Professional Gardening Tips: The Top 5 Most Searched Gardening Questions Answered

Whether you’re a gardening novice or professional landscaper, we all require expert gardening tips to address those pain points and help to complete our projects to the highest possible standard.

To alleviate any concerns about DIY gardening, the experts at Hayter® have compiled the highest searched gardening questions in the UK and provided the much-anticipated answers you’ve waited for.

Read more for our unrivalled gardening advice and have your plants thriving in no time.

1. How to Level a Garden: Search Volume 2,900
2. How to Make a Raised Garden Bed: Search Volume 1,900
3. How to Attract Birds to Your Garden: Search Volume 1,600
4. How to Lay Sleepers for Garden Edging: Search Volume 1,000
5. How to Landscape a Garden: Search Volume 590

 

1. How to Level a Garden: Search Volume 2,900

An uneven or sloped garden can look unkempt, prevent effective drainage and encourage soil erosion, making it way more difficult to mow and manage day-to-day. When it comes to leveling a garden and salvaging a lumpier lawn, the first step is to remove higher points and it’s best to undertake this task during the spring to encourage fast growth and ensure healthier soil.

To repair lumpy lawns, water the lawn first to ensure the soil doesn’t crumble when lifted. Next, carefully lift the turf and dig out the soil underneath with a durable, flat-headed shovel. You then need to add a layer of quality topsoil to provide the grass with the nutrients needed for it to thrive. Lay down an even amount of topsoil then smooth this out with a leveling rake, pat down until the patch is compact, and level this with the remainder of your lawn. Gently fold back the edges of turf and carefully press these back down.

Finally, additional grass seed should also be sown to encourage healthy grass growth once the soil is level. Water your lawn around 4 times per day to ensure germination.

2. How to Make a Raised Garden Bed: Search Volume 1,900

If you’re looking to dazzle guests with a professional-looking raised garden bed we have some simple garden design tips to make the process seamless and stress-free.

Firstly, be sure to remove any weeds and mow your lawn as close to the ground as possible in the area you intend to build your bed.

To create a traditional 4 x 8 raised bed, take two 2-by-12 cedar planks at 8 feet long, two 2-by-12 planks at 4 feet long and 12 pieces of rebar to support the structure. Position the boards into a box and lay them down on a level area of turf with their inner corners touching. Next, take a strong mallet, lift up one of the longer planks where you’d like it to sit and line up 2 pieces of rebar, one at each end of the plank, around one foot from each corner. Begin to hammer these two inches into the ground to support one side of your new raised garden bed.

The next step is to align both of the shorter planks using one piece of rebar per plank. Once the plank is in its upright position, place one piece of rebar behind each plank in the centre to temporarily support the frame.  Then, using two pieces of rebar, repeat the same step as earlier for the remaining longer side. Now, it’s time to hammer two pieces of rebar a foot from each corner of the small planks and remove the temporary support. Add an additional two pieces of rebar to each longer side ensuring that all four pieces of rebar are equal distance apart with the outer two one foot from each corner. Next, hammer the rebar until around 6 inches are left above ground to ensure maximum support.

Equally as important as creating a sturdy, robust structure for your garden bed is properly lining your bed with several sheets of newspaper to keep weeds at bay. Once the bottom of your raised garden bed is fully lined, you can begin to add a nutrient-rich compost mix, leaving space for a thick layer of topsoil to ensure healthy growth for your chosen plants.

That’s it, your new raised garden bed is ready to be populated with seeds and in time gorgeous, vibrant plants!

3. How to Attract Birds to Your Garden: Search Volume 1,600

It’s no secret that well-maintained gardens not only offer beautiful visual appeal but can also create additional habitats for wildlife at a time when these are rapidly declining. If you’re looking to transform your garden into a bird-friendly haven, we have an array of expert gardening tips to help encourage visitations from a range of species.

Providing suitable shelter is a great way to attract birds to your garden and can be achieved by incorporating evergreen trees and shrubs such as bayberry or holly. The berries from these trees also offer your winged companions a natural food source and cover from predators.

Another simple tip to encourage birds to the garden is to provide supplementary food by installing a bird feeder where possible. This should always be located in a safe place that provides sufficient cover, an area close to a tree is preferable. Bird feeders should be filled all year round as birds are often reliant on the food we provide during the colder months. The type of food you offer will determine the types of birds you attract. Suet balls are the perfect option for robins and blue tits whilst niger seeds or peanuts are best for greenfinches and goldfinches.

