Book Review: The Time-saving Garden

My Review of Reader’s Digest ‘The Time-saving Garden’.

The time-saving garden says that you can achieve and maintain a beautiful garden with minimal time and effort so I sat down with a cup of coffee, or three, and read it cover to cover.

The hard-back book has a lovely look and feel with lots of colourful photographs and the sections are set out in such a way to make it easy to read.

I will work through the book section by section.

Ten golden rules for the time-saving garden

I think it is worth while detailing this whole section as these points are relevant to all gardeners and are definitely tips for saving time and effort:

1. Whether you’re starting a garden from scratch or just redesigning a small section it is important to plan it out in advance to ensure you are able to devote enough time to maintaining it
2. Get to know your garden and choose plants which will thrive without constant care and attention
3. Always buy plants from a reputable source which will save you time and money in the long run
4. When planting leave enough space around them to allow them to spread to their full size, fill any temporary gaps with annuals
5. Always cover the soil with a good thick layer of mulch which will suppress weeds and keep moisture in the soil to save you time water and weeding
6. When watering it is better to water less often but more thoroughly
7. Don’t over feed your plants as it can result in excessive growth leading to more maintenance
8. Encourage birds and insects to help to control pests and diseases
9. Always use the right tool for the right job; you will use less energy and save time
10. Plant and prune at the right time of year to avoid unnecessary work and potential loses

Inspirations for easy-care gardens

This section takes eight garden types and gives you ideas to make them easy to look after. They are wildlife, small terraced, sloping, shady,  modern, cottage, Mediterranean and a practical family garden.

The bits I particularly like are:

• Plant variegated plants to light up dark corners
• If you have a boggy area, plant bog plants
• Pile up dead wood in a corner to provide a home for wildlife
• Position a gravelled area at the base of a slope to help water drain away
• Build your patio areas level with the lawn to make mowing easier and avoid having to cut the edges
• In an informal or cottage garden plant brightly coloured vegetables such as chard and lettuce between the flowering plants
• If you don’t use your garden / patio all year round buy folding furniture so they are easily stored for the winter
• Most perennial herbs look after themselves so are great for a low maintenance garden
• Add a water feature, always a good idea!
• Plant in the gaps in pathways to add extra interest

Careful planning makes life easier

In this section of the book you can learn how to produce a time-saving garden which suits you, your family and your lifestyle.

Firstly it takes you through how to think about what you want from the garden, and what the garden needs, before you begin any work. If you have an established garden it will help you identify what it is you like and dislike about your garden and help you change or make the most of it.

The next stage is the infrastructure and maintenance which covers the boundaries and pathways, how to install water, electricity and light supply and storage solutions; basically the backbone of the garden.

The most important element of a garden is the soil and this next section does a good job of teaching you about soil including how to identify your own soil type and how to improve it to give plants what they need to do well. It also includes a good section on making your own compost and mulching all important in any garden.

What I like in this section are the 30-minute tasks making it easier to manage the workload.

Planting solutions for all situations

The best part of gardening is, of course, the plants. This next section takes the different types of plants and planting situations and helps you plant the correct plant in the correct place.

There are suggestions for creating an attractive entrance and front garden, planting against walls and up arches and pergolas, using trees, camouflaging unsightly items, planting up a patio and many other planting solutions. There are also more 30-minute tasks to help you.

There are some really good ideas which can be incorporated into any garden, no matter its size.

There is a massive section covering types of plants including:

• Trees and shrubs – making a new planting area, pruning guide, dealing with autumn leaves, growing roses and topiary
• Herbaceous borders – how to make colourful displays, deadheading, plants for the shade, grasses, bulbs and tubers and rockeries
• Carpets of green – all about lawns and wild-flower meadows
• Plants for pots and tubs – low-maintenance planters, rejuvenating pot-bound plants, hanging baskets, fruit and veg in pots and winter protection
• The water garden – water features for the patio, ponds and streams
• The kitchen garden – grow your own, low-maintenance plot, herbs and fruit trees

Redesign now to save time later

Although it may seem like a lot of work it may well be worth your while redesigning your garden now to save time and effort later.

