down the soil, tie the plant to a stake if necessary and water in well.
6. Finally, ensure that you water the plant regularly during the summer.
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How do I create a low in height, low maintenance hedge to form a perimeter around my garden?
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I would suggest planting slow growing conifers as a hedge. Although they will need clipping to the desired height, they will form very effective barriers.
Listed here are some examples you could consider:
Taxus bacata (the common yew) bears very small dark leaves with red fruit, it is generally slow growing but does come in many varieties.
Tsuga canadensis has a pyramidal shape and is best in alkaline soil, the narrow leaves are light green with two whitish bands beneath, the cones are small, oval shaped and pendulous.
Tsuga heterophylla is similar to Tsuga canadensis but thrives in deep loamy soils with adequate moisture, it dislikes alkaline soils.
Thuya plicata makes an excellent hedge with cinnamon, red or brown shredding bark, the leaves are mid shining green above with whitish markings beneath.
Thuya occidentalis is usually columnar in habit, the branches are spreading, the branchlets flattened and spray like, the leaves have conspicuous resin glands, are dark green on the upper surface, pale green underneath and turn bronze in winter. This is a very hardy plant with many different varieties available.
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How do I control worm casts on my lawn?
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Worm casts are simply piles of soil left by a worms path and do not damage the lawn in any way. However, they can be unsightly and a nuisance with the lawnmower. Wet weather will bring worms to the surface but they actually help lawn drainage. It would be impossible to remove them and unnecessary. Just brush the casts away before you mow the lawn.
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Can you recommend anything to get rid of moss permanently? I've tried moss killer but it won't get rid of the green algae.
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You need to re-seed or re-turf the area when you've killed the moss off. You'll need to make sure the area is well prepared before hand as algae and moss are mainly due to poor surface drainage.
Secondly, you need to use a seed mixture that is suitable for the area and the turf needs to suit that type of position. If it is a shady patch the type of grass used should contain some wood meadow grass, which grows well in shady conditions.
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The roots of a tree in my garden are exposed above the ground. Is there a way to prevent them from growing like this permanently?
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Some trees do have shallow roots and as the tree matures you sometimes get soil erosion around the base, which exposes the surface roots.
Pruning these roots will not solve the problem. You need to apply several layers of soil on top of the roots, ensuring that they are completely covered.
Leaving the roots exposed will do no harm to the tree but they do become a nuisance when it comes to mowing the lawn.
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How do I get rid of excess water in my back garden?
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Drainage can be very complicated and you may need professional advice, but here are some brief guidelines to start you off. Firstly, you should establish whether the problem you have is poor surface drainage or subsurface.
To solve poor surface drainage, you will need to improve the soil structure and/or compaction by using aeration and scarification equipment. Once you have aerated the soil, apply bulky material such as sand. This will improve your surface drainage. If the soil and subsoil are porous, drainage may not be necessary.
If the problem is sub-surface, you could use one of the following methods to improve drainage:
1. Dry Well or Soakaway. This is a hole under a damp spot, usually around 3 feet square and 3-4 feet deep. Fill the hole with coarse rubble, top with ash and then backfill the surface layer with topsoil. Finally, replace any turf.
2. French Drain. This is a ditch backfilled with rubble and ash only. It would act as a water conducting channel.
3. Tile Drain. Clay tile drains can be laid underground, with an outlet to a ditch or watercourse. These can be laid in a single line or a network in a herringbone pattern, which would provide more thorough drainage.
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How can I best prepare the soil before laying turf?
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The best time to lay turf is spring when the soil is starting to warm up, as this encourages good turf establishment.
You can follow these 3 steps to prepare your soil:
1. Dig over the area removing stones and weeds and breaking up the subsoil to ensure adequate drainage.
2. Rake the entire area until it is level.
3. Walk over the area using the back of your heels to consolidate the soil in readiness for laying your turf. This will stop the grass from shrinking, once laid.
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Please can you give me some advice on lawnmowers?
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Mower choice depends mainly on two things - the size of your garden and the type of finish you want.
<typohead type="2">Size:</typohead>
<typohead type="3">Small to Medium Gardens</typohead>
If you have a small to medium size garden (up to 140 square metres), and a power point is easily accessible, you may prefer an electric mower. These are convenient and easy to use - just plug in and go. Electric hover mowers are best for manoeuvrability around corners (but not slopes) - they use a rotary blade and float on a cushion of air. The new range of Black & Decker 4 x 4 electric mowers are also popular.