Providing a fresh, clean water source is another proven way to attract a range of species to your garden. Birdbaths make a beautiful ornamental feature but also offer a way to entice birds to the garden, as fresh water is key to their survival. However, birdbaths must be placed somewhere that allows a clear view of potential predators and must be maintained all year-round to ensure that birds return.

A safe and secure area to rest such as a nesting box or sparrow terrace is another feature that will tempt many different species to visit. Again, these must be installed somewhere safe, sheltered, out of direct sunlight and out of sight of predators to ensure that birds are comfortable to huddle inside of them. It is advisable to make sure nest boxes are facing north to east, ensuring there is a clear flight path and lack of obstruction to the entrance. Place nest boxes away from birdbaths and feeders to make sure they provide a level of tranquillity and peace from other bird activities.

Following these simple top tips and encouraging a range of feathered visitors is a fantastic way to bring a calming ambience to your garden. This will also contribute to vital conservation efforts and help to protect various species for future generations.

4. How to Lay Sleepers for Garden Edging

Creating a stunning rustic-style look for your garden is made easier than ever before with our Hayter®-approved gardening tips on how to lay sleepers for your garden edging!

First, you need to choose the desired location for your sleepers, whether this is the edge of the lawn or around the edge of a raised garden bed. Sleepers bring with them a myriad of advantages but the main one is keeping your garden contained and protecting it from pets.  You then need to take a quality shovel and dig a shallow trench that you can fill with concrete, sand or gravel to provide a suitable foundation for your garden edging. Sleepers can also be laid directly onto the soil, however, this can cause issues with rotting as water tends to gather around each sleeper and cause damp. While concrete foundations will offer the most stability, opting for gravel or sand can be slightly less work and helps to level the sleepers nicely.

When it comes to laying down sleepers, they can be positioned either horizontally or vertically depending on the type of look you wish to create. If the sleepers require being cut to size, this can be easily achieved using a mitre saw. Once you’re ready to lay down the sleepers, you need to ensure each one is embedded in the concrete, sand or gravel. it’s essential to make sure that each end overlaps to form a 90-degree corner. When you’re happy with the position of your sleepers, screw these together at each corner, using two screws per corner. For additional stability, you can also add corner brackets to each 90-degree corner.

Finally, to create a uniform, polished look for your edging you may want to sand the surface of your sleepers and add a wood stain or varnish. Once this step is complete you have a stunning new border for your lawn or garden bed that gives an incredibly professional finish.

5. How to Landscape a Garden: Search Volume 590

Landscaping any garden from scratch requires a feasible design plan to ensure you get the very most from your space.

First, you need to assess the current state and design of your garden to ascertain the main strengths and any potential issues that may be lurking and need to be addressed. Points to consider may be ground condition, drainage, existing foliage and topsoil. Next, you need to decide whether a professional landscaper will be required to complete any high-level work such as adding paving or concrete to allow you to plan your spending accordingly.

When it comes to DIY tasks in the garden, the best starting point is always to remove any debris or garden waste to create a tidy surface to work with. Using a rake or pick can help make this step a little easier. Once all rubbish is removed from your garden, you may need to level the ground, especially if laying decking or patio materials is in your garden design plans. If working on a small to medium garden space, it’s possible to level the ground using a rake to remove uneven chunks of soil. When it comes to a highly sloped garden, professional assistance may be required to ensure professional results.

Considering materials for furniture, garden beds and decking is also crucial to a successful garden design, therefore it’s essential to properly research the materials intended for your garden to ensure durability, longevity and reliability.

Materials can also impact the aesthetics of your outdoor space heavily so it’s important to make sure these are considered to create a beautiful look for your garden. You will also need to plan how damp is going to be controlled in your garden, drains may need to be installed if you find your garden presents waterlogging issues.

Next on the agenda is planning your outdoor plants and how these will bring your outdoor space to life. Plants, trees and shrubbery bring character and intrigue to the garden whilst creating a space that attracts wildlife and should be planned in before you think about planning your lawn. Think about the colours, shade and ambience that you’d like to create and take your plans from there. Zoning can help create a level of organisation and define different focal points for your outdoor space. To successfully differentiate between zones, you can select contrasting flooring options from stone to grass or gravel. Another great way to set zones apart is to create different colour themes using plants and flowers to tell a unique story in each section of your garden.

The final steps of landscaping your garden are to sew your lawn and add any finishing touches such as unique garden furniture or eye-catching water features. Once your grass has seen a good amount of growth after time, you need to neaten up the surface with a high-quality mower beginning with the edges and then covering the larger surface area to create an exquisite, professional look.

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