Home & Garden

54 The West Dorset Magazine, October 21, 2022 Homes & Gardens Silver medal is a blooming good effort

Weymouth has done blooming well to win a silver gilt medal in the national Britain in Bloom Business Improvement District (BID) competition. We Are Weymouth BID worked with town centre volunteers and Dorset Council to prepare the town for inspection by competition judges earlier this year. A BID spokesperson said judges were shown improved floral displays at the town’s harbourside as well as hanging baskets, floral boat installations, the quayside regeneration and sculpture trail on a ‘fantastic’ route around the town. The spokesperson added that the judges’ criteria included ‘horticultural excellence, environmental responsibility and community participation’ with special mention given to Greenhill Gardens in the category for best municipal gardens.

BASKET CASE: Some of Weymouth’s floral decorations

32, North Street, Beaminster, DT8 3DY. ( 01308 861144 beaminstersheds.co.uk

A family-run business established more than 29 years ago, offering a huge range of sheds and outbuildings, including:

FREE local delivery & erection of garden buildings

l Bike sheds, dustbin stores and log storage l Sheds to suit all budgets & uses, from hobbies to workshops l Garages & carports l Summerhouses & home offices l Playhouses l Beach huts l Field shelters & stables l Poultry housing, dog houses, kennels & runs l Garden gates l Fencing l Bespoke buildings

DRAINS BRAIN: Darren Norwood of Valley Drains Reliable drainage is in the pipeline

Armed with specialist drainage equipment, cameras and up-to-date knowledge of sewage legislation, Darren Norwood from Compton Valence has taken the plunge and launched his own drainage firm. With a decade of experience gained at Wessex Water, followed by years working for private drainage companies, Darren decided in August 2021 to launch Valley Drains to offer his community a trustworthy, reliable, and friendly local service which is both cost effective and informative. And Darren offers a 24-hour emergency call out service for residents and larger organisations such as pubs or clubs. “Legislation for sewer has changed since 2011 and there are many rules and laws which govern drains. I know the law thus am able to inform the customer if the drain or manhole belongs to them or the larger water company. “This information saves people time and money,” said Darren. “When people Google drainage companies, most of the top ones are national companies,” said Darren. “I am local and will cover Dorset and Somerset, and because it is just me, I don’t have the larger overheads so am able to keep costs down. “It is really reassuring for residents to have a local, reliable drainage expert on hand in case they have problems with blocked drains, inside or outside their home.” Darren said: “Valley Drains provide an emergency service when you are suffering from a blocked or urgent drain issue. “We respond quickly and deal with your problems in a professional manner. “We also provide maintenance and all kinds of drain repair in the Dorset and Somerset region. And with more than 25 years of experience Valley Drains will get your blocked drains fixed fast. I operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Staff at Valley Drains are fully trained and experienced in the domestic, commercial and water authority sectors. Ring Darren at Valley Drains on 07958 335973.

Mr Groves' most splendid Christmas Extravaganza is now open...

Wooden nutcrackers

Groves Nurseries, Bridport grovesnurseries.co.uk

Gorgeous gonks

Huge lighting display

56 The West Dorset Magazine, October 21, 2022 Homes & Gardens x Horticulture...

...with botanist Dr Dave Aplin

Born and bred in West Dorset, Dave has worked in horticulture and botany locally and internationally, notably in Belgium, Jordan and the UAE. He brings a wealth of practical knowledge with its underlying principles to his writing Sprigging the secret behind UAE lawns

Speak to almost any gardener, professional or otherwise and they will tell you there are two methods to establish a lawn: laying turf and sowing seed. When working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) I learnt a third way, known as sprigging. We relocated to the UAE to develop a botanic garden for the Ruler of Sharjah, Sharjah being one of the seven emirates comprising the UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi are others, and perhaps more familiar). The role was wide-ranging and included locating a suitable site, defining the scope of the garden and selecting architects such as Grimshaw, renowned for impressive developments such as the Eden Project. During my first few months I drove past workers undertaking various and unfamiliar stages of lawn creation, but on each occasion, it was beside a motorway or busy junction where it was impossible to stop safely, take a closer look, and document the activity. Eventually I had my chance to view the different stages of this activity up close. The process of sprigging begins by removing thatch, the matted layer of creeping stems (stolons), dead grass and moss that gradually accumulates in all lawns. This process is known as scarifying and will be familiar to many as it is commonly done by those with a particular passion to tend their lawns. In Sharjah, large tractormounted scarifiers deposit thatch on the grass ready for collection. A tractor-driven rotating brush throws the thatch onto the back of a truck. The vital element of the thatch for developing new lawns are the severed creeping stems. This process is time critical, as anyone who has heaped grass into a pile will know, because mown grass heats up quickly (especially under the desert sun) to temperatures that would kill any living part of the thatch. The thatch is deposited in small heaps at the site where a new lawn is needed. This area is previously prepared by placing many small piles of sand, resembling small termite mounds. Then an 80-strong team of labourers grabbed armfuls of the thatch and scatter it evenly across the site. Once done, other labourers take sand from the piles and lightly cover the thatch until the site is complete. A hand-operated roller is then pushed over the area firming the sand and the thatch. Finally, an underground watering system ascends and the site is watered. Within a few weeks, and with frequent irrigation, this area of desert is transformed into a soft green baize. The grass used in Sharjah is Paspalum grass (Paspalum vaginatum). It has several traits that make it perfect for ornamental lawns in a hot climate. It produces stolons suitable for sprigging, tolerates temperatures into the mid40 degrees Celsius and has good tolerance to high salinity allowing municipal grey water to be used with minimal pre-treatment. The process of sprigging is very labour-intensive, and I suspect sowing grass seeds could be a more costeffective solution.

HIGH ROLLERS: Creating lawns in hot climates is tricky

Plant of the week:

White dead nettle Lamium album

White dead nettle is starting to bloom and will remain in flower for much of winter. At first glance this herbaceous plant resembles the stinging nettle but is an unrelated species that lacks stinging hairs. It mimics true nettles to help gain protection from grazing animals. It has other discriminating features, including white hooded flowers and square stems. These provide an important and reliable source of autumn and winter nectar for a host of long-tongued insects including various bees and moths.