Lawn Care in Spring

If you have a lawn this is the ideal time of year to assess its state, give it a boost and get it in shape for the wear it’ll get this summer.

Aeration

A lawn area will quickly get compacted especially if it’s walked on when wet. All the air in the soil will get squashed out and the soil will set hard (especially in clay areas) therefore making root development nigh on impossible and increasing the chances of moss taking over. Aeration is critical to the success of a lawn. Use a fork and a foot to make regular holes in the lawn a few centimetres deep. If you have a large lawn hire an aerating machine to make big slits and brush in sharp sand to open up the soil. If your soil in summer is on the rock-hard-concrete side then take out plugs with a hollow tined fork and backfill with a sand and loam mix. Don’t use a roller on your lawn. Unless it’s a bowling green already it won’t really help level it and will more likely add to compaction problems.

Scarifying

‘Thatch’ is the debris of dead matter that always builds up under the surface of a lawn over the years. To remove thatch from a lawn, use a spring-tined (wire) rake and don’t be scared to rake hard. This process will also help to get rid of moss, and you’ll quickly see exactly how much grass there really is or isn’t in your lawn! All the grass will stay in place, the thatch and moss will be pulled out, and the process of scarifying will stimulate the grass to produce runners and sideshoots, therefore thickening up the lawn.

Feeding

A lawn will always benefit from a good feed in spring to really get it going. Nitrogen encourages healthy lush green foliage. It’s easy to use organic products such as municipal compost, which can be raked thinly on top of the lawn. It may look pretty awful for a few days, but the new growth will quickly push through. Other feeds such as seaweed extract or chicken manure mixed up as a liquid feed, will also help to green up your lawn. Avoid overfeeding as this causes lush growth that’s prone to disease.

Mowing

Before doing any mowing check that the blades on your mower are seriously sharp. A close look at a blade of grass which has been ripped rather than cut with a blunt mower will show you that it’s an uneven cut, open to disease and has quickly gone brown round the edges. Most people don’t pay enough attention to the sharpness of the blades, but they should.

For your lawns first cut of the year make sure the setting is pretty high and over the next few cuts reduce it at each stage. If you mow at a low setting you are liable to scalp the grass, which it can take ages to recover from. However tempting it may be, don’t cut when the grass is wet as the mower will get stuck and cause damage.

Levelling

If you have slight dips and humps you can work on it over time by top dressing with a sharp sand and fine soil mix in the low areas. The grass will grow through the top dressing and find a new level. You can realistically only bring up the level by about 10mm a time using this process in spring and autumn, so it may take a couple of years to really show. Larger levels of unevenness can only be dealt with by lifting the turf adding or taking away some soil underneath to achieve the right level and laying the turf back down again on top.

Re-seeding

If after you’ve had a good old scarify and aeration session there are areas of your lawn that are looking a bit folically challenged, you may need to bulk up the density of your lawn. Cut it first, make sure the bare bits of soil are fluffed up with a fork, and then sow the seed over the existing grass at around 25g per square metre. Rake gently, and then firm down with the back of a rake. Apply an organic fertiliser and water in well. When the grass is 5cm (2in) high, cut again.

Shade

Lawns don’t do well in shade. Rather than trying to get some miracle cure shade-loving grass seed to take (contrary to the claims on the seed packets I’ve found they don’t really work) you’d be better off thinking of an alternative such as low shady planting or another surface.

Watering

It’s unlikely that your lawn will be dry at the moment, but in the summer it may need the occasional soaking. As with most plants a regular soak once a week is far better than a light watering every day. If you only water lightly most of the water will be evaporated and unless it seeps deep into the root system the roots are being encouraged to be drawn up to the surface, making them more vulnerable to drying out.

Designing the perfect garden 4: Using height in your garden

When you first walk into a garden does it draw you in or can you see the whole thing from one place? The imaginary space between say one metre and two and a half metres (3-8 feet) above ground is critical, and in a way more important than what’s happening at soil level – as it’s the part you will see whilst standing and walking through it. When designing gardens we always consider how it’s going to look at eye level as you first walk into it, and how it will continue to look as you are (hopefully) drawn through it. Another important view is how the garden looks when you get to the end and turn back to face the house. What are you going to see? If all the interest and planting within the garden is below eye level it will make for an extremely dull and predictable composition. All the boundaries will be seen with one sweep of the eye and no matter what size your garden it will in fact appear smaller. There are several ways to introduce height into the garden.

Planting

In a small garden use one of the smaller trees such as amelanchiers, malus (crab apples) the wonderful willow leafed pear (pyrus salicifolia). They will all add height without getting too big. Big architectural plants shrubs as phormiums, cordylines and bamboos also help to add height and drama. Try putting some tall things nearer the house to add some foreground.

Pergolas and walk throughs.

‘Pergola’ is a loose gardening term for basically anything that you walk under. They are an excellent way of breaking things up above eye level and therefore keeping the focus in the garden. A pergola can easily be built on to the back of the house, which will both help to create a shady area in a south facing garden and give the all-important instant height as you enter the garden through it. Make sure to put in tall screening plants either side of the walkway so that there is only way through, both physically and visually.

