The Lawn Ranger

Friday, 21st January 2005
Wild West Yorkshire nature diary

YOU COULD ALMOST IMAGINE THAT, SOMEHOW OR OTHER, THAT CONIFER IS GETTING REGULAR SHOTS OF PHOSPHATE-RICH LIQUID FEED . . .

*SNIFF* HMMM, THAT WEEDY LITTLE CONIFER IS RESPONDING WELL TO THE DAILY DOSAGE I'M GIVING IT! TEE-HEE!

We've come to rely on the visits Paul, the gardener, makes to us a couple of times each winter, when he's not mown under with his regular work. For Barbara and I there's an element of mystery about so many aspects of the garden. For example, there's the 'minature' conifer in the bed at the front, adjacent to the pavement, that recently seems to have shot up amongst the heathers.

'Do you think it's time to take it out?' I ask Paul, 'How do you keep conifers like that in check?'

'Well, how tall do you want it?'

'About eighteen inches.'

He takes a pair of sharp secateurs from his pocket: *Snip*, *Snip*.

'Will that do for you?'

It seems so simple when you see an expert at work, doesn't it?! He tells me the botanical name for the species (which I've already forgotten) and discusses the character and care of the shrub, compared to the more familiar Lawson's Cypress.

Taking up Turfs

Paul comes up with some suggestions for the front lawn, which is so waterlogged and shady that it is now about 80% moss. He'll come back to:

• take up the turfs (they can be stacked to be turned into loam, which is ideal for making potting compost)

• rotivate the soil

• add sharp sand, some grit and a dressing of lime

• sow it with Canada green; a quick-to-establish-but-slow-growing-once-it-is-established grass seed mix.

He's soon given the small front garden a thorough going over and I join him at work in the back garden. My task is to clear out the greenhouse and wash the windows. Spring will soon be here and we've got plans for the vegetable garden.

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk