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It’s a lovely time of the year, as the long dark nights make way for warmer, sunnier days. The cherry blossom season is over for another year, but the local fields and woods and paddocks are full of bluebells, primroses and lots more besides. Here are some tips and a few secrets for getting your own garden looking like a piece of paradise. In fact, now is a good time to find a gardener right here on Mr-Skill, while you sit back and admire their handiwork!
Diary Tips for This Week of Spring
- This is a good time to apply a weed and feed mix to established lawns. Water in well with a hose after a couple of days too, if it doesn’t rain.
- Deadhead old daffodil flowers, but let the leaves die back naturally.
- Now is the time to plant up ponds with aquatics to help oxygenate the water.
- The time is also right to apply a good fertilizer feed to your roses.
- As your primula and polyanthus plants finish flowering, lift and divide them.
- If you have any orchids, April is the main flowering month for most of these exotic bulbs.
- This is a also good time to plant evergreens such as laurel, otherwise known as the bay tree, and renowned for the delightful aroma imparted from the leaves to meat dishes.
Brief Interlude
Why you may not need to go to the expense of re-landscaping, why not get a garden quote for servicing your lawn mower and edge trimmer. They are both going to be in high demand shortly, so you need to have them in tiptop condition. Just like a car, regular maintenance is important for all mechanical or electrical garden tools.
The Secret’s Out 
Claire, our avid London gardener, suggests that you keep a watchful eye on the weather forecast. Frost is still a distinct possibility, and she suggests covering the more sensitive shrubs with sacking or garden fleece just to be safe – as she does her face in sunshine too.
Resist the urge to buy and plant your summer flowers, unless you plan to keep them in your greenhouse. As she says, frost is no stranger to your garden, even as late as May here in the UK.
And finally, do tidy up dead leaves and garden rubbish. If you don’t, you will be providing free accommodation for snails, slugs, weevils and woodlice, and before you know it, disease and infection will strike.
Tags: bluebells, daffodils, exotic, feed, find a gardener, flowers, Garden, garden quote, gardener, laurel, lawn, lawn mower, london gardener, orchid, pond, primroses, rose, slug, snail, split, spring, trimmer, water, weed, weevils
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Spring has “sprung”, well at least according to the weather people. Clocks will advance an hour at midnight on the last Saturday of March. Suddenly, we will view everything in a better light – literally! And that includes our precious lawns that have survived another cold dark winter with little or no help from us.
It’s time to make amends. Although lawn mowing may seem a long way off, we do need to prepare the grass for those delightful months ahead. Of course, if this all sounds too strenuous, you could always find a gardener on Mr-Skill, and then sit back and enjoy the benefits.
What You Will Need
- Large garden fork, weeding tool and hose pipe
Weeding
Weeding is an important aspect of lawn care. Just as the grass is starting to grow, so too are the weeds in the lawn. They affect the appearance of the turf, showing up as dark green clumps in an otherwise-perfect lawn. Weeds also compete with the grass for water, and can prevent nutrients from reaching and feeding the roots.
Removal is fairly simple. Use the weeding tool to prise the weed and its roots out from the soil. Early spring is the right time to do this, because weeds will not yet have formed seeds.
Aerate and Fertilise
Using the garden fork, spike the soil with a downward motion, going as deep as you possibly can. Now, jiggle the fork back and forth, by placing your foot on the metal fork head and your hands on the fork handle and stem. The more you spike, the better the aerating action. After you finish, you can fertilise according to the supplier’s instructions.
Sowing Seeds and Watering
Scatter your preferred grass seed, again according to the instructions. Then water the area using a hand-held hose with adjustable nozzle. Water regularly until the spring rains take over, and a lovely lawn will greet you.
Our London Gardeners have one tip for every avid lawn enthusiast – now’s the time to check your mower and have it serviced. Isn’t it great to see promising signs of life in the trees and grass again?
