Monday of this past week has been scientifically proven to be the most depressing day of the year.
Maybe this explains my temporary bout of laziness. Looking out the window, the garden seems vast.
When I consider the amount of jobs I have to do, even before spring arrives, well, it’s enough to send me diving back under the duvet.
So how about a few tips for lazy gardeners, or gardeners who are going through a lazy spell like me?
Or maybe I’ll be polite and say we’re going to have a look at some easy solutions, some easy techniques and some easy ways out of garden troubles.
There’s a company called Easigrass. It manufactures wonderful but, wait for it… artificial turf, and it will fit it for you too.
There’s an easy solution – no need to mow the lawn because it looks green all year round, and Easigrass really knows its business. It’s not cheap but the product is fantastic. So is that lazy or is it easy? I can’t make up my mind.
If you want the real stuff, the traditional way is to prepare the lawn, dig out the stones, clear perennial weeds, make sure the ground is firm and, once the soil heats up a bit, sprinkle seed. You can do that, but an easier way is to just roll out a new lawn.
Rolawn do this nationwide. Mind you, you will still have to put in the hard work and prepare your site in exactly the same way as before you sow seed. The best time to do this is once the frost has gone, and that will depend on what the weather is like and where in the country you live.
Spring seems a long way away right now as the country shivers in the snow and ice. But come it will and the cycle of growth will begin once more. So let’s look forward to what we can get sowing and planting when springtime rolls around.
Let me tell you about a wonderful British invention. It’s called Grobox, and it’s a garden in a box. The brainchild of horticulturist Jayne Lawton, it contains everything you need to grow plants in one box – something to grow in, nutrients and seeds. All you need to do is dig a hole, bury the box about 2 inches under the soil, water and watch the plants grow.
The boxes are made from recycled wastepaper – cardboard, old newspapers – which will biodegrade once in the soil. They are made in a variety of shapes and sizes and filled with seeds, corms, bulbs and tubers, arranged at the right depth and space. These can be planted straight in the ground, or in containers, tubs or hanging baskets. The cardboard will provide some insulation to protect your plants as they settle in. Priced at around £6, there are a variety of different selections available for spring bulbs, summer colour, and vegetable gardening.
There’s something for kids as well – a children’s summerflower garden containing sunflowers, nasturtiums, pot o marigolds and anemones. These could be a great way to introduce children to the magic of gardening. They are also ideal for the apartment dweller who only has a small balcony on which to garden and just wants to pot up some window containers.
Since the wonderful gardens at the Olympics, there has been a resurgence of interest in wild-flower meadows. These can be tricky to grow so if you want to have a fragrant English meadow, you could try using a Gromat, made by the same people as the Grobox. It’s a three-metrelong mat which you roll out on a weed-free area and then cover with compost and water. The wild-flower mixture contains around 50 different species including corncockle, sweet alyssum, cornflower, California poppy, flax, borage, lemon balm, corn marigold, poppy, love-in-amist, soapwort, white mustard, crimson scarlet, fennel, and sorrel, among others. It’s all environmentally friendly, organic and 100% British – the boxes are produced in Manchester.
Jayne works with disadvantaged groups, training them on City Guilds gardening courses and transforming urban wastelands into community gardens to grow vegetables and flowers for all to enjoy. So if you are looking for a gardening gift, or want to try a simpler form of gardening for yourself, you will be supporting an ethical and environmentally aware gardening company.
Back to our lawns… this is really cheeky and easy but it’s also expensive so it’s definitely a luxury.
I’ve played with a few robotic lawn mowers in my time but Husqvarna produces wonderful and ever-more proficient Automowers.
If you do get someone to roll out a new, ready-made lawn, why not send out a robot to take care of it for you? But first, we must wait for the sun to come out and warm up the soil!
WHERE TO BUY: WWW.GROBOXGARDENS.CO.UK OR PHONE CUSTOMER service 07908 133 602. www.easigrass.com, phone: 0845 094 8880 www.rolawn.co.uk, phone: 0845 604 6050 www.husqvarna.com
Ask Diarmuid
DEAR DIARMUID
Can you help? I’ve bought a Loropetalum and I’m struggling to find out any information about how I should look after it. Is it best to keep it in a shady or semi-shady position? It did produce one flower recently.
MARY KING ELY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
HI MARY
Loropetalum is related to the better known Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis.
Unlike its well-known cousin, with its spidery yellow or orange fragrant flowers on bare branches, Loropetalum has white or pink flowers, depending on the variety. It is also an evergreen.
You’ll find it does best when it’s in full sun or partial shade. Ideally, plant it somewhere that is protected from bitter winds as it can be a bit tender.
Your plant definitely won’t have liked the recent snow, so cover it up with fleece or hessian when there’s a cold snap.
Loropetalum prefers slightly acidic soil but will do well if you add humus-rich compost or manure to the soil before planting.
It usually blooms in February so hopefully the flower you saw is the first of many. A great choice for a smaller garden.
Enjoy!
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