Meet the Team – Kieran

As the seasons change, we caught up with Kieran to answer some of the most common questions we receive, ranging from autumn lawn care to essential gardening tools. He also shares his favourite houseplants and gives us a glimpse into a typical day at the Garden Centre.

What does a typical day look like to you at the Garden Centre?

Every day at the garden centre is different for me and that’s what makes it interesting. I’m usually looking at the operations of the business and how technology can improve our efficiency and productivity to bring a better experience to our customers. This can be anything from how our tills and card machines run, to our back-end ordering systems. I’m usually called upon for technical support across the site.

Alongside this, I order a range of products for the functional gardening side of our shop from water features and furniture to plant feeds and tools.

Do you have a favourite house plant, and do you have any top tips for it?

My favourite houseplant is the Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera Deliciosa). The Monstera is very versatile and a great first-time plant. This is because they can be reasonably forgiving if you occasionally forget to water them. 

On the whole, they prefer to be watered once the top couple of inches of soil are visibly dry. This can be more in the summer and less in the winter, but is also dependent on the position in your home. As a rule of thumb, I would check if they need watering once a week during the summer and once every two weeks during the cooler winter months. 

Monstera prefers bright, indirect sunlight. Once established, the new growth will become larger and start to form the classic splits in the leaves. This is usually from around the two to three-year mark. These splits are to make the plant more efficient by allowing light to get to the leaves that are lower down.

Is there a gardening tool you couldn’t live without?

This would have to be edging shears because no matter how close you get to the edge of the lawn with the mower there always seems to be a strip that it won’t quite reach.

Do you have a fun fact about yourself?

I carved my initials into the concrete footings of one of our glasshouses when I was 5 years old, and you can still see them there today.

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Our frequently asked questions on Lawn Care & Gardening Tools:

What is the best way to fix brown patches in the lawn?

Now is one of the best times of the year to fix brown patches in your lawn as the temperature throughout September is usually perfect for germinating seed. I would start by raking out the brown patch and removing as much of the dead grass as possible. 

The next step would be to rough up the ground and add a small amount of topsoil before seeding over the patch. 

The best seed to use will depend on your garden:

If you have a shady garden, I recommend Miracle-Gro’s Shady Lawn Seed as this will require much less light to start germinating. For most other cases where there are reasonable light levels, try Miracle-Gro Multi-Purpose Lawn Seed. However, if you are running out of time and have left it a little late, Miracle-Gro Fast Grass will germinate quickly. 

After seeding, the last step is to cover the seed with a light dusting of topsoil and gently compact it down. This will help prevent the seeds from being washed away when watering them in. The lawn seed should be kept damp for the next couple of weeks, watching out for any warmer spells that will dry the soil out. 

Results can vary depending on conditions but you can expect to see green shoots within two weeks, sometimes even sooner. The new grass can be mowed around the 6 to 8 week mark once established.

Should you feed the lawn over the Autumn/Winter period?

This is a good time of year to rejuvenate your lawn. I would recommend switching from a general 4in1 weed and feed to a more tailored Autumn/Winter feed for your lawn. The main product I recommend is the Miracle-Gro Autumn Lawn Feed. Autumn feed has a higher level of phosphorus which will help to strengthen the roots rather than putting growth onto the top of the grass. The stronger roots will help the grass to survive colder and wetter conditions.

What are the benefits of scarifying the lawn?

The main benefit of scarifying your lawn is that it will help to remove the dead and thatched grass in the lawn. This leads to both higher airflow and light levels for emerging shoots so that you get a healthier greener lawn in the spring. 

It’s always best to scarify your lawn on a fairly dry day after a fresh cut. A couple of days after this would be the best time to feed your lawn.

What is the difference between bypass and anvil pruner?

The main difference between bypass and anvil pruners is the way that they cut and what they should be used for. A bypass pruner has two blades that cut in a similar way to scissors which makes them perfect for cutting more delicate green stems of plants but can also be used for slightly thicker material. Anvil should be used when the stems are more woody, mainly shrubs and smaller, thinner tree branches. They have one single blade that cuts against a flat piece of metal in more of a crushing motion. For this reason, you should avoid using them on plants that require a clean and precise cut.

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