Sculpture

Sculpture can look great when placed high up nearer eye level, rather than sitting on the ground. This can easily be achieved by placing them on a simple plinth such as an up turned pot, or lump of stone and placed in planting.

Garden Buildings

Summer houses, gazebos and glorified sheds can be incorporated into the scheme of the garden and help to add direction and height. As more people are looking for an extra office to work from home there are more pre-fabricated summer houses coming onto the market. Garden sheds can easily be spruced up by staining with a colour or cladding with willow or bamboo screening, which is available in rolls.

Boundaries

The boundaries as well as defining the perimeter of the garden are a huge part of the vertical elements and therefore the height of the garden. Consider how much you want to see of the boundaries if any thing at all. Well executed boundaries such as an attractive wall or fence can also be used to set off the planting in front effectively. You could go the whole hog and completely ‘green’ the edges by covering them in climbers, which will therefore blur their exact location and often make the garden appear larger, but far softer.

Late winter pruning

In autumn and winter herbaceous plants will die back above ground. When you cut the dead stems and foliage back is up to you. Traditionally this has been done in autumn – winter. But many gardeners now choose to do this job in late winter – early spring, just before everything comes back to life in the garden. If the dead stems and flower heads start to look messy then you may want to cut them back earlier, but there are both aesthetic and practical advantages to leaving them on longer. The old stems tend to protect the dormant crown (from which the plant will re-grow the following season) from damp and frost. Also, some perennials with a strong structure and architectural form, actually look good even when the stems are dead, offering visual interest in the winter months.

Winter Scents for winter impact

Whilst your garden may not be a visual feast at this time of the year, there are other ways to add a degree of impact. One of those at this time of year is winter scents.

There are lots of good shrubs for winter scent. The underrated Mahonia (‘charity’ has the best scent), viburnum bodnantense varieties, chimonanthus praecox (winter sweet) to name a few. For pots I would go for two of the most reliable, which are quite happy to be contained. Sarcococca confusa aka Christmas box will grow anywhere (even in shady, rooty ground underneath trees). It’s a rather boring small evergreen shrub, and even when it’s creamy white tassle like flowers appear in late spring, it isn’t particularly showy. Its big asset is it’s sweet, heady fragrance, which will fill a patio with scent for weeks. Another good plant with a strong sweet scent is Daphne odora ( ‘Auromarginata’ has a golden edge to it’s gloosy green leaf). It has good foliage throughout the year and the clusters of pinky-white flowers in winter are really quite showy.

Make sure to put the scented plants where they will be appreciated the most. Where do you go in the garden in winter? Not too far away from the back door probably. I often plant them in front gardens where you are guaranteed a sniff as you walk past.

Designing the Perfect Garden 2: Think Dimensions

When designing your garden it’s important to consider the practicalities of how it’ll be used and make sure all the various areas and surfaces are generous enough to serve their purpose whilst at the same time being in proportion to the overall space. Here are some Modular Garden hints and tips to bear in mind when considering lawn and patio space.

A common mistake is to be too mean with the dimensions of patios and terraces so that when you put a table and chairs and a few people on them they feel cramped and claustrophobic. Think about how big your garden table and chairs will be before designing the space for them, and as a rule add at least a metre all the way round for people to be able to comfortably sit down and stand up without treading on each other. As a rule for a 1.20m long by 60cm wide table you’ll actually need a minimum surface area of at least 3.2 m long by 2.6m wide.

The size of lawns is also important as the smaller a lawn gets the more use it’ll get per square metre which will affect the level of maintenance needed due to compaction and general wear. A tiny lawn is extremely impractical to look after whereas in a family garden a larger lawn is often seen as the ideal play surface (when dry!) and is also relatively cheap to put down initially. Be careful not to take your lawn too close to the boundaries as it’ll considerably restrict the amount and sizes of plants you can put in the garden and imbalance the overall look.

The size and placing of sheds needs to be considered too and its all about trying to get a balance of choosing one that won’t dominate, but will be big enough to store what you need in it. The size of a sheds will usually increase with the size of your garden as you’ll have more tools etc. to put in it. The same goes with a green house, but will also need a sunny spot and depending on the style of the greenhouse can make a great feature so could be placed in a more prominent position as a focal point.

How lighting can bring your garden to life in winter

Garden lighting is becoming increasingly popular for good reason. Not only are there the safety and the practical elements of lighting certain level changes and deterring any would-be intruders, but subtle garden lighting will instantly enhance the look of your garden, turning it into a magical place on those balmy summer evenings.

Garden lighting however, is not only an element for the summer and is just as valuable to help ease the winter garden through those tricky dormant months. During the week we often lose our gardens as we leave and return home when it’s dark outside and we are faced with a shiny black window and more likely than not a reflection of ourselves. The garden completely disappears for nearly half the year. What a huge waste! The addition of simple lighting can extend the way the garden is used, viewed and appreciated, and it doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are many who are concerned about garden lighting and light pollution, but obviously any lights should be low wattage bulbs and not left on all night.

