| A gardener's work is never done, especially in | | | | timer so you don't even have to remember to turn |
| summer when every part of the garden seems to | | | | the tap on and off! |
| need attention at the same time. If your ‘to do' | | | | Feeding |
| list is growing faster than your sunflowers – slow | | | | Healthy, nutrient-rich soil will support strong, healthy |
| down! It is possible to have a beautiful garden and | | | | plants without the need for frequent additional |
| the leisure to enjoy it. All you have to do is find | | | | feeding, so any time spent improving your soil by |
| ways of cutting down the time you spend on routine | | | | digging in organic matter over the winter will benefit |
| tasks. Here are a few suggestions: | | | | summer plants. If you don't already make your own |
| Lawn care | | | | compost, start now. It will save you time and money |
| For an attractive lawn that will stand up to a fair | | | | next year! |
| amount of wear and tear with minimal maintenance, | | | | If your soil is poor, use slow release plant food that |
| begin with top quality, weed free turf. Make sure you | | | | only has to be applied at the beginning of the |
| lay it properly to encourage strong root growth. | | | | growing season rather than fertilizers that need to be |
| When it comes to mowing, ‘little and often' is | | | | used every one or two weeks. |
| the best policy. Leaving grass to grow too long and | | | | Weeding |
| then cutting it by more than 1/3 of its height will put | | | | One weed allowed to go to seed can generate |
| it under stress and weaken it. At the other extreme, | | | | hundreds more, so this is one job that gets a lot |
| keeping it very short will prevent it from making | | | | harder the longer you leave it. On a dry day, use a |
| much of its own food and the roots will dry out | | | | hoe to uproot weed seedlings in the morning and |
| quickly. Weekly mowing will save time in the long run. | | | | leave them on the surface where the sun will shrivel |
| It keeps grass in good condition, controls invasive | | | | them. But if there's a risk of rain, or the weeds have |
| weeds, and reduces the need for frequent feeding | | | | passed the seedling stage, you'll need to gather them |
| and watering. | | | | up and put them on the compost heap to ensure |
| Watering | | | | their destruction. |
| It's a waste of time – and water – to | | | | Combating pests and diseases |
| regularly soak the whole garden. Some plants will wilt | | | | As with weeding, the earlier you tackle a problem the |
| if they're not watered daily in hot weather but | | | | easier it will be. Wander around the garden every day |
| others can thrive for weeks in parched soil. Reduce | | | | and inspect individual plants. At the first sign of |
| the need for watering by shading particularly | | | | damage or disease try to identify the cause and deal |
| vulnerable plants. Put a deep layer of mulch around | | | | with it quickly before it spreads. |
| trees, shrubs and on flowerbeds to conserve water | | | | Know when to ask for help |
| in the soil. Add water retentive granules to containers | | | | Some gardening jobs, like laying a new path, creating |
| and hanging baskets. | | | | a pond or putting up fencing, take a lot longer than |
| When you do water, it's far better to give a | | | | you might think. If you're keen to start a project but |
| generous amount occasionally than a light sprinkling | | | | are not sure of the best way to go about it you can |
| more often. If you only dampen the surface of the | | | | save a lot of time, money and frustration by asking |
| soil plants will develop shallow roots that are less able | | | | for expert help. Find a local professional landscape |
| to withstand drought. | | | | gardener who will either supply all the materials and |
| If you grow vegetables, or have lots of containers, | | | | tools you'll need, or will do the whole job for you at a |
| an automatic watering system is a great time-saver. | | | | very reasonable cost. |
| They are easy to install and can be fitted with a | | | | |