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Moss, mushrooms and weeds are all problems that many homeowners face on their lawns. Luckily, with a bit of maintenance, there are ways you can get rid of these unwanted organisms and prevent them from coming back. Getting rid of moss A simple way to remove moss from your lawn is by scarification. This basically means that you vigorously rake your lawn, but only do this in the autumn when the grass is actively growing and it’s not too hot, cold or dry. However, you can also use specific weedkillers to control moss on your lawn, and most of these should be applied when the moss is actively growing. Apply in fine weather by hand or with a push-along spreader, making sure not to apply too much as you could kill off the grass too. Check the instructions, as some will require watering after 48 hours if it’s not rained. Then, get into a scarification routine to help prevent moss growth. Removing mushrooms from your lawn If you’ve got mushrooms in your lawn, it usually means that your lawn is damp and shaded, so it never dries out, and is organic waste-rich. There could be a drainage problem with your lawn that is encouraging mushroom growth, so it’s important to investigate why the mushrooms are growing to prevent them from returning once you’ve removed them. To get rid of mushrooms in your lawn, make sure you scarify your lawn and get rid of all the moss, thatch and dead grass that comes up. If you leave it, this is heaven for mushrooms to grow in. If your lawn is shaded, try to prune and thin surrounding trees to offer it more light. If you do all of these things, it will prevent mushrooms from growing in the future, and then it might be worth using a fungicide to get rid of the mushrooms that are there. But if you just do this step, it’s likely the mushrooms will just come back. How to get rid of weeds To get rid of weeds from your lawn, you can use selective weedkillers that will just kill the weeds and leave your grass alone. But if you’d rather not use weedkiller, you can get rid of weeds from your lawn manually. For large, deep-rooted weeds like dandelions or plantains, use a trowel to lever them out, ensuring that you get the whole plant including its roots. Then use compost to fill the hole it leaves behind, pushing it deeply into the hole. Sprinkle with fresh grass seed, cover with extra compost and water. Make sure you keep the area damp until the seed has germinated. To prevent moss, mushrooms or weeds from returning, the best things to do are:

• Scarify your lawn in the autumn, and lightly in the spring if necessary
• Seed your lawn in the autumn if you need to
• Try to keep trees trimmed and pruned as much as possible to reduce shade
• Use a pre-emergent weedkiller in the spring to catch them before they grow and handpick any that come through
• Mow your lawn regularly in the spring and summer, being careful not to remove more than a third of grass at a time, then before winter give it one last mow and a fertilisation treatment

Different types of gardening work will need to be carried out at different times of the year. Garden maintenance is a year round job, although the amount of work will usually decrease during the winter. For larger landscaping projects, aim to have these done through autumn, winter and early spring, to give plants time to get established before summer. Be aware that poor weather over winter can slow down the work.

Everyone wants their garden to feel luscious, spacious and welcoming. But if you’ve got a small garden, it might feel like there’s no way to stop it looking cramped and unappealing. Luckily, there are ways to make a small garden look bigger – and they don’t have to cost the earth. Plant high You can’t expand your garden outwards, but you can go upwards. Harness your neighbours’ walls and fences to plant climbers and trailing plants to add height to your garden. Hanging baskets are a great option too. By using all the space available to you, it creates the illusion that your garden is bigger than it really is. Remove bulky bushes Now you know to plant high, you might realise that there are some shrubs and bushes that need to go. Large bushes spread out and take up too much space, making it feel crowded. If you’ve got a bush for security reasons, consider replacing it with a fence and adding climbers or tall plants around it like we suggested. Create depth An easy way to make a small garden look bigger is to create depth with different textures. Around borders, plant fine-textured plants in the background with course, large-leafed plants in the foreground to give the impression of a deeper space. This is a great idea for shallow, sloping gardens. You can use vibrant colours in the front with a backdrop of green to draw the eyes back. Blend into the background Consider using similar colours, shapes and plants to blend into the view beyond your garden, so it blurs where the boundary of your garden is. If plants and trees creep over from your neighbours’ gardens, don’t trim them back – merge them with your own garden’s style. Stick with a few favourite plants Another mistake people make when trying to make a small garden look bigger is they plant too many different things. This makes your garden feel cluttered, so stick with seasonal combinations; a good rule of thumb is to have at least 3 different flowering species at any time.

