All articles by Gareth Whitfield on the website - grantfencingandlandscaping.co.uk

Gareth Whitfield

Gareth Whitfield is a fencing and landscaping specialist with over 18 years’ experience designing, installing and maintaining secure, practical outdoor spaces across the UK. His expertise includes timber and composite fencing, garden clearance, paving, turfing and bespoke landscaping, with a particular interest in durable materials and environmentally considerate garden solutions.

Person sowing clover seeds into prepared soil in a garden with a watering can nearby.

Microclover for Lawns: The Secret Against Bare Patches

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

After winter, a lawn mercilessly reveals every weak point: bare patches, yellow areas and worn tracks. Rather than once again...

Young woman planting a garden gnome beside a newly planted tree in a backyard with a man and older woman standing in the back

The Magnolia, the Garden Gnome and the Mother-in-Law

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

A new home, a first garden of their own, a long-held dream – and a mother-in-law convinced she knows best....

Person planting a clay watering pot in a raised vegetable garden bed with basil plants and tools nearby.

Underground Watering Method: Save Up to 60% Water with Ollas and Bottles

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

The hose lies lazily across the grass, the sun beats down, and the only sound is the gentle gurgle of...

Hands pinching a young green plant cutting by flowering hibiscus plants on a windowsill.

Hibiscus in March: the 3-second technique for more flowers

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

Many hibiscus owners will recognise the pattern: a few flowers at the top, bare stems below, and long, slender shoots...

Person kneeling on grass pulling a large root out of the soil with gardening tools nearby in a backyard.

Nutsedge Control in Lawns and Gardens

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

Nutsedge, known in English as “nutsedge”, may look like an innocuous type of grass, yet it spreads discreetly through underground...

Girl planting colourful flower seeds in a garden bed beside blooming pansies and a watering can

Action flower seed mix for 0.39 euros brings colour to the garden

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

After weeks of grey winter weather, anyone craving colour no longer needs to set aside a large budget. An inexpensive...

Woman picking a ripe red strawberry in a garden with a watering can and containers of sugar nearby.

Yeast Fertiliser for Strawberries: Large, Flavoursome Berries

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

A modest blend of yeast, water and sugar is currently making the rounds among gardeners. Prepared correctly, it can turn...

Person planting a young palm tree in a raised garden bed with gardening tools nearby.

Windmill Palm Trachycarpus fortunei: an exotic highlight for your garden

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

Many garden owners are already thinking about winter protection and leaf blowers by late August. Yet this is precisely the...

Person pouring clear liquid from a bottle onto moss in a garden with salt in a glass bowl nearby.

Bicarbonate of Soda for Moss and Weeds in Winter

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

Many property owners leave the green growth in joints between paving stones, slabs and across the patio untouched for months....

Person harvesting steaming morel mushrooms from a raised garden bed with apples in bowls nearby.

Growing Morels with Wood Ash and Apple Pomace in Your Garden

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

An unremarkable kitchen leftover could now change that. Every year, mushroom enthusiasts head into the woods and return without the...

Young person watering potted plants on a sunny balcony with city buildings in the background.

North-Facing Balcony: What Really Grows in the Shade

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

Rain lashes sideways against the windowpane as you look out at a balcony that resembles a storage cupboard more than...

Hands cracking nuts into a bowl with a potted plant, jar of nuts, and lit candle on a wooden table outside.

Nut Shells: Clever Uses for the Garden, Home and Decoration

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

They offer a wealth of uses in the garden, around the home and for decoration. Anyone who regularly cracks walnuts...

Person kneeling on grass, holding soil over a pile with two metal buckets and a coffee mug nearby.

Coffee Grounds for the Lawn: A Natural Alternative to Chemical Fertiliser

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

After winter, a look at the lawn in spring often reveals brown patches, sparse blades and bare areas. Chemical lawn...

A young boy examines a tree stump with a magnifying glass while a robin perches on top in a colourful garden.

Why You Should Leave a Tree Stump in Your Garden

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

In many gardens, a grey tree stump protrudes from the lawn, a reminder of the felled tree that interrupts the...

Woman watering and tending to potted plants on a sunny terrace with purple flowers in the background

Bougainvillea not flowering: the watering mistake behind the green monster

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

The plant looks healthy, shoots upwards at speed and its pot is always well watered. Yet it stubbornly stays green....

Person using garden scissors to trim young plants in a wooden raised bed on a sunny day in spring.

Gardening in March: 5 Jobs You Should Avoid

Gareth Whitfield • September 20, 2026

Many amateur gardeners spend the whole winter waiting for the first mild days. As soon as the sun appears, they...

Person wearing gloves spreading fertiliser or plant treatment powder in a gravel garden bed with plants.

Washing Powder as a Weedkiller for Gravel Paths

Gareth Whitfield • September 19, 2026

Weeds are shooting up through the gravel, your back aches from weeding, and you do not want to use chemicals...

Man trimming a bush with electric shears near a bird's nest with eggs in a sunny garden.

When Should You Trim a Hedge? Protecting Birds and Wildlife

Gareth Whitfield • September 19, 2026

Many amateur gardeners face the same question in March: can the hedge still be trimmed now, or could it harm...

Person scrubbing a metal bucket with a brush on a sunlit balcony with potted plants and a watering can.

Clean Your Patio With Soft Soap After Winter

Gareth Whitfield • September 19, 2026

After winter, a favourite outdoor spot can look more like a neglected driveway than a comfortable place to unwind. Before...

Person arranging yellow tulips in a vase on a wooden table by a window with natural light.

Tulip Needle Trick: Keep Vase Tulips Upright for Longer

Gareth Whitfield • September 19, 2026

A simple needle trick is said to solve the problem within seconds. This was put to the test in a...

Person gardening, placing leaves into a metal bucket beside a shrub with spotted leaves and garden tools.

Black spots on Photinia: the natural remedy before spring

Gareth Whitfield • September 19, 2026

During winter in particular, the red new growth of Photinia brings colour to otherwise bleak gardens. It is therefore all...