At Carden’s Gardens we normally only rake out up to 4 inches of leaves from under hedges…we’re not lazy but fallen leaves are great for hedges, prevents weeds from growing, adds nutrients into the ground and is great for wildlife!

Some seeds can lie dormant until the conditions are right for them to germinate…even if that is not for hundreds of years! Using a residual weed killer once year will prevent the seeds from germinating (always make sure you use a qualified professional and ask to see their National register of Sprayer Operators card).

A handy hint to keep dear out of your garden; hang up some old unwanted CDs from trees and shrubs…the reflected sunlight scares them off! Your CD’s to treasured to hang in the garden, we have a chemical hormone that we can spray your plants with to keep the deer or rabbits at bay.

Some weeds can grow up to a meter with no light! The only way to control these perennial weeds is to use systemic weed killer.

Don’t use slug pellets to get rid of the killer slugs, they poison the poor little hedgehogs, badgers and birds. Instead try putting down chip bark on the beds…slugs can’t crawl over it! Chip bark should be refreshed once a year.

Don’t like chip bark on your beds…encourage hedgehogs to live in your garden! A pile of leaves or a log shelter will help you do just that. Don’t feed hedgehogs bread and milk, it’s not good for them…feed them cat food instead!

Don’t use peat in your garden as the peat. Peat is harvested from bogs and dried it is formed over long periods of time by the decomposition of plant materials. Peat is a non-renewable, limited resource material. Build a compost area instead, handy to get rid of your garden waste and food. Not only this but it is free and will save you money.

Your gravel looking tired and old? Raking it regularly, even once a month will keep it looking fresh for years and years and years. It also makes it easier to weed!