THEY SAY

Holm Oak as bus shelter. Ben Johnson Garden Machinery, good for the EGO

Avoid the rocketing fuel costs and cut your grass the EGO way. The Ego Z6 has a 42” cut, with zero turn. The promotion offer available at Ben Johnsons means it comes with 15amp battery power, which is enough to cut approx 1250sq meters. At a 42” cut it’s extremely quick, with various cutting speeds, and side discharge or mulching options.

It even comes with cup-holders and a phone charging point, as well as cool LED lights!

The same batteries fit all Ego products, see the full range of lawn mowers, hand held and power products at Ben Johnson Garden Machinery of Shaftesbury.

places while still small enough to take the shock of being moved.

Only yesterday, Luca and I were clearing the veg plot - he too was very busy digging, in the right place this time, till fatigue overwhelmed him and he lay down for a rest which was very companionable of him, while I kept finding small hawthorns and young hollies tucked in underneath clumps of forget-menots, the former now shoved into the new hedge line. Thank you to the birds for spreading the seeds!

There is an odd feeling this Spring that winter hasn’t really happened yet so heed the warning I gave last month about our increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. The geraniums are out of the greenhouse now though they will need to be a bit protected in order not to have their new young foliage crushed by snow! Seeds can go in with abundance provided there is somewhere to plant the results! Moss has been raked off the lawn though not yet finished, there is more to come; the piles were heaped up along the back hedge and have since been carefully sorted by the birds. It may provide bedding for nest building along with Luca’s fine grooming surplus! I am at least grateful that early cutting back and pruning of the hydrangeas has not left them grumpy with frost damage and they are all covered with promising buds.

Keep an eye on local providers of bedding plants and particularly veggie options as they sell fast and are a better choice for smaller gardens if you only want half a dozen of something rather than growing from seed and ending up with 500!

Perhaps after April has passed, we can all relax a little with regard to what weather might come our way; when small plants are better established, they can stand up to unexpected variations on the theme of rain, wind and snow. Fingers crossed for a good growing season!!

April veg plate. The EGO Z6 has a 42” cut with zero turn and is available at Ben Johnson Garden Machinery, Shaftesbury.

Full ground preparation and laying service available

The Farmhouse, Somerton Door, SOMERTON, TA11 6JA Tel/Fax: 01458 272091

www.evergreen-turf.co.uk • info@evergreen-turf.co.uk

Hunt Forest Group

Hunt Forest Group offer years of experience providing sales and support to the Agricultural, Professional Turf, Construction and Homeowner industries as the largest John Deere dealership in the South and South West. The branch at Sparkford specialises in Professional Turf and Homeowner products.

With a huge portfolio of John Deere ride-on mowers from lawn tractors to the more agile ZTrak zero-turn mower. They also have a wide variety of battery and petrol-powered machines on display from Stihl & Husqvarna in their purpose-built showroom. With an extensive range of strimmer’s, brush cutters, chainsaws and leaf blowers customers can be sure they have a product solution for any task.

Backed up by their in-branch parts department, they stock a wide range of wearing parts and consumables. Their service technicians can offer winter check-ups, mower servicing, blade sharpening and a plethora of other service options to ensure your machinery is kept in top condition.

Inside the Hunt Forest Group Sparkford Branch. Moggs of Wells (Engineering) Ltd, Shepton Mallet

Moggs of Wells (Engineering) Ltd came to be based at Cannards Grave, Shepton Mallet in 2008, selling, servicing and repairing all types of garden machinery.

Over the years the choice of machines available has increased considerably, so rather than presenting what may often seem a bewildering choice their aim is to offer what they consider to be the best products, and particular emphasis is given to those manufactured in Great Britain.

You will therefore see a selection of Westwood garden tractors, in 2 wheel and 4 wheel drive, capable of cutting not only long field grass using a very sturdy high grass cutting deck, but also finely kept lawns, combined with their unique grass sweeper system capable of collecting damp cuttings without clogging.

These machines have a wealth of features to make mowing larger areas a pleasure instead of a chore, and come with a choice of engines (mainly Kawasaki), and different size cutter decks ranging from 36” to 50” cutting widths for either mulching or grass collection. They even come with a full 3 years’ warranty.

Moving on, one can see the classic Hayter Harrier roller drive rotary mower, a concept first introduced by Hayter would you believe back in the 1960’s, updated over the years, and most recently just last year, the range now comprising some 12 different versions, starting with a 16”cutting width, through 19” right up to 22”, with 3 versions particularly aimed at the professional user. Engines used vary from Briggs & Stratton, Loncin and Honda, and for domestic use the Harriers have a 5 year warranty.

As an alternative there are the

Moggs of Wells stock a wide range of garden machinery including ride-on mowers. Masport machines from New Zealand, which, having a similar climate to our own, have therefore been designed to cope with similar conditions (e.g. wet grass!)

If you need a chainsaw, hedge trimmer or brushcutter, there is the magnificent range from Echo in Japan, beautifully engineered to give long-lasting performance, as evidenced by their 5 year domestic warranty (2 years for professional use).

Finally, there are zero-turn ride-on machines from Ariens now being built in Britain, which have amazing agility and can really reduce the time taken to cut any area of grass, but most especially when manoeuvring around objects.

All of these machines can be serviced and repaired in a comprehensively equipped workshop staffed by two knowledgeable engineers, both having attained Briggs & Stratton Master Service Technician status (probably the best qualification in the industry).

Spring in the Garden with Julie at Sandhurst Garden Design

At last spring is here and time to enjoy the seasonal bulbs you planted last autumn, now looking glorious in the April sunshine.

Last year as a nation we saw a huge increase in the popularity of our gardens and outdoor spaces, recognising the sanctuary they offer and the benefits for our wellbeing and mental health, with one statistic stating the overall spend for ‘all things gardening’ had risen 70% during the pandemic.

I have noticed with current garden design enquiries there is a real desire for colourful borders and raised beds by clients wanting to grow their own fruit and veg for the family to enjoy. This positive trend is here to stay, with the realisation of the wellknown saying:

‘Homegrown tastes best,’ being far from a myth!

If you are planning a new garden design project or thinking about updating your garden borders, then visit my website at www.sandhurstgardendesign. co.uk.

Yenstone Walling

Yenstone Walling is a family run business based in South Somerset, offering a professional and reliable service with a smile where both small and large jobs are undertaken.

These include all types of stone walling and paving including boundary walls, retaining walls, garden features / projects, cladding of existing buildings / structures, steps, insurance work, lime and mortared walls, repairs, contemporary / traditional stone cladding and landscaping.

Two examples of work completed by Yenstone Walling & Landscaping.