Labour Saving Gardening (part 5)

I must confess that I am most definitely not a "gadget man", however, I do know plenty, not least of whom is my younger brother! If he were a keen gardener I am sure he would have the all the latest gizmos (def: any advanced technological device, usually pointless and/or confusing).

But, if you desire to be a labour efficient gardener then having the right equipment is absolutely essential. For instance, it is now quite an affordable proposition to buy a robot to mow your lawn. Robomow RX12U can be purchased on line for under £500. Robots are, though, somewhat limited in their use. I am not sure they could cope with the steps between the areas of lawn in the Pennine garden, they do need electronic guide posts to be positioned and I suspect their maintenance in the event of a breakdown will be that much more complex than mending my basic hover!

Alternatively, for the terrain in our garden a traditional mower with roller would simply not be practical. Nice stripes look lovely but you really need a well laid strip of grass with reasonable accessibility. For steep slopes even wheeled mowers can be difficult, hence the choice for me is limited to the hover.

The top tip then is to use the right equipment.

Using the right equipment is not just about the amount of tools in your shed. For instance, your secateurs and shears will do a poor and inefficient job if they are not sharpened and oiled regularly. Your spade must be the right size and weight for you to use comfortably (I suspect we all have a favourite spade). But if you want to do a good job as well as save time, some specialized equipment is a good investment. For example, to edge your lawn neatly it is a good idea to pick up a half moon cutter, lopping shears can make short work of heavy duty pruning, and a tank or hand pump sprayer (5 litre) will help you apply your neem oil more efficiently....... and they do not need a little green light to show that they are working!