Garden Information Centre
On these pages you will find topical and useful garden advice to help you with your gardening projects. We will be adding to these pages regularly over the coming months so don't forget to add this page to your favourites and revisit us again soon.
Current Information Centre content
- Looking after your lawn in Autumn
- Garden Advice from Bide-A-Wee Cottage Gardeners
- Garden organisations
- Garden and Plant Databases
Looking after your lawn in Autumn
As the summer draws to a close it is an important time to start giving your lawn some extra care and attention. The more effort you put in during these autumn months, the greater the quality and health of your lawn come next spring and beyond. So we have suggested a few ways to get started below.
Mowing
You will be glad to hear that as the days are now getting shorter and the temperatures are begining to fall, the rate at which your grass grows will slow. So after the summer slog of lawn cutting,from now on your lawn will need mowing less frequently. We would also recomment that you raise the height of lawnmower blade to leave the grass slightly longer through thewinter.
Apply an Autumn Lawn Food
We would recommend that you start by applying an Autumn Lawn Food. Autumn Lawn food provides the essential nutrients alawn needs to strengthen and prepare itself for the winter ahead, as well as improving colour and disease resistance. The best conditions for applying a Autumn Lawn Feed are when the grass leaves are dryand the soil is moist. Click here to buy Autumn Lawn Food>>
Overseeding your lawn
If your lawn has suffered wear and tear over the last few months now may be a good time to overseed. It is advisable to go for a mix of Lawn Seed with a Topdressing brushed into the surface of the lawn. The benefits of this are that the seed will begin to germinate ahead of the winter which will give a thicker, denser lawn next season.
Lawn Topdressing
Also look out for areas where your lawn may have become uneven. The use of topdressing will help to even out any low areas. Remember to add Lawn seed to a topdressing to help fill in any thin areas. Topdressing is also renowned for helping break down thatch and will aid drainage. Ideally try and topdress when the lawn is dry.
Aeration to improve drainage
Aeration will lead to a healthier lawn by relieving areas that are compacted, improving the drainage and, importantly, allowing more air into the root system. You can aerate your lawn with a hand fork or with a lawn aerator .
Keep the lawn clear of debris
With Autumn comes the annual leaf drop! So as the leave start to fall remember to use a light rake or brush to keep the lawn free of leaves and debris.
Scarification of dead grass, roots and moss
Dead grass, roots and moss can all be a cause of increased stress to grass plants. Scarification can be done using a spring-tine rake by vigorously pulling the rake through the grass sward. Electric scarifiers are also available.
Broadleaf weed treatment
This is an important timeof year to keep on top of weeds in your lawn. You can either treat these with suitable herbicides or you can weed them out by hand. If you do the weedingby hand remember that you need to get the complete root of the weed out otherwise it will justregrow.
Dealing with moss
Finally, if moss is a problem you will need to scarify it out, as described above. It is also worth considering using a moss-killer product before scarification, as this will help to kill and remove more of the moss. We would also recommend that after you haveremoved he moss that you then overseed the lawn to repair the bare patches.
Gardening Advice from the Experts
For further gardening advice Garden Mall recommends you visit the garden advice section of Bide-A-Wee Cottage Gardens and Nursery. Bide-A-Wee has been developed over 25 years from an old quarry and now is one of Northumberland's great treasures. The Bide-A-Wee website allows you to put your gardening questions direct to the gardeners behind this great attraction, topics range from buying plants to preparing your very own wild flower meadow. See gardenadvice website >>
Gardening Organisations
- Royal Horticultural Society - Gateway to gardening.
- English Heritage - Conserving English landscapes and buildings.
- NGS - The National Gardens Scheme of England & Wales.
- British Red Cross Open Gardens - British Red Cross care for people in crisis.
- LIH Landscape Information Hub - Information on historic gardens and parks, plus planning.
- NCCPG - The world's leading cultivated plant conservation charity.
- The Association of Gardens Trusts - Umberella organization for all County Garden Trusts.
- HDRA - Dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food.
- Soil Association - The home of organic food, farming and sustainable forestry.
- Woodland Trust - UK's leading charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage.
- The Native Tree Shop - Launched by the Woodland Trust, native trees from their own on-line shop.
- Forestry Commission - Responsible for the protection and expansion of Britain's forests and woodlands.
- Brogdale - Home to the National Fruit Collections.
- Home Orchard Society - HOS is a world wide non-profit organization to help home orchardists grow good fruit.
- Thrive - National charity promoting gardening and horticultural activity for training, therapy and health.
Garden and plant databases
- UK Database of Historic Parks & Gardens - A growing database of historic parks and gardens.
- Plants Database - A collection of the most interesting plants in cultivation, worldwide.
- RHS Plant Finder - Find the plant and the supplier (UK only).
- Postcode Plants Database - Search for plant native to your area.
- Topiary Inspiration - All you want to know about topiary, including a new topiary book series.
- European Gardens - Pictures and descriptions of European gardens plus some other countries.
- Gardens to Go - Guide to gardens in the south east of England with descriptions and many photographs.
- Gardens of Cornwall - Use the garden finder to search for gardens in Cornwall open to the public.
- Garden Picture Library - Inspirational images of gardens and flowers. Registration required.
- Australasian Plant Society - UK society promoting the growing of Australian and New Zealand plants.
- About Japanese Gardens - Landscaping and design, Zen and rock gardens, water gardens.
- The Japanese Garden Database - Compilations of gardens in Japan and other Japanese-style gardens.
- Some Notes on Chinese Gardens - Examples and notes of Chinese garden design.