I’ve had several garden swimming pools over the years, from a smaller 6ft inflatable single ring pool from Intex to a larger 12ft framed pool from Bestway and a smaller 8ft framed pool. I’ve talked about my experiences with garden swimming pools here. However, one investment I wished I’d made sooner was getting a decent pool heater. Once I did, the kids couldn’t wait to get in. In my review, I will discuss my thoughts…
Over the past 15 years, I’ve owned several above ground garden swimming pools, from Bestway framed pools to the Intex pool with the inflatable ring I purchased a couple of years back and everything in between. I’ve already talked about my experience with garden swimming pools here and how I heat my outdoor pools, more recently with a solar heater that connects the outlet on the filter pump and the return hose to the pool.…
When it comes to lawn care, I’ve learnt a lot over the past 20 years of lawn maintenance as part of my family’s nursery in Manchester and my garden maintenance business I did until a couple of years ago. What I can tell you is that the perfect lawn starts with a decent lawn mower; maybe you even have a lawn scarifier to remove all that moss and thatch, and you’ve treated your lawn with…
I’ve tested and reviewed many garden furniture pieces over the years to see which truly offers the most relaxing experience. I’m a big fan of garden hammocks, zero gravity chairs, and even egg chairs. However, when it comes to relaxing with a loved one, in my case, my wife, having a love seat is hard to beat, especially if you like to have a drink or read a good book. Don’t get me wrong, I…
Over the last twenty-odd years, I’ve used many of the best watering hose spray guns and longer watering lances. I’ve worked in my family’s horticultural nursery for over 20 years, so I have much experience. The watering spray guns we use around the nursery differ from what I use at home. Because of this, I’ve included both types in my personalised guide. Basiclly, the watering lances we use in the nursery daily are also perfect…
My eldest daughter is now almost 13, and my youngest is now 6 years old, and over the years, I’ve owned quite a few of the best kid’s playhouses over the last 12 years. These include both plastic and wooden playhouses of various sizes, from standard single-story children’s playhouses with large windows and accessories such as this SMOBY Kids Garden Playhouse to raised playhouses on stilts with additional slides and ladders to reach the playhouse…
When it comes to relaxing in the garden on your patio, the UK is not exactly known for its warm summer evening, and temperatures often drop off as we enter the evening. If you are anything like me, as soon as that sun goes down, I can’t stand being sat out in the cold. This is where the best table top patio heaters have proved very valuable. For me, tabletop patio heaters have proved a…
I’ve had many different mini greenhouses over the years to extend my growing space in my garden, from traditional aluminium greenhouses with polycarbonate or glass panes to wooden mini greenhouses and even plastic mini greenhouses with PE woven material. Let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of these types of greenhouses. My family also own a garden centre nursery in Manchester, so I know how to appreciate a well-designed greenhouse when it comes to…
Over the years, I’ve used my fair share of concrete breakers, mainly while doing building work at my family’s garden centre in Manchester over the past 20 years. This included installing new paths where the old concrete paths were, breaking down old display beds made from breeze blocks, as well as tearing up an old concrete and tarmac sales area ready for new pattern concrete to be paid. I’ve also used concrete breakers to break…
My mum and dad have had their family run nursery in Manchester for over 20 years now, and in that time, we’ve assembled around nine different polytunnels of various sizes. I’ve also had a few affordable garden/allotment type polytunnels (the green ones) at my mum’s and dad’s small holding (the grandkids refer to it as ‘the farm’). I like to think because of this, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a good…
