Archive for June, 2011 < back
Mowing Tips
28th Jun:
Firstly and most importantly choose the correct lawn mower for your lawn. Cylinder mowers are only really suitable for perfectly flat lawns with finer grass types. Consider whether you want stripes (in which case best results come with some sort of roller) whether there are hard to reach or sloping areas (use a lighter fly-mow) or if you need the mower to collect cuttings too.
Make sure your mower is serviced regularly and that the blades are as sharp as possible which will ensure a better cut. Do not cut your lawn too low.
Whenever you fill your mower with petrol, never do this on the actual grass as petrol burns grass.
Don’t cut your lawn too short (min 1 inch). Cutting your lawn too short can encourage lawn diseases, moss and weed growth. Also never cut more than a third of the height at any one time. If you do, it can cause scalping which can take 2-3 mowing cycles to recover.
Also try to remove any clippings from the lawn as this can encourage thatch which means moss will thrive.
Cut your lawn frequently as this encourages it to grow thicker which keeps out the weeds.
Don’t mow the lawn when it is wet as this can cause the soil to be compacted which suffocates the roots and causes bald patches.
Keep your edges nice and neat by using either a half moon edging tool or even installing an edging product such as EverEdge.
If conditions are very dry and the lawn is looking brown, try to keep off the lawn as much as possible as the grass will be dry and brittle and liable to break. Do not cut shorter than 2 inches and do not cut again until there is a sign of growth.
When watering, don’t overwater by watering every day. In the summer every 2-3 days should be enough. Water the lawn early in the morning or during the later part of the day when evaporation is at its lowest. An irrigation system is always a good idea.
Watering deeply will encourage deep root growth.
Aerate your lawn, using a fork on the smaller lawns and specialist machines (that can be hired) on the larger lawns.
Once this is done, scarifiy your grass, again using a hand rake on smaller areas and machines on the larger lawns. These jobs can be done in either order.
Next is the grass seed. On a small lawn scatter it by hand thinly. Careful not to be too generous at the start and run out before all the area is covered. Then using a stiff brush gently ‘encourage’ the seed down the holes as much as possible.
Next apply a top dressing, which is a mixture of compost and wash sand which helps improve drainage and fertility of the soil. Using a soft rake, gently spread the topdressing into the grass.
Feed your lawn regularly with an appropriate lawn fertiliser. This will make it greener and thicker, and helps return nutrients to the soil.
Ways to use your harvest
28th Jun:
6 pink or yellow grapefruit
300ml vodka
Small bunch basil
200g caster sugar
Using a vegetable peeler remove the zest from 3 of the grapefruit and put the zest in a jar. Pour over the vodka and leave to infuse for at least 24 hours.
Cut all the grapefruit in half and juice – if making ahead of time, freeze the juice until it’s needed.
Pick the leaves from the basil and add the stalks to a small saucepan with the sugar and 200ml of water. Gently heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cool, strain and chill until needed.
Put half the basil leaves in a jug, pour over the vodka, 300ml of basil stock syrup and the pink grapefruit juice and stir.
Fill 6 glasses with ice, the remaining basil and a little pink grapefruit zest (use the stuff from the vodka), and fill with cocktail mix.
Bean salad – you will be asked for this recipe if you serve it to friends, it’s how we got it!
There is so much in this recipe that you might or could have grown in your garden, if you’re missing anything this year make a note for your planting plan for next year.
200g trimmed French beans
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon tarragon leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped chervil
¼ cup garden cress
Vinaigrette
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
To make the vinaigrette, put the mustard, garlic and vinegar in a mixing bowl or food processor and slowly add the olive oil until you get a thick dressing, season to taste.
Blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Refresh and drain.
Mix the beans with the vinaigrette and the rest of the ingredients, apart from the garden cress.
Pile the beans on a serving plate and garnish with cress.
When serving warm, mix the vinaigrette with the warm beans and the rest of the ingredients just before serving.
This pretty punch is a German summer favourite and just the thing if you’re entertaining a crowd on a hot summer evening. Serves about 16.
1kg strawberries, hulled and halved
80g caster sugar
1 lemon, unwaxed if possible
1 bottle crisp white wine, chilled
1 bottle sparkling wine, chilled
Lemon balm or lemon verbena, to garnish
Put the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle on the sugar. If you don’t have an unwaxed lemon, wash the lemon well in warm water. Peel off thin strips of the zest with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Finely chop one peeled lemon zest strip and add the lemon juice and chopped zest to the strawberry bowl. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Pour off the strawberry juice into a bowl and put to one side. Tip the strawberries into a large jug, pour over enough of the wine to cover and refrigerate again for another two hours.
Shortly before serving, add the strawberry juice, the remaining wine and the sparkling wine. Serve either in a punch bowl decorated with the remaining strips of lemon, or pour into glasses and serve with lemon zest strips and sprigs of lemon balm or verbena.
If you don’t want to use your herbs and vegetables now do remember that you can dry and/or freeze them at home.
Inside Out
28th Jun:
Bespoke outdoor cushions – We have a skilled cushion maker who makes up weatherproof cushions in outdoor material to any size and thickness depending on your needs. The specialist fabric is able to withstand most weather conditions except heavy and prolonged rain. There is a wide range of materials to chose, from neutral creams and beige to stripes and patterns. Try scatter cushions in bright accent colours to add some drama to your garden or revive your existing outdoor seating with new covers.
BBQ & Outdoor Entertaining – though we are a huge fan of the traditional charcoal BBQ there are more and more options available to us these days. Firepits, pizza ovens, and built in BBQ’s create a focal point for entertaining and can also give the men a dedicated spot in the garden as well! To help with the manly job of cooking, why not include an outdoor fridge? We were asked to redevelop a garden on Walton Street and one of the specifications was to include an outdoor fridge. This can be the perfect place to store all your drinks for summer especially when the kitchen fridge is over flowing with salads, a place where wine and beer is the priority!
Feature in SW Magazine
21st Jun:
This month we have an article in Londons SW Magazine talking about top tips for your garden in July, looking at seating, planting, material choice, lighting and garden features. To see this article on line or receive a hard copy of the magazine go to www. http://sw.greatbritishlife.co.uk/
