This May bank Holiday Monday is forecast to be the hottest since records began. So, this weekend is the perfect time to get out into the garden for a spot of gardening and sun worshipping.
However, many of us are clueless when it comes to gardening. Researchers found that killing grass with paddling pools and trampolines, cutting through cable on lawn mowers and killing plants by overwatering them, are among the common gardening faux pas Brits are set to fall victim of this month.
In fact, a recent poll found nearly one in twenty (4 percent) of gardeners have managed to kill off fish in their pond, while nearly one in ten have blown off the petals from their flowers from excessive power washing. A quarter of the 1,500 homeowners surveyed by
Fiskars said their dog had completely ruined their grass and shrubs by peeing all over them. more than one in five (21 percent) said they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to tending to their garden,
Our children running riot in the garden (11 percent), a lack of knowledge (18 percent) and not having the right equipment (17 percent) emerged as the reasons we don’t have pristine gardens – with 18 percent saying they wish they had brand new garden tools to help them get their outdoor spaces in shape.
The average Brit will spend £447 this year on their outdoor space, however 15 percent have rusty and unloved garden tools propped up against the garden fence, while 7 percent of us have an old lawn mower slowly rusting in a forgotten corner of the garden.
Other common mishaps include, ripping up flowers thinking they are weeds (23 percent) and planting out of season (22 percent). while 9 percent said they simply don’t know the difference between flowers and weeds.
TOP 20 MOST COMMON GARDENING CALAMATIES
1. Overwatering 32 percent
2. Dog or cat pee killing a plant 25 percent
3. Ripping up flowers thinking they were weeds 22 percent
4. Planting out of season 22 percent
5. Killing the grass with a paddling pool 21 percent
6. Forgetting to water high-up hanging baskets 20 percent
7. Killing the grass with a trampoline 17 percent
8. Chopped a tree / hedge too far back 13 percent
9. Cut through a cable on a hedge trimmer or mower 12 percent
10. Watered plastic / fake plants 10 percent
11. Strimming without a line in the strimmer 10 percent
12. Power washing petals off the flowers 8 percent
13. Painted a fence with the wrong type of paint / varnish 8 percent
14. Standing on an upturned rake 8 percent
15. Putting weed killer on the lawn instead of pathways 8 percent
16. Laying an uneven patio 7 percent
17. Buying too many gnomes / garden ornaments 6 percent
18. Planting trees too close to the house 5 percent
19. Killing fish in the pond 4 percent
20. Mowing the lawn with no blade in the mower 3 percent
When it comes to where we get our gardening advice from, 29 percent of us turn to the internet, with 17 percent of us watching YouTube videos for hints and tips. A further 8percent lean over the garden fence and ask neighbours for advice.
Despite the disasters, the average Brit spends 12 hours a week out in the garden during the summer months and as many as 85 percent are determined to roll up our sleeves and get outdoors.
