Garden Power!
Gardening is a bit like Marmite: you either love it or you hate it. But whatever your reasons for doing it, there is a way to make it quicker, easier and more eff ective - power tools!
You should opt for the lighter-weight, less powerful, electrically operated versions if your garden is on the small side, and choose the heavier, more powerful, petrol- operated gadgets for larger lawns and longer hedges. Cordless electric tools, powered by rechargeable batteries, are also available to allow more freedom of movement and reduce the chance of cutting your cord in half!
There are four types of lawn mower – the cylinder mower that produces an even, close cut ideal for fl at lawns; the rotary mower which is better for longer grass and uneven lawns; the hover mower which fl oats on a bed of air to make it easier to manoeuvre; and the hand mower which is environmentally friendly and has no running costs. In all cases, the addition of a box or bag to collect grass will save you time and energy.
A trimmer keeps borders tidy, paths free of grass, and reaches areas around bushes and trees which can be diffi cult to access with a mower.
Hedge trimmers have two blades which work against each other rapidly. Trimmers with double action blades are more effi cient than single action trimmers where only one blade moves. Longer blades cut quicker. A 450-560mm blade is fi ne for an average-sized hedge, but larger or denser hedges may need
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one longer. The blade width indicates the maximum thickness of the branches you can cut, so a 16mm blade can cut branches up to 16mm thick. Telescopic trimmers are available for higher hedges.
Blowers are useful in autumn for clearing an area of fallen leaves and directing them into a specifi c spot. Once collected they can be vacuumed up along with other light debris then shredded into an attached storage bag. Blowers and vacuums can come separately, or as a combination blower vacuum.
The surface of a lawn can become covered in leaves, moss and thatch (plant debris) which prevent water, oxygen and nutrients from getting into the soil. Rakers aerate the lawn and remove leaves, moss and other garden debris. Some also incorporate a scarifi er with blades that push into the soil to remove moss and thatch.
Shredders dispose of branches, twigs and leaves. Rapid impact shredders chop leaves and green branches fi nely into mulch. Crushing-shredders are quieter and are suitable for turning woody branches into chips. As shredders sometimes get blocked, look for one with a reversible option or other anti-blocking mechanism.
Finally, how about a chain-saw? Used to cut down trees, lop branches and cut fi rewood, they are much faster than an axe, but should only be used when wearing appropriate safety gear.
Now, where did I put that tub of Marmite? To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e.
the.wire@btinternet.com
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