garden machinery mower reviews

Discounts on bark mulch at Rolawn

Good news for anyone who is planning to mulch over new or existing shrub border or perhaps lay a safety surface for a children's play area in their garden.

Rolawn Direct are giving a 15% discount on all of their bark products through Rolawn Direct. The discount code is bark8 and it is valid until the 23rd November 2008.

Rolawn have also extended a 15% discount on Minster Pro turf, again until the end of November.

Also a reminder that from today the 10% discount on turf and topsoil now only applies if Medallion Turf and Turf & Lawn Seeding Topsoil are purchased together.

Wooden leaf and hay rake

Raking leaves for a long period of time is really tiring so it is important to make it as comfortable as possible.

Metal rakes are either very narrow and take ages to get any real volume of raking done and if you are able to find a wide aluminium head then the weight of the rake will make it a tough day for sure.

My favourite rake of all time is the traditional wooden leaf rake or sometimes called hay rake.

Making leaf mould compost

If you have sown a new lawn from seed in late summer or autumn it is most essential that fallen leaves are not allowed to rest on the surface for more than a few hours.

A layer of leaves will exclude the light and the seed leaf blade, called the Monocotyledon or monocot, and the leaf blade will die out leaving the soil bare.

Make sure that you remove any leaves from the surface as quickly as they accumulate. The best way that this can be done is with a leaf blower.

A leaf blower lets you remove the leaves without aggressively damaging the surface of the soil. If the monocot is ripped while raking then then it will quickly die.

Lawn Flite limited edition ride on lawn mower

Are you a trendy gardener and want to stand out from the crowd a little? Get in quick because MTD Lawnflight have a limited offer on these superb garden tractors.

Only available in Henry Ford black, this ride on comes from the makers of the most poular selling brand in the country. It is ideal for meandering through orchards and paddocks but still the business for that super finish on the main lawn - suitable for gardens up to two acres.

The machine is equipped with an impressive 17.5 hp Briggs and Stratton engine that can be relied for performance every time.

How to stop dog wee killing your lawn

Dog urine is a big problem for enthusiastic lawn owners because it kills grass. High concentrations of Urea, especially from bitches and even more potent when the bitch is in season, leaves bare orange brown dead rings.

The gardener has no alternative but to aerate the patches and re-seed with a little soil dressing. However, unless you lose the dog or train it to wee in a special little patch, the problem will never go away.

When I first got my black Labrador Hector, I was determined that he should be trained systematically to do his toilet in one place that would never damage my prized lawn.

Storing your lawn mower for the winter

I tend to continue to cut my lawn throughout the winter as and when it is needed but for those gardeners who will cease trimming the grass after the autumn leaf fall then here are a few pointers for successfully mothballing your machine.

Pressure wash the underside of your mower deck - grass clippings that remain in contact with older steel decks can be corrosive. Remove the blade, sharpen and balance it (or replace the blade if it has come to the end of its safe and useful life).

If you have a cylinder mower then now is a great time to have it re-ground in plenty of time for the first grass cut of the season.

If you have a canvas collection bag then use your high pressure lance with the nozzle set as a fan so that it is not so aggressive. This will clear out all of the bag holes which in turn helps to clear grass better when collecting.

Petrol garden shredder / vacuum

This heavy-duty wheeled shredder vacuum has a premium range Briggs & Stratton Industrial / Commercial 6.5 HP petrol engine offering the power and performance to get the job done.

The Overhead Valve design ensures the engine runs cooler, cleaner and more efficiently for extended life and better fuel economy.

Equipped with a dedicated chipper chute for shredding branches up to 7.5 cm (3"), the Handy Pro Shredder Vacuum employs two chipper blades and two hammer flails for breaking down waste.