Permanent/electrical lighting:
Some of the low voltage products can be installed DIY simply enough, but as soon as any real electrics are concerned a professional electrician is essential. With them you can ‘uplight’, ‘downlight’, ‘backlight’, or throw a shadow of a plant onto a wall, which adds movement in a light breeze.

Rope lighting:
This is great stuff. It usually comes in 6 metre flexible lengths and is available in a variety of colours, but I’d be inclined to stick to white as the novelty of crazy lighting colours quickly fades. You can wrap it round tree trunks, pin it to walls or use it in a more linear fashion such as on the back lip of a raised planter or inside of a pot to create some really stunning effects. They are great value for money, but you’ll need a waterproof outdoor socket installed to plug into.

Solar lighting:
These take in the suns rays during the day (yes, even in the winter) and then light up in the evening giving off a subtle (err sometimes too subtle if you ask me- ambient light). They won’t last the whole night and aren’t powerful enough to read a book by, but are great for lighting a path or edge of some paving

Candle lighting:
Of course there are safety considerations if there are children around, and candles aren’t great in the wet, but they are the simplest and cheapest of all garden lighting. The flickering light that candles give off is unique and brighter than you may think. There are loads of fabulous candle holders designed specifically for garden uses that can be permanently fixed to walls, placed on dining tables or which come with a shepherds crook to be placed into planting or lawn areas. The cheapest solution A bag of 50 tea lights placed in some plastic cups to stop them blowing out will do the job. 

Designing a Perfect Garden 1

Over the next few weeks we’re going to share with you some of the key issues you will need to consider when designing the perfect new garden. It may be winter now, but conmtraty to popular belief, winter is the perfect time to think about how you want to design your garden. Winter is also a perfect time to implement your designs; it’s better to have the garden ready for spring, rather than be doing all your building work when you could be spending spring putting in the finishing touches.

Gardens are often seen as either a practical space which can be used and lived in, or a beautiful space only to be viewed or to garden in. I’m a firm believer however, that a well designed garden should be able to cross over the two without it feeling forced and the whole point of design, without wanting to sound too arty farty, is to marry the demands of the functional with the aesthetics of the form. Or put more simply- make it practical and look great too! To create a garden like this it’s important to tackle the practical issues along with the design so that it really does suit your personal way of life, give you flexibility in the way you use and also operate on different levels depending on the demands put on it. Sure a garden these days is somewhere where we relax, entertain, garden, work, play etc. but it’s also somewhere we may need to store things, hang the washing up, put the dustbins out, compost the vegetable peelings etc. On top of all these issues are those of privacy and security which will ensure peace of mind and make it somewhere you can fully enjoy.

Winter Pruning

In general, pruning should be done in autumn and winter when growth has slowed or stopped.

Pruning of most trees and shrubs should not be necessary for a few years after planting. After 4 years or so, some shrubs like Cornus and Cotinus may benefit from formative pruning to prevent congestion and encourage healthy new growth. When you’re pruning, do so with caution. Stand back every so often and look at the shape your pruning is producing. This will help prevent getting carried away and pruning too much out that you can’t put back. To produce a natural-looking outline, prune the weaker looking of the larger branches out at their bases, keeping the general outline of the plant but with a more open structure. Try to keep the essence of the plant’s natural form. In general, don’t give most trees and larger shrubs a ‘short back and sides’ type prune where every shoot is trimmed back to the same length, unless you are trimming a hedge or topiary shape – in this case this kind of trimming is what you are aiming for.

 

Preparing the garden for Winter

In autumn and winter herbaceous plants will die back above ground. When you cut the dead stems and foliage back is up to you. Traditionally this has been done in autumn – winter. But many gardeners now choose to do this job in late winter – early spring, just before everything comes back to life in the garden. If the dead stems and flower heads start to look messy then you may want to cut them back earlier, but there are both aesthetic and practical advantages to leaving them on longer. The old stems tend to protect the dormant crown (from which the plant will re-grow the following season) from damp and frost. Also, some perennials with a strong structure and architectural form, actually look good even when the stems are dead, offering visual interest in the winter months.

In the autumn and winter of the year after a new garden is planted out, applying an organic mulch (garden compost, well-rotted manure, mushroom compost or composted bark) is a good idea. It will add nutrients to the soil, improve its structure, and the ‘blanket’ of organic matter will help prevent weed seeds from germinating.

Who are Modular Garden?

Modular Garden is an award winning garden design company. We won the 2005, 2006 and 2007 New Homes Garden Awards in the following categories: Garden of the Year, Garden Designer of the Year, Best Garden New Home Under £500,000 and Best Roof/Terrace/Penthouse Garden.

We’re a team of people who are passionate about outstanding garden design. Our gardens are bespoke, high quality and affordable and always based on professional garden design methods.

We’re based in London and we operate primarily in London and the South East. We offer garden design services in London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridge, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey.