Caring for your lawn - a calendar

Keeping your lawn looking lush (and the envy of the neighbours) is much more effective if you can devote a little time to it regularly.  No job then becomes a burden and your lawn doesn’t have the chance to start looking untidy! Here is our calendar of little jobs each month with will add up to a magnificent lawn.

January:
Give your lawn mower a basic service or take it to a dealer for maintenance, while it’s not in use.
Clean and sharpen your tools, including edging tools, and spray metal tools with oil to protect them.

February:
Mow lawns once they start back into growth and re-cut the edges with a half-moon edging tool.

March:
If it’s mild enough and not too wet, consider starting any lawn repairs required this month.
Remove moss and weeds in turf with a firm raking, and boost growth with a nitrogen-rich lawn feed.

April:
Lay turf or sow grass seed to create a new lawn or repair damaged patches.

May:
Apply a nitrogen-rich summer lawn feed to encourage leafy growth.
Mow grass pathways through wildflower areas so you can walk in among the flowers.

June:
Water newly laid turf several times a week, for at least the first month.
Feed lawns with a liquid or granular lawn fertiliser (or make your own chemical-free feeds).

July:
Keep mowing lawns regularly but raise the cutting height to leave the grass longer during dry weather.

August:
Tackle problem lawn weeds, digging them out or applying a lawn weedkiller.
Prepare soil for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and October (Grass seed is best sown from late summer to mid-autumn; there is less competition from weeds, and the soil is warm, and damp from rain. Perfect for seeds to germinate. If you miss the opportunity to sow in autumn, try in mid-spring, but only if you can give the new grass plenty of water.)

September:
Rake thatch from lawns, aerate well-trodden areas by spiking with a garden fork, and re-seed bare patches.

October:
Rake up fallen leaves from lawns (as well as borders, driveways and paths) and store in bin bags to rot down into leaf mould. Leaf coverage can block the light to your grass, weakening it.
Spike compacted lawns and brush grit or sharp sand into the holes to improve drainage.

November:
Continue to mow the lawn in mild spells if the grass is still growing, but raise the height of the blades.
Keep raking up those fallen leaves!

December:
You may still need to mow the lawn in December if the weather has been mild and not too wet. A very light mowing will leave the garden look tidier and stop grass getting too long. New Lawns, sown from seed in the autumn, can also be lightly mown too on a sunny, dry day.
If you notice soggy patches, aerating with a hollow-tine fork (or just a garden fork) will help improve drainage and get air to the roots.

Testimonials

Hambrooks

Testimonials

N. Haggard 20 September 2022

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how delighted I am with my new garden.

Jon, my designer, listened to my ideas and delivered on everything I asked for. I wanted something different to any garden I’d had before, no lawn, no landscaping but packed with plants. He designed such a lovely secret garden, around a statement tree. And I have to commend him for his unwavering patience! I changed my mind a hundred times but never did he give me the impression that he was losing patience with my endless indecision. And my confidence in him led me to place an order for over £10k.

My landscaping team, Blade and Tony, were exceptional, from their work ethic, skill and knowledge, to the way they dealt with me, the customer. My standards are very high and I couldn’t fault them.

All in all, a very professional team of people. And it showed that they all care. I’m over the moon with the finished result. I will send you a before and after photo. Thank you so much.

A delighted customer.

G. Gray. May 2022

My front garden has been transformed by Andy and Bradley who both worked incredibly hard and I am delighted with the result. Andy had the vision and skill to turn my idea into reality and I can't thank him enough.

C. Haig Sept 2021

We recently had our garden landscaped by Hambrooks and I just wanted to pass on my thanks, not just for the outcome - which is superb - but for the professionalism of all the staff involved on the job who are all a credit to you company. Mike, Dave, Les and Adam.

H. Sharp Sept 2021

I just wanted to let you know how delighted I am with my new garden. Melanie was a delight to work with and the ideas she had have worked perfectly. Also Sheldon laid the patio beautifully and him and Dave were a pleaseure to have at my house. Quiet workers and polite.

B. Rendell April 2021

I would like to say how delighted we are with the work carried out. Mel, Paul and Tony all worked very hard, they totally took on board the specific need relating to safety as well as the general garden issues. Paul and Tony were excellent at consulting and discussing with me what I felt best in terms of the brief and adjusting if and as necessary, constantly pleasant and polite to deal with. Mel had picked up on particular issues from the first consultation and offered valuable advice. The outcome means a great deal less worry for me going forward.
Altogether a very positive experience and outcome which I would not hesitate to recommend to others.

Stephen March 2021

Dom and Adam's work (garden maintenance) is greatly appreciated. Dom really listened to everything we discussed very carefully and went out of his way to understand and then act upon that discussion. We are extremely pleased with the work done - both to the pond and pyracantha.

Marsha

We have been coming to Hambrooks for years and it's our favourite garden centre because of its friendly helpful staff and a great selection of plants and trees and the garden design ideas.

“We wanted to write and say how pleased we are with our low maintenance garden makeover. We are very impressed with the attitude of your staff who were prepared to listen to our requirements. Your team John and Rick brushed up and left everything tidy at the end of the day. We now have a garden we can manage and it looks great. THANK YOU HAMBROOKS.”

Mr & Mrs Venables, Southampton. April 2019

“Dear Josh & Mike We just want to say you both did a brilliant job of designing our garden along with the guys who did the work who were amazing. A few weeks on its looks even better now some of the plants are blooming. Thank you!!”

Mr & Mrs Gazzard, Winchester July 2019

“To James, John & Rikki. Thank you so much, we are delighted with our new garden. We really appreciate the attention to detail, the high quality workmanship and the standard of the finished project. We are amazed at how John & Rikki resolved the difficulties of the site and by the quality of their craftmanship. It was a pleasure to work with them and thank you for making our ideas into something we will enjoy for years to come.”
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