<typohead type="3">Large Gardens</typohead>
Owners of large gardens may prefer a petrol mower with a powerful engine for dealing with longer grass. Basic petrol mowers need to be pushed along the lawn, while 'self propelled' mowers take the strain by driving themselves forward. These are great for sloping lawns as you just steer the mower. If you have a very large garden (over 1200 square metres), a tractor mower is the only answer.
<typohead type="2">Finish:</typohead>
The type of mower blade you choose will affect the finished cut. There are two main types - mowers with rotary blades that slash the grass and cylinder mowers which have two blades and cut like a pair of scissors. Rotary blades will give a good general cut and are excellent for uneven lawns. Cylinder mowers will give a finer cut and leave an attractive stripy finish, especially on an even lawn.
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How do I keep my lawn in top condition?
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For lawns to look their best, try the following three maintenance tips:
1. Apply a granular lawn feed three to four times a year, ideally using a wheeled applicator to ensure even coverage.
2. Regularly loosen soil to allow water to drain away and air to get to the roots. Achieve this by spiking with a garden fork every 30cm (12in), or use a lawn aerator.
3. Remove moss and dead grass once a year with a manual lawn rake or an electric lawn scarifier.
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I have a washed pea gravel walk about 4 inches deep that is difficult to walk on. Can I put Portland cement on this dry and then hose it down?
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First recover 25% of the gravel from the pathway to put on the surface afterwards. You will then need to spread sand and cement at the rate of approximately one bag of sand to every square yard and one bag of cement for every 2 square yards. Carefully rake both of these into the remaining gravel and mix them up well. When this has been done, rake to an even level and roll.
Sprinkle the recovered gravel onto the top and leave the path without being disturbed for about 3 days. The moisture in the air should be sufficient to ensure that the cement goes off and you have a stable path.
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I have decking timber that is splitting and peeling very badly. What is the best solution for fixing this?
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The reason for decking timber splitting is due to the quality of wood used in the construction. The timber has obviously been cut green and treated with the moisture content too high. During the summer they have dried out and that is why they have split.
I do not understand how the peeling is taking place but this may be due to splitting in slab cut timbers. The only possible remedy without replacing the timber is to use Ronseal High Performance Wood Filler to fill up the cracks. Then use a stain to give a reasonable appearance.
You will not be able to use the Ronseal filler if the timbers are showing any sign of mould growth.
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How do I prepare and lay block paving?
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Block paving can be used in various locations. A driveway is the most arduous condition so we give detail below. If it is for a pathway you can delete the hardcore and increase the sand bed to 50mm.
The paving of a driveway depends very much on the type of soil you have in your area and the weight of vehicles you intend to use it. However as a general guide the following will serve.
We suggest that you lay over the whole driveway a 4" thick layer of broken brick or crusher-run stone. This should be well rolled by a roller weighing at least 1000kg. If you live in an area with very clayey, or sandy soil you should replace this with 100mm of concrete. Leave the surface in this case higher in the centre than at the edges and fairly rough.
On top of this lay a bed of at least 25mm of a sharp sand and cement mixture in the ratio of 10:1. You can conveniently do this by mixing up a fairly large quantity, levelling it out, rolling this and then by bedding the paving blocks onto it. Do not attempt to leave any of this mixture overnight to receive paving blocks the next day. Clear away any excess as soon as you finish one day's work. The blocks can be laid by hand and knocked into the sand using a piece of timber and a hammer, however a plate vibrator will achieve better compaction if you are doing a large area. These can be hired.
The blocks should be left for at least 7 days and then brush sand into the joints of the paving blocks before you attempt to run a vehicle on them.
The blocks are best laid in a herringbone pattern with an edging two blocks wide. The last row should be haunched with concrete 150mm wide to within 15mm of the surface.
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What is a pergola and how do I build one?
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A pergola is basically a stout timber framework for the garden, consisting of tall upright posts with an arrangement of cross pieces at the top, which form a semi-solid roof. The sides of the pergola may be left open, or else clad with trellis work, planks, or fence panels.
There are many kits available that contain everything you need to construct the pergola. However, if the pergola is to be constructed to your own specifications, you will have to draw a detailed plan and side elevation, both to enable you to decide on the design of the structure, and to calculate the lengths of timber and the other materials you will require.