Tags: clocks foward, daylight, daylight saving, fertiliser, find a gardener, fork, Garden, gardening quote, green grass, lawn, london gardeners, perfect lawn, roots, seeds, sowing, spike, spring, summer, turf, water, weeds, winter
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That’s right. The snow may be lying heavily on the ground this year, but the days of warmer Spring are not far away. This is traditionally the season for clearing everything out that you do not want.  Perhaps you should start planning earlier, before all the waste-removal firms are booked out. We offer an exemplary service in this regard. Mr-Skill is able to offer the following range of helpful services when you are in the mood to tidy up.
Waste Management – The professional removal of potentially toxic industrial and commercial waste to Council specifications. Our specialists are equipped with all pre-requisite waste management safety gear and will complete their task responsibly.
Garbage Disposal – Sorting of non-toxic “safe” commercial and domestic garbage into categories, and delivering to re-processing plants and Council garbage disposal tips in accordance with your local bylaws.
Rubbish Removal – Disposal of general “clean” rubbish in an environmentally friendly way according to local regulations. Many town councils award street rubbish removal contracts to our agents.
 Garden Clean-Ups – A broad-based horticultural service. When the snow has melted (and that won’t be too long now) you’ll be glad you booked a garden clean-up and de-weeding service while contractors had room on their calendars still. As with all our contracts, the refuse will be responsibly disposed.
Unlike similar websites we charge consumers nothing extra for our service. In fact the overwhelming feedback is that our contractors charge lower rates. That means you win twice when you contact Mr-Skill. You win the first time because you get a reliable service. The second benefit is it costs you less.
Can you afford not to investigate this further? What’s more, you get your space back too.
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Winter is upon us, and without a doubt we’re in for a long cold one to add to Britain’s woes. But at least we can keep our gardens going despite the frost by doing a few simple things. That way we’ll all be smiling when Spring blossoms bloom again.
- Protect tender plants on open ground and those trained up walls with fleece-covered frames sold at garden shops. You can
 make your own too, by sandwiching bracken leaves or even straw between two layers of chicken wire for use on frosty nights. You might need to Find a Gardener to do this for you though, because the wire mesh is harsh on hands. While one of Mr-Skill’s Gardeners is at it, ask them to cover your bulbs with a thick mulch of manure or compost too.
- Keep the roots of evergreens frost free by mulching around their bases, and move pots of tender plants inside to the conservatory. Crowns of tree ferns and their trunks are easily insulated with fleece or hessian stuffed with straw. You can protect the heads of palms and cordylines by drawing their leaves over them with twine. If you do not have the time to do this properly, why not get a Gardening Quote on Mr-Skill instead?
Recovering Plants from Frost
 If your plants do get frosted this does not mean that they are going to die, although you do need to take remedial action to reduce the damage.
- Protect frosted plants from morning sun to prevent them from warming up too rapidly. If they’re potted move them to a shady spot, otherwise cover them with black plastic bags. When Spring returns cut off the damaged branches to encourage new growth. After you have done that, remember to feed them with a balanced fertiliser to give them the extra boost they need.
- Even better move tender frosted plants to the greenhouse, and plant them out again after the frost is over. Chances are that they will recover sooner than you thought. In fact they might even bloom earlier in Spring.
Our London Gardeners are particularly adept at protecting the exotic plants from frost that City people keep on their balcony – often in pots that are far too large to move indoors. You’ll find them and all other kinds of UK tradesmen listed on Mr-Skill for virtually every postcode. Why not surprise yourself with the discovery that quality workmen can still be found.
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Climbing ivy is undoubtedly a sight to behold as spread out across a wall and creates an environment in which the birds may nest. But it has its disadvantages too. Snakes and spiders and even rats may use it to gain access to your bedroom, and it can also cause damage to bricks, window frames and gutters.  Are you of a mind to get rid of yours? Then you may need to Find a Gardener on Mr-Skill to do the work for you. That’s because standing on a ladder all day is dangerous, and the job is laborious too. Not convinced to call in help? Then here is what you need to do…
• Pull a test sample of ivy away from the wall to determine how thick it is, and whether it tears off without causing damage. If it comes away easily then you could continue. If not, then you may need to get Gardening Quotes to have poison applied by an expert, and perhaps even call in a builder afterwards to make repairs.
