Planting a large tree is not difficult and can have such an instantaneous affect that it is well worth while doing. When is the best time to buy and plant specimen trees? It is best to purchase and plant large trees between November and March. Bare root and root ball trees are a very economical way to buy especially when you want to plant a few trees.  They are usually sold by girth which is the circumference of the trunk measured 1.5m from the top of the root-ball. Bare-root and root-balled trees are only available in autumn and early winter and they should be planted immediately. If you are not ready to plant immediately (maybe due to bad weather) they can be stored by covering their roots in good topsoil (make a small raised bed) until you’re ready to plant in their final destination.   Nurseries usually sell trees in 3 different ways: Bare-rooted trees: You should be able to get young trees this way, usually up to about 3 years old. Bare-rooted stock is usually available from about November and should have the roots wrapped in plastic to stop them drying out. The most important thing to check is that the root system is well spread out. Planting in November will allow some root growth before temperatures rise in the spring. This gets your tree off to a great start.     Root-balled trees: This is a good way to buy larger semi-mature trees and some evergreen trees.  Root-balled trees have usually had their roots pruned or have been transplanted several times to encourage the development of a fibrous root system. They often establish better than container-grown trees as they have been grown in soil in the open ground rather than commercial potting compost.  They are lifted and wrapped in hessian and then often wire wrapped.  Root-balled trees are available to buy and plant when dormant, in autumn or early spring. Plant immediately or else store in the same way as described for bare-root trees.     Containerized trees: This is usually the most expensive way to buy a tree.  They have been grown in compost in a pot and have been maintained in this way for a long time.  You should always remove any excess compost from above where the roots naturally start to grow.  Sometimes roots have started to grow from the buried part of the trunk in container grown trees.  Prune these off close to the trunk.  Tease out the roots to open up the root ball so that the roots will be able to grow out into the soil. Trim away any damaged roots at the same time.    Site preparation Plants will not grow where soil contains too little air, insufficient nutrients or where it is very dry or wet.  Soil preparation is important if you want your tree to get off to the best possible start. Plant as soon as possible Make sure you have the area prepared before the trees are delivered and that you are ready to plant that day. Planting Follow the steps below to ensure success. Waterthoroughly before planting. When planting bare-root trees it’s best to soak the roots for about 2 hours before planting. Removethe tree from its pot or if planting a root-ball tree remove the wire wrapping and untie the burlap from around the trunk.  Leave the fabric around the roots as this will disintegrate after a while in the soil. Tease out the rootsas this will encourage side roots and this will also give you a good idea of the root spread. Dig a planting holethe same depth as the roots and three times the root spread or root ball size. Make sure that the sides and bottom of the hole isn’t compacted but do not dig the soil at the bottom of the hole as it will settle and cause the tree to sink lower into the ground. With container-grown trees, scrape away the top layers of compostto leave the uppermost roots just beneath the soil surface. A tree should never be planted deeper than the original soil . Place the tree in the planting hole and refillthe hole carefully, replacing soil between and around all the roots to eliminate air pockets. Add a handful of fertilizer to get your tree off to a good start. You will need to stake your tree to help anchor the roots whilst allowing the trunk to flex in the wind. If planting a root ball tree it is best to use an underground tree anchoring system. They are ideal for specimen trees where tree stakes would be unsightly.  Looking after your tree This is very important as specimen and large trees can take up to 3 years to establish. Watering Believe it or not, drought is common with newly planted trees even in Ireland.  Specimens have a large root-ball and need watering for the first 3 years. Dry, windy conditions are particularly bad for newly planted trees.  Use a seep hose or an irrigation system if possible, seep hoses are cheap and can be easily set up with a timer on your outside tap. Fertilising Top-dress in late winter with fertilizer. Weeding Keep weeds and grass away from your newly planted tree to avoid competition between the tree and your lawn. Mulch After feeding, apply a layer of mulch around the tree in late winter, which will help to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Do not pile the mulch over the trunk of the tree as this will cause rot. Tree protection. If you live in an area with either rabbits or deer, it is best to protect the tree with a barrier of wire netting.

Building a raised bed out of railway sleepers is really straightforward. Think of building with wooden building blocks. It’s very quick & simple, with very few tools needed. Below are the basic steps: Choose where you want to put the raised bed This is very important as with plants and vegetables light is very important. You also want it to be easy to reach across the bed for planting and maintenance.  The recommended width is 1.2 metres if you are able to reach it from all sides and 60cm if only from one side. Lay the bed out on the ground. Place the railway sleepers on the ground in a square or rectangular shape, with the railway sleepers touching at the 90-degree corners. (Like creating a big picture frame). You can use the sleepers laid flat or on their sides to form a bed. If you use them on the flat you may need to go 2-3 high to give a substantial bed. It is best to lay the railway sleepers on a level and firm ground.  It is easiest to simply lay them down directly on the earth with a layer of woven ground cover if you like. Attaching them to each other This can be done in two ways either by using very long screws or else you can use a steel L-bracket on the inside in each corner as a fixing.  Simply screw them together at the corners. If you want a second or third layer, you simply stack the railway sleepers on top of those already laid.  You can use a batten or metal strip to fasten the layers together. Laying a Woven Ground Cover and filling with soil. If you like you can lay a woven ground cover between the base soil and the fresh topsoil you are going to add.  Because this is an above ground bed you can fill it with specialised soil to suit the plants. The soil in the raised bed can take time to settle and may need topping up. There are some ideal approximate heights for raised beds: For standing – 80-90cm For sitting – 40-45cm For wheelchairs – 60-65cm Now the nice bit – Plant it. Raised beds are an ideal way to grow vegetables in your garden.  All these vegetables fit into a 1.2m by 1.2m bed. They are easily accessible and far easier to maintain than planting into the ground. Have fun!  

