Which Lawnmower to Buy?

There are a lot of different types of lawnmower that come with many different features so I'm going to cover what some of these are and if you need them.

Different types Of Mower

Push Mowers

These are the most common types and are good in a standard medium to large garden. They are not too hard to store and are simple to use and maintain. These models can get quite expensive depending on if you are buying brand or not.

Self propelled Mowers

These mowers are very similar to push mowers but are a lot easier to use if you garden is quite large and has hilly patches or big slopes. They are normally a bit more expensive.

Robotic Mowers

Not particularly effective but it can be fun to watch them go around a small garden and save you the time. They only really work on small garden.

Ride ons

These mowers are a bit more heavy duty and should be used if you have a couple of acres to lawn. These lawn mowers are very expensive however and take quite a bit of fuel by comparison.

General tips

It may be tempting to go for the lawn mower with the big engine but this will not have any effect on the quality of the cut. All this really does is ride up the price. Before going out to get a lawnmower make sure you have at least a good idea of what you want beforehand if not the exact mower you want. Brands are not always worth the much higher cost and if you want a good idea of how good a mower is look up customer reviews on the internet.

Tips for Trimming your Hedges

Lots of people have trouble trimming their hedges and keeping it even so this is a few tips for you to keep your hedges looking neat and tidy.

When to Trim your Hedges

New hedges require formative pruning for the first few years usually carried out in winter or spring after which trimming starts. Usually you will need to trim informal hedges once a year but twice or possibly three times for formal bushes.

Safety

Hand held shears are fine for smaller hedges but when it comes to big ones you'll probably want a powered hedge trimmer. If you're using an electric hedge trimmer make sure you place the lead over your shoulder to avoid it getting accidentally cut. Always wear goggles and work gloves when using power tolls and never place them over your shoulder height. For larger bushes use a step ladder or platform just ensure whatever your using is stable.

Trimming Techniques

Even vigorous Hedges don't need to exceed two feet wide if they are regularly trimmed. Formal hedges should be lightly tapered on both side so the base is wider than the op. This will help it grow as more light can reach the bottom this way. Cutting straight edges by eye can be difficult so use something to help you. Pushing stakes or canes into the ground may help for vertical lines while horizontal strings between them will help for horizontal lines. To shape your hedge, for example with an arch, it is much easier to do with A template cut out of what it is you want with cardboard or plywood and follow it. When using shears keeping the blades parallel to the line if the hedge. When using a trimmer keep the blade parallel to the hedge and use a wide sweeping motion working from the bottom to the top of the hedge to ensure all foliage falls. For informal hedges just remove misplaced shoots and cut the hedge back to its required size.

Trimming Different Plants

Upright Plants

Cut plants to 15-30 cm and in summer trim side branches lightly to encourage bushing out. In the second year cut the growth back by half and throughout the summer trim the side so it tapers to the top.

Stocky Plants

On planting, cut back shoots and sides by one third to a well placed bud and repeat this in the second winter.

Conifers and most evergreens
 

On planting leave the leading shoot unpruned cutting back any straggly side shoots. In summer trim side shoots and tie the leader to a supporting cane as it grows. Clip to the desired shape one to three times during summer.

Putting up a Timber Fence

Installing a Timber Fence

 
Installing a fence seems like a daunting, difficult job for those inexperienced with the process, I know it seemed that way for me! I didn't know the first thing to do or even how to start installing my fence but with some help from my more knowledgeable friends I had my fence setup in no time. Now it's time to pass on this knowledge in these easy to follow steps:
 

    

Digging the Fence Post Holes

 
Before we work out the spacing involved in the holes lets talk about the hole dimensions (for the purpose of a 6ft fence with 4x4 inch posts). The hole should be 2ft deep & 12 inches square to make for a sturdy fence that won't fall down at the slightest breeze or even all these storms we have been having.
 
Measure and double measure and then triple measure a length of string. Once you have ensured that this string is the exact distance you need you can use this to space out your fence posts. Make a mark on the ground where you need the fence to go in.
 

Installing the Fence

 
Place the post in the hole and make sure its the correct depth and then we move onto the fence panel. Some fences come with fixing brackets and these are very self explanatory to setup (and if not open the manual guys!) other fences you may need to use nails or woodscrews.
 

Concreting the Fence Posts

 
Concreting the fence posts is a whole other kettle of fish, especially if you want to mix your own concrete. There is a fantastic blog that has done a wonderful post on this and can explain it much better than I can here.

5 Ways To Dispose Of Garden Waste

There are a large number of ways to dispose of garden waste. The cost has a large variety and some methods are better for certain jobs so here are 5 for you to choose from.

  

Calling the Council

 

These include calling the council some of which but not all will provide home collection of garden waste for which green waste may charge a small fee but it isn't too expensive.

Skip

 

There is the option of a skip which can cost quite a bit and take some time to get to you so there's also the alternative of hippobags. This method tends to be the best for larger jobs and having a skip is one of the easiest methods.

Hippo Bags

 

They don't have the same capacity so a skip would be the better option nut they are a lot faster getting to you. They come flat packed ordered on-line or they can be bought in most DIY stores. This is cheaper than a skip or calling a guy.

Call a Guy

  

Go through your yellow pages and find anyone doing garden waste in your area. Call them and leave the waste for them. This is the most convenient method but also the most expensive.

Recycle

  

You could also take your waste to a recycle bank. This is the greener option but it does carry the issue of transporting waste. If there isn't too much this is easily done if you have hippobags.

This blog is provided by Timberpro

Garden Blogging

Garden Blogging

 

Garden blogging is here to bring you the inside perspective of an avid gardening enthusiast! Every week I will be uploading photos of my new and current plants as well as bringing you tips and tricks to bring to your own garden!

From growing your own tomatoes to keeping out slugs from your cabbage beds. You can find it all online here.

 

If your looking to get started gardening and this is why your on the blog. You can get all your equipment right here from Timberpro!