Here at Lymefield, we have grown our own turf for over 12 years, and as such have become keen experts on the practice of developing and maintaining a tidy lawn.

We now grow turf on 5 different sites all within a half mile radius of our Garden Centre here in Broadbottom, most here at Lymefield itself, and have a constant demand which sees us venturing out every night of the week in order to lift turf fresh for the following morning's orders and deliveries.

Right on the county border of Cheshire and Derbyshire, we find ourselves in a unique position as turf growers.

It is around this time of year that we become busier and busier with willing customers looking to lay that perfect lawn so here we'll provide a few handy tips on getting it right the first time:

– Firstly, it is important to remember that preparation is probably the most important part of getting your lawn off to a good start.

You need to be laying your newly cut turf on to good quality top soil (which we can also supply). – The area needs to be well compacted – if there's an area of top soil that is loose or soft, your turf will follow suit once it is on top of it.

– Once a firm level area has been attained, the surface of the top soil would benefit from being raked through, so as to leave it fine and without any large clumps. – Have a box of Bone Meal handy, and before laying each roll apply a light dusting on the area about to be covered. This will aid root development and thus allow the turf to take hold quicker. – Once turf laying commences, have a flat plank of wood handy in order to help compact and firm the turf down.

– Overlap edges and use a sharp knife to cut away the excess.

– Once the turf is fully laid, be sure to water it. Unless it is raining severely for a number of days, newly-laid turf needs to be watered around twice daily for at least 2 weeks. This is until it knits in, roots itself down, and can become self-sufficient, although remember that in drier seasons, grass will still need watering.

We are cutting ourLymefield turf now, please visit ourTurf page for further information and happy turfing!

Here is our Turf Harvester hard at work!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNWQoX7JbaQ&t=59s

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A Guide To Choosing The Right Hedging

There are many different types of hedging available out there, and choosing the correct one can be tricky. It really all depends on two things. Firstly –why are you putting the hedge there? And secondly – what are theconditions like?

Why?

Privacy

If the purpose for your hedge is to provide privacy, then the chances are that an evergreen hedge would be the preferable option. An evergreen hedge is one which keeps it's leaves year-round, and won't be bare during the winter (something that could leave visible gaps in the hedge). The likelihood is that you will also require the hedge to be reasonably quick-growing in order to provide privacy as soon as possible.Laurel (prunus laurocerasus rotundifolia) hedging ticks both of the above boxes. It has glossy attractive green leaves which it maintains throughout the year, is a quick grower (putting on up to potentially a foot or more of growth in a season once established) and is tolerant of both harsh weather and tricky conditions.Photinia 'Red Robin' is another evergreen which is a reasonably quick growing shrub. As well as having attractive foliage, the new growth which comes through is a strong red. This adds colour and interest to the hedge. Leylandii the most commonly knownconifer in Britain is a traditional favourite for those looking for a quick and easy, cost effective hedging, guaranteed to grow quickly and maintain it's greenery all year-round.Bamboo – Although not a traditional choice, few shrubs can match Bamboo for their tolerance to wet conditions and extremely quick growth habit. As well as attaining a tall height in no time, they automatically thicken out, producing more and more stems and this eventually creates a dense thicket. The varietyPhyllostachys Aurea is a rapid growing variety which can attain heights of 12 foot + quite easily. Another Bamboo –Fargesia Murielae is a variety which is much easier to control and will not grow as tall as the Phyllostachys.

Security

If you are looking to use your hedge to add extra security to an area then it goes without saying that the best varieties to use are those that will quite literally put a thorn in to the side of anyone daring to try and clamber through!Berberis are a great hedging option as not only are they thorny, they also produce yellow flowers during the spring. They are evergreen and tolerant of tough conditions.Pyracantha – again, like Berberis they are both useful and colourful, with dozens of berries appearing during late autumn. They are also tough, ideal for exposed locations.Holly – Although more ornamental than some of the other options, Holly is a great hedging solution due to it's density, the fact that it is evergreen, and the berries which it produces. Variegated Holly's are also available to provide more interesting foliage too.Hawthorn hedges are usually the choice where pure necessity for security exists. Having said that, they can be grown alongside Beech or Holly to provide a little more interest.

Decoration

Beech – Beech hedging is a great choice for many different locations. It is good value – there is a choice of Green or Purple Beech (or a combination of the two), and it will tolerate exposed locations well. It is deciduous but short of an extremely blustery winter, it will retain most of it's brown leaves through to Spring.Yew – A Yew hedge is ideal for situations where only a short run of hedging is required. The negatives of it being rather slow growing and compact in shape are far outweighed by the unique evergreen appearance which they provide.Escallonia – Once established Escallonia hedges will flourish and form a great spectacle all year-round. As well as being evergreen, they fill with flowers in June.Buxus – A Box hedge is for those situations where you may be looking to create a neat and tidy outline within a garden, along a path for example. They are evergreen and extremely easy to maintain. Their slow growth means that they require only light pruning every so often.

Conditions

Many of the varieties listed above will be tolerant of certain conditions to an extent. For example, Leylandii conifers are likely to thrive in most soils and don't particularly mind exposed spots. The same is true of Laurels. The likelihood is that in many gardens, even if the location isn't ideal for the type of hedge that you want, you can turn this around with good preparation such as improving the soil conditions or improving drainage. However in some cases such as when a site is particularly exposed, the option of which hedge to use comes purely down to necessity rather than choice.