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What is the difference between a charcoal barbeque and a gas barbeque?
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Gas barbeques give an instant and controllable heat. They are great for holding family barbeques or parties on impulse - just turn on and cook! Gas barbeques use butane gas.
Charcoal barbeques can take half an hour or more to get going, but some people prefer the more authentic barbeque taste. You could try using Charbroil hickory chips for a hickory-smoked taste.
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How do I choose plants for a beautiful hanging basket or container?
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Choose a colour theme like pink and white or yellow and blue, and stick to it. Choose one or two taller, upright plants like geraniums, a few smaller flowering plants like busy lizzies, some foliage plants like ivy and a few trailing plants like lobelia to drape down the side of the container.
When established, remember three tips:
1. Water daily.
2. Feed fortnightly.
3. Remove dead flowers regularly.
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What materials can I use to construct a garden table?
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Because the table will be outside, tanalised timber may be the best option. However, you could construct the table from hardwood or pine. Hardwood should be treated with teak or linseed oil, and pine should be treated with a wood preserver such as Cuprinol Garden Shades or Cuprinol Clear Wood Preserver.
The basic table can be constructed from 100mm x 100mm (4 x 4 inch) timber for the legs with 150mm (6inch) x 25mm (1inch) for the remainder of the frame and the top.
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How do I build a brick barbeque?
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A brick barbeque is a permanent structure, so you must first decide on the best position to build it. Don't build your barbecue against a building or fence as this is a fire hazard; smoke and heat must be kept at a safe distance from all objects in your garden. Also consider whether you would like the barbeque in the sunshine or the shade.
Purchase the grill and tray kit prior to constructing the barbeque, so that you can correctly calculate the dimensions and amount of bricks you need.
It is usually a good idea to build the barbeque to the same height as your oven in the kitchen, as this will be the best level to reach when you're cooking. You might also want to build the barbeque higher at the back, to act as a splashback.
The bricks will require a foundation; paving slabs are useful for this. Build the side walls up to the grill level in 225mm brickwork for stability, put a ledge in for the grid to sit on then continue in single 114mm brickwork. The back can be in single brickwork. For mortar we recommend using multi-mortar.
To construct your barbecue, use the same cement mix that is used for other types of brickwork: 1 part cement to 6 parts sand. We will assume that the outside dimensions of your barbecue are 1000x1000 with 825mm wide wing walls. If the back is in a single brick and the wings in double brickwork, for stability, then you will require 198 bricks.
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What is the correct mix for cement to lay patio slabs?
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The correct mix for laying a patio is 1 part cement to 4 parts sand, with just enough water to make a firm mix.
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How do I create a low in height, low maintenance hedge to form a perimeter around my garden?
-
I would suggest planting slow growing conifers as a hedge. Although they will need clipping to the desired height, they will form very effective barriers.
Listed here are some examples you could consider:
Taxus bacata (the common yew) bears very small dark leaves with red fruit, it is generally slow growing but does come in many varieties.
Tsuga canadensis has a pyramidal shape and is best in alkaline soil, the narrow leaves are light green with two whitish bands beneath, the cones are small, oval shaped and pendulous.
Tsuga heterophylla is similar to Tsuga canadensis but thrives in deep loamy soils with adequate moisture, it dislikes alkaline soils.
Thuya plicata makes an excellent hedge with cinnamon, red or brown shredding bark, the leaves are mid shining green above with whitish markings beneath.
Thuya occidentalis is usually columnar in habit, the branches are spreading, the branchlets flattened and spray like, the leaves have conspicuous resin glands, are dark green on the upper surface, pale green underneath and turn bronze in winter. This is a very hardy plant with many different varieties available.
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How do I prevent weeds from growing in the gaps of my paving?
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You can use a weed killer such as, Roundup. They come in many forms, including a concentrate or ready to use sprays. They kill the weeds by working away at the roots. Choose one that becomes inactive in soil, and harmless to pets and children. Once you have applied the weed killer, re-point the paving by brushing a dry sand and cement mix into the cracks, and applying water.
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How do I prevent weeds from coming through chippings and stones?
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Lay a landscape fabric membrane down over the area, prior to laying any chippings or stones. It is advisable to apply weed killer to the area prior to laying the membrane as this will help suppress any future weed growth.
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