 The first Champion Gardens Community Day.
Not a massive amount of litter collected but two full bags. The bags, picker, hoop and stylish hi viz vest have been provided on long term loan by Durham Council via LitterFreeDurham. Four miles covered round the villages of Toft Hill and Etherley. Lots of old rubbish found at the bottom of the hedgerows but the majority of it was recent stuff along the main road which people are just throwing from car windows. Champion!
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Wildflowers
Since the 1930s we have lost nearly 99% of our unimproved grassland in the countryside. This means we have also lost the large variety of flowering plants which in turn supported the butterflies, bees and other insects, farmland birds and a wide range of other wildlife. There are a few ways you can recreate these wildflower meadows in your garden. Perennial meadows which recreate the original unimproved wildflower meadows take the most preparation but give great results year after year. The unimproved part means they have nutrient poor soils so it is best to remove the top soil and work directly with the subsoil. Annual meadows are made up of cornfield flowers that thrive in nutrient rich soils meaning that preparation is easier and they take less time to establish, usually providing a full bed of flowers and colour within three months. As annuals it is important to allow the flowers to go to seed to increase the wildflower seed bank in the soil. A simpler method of creating a small wildlife haven in your garden is having a “no-mow” area. Leaving the grass to grow will allow beetles and other insects to thrive, sparrows and goldfinch will come and eat the grass seeds, and the wildflowers already present in the grass will bloom. Your garden can still look neat and maintained by mowing borders around the longer grass and paths through. These paths are also used by garden creatures as corridors, moving into the long grass for cover or for food. If you’re interested in creating any of the above wildlife friendly gardens then please get in touch. If you have already created one we would love to see pictures of it, telling us what you did and what it has attracted. Wildlife Champion! (images courtesy of NJ Cooper)  Moss usually appears as coarse, loose green or yellow tufts between the grass. It provides the grass with a very uneven colour and surface and makes the ground feel very spongy to walk on.
It actively competes against grass for growing space and depending on conditions it may well win which will leave your lawn with brown dead patches when it dies off in the summer. Some of the causes of the problem are mowing too close and mowing infrequently as well as poor drainage and shady areas. Once the moss has been removed, the lawn will need some help to recover. Aeration and fertilisation with some overseeding will keep the moss at bay and provide the lush green lawn you want. The green waste which is removed from the garden normally goes for composting but the moss is spread in the wood as it is ideal nesting material for birds. Don't forget to share with your friends and family who may need some garden assistance. Champion!  The unmanaged lawn in the picture has a moss problem!
Raking the lawn in the spring with a wire tine rake will help remove moss by pulling it out and break through the lawn thatch. The gentle action of the rake compared with the scarifier is less likely to cause damage to the lawn just as the weeds are becoming numerous. Scarifiers use metal blades to cut through the thatch and are much more aggressive and as such are suited to use in the autumn. Scarifying results in a firmer lawn that allows the passage of air, nutrients and water easily into it. The scarifier blades cut into the soil and open the soil surface and also ‘prune’ the grass plants because it cuts them downwards rather than cross cutting as in mowing. This pruning, just like pruning a bush or plant causes extra shoots to grow, thickening the turf. Champion!  Although stripes on the lawn aren’t necessary...…they do look good. Striping the lawn comes as standard with the annual mowing and lawn care package we offer. One of the next services this lawn will receive is an aeration in April. As well as relieving compaction, aeration also allows air, rain and nutrients to penetrate a hard surface, improves bacterial activity and helps reduce thatch. It also improves drainage from the surface, increases the water holding capacity and therefore stimulates rooting and root depth giving a more drought tolerant lawn. Champion!  The field maple, Acer campestre, is Britain’s only native species of maple. Normally found in woods or countryside hedgerows it can live up to 350 years. In a couple of years these sticks will become a thick field maple hedge round a domestic garden. It is not your usual garden hedge choice, but it is fairly quick growing and the colour changes of the leaves are amazing. Valuable for wildlife the field maple will bring plenty of aphids and their predators including ladybirds, hoverfly and birds and the flowers will provide nectar for bees.
If you’re fancying a new hedge get in touch and we can have a chat and arrange a visit. Don't forget to share with your friends and family who may need some garden assistance. Champion!  Now is the best time to get a deciduous hedge planted round your garden. One option is a Beech hedge (Fagus sylvatica). A very popular, relatively fast growing, deciduous hedge with delicate leaves, initially a soft golden green, turning bright green and finally coppery brown in the winter. The leaves are retained on the plant until they are pushed off by the new growth in the spring.
Get in touch and we can discuss your needs and arrange a visit. Don't forget to share with your friends and family who may need some garden assistance. 🤩🤩🤩 Champion! Happy New Year everybody. Now that the Christmas season is over lets look forward to the warm summer enjoying your beautiful gardens.
Now is the time to call (01388 342142) to book in your 2019 season mowing and lawn care package to take advantage of the special offer. Book any annual lawn or hedge care package before March 2019 and receive a 10% discount for the 2019 season. Don't forget to share with your friends and family who may need some garden assistance. 🤩🤩🤩 Champion! |