This section of the book suggests redesigns which may be suitable for your garden:

• A stylish gravel garden – taking away the lawn and replacing it with gravel and low growing plants will save lots of time.
• An impressive entrance – maintaining a front garden can be hard work and not the most pleasant of tasks if you live on a main road. Replacing the lawn with paving and easy to manage shrubs will help.
• A back garden that slopes steeply – build terracing and retaining walls to hold in the soil and make manageable sections.
• Changing needs of different generations – once your children have grown up and the football pitch and swings are no longer needed transform your garden to a relaxing area for you.
• Rejuvenating a wilderness – conifers can grow very big, very quickly and they take much needed moisture and nutrients from the whole garden. If this is your garden it may be time to fell the trees and rejuvenate the whole garden. The stumps and branches need not go to waste; use them for edging flower beds and once they begin to rot they will provide homes for wildlife.
• Easy-care decking and water – I like this theme, the lawn is removed and replaced with decking and a really big pond and boggy area . Maybe a bit modern for some but the decking could be paving or gravel or bark to suit your own situation.

The very best easy-care plants

Here they suggest the best 10 plants in each plant category along with light requirements, plant size and watering requirements. Good suggestions for easy-care trees, shrubs, flowering shrubs, evergreen shrubs, hedging plants, dwarf shrubs and trees, roses, ground-cover plants, climbers, perennials, bulbs, corms and tubers, grasses, ferns, rockery/alpine plants, aquatic and bog plants, summer annuals, container plants, fruit trees and shrubs, herbs and vegetables

Summary

Book measures 254mm x 254mm; 320 pages; over 600 colour photographs and illustrations.

I liked this book when I first picked it up but as I worked my way through it I found it got better section by section. I would genuinely say that this book is one of the best of this format I have come across for the following reasons:

• enough information to get the job done
• not too technical
• lots of inspirational ideas
• step-by-step instructions
• you could plant a great garden using the easy-care plants section alone
• very sensible advice
• covers the basics then goes further if it’s needed
• ideas for problem sites

I will have this book to hand for daily reference and am considering some of the water feature ideas for a project this summer.

The book is available from Readers Digest for £26.99* click here to order your copy.

*price correct at time of publication

Frosty/Snowy Weather

It seems the whole country has very low temperatures leading to morning frosts, some areas also have snow!

During this cold spell try not to walk in your lawn as it could damage the grass.

Also, leave out water for the birds but check it every morning, defrosting it if necessary.

Tender plants should be covered with fleece or moved into the greenhouse or conservatory.

Gardening in Raised Beds

As gardeners we love to be outside in the garden either planting, digging, pruning or doing one of the many other jobs that always need doing.

However, I also think that what we would all agree is that it can be back-breaking!

One of the best ways to reduce wear and tear on your back is to plant in containers or to install a series of Raised Beds. Indeed if you like to grow vegetables or have an allotment then growing in Raised Beds is often the best way to succeed.

The advantages of Raised Beds:

• able to grow in otherwise unsuitable soil or locations
• improved drainage and soil structure
• extra height of soil increases rooting depth
• cloches, tunnels or frames can easily be erected over the beds
• no need to walk on the soil
• you can work at a comfortable height
• especially handy for wheelchair users and those with back problems
• soil compaction is greatly reduced if not eliminated
• close planting creates a micro-climate which leads to healthy plants and bigger crops.

Take a look at this short video from Harrod Horticultural which shows you the advantages of gardening in raised beds:

If you are good at DIY then you should be able to build your own Raised Beds as they did on Gardeners World (click here to see how to build your own).

However, these days there are quite a number of easy to assemble, low maintenance plastic Link-a-Bord kits available on the market which make starting your Raised Bed Garden so much more quick and easy. Harrod Horticulture has a number of different Raised Bed Kits available as well as a wide range of accessories such as Hoops, Covers, Liners and Irrigation Kits so take a look now to find your ideal solution:

Standard Timber Raised Beds	Superior Timber Raised Beds	Allotments Timber Raised Beds	Corner Timber Raised Beds	Manger Raised Planter	Timer Raised Bed Tables

To complete your new garden you will need top soil:

Rolawn Vegetable & Fruit Topsoil is a fertile, organic rich, friable topsoil derived from prime arable land and a consistent organic matter, which ensures consistent results.  A bulk bag is exceptional value containing up to 50% more product than 1 tonne of ordinary topsoil  covering up to 20m² at a depth of 50mm. Also, there is currently a  multi-buy discount on orders of 2 bags or more. Order Now!

