Firstly, congratulations on your new home! Whether you’ve been on the property ladder for several years or this is your first time buying or renting, we understand how rewarding it feels to move into your dream home. Once you’ve shifted all of the removal boxes and settled in, your next natural step is to gather those paint swatches and carpet samples to ensure your home’s interior is to your exact specifications. But have you considered your garden?
If you’re one of the lucky ones, then you’ve acquired a garden so beautiful and immaculate that all you need to do is unpack the garden furniture and enjoy your new outdoor space. However, that’s not always the case, particularly for those of you who have moved into a new build. If you are currently looking out onto a miserable lawn (comprising of more weeds than grass), whether it be a new build garden or just one that needs some TLC, then we’ve put together this essential guide to lawn care to help you bring your garden back to life.
Mowing
Forget packing your lawnmower away in your new garage or shed, today is the day to cut that overgrown grass. If you find this a laborious task, well it’s one you’ll need to learn to love (or delegate) because mowing your lawn correctly is one of the most crucial things you can do to retain a luscious, healthy and disease-free lawn. Before you begin chopping frantically, take into account the following:
- Ensure your lawnmower is kept in good condition ‘“ this seems simple enough, but it’s a common oversight. You will need to check the blades are sharp ‘“ this will allow the lawnmower to cut the grass cleanly and precisely, otherwise the blunt blades will snag and tear the grass.
- During the spring and winter seasons, set your lawnmower’s cutting height to the highest setting as during these times of the year grass growth is slow. If your lawn is covered in frost, snow or waterlogged during the colder months, it’s important that you don’t attempt to mow as this will damage the grass significantly. The autumn and summer seasons are when grass growth surges and can recover easily from low cutting, so you can decrease the cutting height of your lawnmower. We recommend that you mow frequently during these seasons. If dry or hot weather conditions occur during summer, increase the lawnmower’s cutting height slightly so you don’t weaken the grass.
- We advise that you cut your lawn in different directions each time. This will strengthen the quality and robustness of the grass. Make sure you remove the grass clippings after every mow, otherwise, you’re encouraging thatch to build and moss to fester.
Aeration
Over time the soil in your lawn becomes compacted, squeezing together the particles resulting in poor grass growth. This could leave your lawn struggling to fight off unwanted weeds, moss or waterlogging. At Greensleeves, our Annual Essential Treatment Programme includes a process called hollow tine aeration. This highly effective treatment is one of the most important and vital ways to ensure your lawn stays happy and healthy. Our professional aeration machine removes small plugs from your lawn. This process eases compaction and thatch buildup that has accumulated, allowing air, water and nutrients to circulate and penetrate the root zone. As part of our service to improve the appearance and health of your lawn, we will remove and dispose of any debris we may create.
Watering
Seems simple, right? However, did you know that there is such a thing as watering incorrectly? We advise that you water your lawn either early morning or late evening when the sun is at its lowest point, so the soil can absorb as much of the water as possible before the sun evaporates it. Observe the grass ‘“ if you spot areas where water has collected, this could indicate over saturation. If there are patches of discoloured or brittle grass, this suggests it’s not consuming enough moisture, so adjust your watering routine accordingly.
Fertilisation
Whatever the season, you should always provide your lawn with a nutrient feed. Nitrogen-rich fertiliser will enhance and boost your lawn’s vibrant colour while ensuring it replaces lost nutrients. We have specially developed a no-scorch formula that requires no watering in, unlike most of the other products available on the market. For further information on our clever lawn fertiliser head over to our Seasonal Treatments page.
Garden Accessories
Once you’ve got your lawn under control, it’s time to introduce the outdoor accessories. Before gallivanting around multiple garden centres, read the latest garden trends for inspiration first. Not only is this cost-effective’“ as you’re choosing exactly what you want instead of panic buying, but it ensures your garden will be utterly remarkable. Several high-end garden magazines forecast that sales of garden furniture, accessories and BBQs are estimated to increase by 3 to 4 percent annually up to 2021, as the British public adopts the Mediterranean lifestyle. Copper textures and coloured accents are set to make a huge impact in 2018 and it’s predicted that alfresco dining will boom this year. Outdoor kitchen areas are backed to be one of the essential key trends, which is ideal for people who lack space in their kitchen or dining room. In 2018 growth in solar lighting will soar thanks to factors including cost, safety and most importantly their calming and cosy ambiance. Ecological gardens are on the rise as many people want to encourage wildlife and nurture the surrounding environment using native plants and locally sourced materials. With all of those new trend ideas, let’s hope for some sunny weather so they can be admired!
![]()
Have You Moved Into A New Build Property?
It’s not uncommon for new homeowners to become frustrated with their lawns after moving into a new build, in fact, it’s among one of the biggest problems new homeowners are faced with. Your lawn could be struggling with bad soil conditions such as; soil compaction and poor drainage. Many homeowners are left with terrible, unusable and waterlogged lawns, if you have one at all. This is a result of heavy construction equipment being driven over the area prior to the grass being laid. If this sounds like you then don’t worry, we’re here to help! Our five-step lawn renovation programme will transform the state of your miserable-looking lawn. Whether your lawn has been created with seed or turf, we will strip it back to basics and apply specialist processes to achieve that deep green and weed-free lawn. To find out more information about our lawn renovation programme, please visit our dedicated page here.
Need A Helping Hand?
At Greensleeves, we have created a range of lawn care services to ensure your lawn is healthy and at its best all year round. If you need some help or advice, then contact us today to arrange a free, no-obligation lawn analysis with one of our dedicated lawn care experts. Phone 0808 100 1413 or visit our website www.greensleeves-uk.com.
