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The Sun
21-06-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Five cheap ways to keep your garden green and gorgeous
THE hot weather can play havoc with our gardens. Turning on the hose pipe wastes water and adds to bills, but there are other ways to keep your garden green and gorgeous. 7 WATER WISELY: Use a watering can, rather than a hose and douse plants early in the morning or in the evening to stop water evaporating before doing its job. Aim the spout towards the thirsty roots rather than the leaves. Adding wood chips, straw or compost can help lock in moisture. SLOWLY DOES IT: Make a home-made watering spike by taking an empty plastic bottle and carefully poking around five holes in the cap. Cut the bottom off the bottle and dig a hole around 10cm away from the plant you want to water. Put the bottle into the hole, cap side down, and fill it with water. It will slowly drip-feed the soil through the holes in the cap. LEAVE YOUR LAWN: Keeping your grass green using sprinklers will cost your purse and the planet. Experts recommend leaving your grass to go brown. It may not look its best, but it is dormant rather than dead. As soon as the rain returns, so will your green lawn. POOL RULES: Paddling pools can block sunlight and flatten the grass. which will struggle to recover. Kate Turner, gardening expert at Evergreen Garden Care, advises shifting the paddling pool around to allow sunlight to reach the grass. I transformed my garden patio into summer haven for less than £100 with cheap B&M buys including gadget to keep bugs out 'When it's time to empty it, avoid dumping all the water in one spot. Spread it around to prevent waterlogging and muddy patches.' PRE-LOVED PUDDLES: Re-use household water in your garden. So-called 'grey water' from washing vegetables, washing up and even showering is fine. Shampoo, soaps and washing-up liquid are generally harmless to plants. Don't use grey water on vegetables and avoid washing-up water with food bits that may attract vermin. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability Deal of the day COOL off with homemade ice cream in under half an hour with the mini digital ice cream maker from Lakeland, down from £19.99 to £14.99. SAVE: £5 Cheap treat 7 GIVE your lippy and brushes a spin – and tidy up – with the rotating cosmetic organiser from B&M, £5. What's new? HOW To Train Your Dragon is captivating kids at the cinema, and you can get the Toothless and Hiccup figure set for £11.25 at Argos, down from £15. Top swap 7 COOL off in the Bestway 7ft rectangular paddling pool, £20 from Argos, or the TP giant paddling pool from £12.49. Shop & save BAG an eight-pack of Oral B precision clean electric toothbrush heads, down from £31 to £15.50, at Boots. SAVE: £15.50 Hot right now MEMBERS of Co-op can get £10 off when they spend £40 or more until Wednesday – as a thank you following the store's tech issues. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Looking for a lush lawn this summer? Expert reveals top ten tips
The summer months can be particularly harsh on lawns, often leaving homeowners wondering if their grass will survive the season. Children, pets, and outdoor play equipment can wreak havoc, with items like toys and paddling pools suffocating the grass. However, according to Kate Turner, a horticulturist for Evergreen Garden Care with experience on BBC 's Gardeners' World, Love Your Garden, and Garden Rescue, there are steps you can take to minimise the damage and keep your lawn healthy throughout the summer. 'The biggest obstacles are kids with trampolines and paddling pools. All the toys come out and they stay on the lawn. You might go on to websites which say 'Move your trampoline every day' but that's just not realistic. 'So we have to accept that during the summer just enjoy your lawn, don't get too upset about it.' However, there are things you can do to minimise the damage, she suggests. 1. Be waterwise 'If there isn't a hosepipe ban and you want to water the lawn, give it a deep soak one evening a week, or early morning if you're an early riser,' she advises. 'But the lawn is the most hard-wearing plant in your garden. So even if the dry weather continues, once the autumn rain comes, usually the lawn will bounce back.' 2. Let your grass grow longer Over the summer, don't mow your grass as frequently and if it goes brown stop mowing it completely, she advises. 'If you're not mowing the lawn, get the edges done because that makes the garden look so much smarter,' she suggests. 3. Sink your trampoline 'If you have young kids and you are going to have that trampoline for a few years, think about getting a sunken trampoline, because it's much safer,' she suggests. 'Dig a hole and line it with a weed membrane. You can get specialist companies that do it.' Once the hole has been dug, overseed the perimeter with a really hard-wearing shade-tolerant lawn seed, she advises. 'Now is a really good time to do it because the soil is warm. Rake over the area a bit, then throw some good hard-wearing drought-tolerant and shade-tolerant seed. You have to be prepared to water for the first few weeks.' Obviously you're not going to be able to move the trampoline once it is in, but at least when the children leave home you have a ready-made space for a wildlife pond, she adds. 4. Put up with the paddling pool 'There's not a lot you can do until after (summer), but get a ground sheet down first and put the pool on top of that,' she advises. 'If there's any stones or pebbles underneath the soil level it will stop it puncturing.' You could also make a feature of it, creating a path that leads to the paddling pool, which can reduce the mess around it, she adds. Once the season is over, use the pool water to water your lawn. Rake the area a little and then overseed some more to refresh the grass. If you have enough space and a small-enough paddling pool, move it once a week to give each area of lawn a break, she suggests. 5. Guard against football damage If you have a family of keen budding footballers, overseed the goal area now with hard-wearing seed – and you will need to water it until it starts to germinate – to help minimise damage later on in the summer, she advises. 'If you're not going to overseed because you already have a decent lawn, give it a slow-release feed to toughen it up.' However, like Wimbledon courts at the end of the tennis tournament, if that goal is in constant use over the summer you'll have to accept that it may be trashed during those months. 6. Feed regularly 'You can give the lawn a really good feed every six weeks and once we are into the summer proper, use something like a fast-acting green, which you can attach to your hose, spray it on and it greens the grass up and makes it stronger really quickly.' If there's a drought, don't use feeding granules, she advises, but go for a liquid feed because granules will need a lot more watering to dissolve and do the work. 7. Make a path Well-worn areas can soon appear on your lawn if you don't have a path, so create a simple pathway using, for instance, log edging and bark chip, she suggests. 'If you have kids, you could do a hopscotch effect with different pavers and put some plants in between them such as low-growing thyme and chamomile. Something temporary for the summer is a really good idea.' 8. Reduce pet damage 'Female dogs' wee is really acidic and what you'll find is that you'll get lots of little bare patches throughout your garden. 'Break it up with a fork and then add some special dog spot repair which incorporates seed, feed and calcium that neutralises the acid in the urine. 'It's either that, or when you see your dog peeing, you get a watering can and water it away straight away.' 9. Put toys away 'Always put the toys away every evening because just leaving that plastic tractor out will damage the lawn.' 'If you have a shady lawn that's full of moss, don't worry about it for the summer. It will be quite hard-wearing.'
