Learn About Gardens

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In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, or so Alfred, Lord Tennyson once wrote. For some of us, our thoughts tend to turn to more mundane issues, such as the color of our lawns. Getting a gorgeous green lawn requires a bit of work, and the owners of the best lawns know that work starts well before summer hits.

Raking and Thatch Removal

Raking and thatch removal are probably the first couple of things you’ll do in the spring. In fact, this actually starts in the fall, because ideally you’d have raked your lawn then as well.

Raking isn’t just about removing leaves and surface mess from your lawn-it’s also one of the best ways to control thatch (the build-up of lawn clippings and other solid waste that collects on top of the soil). For this reason, raking thoroughly and deeply is very important both in the fall and the spring, to help get your lawn ready for summer growth.

In general, a thatch of half an inch or more will need raking. If the thatch on your lawn is less than a quarter inch in depth, you might be better off leaving the deep raking until fall, as a light thatch helps improve the condition of your lawn by holding excess moisture. The exception to this is if you live in a particularly humid climate. Even a relatively thin thatch can end up holding too much moisture, and leave your lawn prey to mold.

A thorough spring raking is also a good way of getting reacquainted with your lawn after the winter break. You’ll be able to take stock of its condition, find out if there are any bare or matted patches that need taking care of, and check for pests, mold, or diseases.

Aeration

Removing thick layers of thatch from your lawn is important for helping keep the soil aerated, but if your lawn has been, a high-traffic area for several years, thatching might not be enough.

High-traffic lawns will eventually start to decline due to soil compaction, which means that air has been squeezed out of the soil over time. Compacted soil tends to suffer from excessive run-off, and will make a poor root bed for any new grass you want to sow, so it’s important to get it taken care of.

There’s one very easy-and fun-way to fix this problem, which simply involves walking all over the lawn while wearing spiked shoes. The holes you poke in the soil will aerate it, and your problem is more or less solved.

However, if your lawn is severely compacted this may not be enough. In these cases, you can rent an aeration machine from your local garden center. This easy-to-operate equipment pulls plugs of earth out of the soil to provide more extensive aeration.

Overseeding

If “dog spots” or heavy traffic has left your lawn covered in bare patches, you’ll need to apply seed to fill in the patchy parts. This technique is known as overseeding, and involves sowing grass seed over the bare patches, along with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Once the grass has germinated, apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer for a growth boost.

Note that the grass you sow is going to be competing with the existing lawn for vital nutrients. If you need to overseed, cut your lawn short before doing so, so that the seeds have a good chance to get past existing grass to the soil.

Finally, note that it’s usually best to overseed in the fall (due to the problem described in the next section). Sometimes your lawn problem will be too severe too wait, of course, but fall is generally regarded as the best time for it.

Weed Control

If your lawn has an annual problem with weeds or crabgrass, you’ll want to hold off on spring fertilization until you’ve applied pre-emergent herbicides. These herbicides address the weed control issue by preventing seeds from germinating, so that weeds are prevented from sprouting at all.

Note that if you need to overseed your lawn, pre-emergent herbicides may not be an effective option. These herbicides don’t distinguish between weed and grass seeds-they prevent both types of seeds germinating. There are one or two products on the market that allow you to overseed in spring and still use pre-emergent herbicides, depending on the type of grass you have. These include Tupersan, which is compatible with overseeding cool-season grasses.

Spring Fertilization

In the spring, slow-release fertilizer is a great kick-start for your lawn’s new growth. You don’t want to push the grass to grow if it isn’t ready, so it’s best to stay away from quick-release fertilizers, at least initially. This is particularly important if your spring weather is unpredictable, as you don’t want a situation where new spring growth is killed by a late frost.

Retest your soil regularly-every few years-to make sure you’re applying the right fertilizer for your soil type. When applying fertilizer, make sure you use the right amount for your square footage, and remember that grass growing in the shade will need around half as much as that which is consistently in sun.

There are a number of reasons people pursue installing garden sheds into their yard. People do it for storage as oppose to using the garage, for storing strictly gardening supplies, or even to work on certain gardening. Regardless of why you want to build a shed, there are several things you will want to take into consideration. Here are six things to take into consideration prior to building a garden shed.

