Tag: Fence Installation

How to get your garden ready for springtime without lifting a finger

With the recent wintry weather behind us, gardeners up and down the country are heading outside to prepare their gardens for spring.

But, here at Bark, we understand that not everyone wants to spend their spare time shovelling dirt. In the aftermath of Storm Doris, we’ve seen a surge in the number of people requesting gardening and fence repair services on our site – and we think they have the right idea.

Here’s how to complete those essential garden chores and get your outdoor space ready for springtime without ever lifting a finger.

Effortlessly repair damaged fencing

Last week’s stormy weather wrought havoc up and down the country, with 100mph winds buffeting coastlines, destroying fences and causing an estimated £100million worth of damage.

Collecting new timber, removing broken fence panels and digging out stubborn posts can be exhausting work. But there’s no reason you should have to be the one to do it! Place a Bark now to get quotes from local fence repair specialists fast and free.

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Clear the gutters without getting your hands dirty

Allowing your gutters to become clogged with leaves and debris can cause serious structural damage to your home, and it’s all too easy to forget about them until something goes badly wrong.

That’s why, at this time of year it’s a great idea to don a pair of heavy gloves, climb a ladder and give those neglected pipes a good seeing to. Or, if you’d prefer not to get your hands dirty, click the link below now and hire someone to do it for you.

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Prune shrubs and trees without breaking a sweat

The end of winter is a time for pruning back unwanted branches on your trees and shrubs to make way for new growth.

This is an essential task if you want your plants to remain healthy, safe and growing into an attractive shape. But tree surgery can be dangerous work if you’ve never done it before, and if you’re in any doubt about what you’re doing it’s best left to a professional.

So why not hire an expert to prune your garden this spring? Click the link below and we’ll put you in touch with local pruning specialists fast and free.

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Get your garden ready for spring today

In just a few weeks’ time, you’ll be relaxing in the garden with a cool glass of wine. But there’s a lot to get through before then to get your outdoor space looking its best – from weeding beds and repairing trellises to planting bulbs for the year ahead.

Hiring a professional gardener is the best way to tackle those necessary chores quickly and with a minimum of hassle, so your family can enjoy relaxing outside during the warm summer months.

So forget planting, weeding, mowing and seeding. Place a Bark now to get your garden ready for spring without lifting a finger, and find a great pro to keep it looking great all year round.

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Ask the Expert: Five essential gardening jobs to do this spring

With spring in full bloom, now is the perfect time to create the perfect space to relax with your friends and family. Getting on top of things now will make all the difference as temperatures start to rise and barbeque season gets into full swing – and that’s where Bark comes in.

To help you make the most of that neglected outside space, we asked one of our top gardening pros – Harrison Gardens founder Julian Harrison-Jones – to run you through five essential gardening jobs to do this spring.

1. Fix up your lawn

You can find hundreds of Lawn Care specialists on Bark.com
You can find hundreds of Lawn Care specialists on Bark.com

One of the main things that people think about at this time of year is Lawn Care. Weeds are coming through, the edges aren’t done and it’s starting to look overgrown.

“It’s time to start working on your lawn,” says Julian. “That means aeration, mowing, weeding and feeding. You feed the lawn twice a year, in Spring and Autumn.”

“When you’re starting to mow the lawn, because it will be the first cut of the year you should do it on a high blade,” he adds. “You’re just encouraging new, healthy growth. Don’t go crazy otherwise you’ll do damage and you might kill the lawn.”

2. Get on top of the weeding

Your lawn isn’t the only thing growing again now the winter months are behind us. Rolling up your sleeves and tackling the weeding now will mean you have a head start going into the rest of the year.

“To be honest, weeding is probably ‘number one’ because of the time of year,” says Julian. “You’ve left it over the winter, they’re coming up now and if you don’t tackle weeds now they’ll compete with shrubs and plants that you want to keep.”

“Basically, they’re all competing for nutrients and water,” he adds. “So if the weeds take over, they’ll take that away from the actual plants. As well as some weeds, like Ivy or creeping weeds, which will can strangle and kill your plants.” 

It’s time to start working on your lawn

3. Choose your ‘feature’ plants

Julian planting flowers for one of his many happy clients
Julian planting flowers for one of his many happy clients

Once you’ve got the weeds under control, it’s time to think about the plants you actually want to look at.

“It’s still relatively early in the gardening year,” Julian explains. “So you can plant your ‘feature’ plants or architectural-type planting – your shrubs, the backbone of your garden.”

He adds: “If you like roses, this is the perfect time for them, as well as perineal flowers and trees.”

4. Get mulching and feeding

Mulching and feeding goes hand-in-hand with weeding and planting, but the exact type of plant food you use depends on what you’re using it for.

“It could be manure, it could be peat, it could be leaf mould or compost,” Julian explains. “If it’s roses, for example, they really like a horse manure. Whereas, in general, your shrubs prefer bark just to supress weeds and keep the heat in.

“With your lawn, it would be nitrogen. Generally, a well-balanced fertiliser containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in equal proportions. You can’t go too wrong with that.”

5. Repair damaged trees and fencing

Starting with storm Desmond back in December, the UK has been buffeted by a wave of severe storms over the past few months. Thankfully, the worst of it is behind us, and you can now be thinking about repairing those damaged fence panels.

“Because of the recent storms, any damage that’s been caused over the winter – fencing, staking trees – those kind of essential works can be done,” Julian explains. “That’s what took up most of January. Lots of fencing work.”

“About two weeks ago we had a job that involved a lot of staking and getting everything back into shape,” he adds. “You should have two large stakes either side of the tree, which should be tied together firmly, then the tree tied to that.”

Find a local gardening expert today

With thousands of registered gardening professionals, giving your garden a makeover in time for summer is easy with Bark.com.

Whether you’re fixing the fence, clearing away those pesky weeds, or planning a full-blown garden renovation, we can help. Simply click the link below to find gardening professionals in your area today.