This current spell of dry, warm weather has certainly made the grass and weeds grow - which will be keeping many gardeners busy.
I have been extremely busy, maintaining a number of customers’ gardens, while at the same time conducting more Green Flag judging plus visiting a couple of machinery dealers.
Having recently acquired an Eliet Scarifier on loan from PSD / Gibson’s myself and fellow greenkeeper John Breeze, have been renovating a few lawns. We just need to ensure the customers water their lawns now, to help the seed to germinate - especially during this hot spell.
I have also noticed some people undertaking a No Mow May strategy, leaving the grass to grow during the month, with the aim to encourage some wildlife into their gardens.
No Mow May is Plantlife’s annual campaign calling all garden owners and green space managers not to cut the grass during May.
The organisation encourages people to take part by saying we’ve lost nearly 97% of flower rich meadows since the 1970’s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies.
They point out that a healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground.
Personally, I’m not sure whether four weeks is long enough to attract and retain wildlife?
This spell of nice weather has also encouraged an array of prolific spring flowering shrubs to come into full bloom with Photina Frasier Red Robin showing one of the grandest flowering displays for many a year, Also the lilac, golden chain Laburnum and ceanothus shrubs have also been majestic this year.
With the Chelsea Flower Show taking place recently, it’s not surprising people are keen to buy some plants for their garden. However, as much as you may like specific plants featured on the BBC garden show, many may not be suitable for your own garden. You may not have the correct soil type, aspect, or size of garden to accommodate a given tree shrub and plant.
I’m kicking off a semi-regular feature in TurfPro today, featuring a specific tree, shrub or plant. It’s a briefing on all you need to know about a given species, that hopefully will give you the information to make the right choice of plant for your garden.
On the sporting front, congratulations to Manchester City for winning the Premiership for the third time in a row. With this final weekend of Premiership football having passed, it signals the start of the busy renovation period for clubs up and down the country. It is amazing to see the transformation in such a short window of time. These pitches can be completely turned around in less than 10 weeks.
The Koro Fraise mower has revolutionised the way we renovate football pitches. Coupled with other specialist machinery such as the Verti Drain, topdressers and disc seeders, it affords us the opportunity to renovate a pitch in a couple of days depending on the extent of work required. Using modern seed mixtures, and having adequate watering available, the new seed will have germinated within ten days and the pitch, if required, can be playable withing 8- 10 weeks from the start of the renovation.
The rugby season has also come to end, with rugby clubs also undertaking pitch renovation works. A series of Honda Rugby Grounds Connected road shows are currently underway, with the next one at Peterborough RFC.
I will be attending one at Stafford RFC on the 14th June and look forward to seeing you there.
As for bowls, cricket and golf they are busy accommodating regular use from their members. With this current dry, sunny weather be mindful you will need to water regularly to the keep the sward in good condition.
