Week 2

Gardening

As April continues, Spring is taking over, as is National Home Improvement Month. This week, with daffodils blooming and the smell of freshly cut grass in the air, we’re challenging you to get out and get gardening this week! Week two of NHIM is all about sprucing up your lawns and patios in time for summer. You can get involved by making small changes like installing a new planter, or by making big one’s like completely redesigning your garden. Studies show that those with green-thumbs are happier and healthier than others, and the reason is due to the time spent spending time in the sun working on their gardens. So, when the result of your hard work is a beautiful place to hold your next summer BBQ, who can would say no!

This Home Improvement Month, we’ve got some amazing partners supporting the make one change challenge and encouraging you to love your home! Flymo and Gardena's amazing maintenance products can help make tidying up your greenery as easy as ever, while Fiskars (UK) Ltd can help you sort out the smaller details that can make any garden special. ZEP UK Limited outdoor cleaners and Nilfisk Ltd pressure washers can have any patio sparkling in the spring sun, and if you’re looking for a change, Ronseal can make your decking dreams come true.

As millions of Brits prepare to get their gardens “summer ready” - new research has revealed how clueless we are when it comes to our outdoor spaces.
 
Researchers found that killing grass with paddling pools and trampolines, cutting through cable on lawn mowers and even watering plastic plants - are among the common gardening faux pas Brits are set to fall victim of this spring.
 
In fact, the poll found nearly one in twenty (4 percent) of gardeners have managed to kill off fish in their pond, while nearly one in ten have blown off the petals from their flowers from excessive power washing.
 
A quarter of the 1,500 homeowners surveyed said their dog had completely ruined their grass and shrubs by peeing all over them.
 
Our children running riot in the garden (11 percent), a lack of knowledge (18 percent) and not having the right equipment (17 percent) emerged as the reasons we don’t have pristine gardens – with 18 percent saying they wish they had brand new garden tools to help them get their outdoor spaces in shape.
 
The research revealed the average Brit will spend £447 this year on their outdoor space, however 15 percent have rusty and unloved garden tools propped up against the garden fence, while 7 percent of us have an old lawn mower slowly rusting in a forgotten corner of the garden.
 
Other common mishaps include overwatering (32 percent), ripping up flowers thinking they are weeds (23 percent) and planting out of season (22 percent).
 
Despite the disasters, 57 percent of Brits rate their gardening skills as good, compared to 23 percent who say they lack knowledge when it comes to looking after their outdoor space.

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CLUELESS BRITS ARE STRUGGLING TO GET THEIR GARDENS READY FOR SUMMER, ACCORDING TO A NEW POLL BY FISKARS

Almost one in ten of us (8 percent) have stood on an upturned rake, while the same number have accidentally sprayed weed killer on the lawn.
 
Not surprisingly then, more than one in five (21 percent) said they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to tending to their garden, while 9 percent said they simply don’t know the difference between flowers and weeds.
 
The poll found over one in five of us have dead pot plants scattered around the garden, while 22 percent said their patio is covered in unsightly weeds.
 
19 percent confessed to having a sad looking BBQ which has been left out uncovered all winter.
 
Of those polled, over a third (36 percent) of us would describe our gardens as dull but functional, while 15 percent say their garden is a real mess, without any character.
 
Just over one in twenty of green fingered Brits (6 percent) describe their garden as pristine and their pride and joy.
 
A spokesperson from Fiskars, the UK’s leading gardening tool expert, said: “When it comes to gardening, everyone has to start somewhere and what’s really important is creating a space you are proud of and enjoy.
 
“It’s clear from our research that homeowners feel they need assistance in their garden and we’re here to help. With the right tools to hand and a willingness to try something new, it’s possible to make gardening tasks easier and to create a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy throughout the summer.”
 
Ironically, given our lack of gardening know-how, 73 percent of those polled said their outdoor space was quite or very important to them. The average Brit spends 12 hours a week out in their garden during the summer months and as many as 85 percent of us are determined to roll up our sleeves and get outdoors.
 
When it comes to where we get our gardening advice from, 29 percent of us turn to the internet, with 17 percent of us watching YouTube videos for hints and tips. A further 8 percent lean over the garden fence and ask neighbours for advice.

TOP 20 MOST COMMON GARDENING CALAMATIES
 

1. Overwatering                                                                                    32 percent         
2. Dog or cat pee killing a plant                                                       25 percent         
3. Ripping up flowers thinking they were weeds                      22 percent         
4. Planting out of season                                                                    22 percent         
5. Killing the grass with a paddling pool                                       21 percent         
6. Forgetting to water high-up hanging baskets                        20 percent         
7. Killing the grass with a trampoline                                            17 percent         
8. Chopped a tree / hedge too far back                                        13 percent         
9. Cut through a cable on a hedge trimmer or mower           12 percent         
10. Watered plastic / fake plants                                                       10 percent         
11. Strimming without a line in the strimmer                               10 percent         
12. Power washing petals off the flowers                                      8 percent           
13. Painted a fence with the wrong type of paint / varnish    8 percent           
14. Standing on an upturned rake                                                     8 percent           
15. Putting weed killer on the lawn instead of pathways         8 percent           
16. Laying an uneven patio                                                                  7 percent           
17. Buying too many gnomes / garden ornaments                    6 percent           
18. Planting trees too close to the house                                       5 percent           
19. Killing fish in the pond                                                                    4 percent           
20. Mowing the lawn with no blade in the mower                     3 percent