Lawn Ideas, Tips & Guides

No Mow May is a bee conservation movement that has surged in popularity over the last few years, in part, due to its simplicity. To participate, all you need to do is leave your lawn alone in May. This allows lawn flowers to bloom and feed hungry native bees emerging from hibernation when other flowers are scarce.

If you are interested in pollinator-friendly garden practices and sustainable landscaping, you’ve probably heard of “No Mow May” before. The campaign encourages homeowners to retire their lawnmowers in May to help native pollinators as they emerge from hibernation. 

Starting a new garden from scratch can be daunting, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to create exactly what you want. The vision I had for my new garden (two decades ago) was based on the many small English gardens that I was lucky enough to visit—not the gardens with impeccably maintained lawns and neatly clipped hedges, but those that had plants spilling out of every nook and cranny. Since its inception, the landscape has been slowly undergoing a transformation over the past decade, from a traditional shade garden to a more naturalistic one that embraces an ecology-first mindset. This evolution, however, hasn’t sacrificed the original intention of my dream garden—that it be a visually appealing space with plenty of activity.

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During May, the charity Plantlife encourages people not to mow their lawns. As well as attracting and helping wildlife, it's an opportunity to enjoy the sight of flowers blooming in long grass. Observing what appears – from interesting wildflowers (orchids, perhaps) to wildlife (such as grasshoppers) – is fun and, obviously, No Mow saves a lot of time. However, going the whole hog isn't for everyone. Those with children who enjoy careering around the lawn and people who entertain in their gardens won't want to let all their grass grow long. Therefore, a smaller No Mow area is more appealing and something that can be kept up throughout the summer.

One of the biggest changes in the Gardening Advice we provide over the last few years is in relation to lawn care. The focus is now on creating lawns with low nitrate fertilisers, monitoring soil pH and using bacterial products to reduce thatch rather than mechanical scarification and in lawns with heavy ware from children etc we are introducing clover to create a greener lawn surface in both the summer and winter

Want to show a little love to your local bees with an easy-care lawn? You don’t have to keep bees to create an environment that helps them thrive. Bee lawns are a great way to improve the look and care of your yard while also helping bees.

Once you’ve planted your grass and watched it grow into a beautiful lawn (such a proud moment) the next step is figuring out the best way to maintain your lawn. Watering is a key component of this, which means lawn watering mistakes are also one of the most common headaches.

Creating an entryway that truly works is a worthwhile investment. You will enjoy how it makes your home look and feel, and providing a welcoming first glimpse of your home and property will increase that all-important ‘curb appeal’ if and when you sell your home.

With the harsh days of winter behind us, you might be looking out at your yard and realizing your lawn needs some major TLC. You’re certainly not alone—now is the perfect time to shift your focus on bringing your yard back to life.

If you put forth the effort to fertilize your lawn, you already have great intentions. However, you can end up doing more harm than good if you aren't armed with the right knowledge and tools.

For keen gardeners, a verdant, emerald lawn is a cherished asset. To achieve and uphold this, it's vital to regularly provide your lawn with nutrients. Organic fertilisers offer an excellent solution, not only because they stimulate growth but also because they enhance soil structure and are eco-friendly. In this article, we'll delve into how and when to best use organic fertilisers to ensure your lawn flourishes, and we'll demonstrate how a fertiliser spreader can be beneficial.

Plants that look like dandelion leaves can be confusing, and it is essential to know how to spot them easily, so you don’t end up picking the wrong one.

A lush green lawn is a sight to behold and a source of pride for every garden enthusiast. However, to maintain that lush greenery, maintenance is crucial. One of the key tasks for maintaining a healthy lawn is verticutting. But what exactly is verticutting, and how and when should you do it? In this article, we'll discuss all aspects of lawn verticutting, including the right tools and best practices.

The basic idea of No Mow May is simple. Just don’t mow your lawn in May, which allows some wildflowers and weeds to bloom. This provides valuable nectar and habitat for emerging pollinators. And they in turn are a food source for birds, bats and other wildlife.

Spring is in the air. There's no better time to get outside and make sure your lawn is looking its very best.

