Well I have had gardens for over 30 years. Well, when I say gardens to be precise, I mean two. When I was a boy we always lived in houses with back yards as we lived in the older established terraced suburbs of the city. So my first experience of gardening was in my first family home in
liverpool after getting married. It was only a small house so Gardening here was not a great chore and besides when you are in your early twenties you can tackle anything.
The first task in my first garden was to returf the rear garden. we had a raised patio immediately outside the kitchen door so the actual grass area was only about 30 feet by 20 feet. I hired a rotorvator and dug up the whole area and then the process of raking and removing small pebbles and stones began.The work was done mid Summer so it was a leisurely task each evening after returning from work. Laying turf is quite easy so no prior knowledge or skills are really required. The turf comes in mini rolls just like a carpet.Once happy that the area to be turfed is levelled (check with spirit level and if you want it spot on level) the next task is to tamp it down using the back of a rake. It doesn`t have to be too firm.
The turf rolls should be layed in a brick work pattern so that the joints overlap. This makes it easier for the turf to bond together.As you are laying each roll of turf make sure the edges are tight to each other and it is adviseable to use planks to stand/kneel on as you are laying in order to protect the turf as you go. Once you are satisfied all the turf is layed level to your satisfaction the next task is to fill all the gaps where the turf butts up to each other using a fine sand /soil/compost mix.Once this is done all you need to do is to water the turf regularly . especially if there is a spell of hot weather. Early morning and late evening is best. Gradually the turf will bond to the subsoil as the roots take a hold. Don`t mow the turf for a good few weeks and when you do make sure the mower is on its highest cutting level.
So that was my first experience of gardening albeit limited...next up..what we did with the patio border......to be continued