So whether you’re completely new to raised bed gardening, or you’re experienced in this simple, easy and highly effective way of growing, there’ll be something for you here…

Removing Turf

Question:

I want to remove a small area of grass and and cover with slate can you advise me on how to do this the area is about 7 foot in a circular shape.

Answer:

The easiest way to do this is by cutting straight through the turf with a sharp spade to a depth of about 2 inches making individual pieces about the size of your spade. Once done slip the spade under the edge of the turf with a sharp motion. This should bring each small piece of turf up in one go without having to go back over the same area.

If you have an edging spade (see left) then this makes the cutting easier, then use a normal garden spade for lifting.

If you have a spare area in the garden you can make really good loam for use on your planting beds. Lay the first few pieces of turf grass-down in your chosen area. Lay the next few pieces soil-down on top of the first layer then lay the third layer grass-down on top of the second. Build it up until all the turf has been used. Leave it for a few months, keeping it damp, and you should end up with a pile of lovely compost!

How to produce a lawn on top of gravel

Question:

We have just bought a new house and the previous owner had a very low maintenance garden, the entire garden is covered to a depth of two inches with stone. As this is our first garden I have no ideal what to do!! Can i put top soil over it? Do i need to remove it? And if so how?? And is turf better than grass seed?

Answer:

It is possible to put top soil over the stones as the stones would act as additional drainage for the lawn but first you need to check that the stones haven’t been cemented in. If they are just laid on bare soil then you will be OK, if they are laid on concrete or slabs then I’m afraid you will have to remove all of that first.

Assuming the stones are laid on soil then lay a good two inches of top soil on top and follow my lawn guides for producing the perfect lawn. You may want to consider leaving some of the stone in place to produce pathways, moving some of the stone from beneath the proposed lawn area to level off the area.

As to whether turf if better than seed; the preparation of the ground is the same but laying turf can be hard work but it is quick to establish and can be expensive. Seed is easy to sow and can be eaten by the birds before it gets a chance to germinate. The seeds that germinate can then take a few months to produce a decent lawn.

How do I easily remove grass?

Question:

I have just moved to a garden 17ft by 30ft of very uneven bumpy grass with a concrete path down the middle I have started digging the top grass and trying to rake it all level this is taking me age is there an easier way as I am going to lay patio slabs over it all in the end anyway. I’ll appreciate any tips you have.

Answer:

This type of job is never easy but these days there are ways to make it a bit easier. First of all you should consider hiring the correct equipment for the job. It will be more expensive than doing it manually but will be worth it in the end in terms of time and effort. There are a number of hire companies who have local stores, such as HSS. However, Wyevale garden centres also do hiring on-line and offer delivery and collection. You need to start with a Turf Cutter which will remove the turf and leave it rolled up to make it easy to dispose of. The turf themselves make excellent compost when left to rot down. Once you’ve removed the turf you may want to hire a Rotavator to loosen the soil before finally using a roller to flatten it in preparation for laying your slabs.

Lawn Advice

Question:

My garden is in a bad way grass wise and I want to rotovate it and put down new turf, when is the best time to do it. Also the garden is used a lot by children and a golden lab bitch what is the best turf to use?

Answer:

The best time to lay a new lawn is autumn or early spring so your timing is good. I’d wait until the worst of the frost is over and the weather isn’t too wet. The important thing to remember when laying a lawn is that the soil should be well prepared, level and firm. Firm the soil by treading over the whole area very evenly then just rake over the top to loosen it slightly. Leave like this for a couple of weeks for weeds to germinate then apply a weed killer to get rid of them. This will avoid problems later. http://gardeningregister.co.uk/NonProductPages/Articles/Lawns/lawns_home.htm. The link above will take you to my lawn page which may help you a bit more. If you are using turf as opposed to sowing seed then you may be best asking your supplier which is the most hardwearing. You can usually buy cultivated turf which is good quality but can be expensive or normal meadow turf which is a lot cheaper. There are several sites on-line which look good – Turfland have a few varieties and tell you about the different qualities. If you go to my homepage http://www.gardeningregister.co.uk you will find a Google search box. Enter the word Turf for a selection of suppliers. Don’t buy your turf too soon so that it doesn’t dry out. Leave it standing for no longer than 2-3 days. As for dogs, I’m afraid bitches can make a bit of a mess of lawns. The only way I know around it is to hose off the area if you see her at it.