Even though we might now be enjoying the sweet summer sunshine, enjoying meals in the garden, days by the pool, and flip-flops and shorts day in day out, pretty soon, the seasons will be changing – those days of leaves turning red and green, an autumnal wind beginning to blow, and the heat of summer rising from the air until a chill sets in.
And it’s not just the clothing that calls for an adjustment, but as temperatures dip, the weather brings new challenges to the garden – and those days of manicuring a perfectly striped bowling green lawn are long gone, as lush blades of grass are beset with rogue branches and fallen leaves in golden shades.
But fear not – here are a few tips with the help of Laurance, from LawnmowerLarry.co.uk to make the annual task a little easier. He started mowing lawns as a teenager looking for extra pocket money, and haven’t stopped since. The Lawnmower Larry studied horticulture and landscape architecture before starting his own gardening business. Check out the tips and keep your lawn looking fresh without the sweat.
1. Make Sure You Have the Right Equipment
Before you even think about starting work, it’s worth checking your armoury.
Junk & rubbish expert Kurt Anderson from Atlanta Dumpsters says you will need a rake (preferably with a nice wide reach to catch all those leaves) lots of trash bags, and a strong, waterproof pair of gloves.
Make sure you have all the gear ready, otherwise you might have to interrupt yourself to take a trip to the DIY store – and prolong the process for even longer. To keep your garden looking at its best is not easy, especially in the hottest summer days without the proper preparation.
2. Get Ready to Tackle More Than Just the Leaves
So those brown leaves rotting all over the lawn are a pretty big job – and slimy as anything to pick up – but they are not the only thing.
You’ve also got the dried up flowers, the half-eaten acorns, the poop of next-doors cat, and the deflated football kicked over the fence and promptly forgotten about.
Before you even think about bagging up the leaves, it’s probably wise to get started on removing some of that debris – and then you can move in with the rake.
And don’t get demotivated – if you end up leaving leaves on the lawn, they can build up and cause the grass underneath to deteriorate rapidly. Not only will you have a brown mushy lawn when spring arrives, but you’ll have a tonne more thatch than expected – which will require a dethatcher to get rid of.
So get yourself a nice big barrel, fling the debris in, and haul that crap into the truck for a trip to the dump.
3. Give Yourself Enough Time
Doing anything worthwhile takes a little time, and creating a nice garden does too.
After you’ve spent hours raking and disposing of leaves, then there is still more to do yet. You will want to ensure the health of your lawn over winter by mowing it very short, and then coating it with fertilizer. This can protect against the snow and help ensure a lush green lawn is preserved ready for those beautiful first days of spring.
You might also consider taking out the old aerator and bring some oxygen to the roots of your grass, this will help vital nutrients sink into the top-soil, and help the soil remain healthy through the winter ready for the spring ahead.
4. Look After Your Tools
Winter is not only hard on the garden but can be hard on the tools — high levels of humidity can bring rust, and condensation damage even the strongest of tools.
Before you chuck those rakes and spades back in the shed, give them a once over – and now might be a good time sharpen the lawnmower blades while you’re at it. Just make sure you check each tool has been thoroughly dried out to prevent rust .
5. Get Some Help
Maybe you’ve got a teenager loitering around that you can rope in for the promise of a little pocket money, or you might even consider paying for help, but if you can’t realise all ideas by yourself, then don’t let it get the better of you.
So it might cost you a little money, and a little-lost pride, but hey, maybe you can just chill out on the couch and drink a beer instead of putting in the hard work!