The Independent
09-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Experts reveal 10 things you can do to keep your lawn lush in summer
The summer can be hard on your lawn - and by the end of the season, you may well be wondering if you'll have any grass left. Children and animals can cause havoc - with toys, sandpits and paddling pools taking up significant space and leaving your lawn suffocated. However, there are things you can do to minimise the damage. Kate Turner, horticulturist for Evergreen Garden Care, who has worked behind the scenes on BBC Gardeners' World, Love Your Garden and Garden Rescue has some tips. 'The biggest obstacles are kids with trampolines and paddling pools. All the toys come out and they stay on the lawn. You might go on to websites which say 'Move your trampoline every day' but that's just not realistic. 'So we have to accept that during the summer just enjoy your lawn, don't get too upset about it.' However, there are things you can do to minimise the damage, she suggests. 1. Be waterwise 'If there isn't a hosepipe ban and you want to water the lawn, give it a deep soak one evening a week, or early morning if you're an early riser,' she advises. 'But the lawn is the most hard-wearing plant in your garden. So even if the dry weather continues, once the autumn rain comes, usually the lawn will bounce back.' 2. Let your grass grow longer Over the summer, don't mow your grass as frequently and if it goes brown stop mowing it completely, she advises. 'If you're not mowing the lawn, get the edges done because that makes the garden look so much smarter,' she suggests. 3. Sink your trampoline 'If you have young kids and you are going to have that trampoline for a few years, think about getting a sunken trampoline, because it's much safer,' she suggests. 'Dig a hole and line it with a weed membrane. You can get specialist companies that do it.' Once the hole has been dug, overseed the perimeter with a really hard-wearing shade-tolerant lawn seed, she advises. 'Now is a really good time to do it because the soil is warm. Rake over the area a bit, then throw some good hard-wearing drought-tolerant and shade-tolerant seed. You have to be prepared to water for the first few weeks.' Obviously you're not going to be able to move the trampoline once it is in, but at least when the children leave home you have a ready-made space for a wildlife pond, she adds. 4. Put up with the paddling pool 'There's not a lot you can do until after (summer), but get a ground sheet down first and put the pool on top of that,' she advises. 'If there's any stones or pebbles underneath the soil level it will stop it puncturing.' You could also make a feature of it, creating a path that leads to the paddling pool, which can reduce the mess around it, she adds. Once the season is over, use the pool water to water your lawn. Rake the area a little and then overseed some more to refresh the grass. If you have enough space and a small-enough paddling pool, move it once a week to give each area of lawn a break, she suggests. 5. Guard against football damage If you have a family of keen budding footballers, overseed the goal area now with hard-wearing seed – and you will need to water it until it starts to germinate – to help minimise damage later on in the summer, she advises. 'If you're not going to overseed because you already have a decent lawn, give it a slow-release feed to toughen it up.' However, like Wimbledon courts at the end of the tennis tournament, if that goal is in constant use over the summer you'll have to accept that it may be trashed during those months. 6. Feed regularly 'You can give the lawn a really good feed every six weeks and once we are into the summer proper, use something like a fast-acting green, which you can attach to your hose, spray it on and it greens the grass up and makes it stronger really quickly.' If there's a drought, don't use feeding granules, she advises, but go for a liquid feed because granules will need a lot more watering to dissolve and do the work. 7. Make a path Well-worn areas can soon appear on your lawn if you don't have a path, so create a simple pathway using, for instance, log edging and bark chip, she suggests. 'If you have kids, you could do a hopscotch effect with different pavers and put some plants in between them such as low-growing thyme and chamomile. Something temporary for the summer is a really good idea.' 8. Reduce pet damage 'Female dogs' wee is really acidic and what you'll find is that you'll get lots of little bare patches throughout your garden. 'Break it up with a fork and then add some special dog spot repair which incorporates seed, feed and calcium that neutralises the acid in the urine. 'It's either that, or when you see your dog peeing, you get a watering can and water it away straight away.' 9. Put toys away 'Always put the toys away every evening because just leaving that plastic tractor out will damage the lawn.' 10. Don't worry about the moss 'If you have a shady lawn that's full of moss, don't worry about it for the summer. It will be quite hard-wearing.'