• Returning to ground level, lop off all the vines as close as possible to the ground before proceeding to peel away the cut branches. Be careful here, because a sheet of ivy can come loose unexpectedly, and this will be heavy and surprisingly dusty too. Do not attempt to deal with the tiny hand-like suckers yet.
•  Bag the cuttings and dispose of them at your local council dump-site according to the bylaws.
• After approximately two to three weeks, remove the suckers with a stiff wire brush covered with approximately two tablespoons of household laundry detergent. Every Gardener in London knows all too well not to miss the deadline. That’s because beyond this period the suckers oxidize, and are stubborn to remove.
So there you go. It’s not really all that difficult to get ivy off a wall. It’s just a messy, time-consuming job. Not in the mood to do it anymore? Then speak to Mr-Skill about the services of a Rated Local Gardener.
Personally, I find the patina of natural brickwork far more appealing, especially on an older building.
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Now that the first blush of spring has come and gone, and the roses have been all lightly pruned back, it’s time to get the shears and garden spade out, and finally sort out the weeds.  Don’t feel like doing this again? No worries. We have all the help you need right here on Mr-Skill.
o Perhaps all you really need is a quick tidy up? We have garden experts here who are ready and able to provide you with a competitive Garden Quote. And what’s more you can check their references from all their other jobs too, so you know exactly what you could be getting.
o In no time at all our gardeners could be in and out of your garden as quick as a proverbial flash, leaving everything neat and tidy for you. What a pleasure. All that’s left for you to do is to pop down to the garden centre, and buy some punnets of late summer flowers.
o  Perhaps, though, you need a complete garden make-over? You could also find an expert landscaper here. Just provide them with a budget and a few ideas, go away for a weekend, and it’s almost like your home was featured on the telly courtesy of a London Landscaping Firm when you return home.
At Mr-Skill we believe that gardens are there to be enjoyed these days, and should never be allowed to become a drudge. That’s why we decided to add gardeners and landscapers to the lists of skills we broker. Why not jump on our website right away, and ask us to arrange a few Garden Quotes today?
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A recent survey revealed that almost every Gardener in London these days has several orchids growing in the house, and I suppose that this would be true of gardeners elsewhere in the country too. Of all of these, the Moth Orchid that the boffins call Phalaenopsis is  reputedly the most popular, and I for one am not surprised that this is so. Did you know that millions of these beautiful while or pink flowers are grown and sold in Britain every year?
The average citizen does not have the same green fingers though. Every year hundreds of thousands of Orchids in Britain fizzle out, and not because Gardener Quotes for small jobs are impossible to obtain either. It’s just because we do not understand that all they need is a draught-free room, some sunlight, a little food and drink occasionally, and a friendly nod in their direction from time to time.
In their natural environment, Orchids grow in forks of trees or in stony crevices. This means that they do not like to grow in earth, but are happy nestling among bark and moss and other natural debris around their roots. Their natural environments also ensure that rainwater drains away rapidly too – forget this principle and they could drown or rot away.
If after several years your Orchid seems as it it’s trying to climb out of its container, then it is time to learn  how to re-pot it. All you need is some Orchid compost (or an imaginative stroll through the local wood) and you are ready to begin this simple process.
Remove the Orchid from the old container, and shake its roots clear before removing any shrivelled ones. Cut the healthy ones back to about four inches long with a pair of sharp secateurs. Wrap the roots gently into their fresh growing medium, press them into their new pot, moisten the compost daily with an atomiser, and your job is done.
You don’t need to Find a Gardener for a simple job like this, and I doubt one would be particularly interested either. If you have a bigger gardening job though why not speak to Mr-Skill. They have all the good gardening professionals on their books.
