Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 8 – Creating a Circular Lawn

Second major shape-changing task: first was patio; now make the lawn the street's envy. Change shape to a circle—single most impactful improvement.

Flower of the Fortnight: Ideal Small Tree

No single tree has everything: fresh spring leaves, flamboyant early summer flowers, eye-catching late summer fruit, fiery autumn color, stunning winter bark. Small garden = one tree. Choose most attributes. Best contender: yellow-fruiting crab apple 'Golden Hornet'—pinkish spring leaves, pale pink early summer flowers, golden-yellow late summer fruit, reddish-purple autumn leaves.

Needs: 1 pkt broad bean seed; 1 pkt snap bean seed; 1 bundle stakes. Time: 6 hours in 2 weeks.

Mid-July Weather/Soil

Usually hottest time. Marvelous with sufficient rain. Dry years: lower leaves brown. Heavy rain—stake tall plants securely.

Groundwork

1. Compost bin: bottom layers becoming good peat—light, crumbly.
2. Remove large weeds from lawn; mow regularly. Repeat feed if required.
3. Focus watering on new plants/turf.
4. Transplant strongest seedlings from seed box (Stage 6): lift with kitchen fork (keep root soil), one per peat pot with soilless mix. Water in.
5. Check patio levels; top up subsidence.
6. Replace failed young sunflowers/vines immediately.
7. If annuals not flowering, clear bed, sow replacements for late fall.
8. If peat dried, soak before use.
9. Heavy rain flattens plants—stake upright, refirm soil. Hoe soil crust.

Project Work: New Lawn Shape; More Vegetables

Lawn needs right shape for its garden. House/garden = one entity: home. Everything square—doors, windows, rooms, house, foundations, fence. Most lawns square too.

Break away: round your lawn, everything relaxes and flows. Ours round. Long garden = two round lawns. Decide diameter (ours 4.5 m). Find center. Stake center. String to stake. Peg at radius (½ diameter). Scratch circle in turf. Dig/re-turf areas as Stage 1. With upright spade, cut cleanly on circle line. Cut parallel lines in outer lawn, 30 cm apart. Remove turf outside circle—≤45 cm lengths. Lift with spade under turf. Use turves to shape new lawn parts. Stack surplus for rockery. Check levels with spirit level on board.

Vegetable patch: tripod for pole beans, tie in. Dig holes for second crop dwarf French/bush snap beans. Plant firm. Water in.