Top Five Weeding Tips

Image: Green Seedling In Hand by domdeen via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Weeding – it’s never going to be anyone’s favourite job, is it? Some people claim to find it therapeutic, blitzing all those pesky weeds, but for most of us it’s a necessary evil if we want our garden to look presentable. The good news is that in just ten minutes a day you can get on top of your weed situation and make sure that your driveways, paths and gardens look pristine.

 1. Get mulching!

Mulching really makes a difference to the overall weed situation, simply because bare soil is like an open invitation for all the weeds in the garden to congregate and take root.  If you pre-empt the invasion by covering any bare soil with mulch, it stops them from seeding and growing. You can use pre-made shredded leaf and straw mulch, or make use of your own garden waste, but organic mulch is better than non-organic, especially for vegetable patches, herb gardens and fruit.

Mulching also has the benefit of enriching the soil with the nitrogen it needs for healthy growth.

2. Give it some air

Give the soil in your garden a good raking over, especially around the bases of plants, to aerate it. It’s recommended that you do this at least once a week, and to a depth of 3-5 inches. Collect any loose weeds up as you go. Don’t over-rake your soil though, because this can have the opposite effect, embedding weeds into the soil as you go

3. Just 10 minutes a day!

You really don’t have to spend hours and hours in the garden, it’s just a matter of keeping on top of the little jobs so that they don’t turn into one big one. If you make a deal with yourself to get outside and do a bit of weeding every day, just for ten minutes, you’ll be able to stop roots of weeds from bedding in and growing too much. Even if you’re just outside enjoying a spot of spring sunshine, you can weed here and there and get rid of them as they appear.

4. Don’t forget your pathways

 The annoying weeds that crop up in between the paving on your pathways and driveways won’t stay there – they’ll soon start appearing in your lawn and borders if you don’t take care of them, too.

5. Cover old crops 

Bare soil from old vegetable patch crops is another open invitation to weeds. They love an empty space! Prevent them by planting ‘cover crops’ to fill in the space while you’re waiting for your next crop of vegetables or fruits to start growing.

For more advice on gardens, contact a garden landscaping expert like John Lessels Landscaping.

Five Common Landscaping Fails

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Sometimes, the gardens you lust over in the upmarket magazines can seem so doable; but landscaping a garden is fraught with pitfalls and things to think about before you start planting those gorgeous perennials you saw at the garden centre.

Here are a few words of advice from garden landscaping experts …

1. Choosing the wrong plants 

Don’t buy everything you like the look of; not everything will flourish in every type of soil, or in the particular part of the garden you have in mind for it.

Check the spot you want to fill with foliage first thing in the morning, at noon, and mid-afternoon, note down where the sun hits and take your notes with you to the garden centre. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice about what should go where. Check the soil too –if you’re not sure what type of soil you have (chalky, sandy, clay, silted, peaty, loamy) get some tips here:

2. Bad patio and pathway foundations

This is one area you probably will need professional advice, even if you intend to do the work yourself. Make sure that the base materials are right for the job, that the depth is right and that the materials used for the pathways have been properly chosen to withstand the amount of use they get.

3. Not matching the garden to the home

It doesn’t matter what you’ve seen in the gardening magazines, if the garden doesn’t match the property, it will look out of place. A charming Victorian cottage demands a country style garden with plenty of flower beds, while a newer property can embrace simple lines, and plants that complement the minimalist styles of newer homes.

4. Forgetting about the weather

Don’t ignore the fact that it can rain a LOT in Scotland, and the rest of the UK. Recent weather events will attest to the power of the British climate. The last thing you want is a flooded patio or waterlogged lawn. It’s not all bad though; rain is full of nutrients that can benefit your garden, so find a way to collect it up.  Water butts, drainage systems, or filter strips are all options, depending on the size of your garden.

5.  Not thinking ahead when planting trees.

Many people forget the capacity of trees to grow – fast growing trees can be a real problem if they get too tall (don’t mention the dreaded Leylandii) and it’s not just your sunlight that could be at risk from ill-thought out trees, some trees compete with other plants or even cause problems with the foundations of houses if they are built too close. You need to decide what the tree is for; just to look pretty, privacy, shade or anything else?

For expert advice, speak to the team at John Lessels Landscaping.