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Not cleaned the greenhouse yet? It is almost summer already and time to get going. Clean it to maintain the structure. Clean it to get rid of pests. And do it on a warm breezy day so your plants don’t catch a chill and everything dries nicely.  You could Find a Gardener on Mr-Skill to do this for you, or you could take the weekend off and do it yourself.
o Begin with the Exterior by washing it down with warm water and a sponge. By all means use a little washing up soap but do remember to rinse. Use a soft inside broom soaked in warm soapy water to reach the roof and upper sides. Mind the glass!
o Check the frames and glass for any damage as you go along. Replace where necessary to keep your greenhouse looking good and to extend its life. If yours has a wooden frame, sand it down and paint it. Anything less and it will rot away. If rot has already set in however, get Gardener Quotes to build a new one, rather than throwing good time and money after bad.
o  Before cleaning the Interior please make sure that the electricity is turned off and isolated. Remove the contents to a sheltered place away from wind and fierce sun.
o Have a general clean-out of leaves and dirt. De-clutter your greenhouse – throw the junk away. Scrub down, including brick walls and inside pathways and disinfect thoroughly. When you are satisfied that everything is clean and functional inside, you can bring your plants back home and turn on the electricity again.
A Gardener in London who I know quite well always leaves a cyclamen behind as a special thank you, and believe me she gets regular return business. I’m not a gardener myself however I do think that this is a beautiful idea that should be propagated everywhere, just like cyclamens.
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Hedges are far better than wire fences and ugly concrete walls. They also add a touch of countryside to grungy UK city grime while making space for birds to nest in too Trimming them is easy thanks to  modern power tools. In fact, now that I think about it, I could not find a single reason not to plant a hedge, especially since Mr-Skill makes it so easy to Find a Gardener. Here is what you need to do.
o Choose what to plant. Indigenous is robust, and hawthorn popular because the plants are so cheap. Other options include blackthorn, field maple, guilder rose and hazel. All these flower in summer too, which is exactly what you want.
o Decide when to plant. If you can, buy the plants out of season when they are cheap and let them acclimatise until planting time. This is between October and Christmas for light sandy soils, but after the Festive Season if you have heavy clay.
o  Prepare the ground. Dig it over and get rid of weeds or work them in. Leave a layer of mulch on top to discourage new ones and help Mother Nature and her earthworms to do their work.
o Set out your plants and protect them too. In wintertime, the hares and rabbits are hungry and they will dine alfresco off your hedge unless you fence them out. Tender shoots also do not like frost. At an appropriate time plant out your hedge. Remember to add spiral guards to keep them growing straight and tall, and frost protect them until spring.
Did I stimulate your interest? Good. The world needs many hedges. They can be hard work planting-out though, and you my have other things you need to do. No worries then. Get a Gardener Quote on Mr-Skill instead. Could life be simpler? Or the neighbours be more jealous?
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Many gardeners prefer to leave pruning roses to the experts and Find a Gardener on Mr-Skill to do this for them instead. Others find this a relaxing hobby and prefer to do the pruning themselves. In that case they have no need to get Rose Pruning Expert Gardener Quotes.
 There are four objectives behind the custom of pruning English bush and standard roses. These are:
o Getting rid of dead wood, briars, and weak shoots
o Creating balanced shapes
o Stimulating new growth
o Obtaining the desired balance between quantity and quality of flowers
Throughout the flowering season bushes must be deheaded regularly. At the end of the burst of spring flowering some firm pruning is required to encourage continued flowering throughout the summer too –  this is of course at least as much an art as it is a science.
The principle is to cut back each previously flowering stem until one shoot pointing outwards remains, and an insurance one below it too. Leaving more than that could create top-heavy growth that could break off in the wind, spoiling the plant’s shape for some months to come.
In the case of climbing roses though the opposite applies. In fact some Gardeners in London and other Cities only prune to tidy up a straggling branch. There are no hard and fast rules here though – plants and gardeners both have souls, and together they can sense what is needed to be done. Do this, and they will reward you with yet another brilliant summer show.
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