Laying a new lawn using roll out turf is simple and provides an instant result. Lawn turf will establish itself quickly on warm and moist soil which makes Autumn the perfect time to lay a new lawn. How to prepare the ground: Existing turf should be removed and the ground rotovated.  This can be done using a sod stripper and rotovator. Gently dig the entire area where grass will be laid with a fork to about 10-15cm in depth. If your soil is of poor quality you should add our special mix lawn topsoil to provide the best growing media for your new turf. Firm you soil by treading over it with your heels then rake and thread again and then a final rake to create a nice level and even surface for laying the turf. How to measure and order your turf: Order your turf by measuring your lawn and add an extra 5-10% to allow for cutting the turf into the lawn. If you plan to build a lawn around circular edges be sure to measure up to the corners of your lawn, additional turf can be cut and disposed of but this ensures a neat finish. Turf needs to be laid quickly to stop deteriorating while it is rolled up so choose a delivery date that ensures you can lay your new lawn straight away. We cut our turf on a daily basis so it’ll be fresh when you get it. How to lay your new lawn: To begin laying your new lawn start with the straightest line in the garden and ensuring that the joints are staggered like brick work. Butt each end of the rolls together. After rolling out a roll of turf ensure that the roll has not stretched. This can later cause problems when the turf establishes it will shrink and leave gaps in the lawn. Boards should be used to walk across the lawn to prevent footprints piercing the new lawn. When finishing your new lawn try not to use small pieces to fit in the gaps. Use full rolls and cut inside the overlap. How to care for your new lawn: Newly laid turf must be watered within a half hour of installation. The turf should be soaked till the water has seeped through the turf and into the soil. This should take place every day for the first two weeks until the roots have a good grip into the soil. For optimal results watering should take place either in the morning time or evening time to save the sun evaporating the water. During the winter-time the grass does not need as much water, nutrition or sunlight.

                  Beautiful borders are what make your garden and give it interest throughout the year.  One of the questions most people ask is how to have year round interest.  If you don’t have a good knowledge of plants and their flowering seasons this can be difficult.  If you plant your border by choosing a beautiful collection of plants that you see when you visit your garden centre, you will have an interesting border for that time of the year.  The trick is to visit in spring, summer, autumn and winter and choose what’s looking good then.   Also, take a look at where the garden centre is displaying the plant, if it’s in full sun, then probably, that plant enjoys sunshine.  Autumn is the best time to plant up new borders because most plants are going into their dormant period and have a good rest over the winter.  This gives them a head start on the following year. If you plant in the summer just make sure to water the plants well by pouring the water at the base of the plant, it’s the roots that need the water, not the leaves. Flowers and shrub borders are what make your garden come to life.  If you get it right from the start it’ll grow and improve year by year. Beds should have a smooth clean-cut border with your lawn or path.   Here is a guide on how to create your own borders in your garden: The first stage is to mark out where you want your new beds to be, if you want to create curves the easiest way is to use your garden hose to lay out the shapes for you. Adding curves to a garden can add a dash of creativity to an area, consider creating flowing curved beds to be filled with small bushes or trees to bring height and interest to a garden. If your desired bed area has already got a lawn there use a spade to remove the top layer. When the layer of turf has been removed dig a 15cm deep, 5cm wide trench along the outline of the hose that will form the edge of your bed. Clean out any stones or weed and roots ans you go. Place edging material in the trench to create the border. There are lots of options on what to use for edging material but our recommendation for a clean and long lasting edge is to use a metal edging. Steel lawn edgings are the easiest to install and don’t require any trench digging beforehand, simply pressing the prongs into the ground will stop lawn from invading your flower beds and borders. Fill any gaps in your border with soil to make sure the border is firmly in place. Add a layer of our topsoil to your newly created bed to get your plants off to a healthy start. Choose which plants you wish to grow and place them in their new positions to check for spacing and then the fun part begins! Soak the root balls of your plants before planting and add a small amount of plant fertilizer such as chicken manure to each hole and firm in each plant as you go. A great way to finish your new border and keep it low maintenance is to add a 5cm layer of mulch to your borders. This will help to control the growth of weeds and enrich your soil and conserve moisture during dry periods. Don’t forget to water your new plants, even in Ireland, newly planted trees, shrubs and flowers need watering.