Protection from the sun makes a garden more accommodating in the height of summer as well as being safer. Over exposure to the sun is responsible for well-documented problems with skin cancer, not to mention the not-so-flattering leathery skin look. Conventional Options for Garden Shade In other articles on this [...]
Decking needs cleaning regularly throughout the year to prevent moss and algae building up and making it slippery. The secondary aspect of cleaning decking is the safety of the cleaning products you use, both for you and the environment. Some sources for example, recommend hydrogen peroxide (bleach to you and [...]
Although the sun is a source of energy the dangers of over-exposure are well documented. In another article in this section we talked about these dangers and how to enjoy your garden but keep in the shade, with various lightweight and portable solutions. In this article we'll look at more [...]
Decking has taken the country by storm over the last decade or so. It's a low maintenance alternative to lawns and plants and looks good in the right situations. But it can be a tricky surface for those who are not so fleet of foot, so care is needed to [...]
Britons are finally waking up to the dangers of excessive sunbathing but still many more people die of skin cancer in this country than in hotter countries, Australia for example. This is possibly because awareness of skin cancer is higher and early diagnosis more prevalent because of the experience there. [...]
Gas heaters for patios were not really seen in the United Kingdom until about ten to fifteen years ago, when they began to appear in commercial situations, outside cafés, pubs and restaurants. Similar models, again using liquid petroleum gas (LPG), very quickly began to appear on the domestic market as [...]
How safe is my garden? The question might be better phrased "how safe do you want your garden to be?" because no garden will ever be safe from every single threat to safety. The approach needed is to assess what the threats are and then what the risk is of [...]
Maintaining access to a garden can be straightforward for some properties and a nightmare for others. Laying paths and putting in gates and fencing is reasonably straightforward on a flat, square plot but if you have different levels to cope with or an unusually shaped plot, then it gets more [...]
Whether you’re an elderly person who has enjoyed gardening all of your life but have now found that it’s become a bit of a struggle physically or you’re a younger person who has always had some kind of disability – it doesn’t necessarily mean that gardening should be off limits. [...]
Although most of us are familiar with crop rotation when it comes to farming, keen and knowledgeable gardeners will also understand the safety benefits of crop rotation even within a garden setting. At its most basic level, it’s not too difficult to achieve and can also make gardening even more [...]
Pond algae are a natural occurrence, which occurs in any pond as free-floating matter if left untreated after a period of time. It manifests itself as a collection of tiny slimy plants such as plankton and string algae and this can ruin the appearance of a pond which can, if [...]
Greenhouses have always been popular and not only help to protect and encourage certain types of plants to grow but they are also an ideal way for you to enjoy gardening all year round. The manufacture and design of greenhouses has also improved over the years and they’ve become much [...]
Whenever you hear the word ‘tetanus’, many of us tend to think only about being cut by a rusty nail or being bitten by a dog or some other animal. However, the bacteria associated with tetanus can be found in common garden soil and it can be hazardous to your [...]
Composting is a great solution to the effective conditioning of your garden and more and more people not only keen gardeners, have taken it up over recent years as part of their commitment to recycling. What do you keep compost in? The compost ‘heap’ itself is usually a large container [...]
A previous article on composting in this series has highlighted the types of materials which are suitable to use in the construction of a compost heap. Once you've gathered enough material it's then really just a simple matter of maintaining it. This is really about keeping it at the right [...]
With increasing concerns about mankind’s effects on the planet we should all try to do our bit to reduce the amount of refuse we cannot recycle, even in the garden. Fortunately, most councils are encouraging us to address these issues and, over the past couple of years, the majority of [...]
One of the key things to remember is that if you’re a keen gardener and/or like to spend a lot of time in your garden, you’re going to need to take into account safety when it comes to laying a suitable surface as you won’t want to trip or fall. [...]
Weather and climate both have a profound effect on gardening, especially so in the UK where the weather can be unpredictable. The most important periods of the year occur during the growing season (between spring and autumn) are sunlight, rainfall, temperature, wind, and frost all play a role in determining [...]
With water shortages becoming more common and a greater concern being shown for our natural resources many people are now looking at ways to use water more wisely, particularly in the garden. Many people now channel used or wastewater into their gardens and get a double usage from a resource [...]
Storing tools safely not only extends their life but also additionally ensures nasty accidents are avoided. When selecting your garden storage area, be it a shed, garage or storage cupboard; always ensure it has adequate room for not only tools and equipment, but also for you to move around freely. [...]
