As a professional gardener and a nurseryman, I’ve done my fair share of lawn levelling jobs over the years. It’s probably one of my most rewarding jobs, as it makes such an impact once the lawns are established again. This is especially true if you want to create a striped lawn using a cylinder lawn mower with a roller like the one pictured below. You can have the most lush green lawn, but you will never get a decent…
As a professional gardener for a little over twenty years and working in my family’s small garden centre for even longer, I really do appreciate a well-built, versatile, and, more importantly, comfortable backpack sprayer. Over the years, backpack sprayers have greatly improved, with many models now being somewhat comfortable to wear despite their weight when full of liquid. Plus, the introduction of cordless knapsack sprayers makes spraying even easier to consistently regulate pressure. I’ve included…
Over the years, extendable long-reach hedge trimmers have significantly improved, especially considering how lightweight some models now are. With the introduction of lightweight battery-powered garden tools. I have found that some of the best long-reach hedge trimmers are now cordless models powered by lithium-ion batteries, with my Bosch 18v Cordless Telescopic Hedge Trimmer pictured below being one of the best examples of a cordless long-reach hedge trimmer that is reliable but affordable. Some high-spec cordless…
When it comes to the strongest weedkillers, there are a handful of very effective professional-grade weedkillers that I have been using as part of my garden maintenance business. The problem is that most require a spraying chemical licence to purchase. However, they are not available to the general public and can be expensive. Now, although I have a recognised certificate for spraying herbicides professionally, I often get asked which is the best weedkiller to use…
Scarifying is not just about having a scarifier; it’s also about reducing the spread of moss before a scarifier even touches the lawn by applying a moss killer with iron sulphate a week or two before, which I’ve discussed here. Not forgetting, aerating the lawn with a lawn aerator improves aeration and lets essential nutrients and water reach the grassroots. If you need more information, I’ve previously discussed lawn aerating here. I’ve also covered how…
I’ve worked in my family nursery for over 20 years and as a professional gardener for as many. Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a big increase in awareness of planting bee-friendly in mind. Sadly, our local bees are declining, so anything we can do in our gardens to provide bee-friendly plants is essential. With this in mind, if you’re looking to attract bees and other beneficial insects into your garden, most people go…
Lavatera shrubs are one of my favourites, and I’ve always had a few on my borders. As a professional gardener, I’ve always recommended them for large borders as they are so versatile and easy to care for. In my family’s nursery, they are also one of the most popular shrubs and a favourite of many gardeners. If pruned correctly, they produce an amazing show of flowers in mid to late summer. However, they do need…
Rhododendrons have to be one of my favourite shrubs, both the evergreen and deciduous varieties, including Rhododendron luteum, a more recent addition to my garden. I’m lucky to have worked as a professional gardener for over 20 years. My family also runs a small nursery where we sell a large selection of rhododendrons. Over the years, I’ve seen and experienced my fair share of problems that affect rhododendrons in my garden, my customers’ gardens, and…
Phormiums are one of my favourite shrubs and are very popular at my family’s nursery. Over the years, I’ve written a few guides, including this guide on phormium care and phormium mealybugs, which can be an issue, and so are worth looking out for. Over the years, as a professional gardener, one question I’ve often been asked is, ‘How (and when) can you prune phormiums?’ The answer depends on whether you need to give your…
As a professional gardener, I have often been asked what climbing plants I recommend for covering fences. However, there are many options when you consider deciduous varieties, and I’ve talked about some of them in my Climbers for Fences guide. I’ve also talked about evergreen climbers in general here, so in this guide, I want to focus on the best evergreen climbers for fences. What makes these climbing plants different is that they are perfect…