Wet, heavy soils

Hornbeam is an ideal hedging to be used in locations where drainage is poor, for example at the base of a sloping garden. It is tolerant of such poor conditions and yet despite being deciduous, retains many of it's brown leaves over winter much like Beech.Privet – It is usually chosen more out of necessity than anything else, but Privets will thrive in poor conditions, retain most of their leaves over winter and are quick growers too.

Shade Again

This depends on the level of shade as many varieties of hedging will tolerate some shade to a degree. For densely shaded areas though a couple of choices include:Holly will tolerate both sun and shade. As mentioned earlier, it will form a dense, secure hedge. Berries are produced as long as both male and female varieties are present and varieties with a variegated leaf are available.Aucuba Japonica or Japanese Laurel is an evergreen shrub, tolerant of most garden conditions including one of the toughest – dry shade. It has green leaves with speckles of gold and produces small red berries. Although more of an informal hedge, a cluster of them can still form a strong, evergreen barrier.

Exposed

For areas that are really exposed to the elements (such as on windy hillsides) some ideal hedging choices include:Beech – Beech will tolerate windy, exposed sites whilst still offering the benefit of looking great through the summer.Privet is another option for exposed spots.Pyracantha will tolerate tough windy spots and chalky soils. It produces an abundance of berries as well as being a secure option due to it's thorns. More information can be found on our hedging page too.

All gardens and their conditions vary, so if you are still not sure on which hedging is the best for you, then please don't hesitate to phone us up on01457 764686.

Winter is closing in fast, the beauty of autumn colour is clear all around us and our gardens are ready to be pruned, cleared and prepared for the coming months of bad weather.

The nights are getting shorter and although it has been a mild October, it looks like November will be much colder in the mornings and late afternoon.

If you are working, this can prevent most of your mid-week gardening, but, if you can make time at the weekends there is plenty to do in the garden in November.

Here is our guide to a few jobs that can really help your garden in November:

• If you were thinking about planting native and fruit trees, hedges, shrubs and roses this autumn now is a great time to do it. Lymefield have a great range of freshly potted ball rooted plants as well as bare rooted hedging available.

• Pull up any faded annuals, remove any faded foliage and remove leaves from all your beds, borders and ponds, all this material can be composted.

• If you have perennial beds, its time to go through and cut back and tidy.

• Planting of newherbaceous stock can be done, this is also the perfect opportunity for lifting and dividing any overcrowded areas.

• When asked, when is a good time to plant fruit trees? We always say November. This is due to us having our fresh stock available, coinciding with great planting conditions. Get in contact with us for any orders or enquiries into all the varieties we stock.

• If you are thinking about fruit, dig over and manure any area that is to be planted later in the season.

• If you have existing trees, go through and check to make sure ties aren't constricting any new growth and that stakes are still firm as the weather will get worse.

• The really big job now in your garden this November is pruning. Pruning can be so specific to each variety, also the age and condition of the plant, the area is to large to go into here.BUT, get in touch or come and see us and we will get you on the path to pruning all your garden correctly.

• Veggie growers still have plenty of labour to do, digging or forking over vacant plots and adding manure can be back-breaking, but its a must so the coming frost can break down the manure adding nutrient and quality for next year. You could sow broad beans under cloches for an early crop, stake your Brussel sprouts but other than that its time to come into the garden centre to see what else you could plant next year.

• Apply Autumnlawn food now to give your lawn strength for winter and a great start next year. Spike the surface and brush silver sand into the surface of problem wet areas. Give your lawn its final cut for winter before the end of the month, our tip would be don't scalp it, leave a little on for the cold coming. Remember that you can still layturfnow as long as it is neither too wet nor frozen.

All in all, there’s still lots to do. If you have any questions or need any other advice and help don't hesitate to get in touch on01457 764686.

Summer Bedding Plants have arrived!

With the arrival of summer bedding plants comes an injection of colour to our gardens. It signals a time to finally get out in to the garden (if you haven't already!) and start to get those pots and borders in order for what we hope will be a much better summer than the previous one! We always aim to stock a vast array of bedding plants with the idea being to provide a combination of both colour and foliage for pots, baskets and borders. Pansies, Violas, Begonias, Marigolds and Geraniums can provide the colour, and trailing plants such as Lobelia and Ivy can provide the greenery in order to boost the appearance of your basket and trail down.

Where to Plant your Summer Bedding

Bedding plants are extremely versatile in that they can serve a purpose in almost any garden, whatever the situation. Colourful plants such as Pansies look great set in among more established shrubs and perennials in borders. Another perfect use for bedding plants is to be put in to pots. If you have potted shrubs such as a Buxus (box plant) then placing trailing plants and vibrant flowers around the outside of the pot will help to inject a flurry of summer colour.

If you have a paved area then pots of different shapes and sizes filled with bedding plants are a good idea, or even a couple of pots either side of a door or gateway will look great in the summer. Window boxes and troughs look brilliant when planted with bedding. Begonias look especially eye catching, in particular the trailing Begonias which overhang. Trailing Lobelia too will spill over and provide a shower of colour.

Of course, all of the summer bedding plants are frost tender so do keep an eye on the overnight temperature until we are definitely out of the woods. Until then, frost fleece placed over the bedding, or just moving any pots in to a more sheltered spot such as a shed, greenhouse or porch should be fine.

We are open 7 days a week and can provide free local delivery & collection in store.