A lush, green lawn is a source of pride and joy for many gardeners but it’s often where all the action takes place in the garden. The focal point for gatherings with friends and family, it can suffer from overuse and too much wear and tear. Terrific turf needs a good lawn care regime to achieve it and while regular mowing and watering will take you so far, there are a couple of additional tasks for your to do list, which will help keep your lawn in tip-top condition. Regardless of how often you cut your lawn, over time the soil underneath the turf becomes compacted, while above ground a thick, impenetrable layer of thatch and organic debris develops around the roots. This undesirable combination prevents air, water and nutrients from reaching deep down to the grass’ root system and ultimately weakens its growth, leaving the plant susceptible to pests and diseases. Scarifying your lawn will help remove thatch and debris, but if you need to relieve compacted soil underneath the turf, it’s best to aerate it. Aeration is the process of making air holes in the lawn to create ventilation. In small lawns a simple garden fork can be used to push holes into the ground but you can also buy manual aerators, either solid or hollow tined, which require the same effort as a fork. However, if you have a lot of lawn and not much time, other types of aerator are probably the best option. Whether you’re pushing a roller covered in spikes, or using a powered machine, these aerators are a labour-saving version of the trusty garden fork, mechanically making a series of holes in the lawn.

How to Control Dandelions in the Lawn and Garden

Why container garden stand ideas? They can be made for cheap with a little bit of work, can make your garden organized, save space, and look pretty. What more could you ask for?

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If you are roaming in the wilderness of Tennessee and come across mushrooms that look too tasty, well, wait! They can be poisonous! Let’s have a look at them.

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The first day of spring (March 19) is quickly approaching, and with that comes time for spring cleaning, spring gardening, spring weather, and spring pollinators.

A wildflower meadow is a nature-friendly feature that can replace a lawn or take up part of a lawn, to the benefit of many pollinators and other wildlife. In the UK, traditional wildflower meadows have declined by more than 97 per cent since the 1930’s, so by creating a wildflower meadow at home, no matter how small, you can make a huge difference to declining species.

Since last autumn, I’ve regularly discovered fresh holes in the lawn as well as scratch marks on a favourite tree. I suspect my garden is being visited by a badger. Is this damage likely to continue – and what should I do? Anna, Co Wicklow

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How to Grow an Aromatic Chamomile Lawn

I’ve spent the past few months looking at my garden and examining each area to see how well it works: it’s an annual obsession. I’ve been pondering the marginal spaces – you know, the edge of the lawn where it meets the border, the grass where it meets the paving, that tricky bit at the front of the border that never seems quite full enough. Those spaces have been occupying my mind and I’m questioning whether I should be obsessing about them so much. I’ve concluded that I need to relax and let the garden go its own way.

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One of the exciting stages of garden construction is the marking out of beds. The sites for the flower displays are marked out in the garden in the form of beds or borders. These may be of various shapes and sizes and much will depend on the character of the garden as to the exact shape which is used. Formal beds are those which have straight, defined edges whereas the informal types have irregular or natural edges. It is a good idea to draw up scale plans on paper before any marking out is begun. This will enable the gardener to design and measure the beds accurately especially where it is necessary to accommodate collections of plants such as shrubs and herbaceous plants.

You must have used branches or driftwood for hangers or to create garden bed boundaries, but have you ever used them for a trellis? A ladder, perhaps? Learn how with our DIYs!

How to Naturalize Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) in Lawns

My garden is gone.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of landscaping is reviving the gardens of older properties, where generations have pottered and pruned.

February marks the transition from winter to spring. Although the chill may persist, promising signs of the upcoming new season are scattered throughout. Bulbs cautiously break through the soil, and daylight gradually begins to appear.

If one of your New Year resolutions is to grow fruit and vegetables, take the time now to design the plot and you will reap the rewards in just a few months. I started six years ago with a blank canvas – just a patch of lawn divided into various spaces, including a vegetable garden. Separated from the rest of the garden by a hornbeam hedge and a trellis of espaliered apples, my vegetable plot is 11.3 x 5.3 metres, with an extra 3.7 metres square tagged onto the side to make it L-shaped. A greenhouse at the far end faces out over three long raised beds and a square bed to the side.