1. Why?

The first thing you want to consider is why you want to build a shed. Determining the reason for the shed can help you decide on how big it needs to be, where you want to put it, and what style you want to choose. Understanding why you want and need a shed can help prepare you to build exactly what you had hoped for.

2. How much space?

Obviously, you have to take into consideration how much space you have available to build your shed. If you have a limited amount of space, there is no sense in planning on constructing a shed with double doors and even a porch. Look at the parameters and come up with a calculation of exactly how much space you have. You probably do not want your entire yard to be a shed. Therefore, plan on leaving space around the shed as well.

3. Where to put it?

Once you have determined how much space you have to work with, look at where you want the shed to go. If you have a garden and want to use the shed for gardening and storing gardening supplies, you probably want to place the shed as close to the garden as possible. Think about how you are going to use the garden shed and where it will be most convenient according to how it will be used.

4. Style

There are a number of styles to choose from when it comes to building a shed. There are single doors, double doors, sheds with porches, sheds made out of wood, brick, and many more. Sometimes it is best to try and build a garden shed that comes as close to matching your home as possible. This way the shed does not stick out like a sore thumb. But it does not always have to match exactly. Consider what you want and what will look best in your yard.

5. Do you want to build it?

It can be quite expensive to hire someone to build your shed, but you have to take into consideration how skilled you are to actually construct such a project. While many come with detailed instructions, it can still be a pain and certainly takes time. Plus, you want to make sure the shed gets built properly. Otherwise, you will have a garden shed that falls apart far sooner than you would like.

6. Money

As with everything in this world, money is a matter you have to look at. If you are on a tight budget, there is no sense in looking at constructing a large and extensive shed. Stick to what you can afford and research in depth what you can do to save yourself money. No matter what you do, it is going to be a fairly expensive project. But there are a number of ways you can cut down on your costs.

Building garden sheds can be an exciting project. It gives you the opportunity to store all of your gardening supplies together, use it for gardening itself, or store anything else you can think of. But before you begin the project, there are several things you want to take into consideration. After reading this article you will gain a better understanding of what you need to know prior to building a shed.

Some statues, ornaments or gates to catch and hold the glistening snow? Maybe red berries or an ornamental tree that rises up out of the sleeping earth. I love gardening and in the winter gardens sleep so I make sure mine still brings me joy when I look out the window, especially when it snows.

In todayâ??s world, garden offices have gained much popularity and are in great demand. People purchase garden rooms from different suppliers and manufactures. However, there are certain essential things that a person needs to consider before purchasing a garden office. A person, prior to purchasing garden offices, should ensure that he is getting the best deal. There are ten essential things that should be considered before buying a garden office or garden studio.

Before purchasing a garden office one must be sure of the purpose that it would serve. This will help the person to ascertain whether the requirements of the building can be met by the design. If the building is being purchased to be used as a garden office, sufficient amount of lighting should be provided. If the room is to be used as a gym, then there should be provision for sufficient ventilation. If it is for the purpose of garden a lodge, then there should be provision for proper heating.

The position of oneâ??s garden office is also of utmost importance. One rarely requires planning permission most of the time as long as the garden office is situated at a distance of 5 metres from the personâ??s home and occupies less than 50% of the gardenâ??s area. Permission is also not required if the garden office or garden studio is built for private use and is about 20 metres away from any public place.

A person while buying a garden office or garden studio should also be careful about the height of the building. However, the height of the modular garden offices should not exceed 4 metres. If the height of the garden office exceeds 4 metres a person will have to seek permission. Permission also has to be taken if the building consists of two or more floors. Permission also has to be taken if the size of the rooms exceeds 30 Sq metres.

Further, a person prior to buying a garden room should be sure of the type of room he requires. A person buying a room for a garden studio should ensure that the room is in accordance to his requirements. The design of the room should also be taken into account.

A person buying a room for the purpose of running a garden office should also check the materials used for both constructing and designing the office. There are numerous suppliers who can provide the best garden offices. For information regarding garden offices and garden studios visit gardenlodges.co.uk.