Try to put your shed in open space, away from trees, bushes and other buildings. This will help to protect it from falling branches and sap. It will also mean that you can access all sides of the shed for repair and maintenance purposes. Make sure you take a look at garden shed planning rules before you pick a final spot for your shed.

• What you need the shed for
• How much space you have
• How big you need the shed to be
• Which style of roof you want
• What material you would like
• How big your budget is

• Hand-crafted from Nordic White Spruce
• Felt roof reinforced with high-grade polyester
• Tongue and groove cladding makes it more weatherproof so ideal for items that must be kept dry

• High eaves for more head height and to store taller items
• Pent roof and fixed windows allow lots of light
• Ideal for putting up against a wall or fence
• Door can be hinged either side

• Ideal for small gardens or those with fewer tools to store
• Apex roof for water runoff
• Tongue and groove walls
• Tall floor-to-gable door

If there’s a fence dividing yours and your neighbour’s properties that needs maintaining or replacing, you’ll want to know who owns it. Start by checking your deeds to see if there’s an existing boundary agreement. If there isn’t, have a chat with them to see if you can come to an arrangement yourselves.

How To Draw A Garden Landscaping Plan

Are you thinking about constructing a new garden landscape? Do you have an existing one but forgot where you planted those tulip bulbs the previous autumn? Or perhaps you’re just trying to identify the exact spot where you cut back that clump of wilted foxglove, without mistakenly digging it up. For everything to be much easier when it comes to a garden landscape, it’s always a wise decision to draw a garden landscaping plan.

To get started, let’s take a look at the materials you’ll need to acquire. These includes a piece of white paper on which the existing elements on your garden will be plotted, a piece of tracing paper and tape to give options for planned additions, a pencil, an eraser as well as a measuring tape.

For more accuracy while drawing your plan, you’ll need to measure the garden’s distances, perimeter, the existing garden beds size as well as the trees’ and shrubs’ shape and size.

• Write down the measurements taken on the scrap paper.

• Assuming it’s a medium sized backyard garden that’s 18 feet wide, we allocated a scale of 3 feet to equal an inch.

• Using a piece of white paper (could be graph if you wish) and a pencil, carefully outline the perimeter of the space. Once done, you can then sketch in the existing plants as well as other special features on the space (features that are of a permanent nature like trees, fences and paths).

• Hold a piece of tracing paper and tape in on top. Then you can sketch out the plants you wish to add to fill in the spaces in the garden on the tracing paper.

• Blade material Artificial grass is made up of lots of individual blades, just like real grass. The blades are made of plastic and are sewn to a backing material. To help keep your artificial grass looking great for longer, a blend of blades made from nylon and polyethylene are best. Nylon is extremely resilient, but isn’t very comfy to walk on, so adding the polyethylene which is still very strong helps to keep it feeling nice underfoot.
• Backing material The backing material holds all the artificial grass blades together. It’s made of two layers: a membrane that the grass is attached to, and a section that’s usually made of latex or polyurethane and bonds everything together. When you’re choosing your artificial grass, ask for samples – try to pull away the backing material. If it comes apart easily, steer clear of that type of grass.
• The artificial grass’ use The lifespan of your artificial grass will depend on how much traffic it gets. It’s best to invest in strong nylon or nylon-blend turfs where it’s going to get walked on regularly, such as on a pathway to a door. Of course, if the artificial grass is more ornamental, a lower-quality product will last a long time.
• Good installation One of the main things that will help your artificial grass last a long time is effective installation. If artificial grass is laid badly, it might suffer from poor drainage and weeds which will reduce its lifespan. It’s always best to get your artificial grass installed by a professional since they’re trained in fitting it to a high standard.