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GREAT

OUTDOORS

Pretty in pink

Better known as the
Guernsey lily, Nerine
bowdenii produce
silvery pink flowers on
PLANT sturdy green stems
OF THE throughout the
WEEK summer. They’re ideal
for pots or borders,
grow to 60cm and naturalise when
undisturbed. Order a pack of 10 for £9.99
or buy 30 for £19.98. Order online at shop.
express.co.uk/EXP348, call 0871 644 1469,
or send a cheque made payable to Express
Newspapers to Express Offer EXP348,
14 Hadfield Street, Old Trafford, UP THE GARDEN PATH
Manchester M16 9FG.

Walk this way hen the weather is bad your natural stride – you do not want to be doing
and the ground beneath
an impersonation of a regimental sergeant major
Rode Hall’s highly-rated your feet is as soggy as legging it across the parade ground on a daily
Snowdrop Walks start Wyour morning Weetabix, basis, so position them where they hit your
today and continue until you will quickly discover the most footfall in a relaxed and easy walk.
March 4. There are well-traversed routes in your Square or rectangular slabs can be laid in a
ALAN
more than 70 varieties of TITCHMARSH garden. In summer they are less symmetrical arc if the path is to be curved, or else
BY DEBORAH STONE. DEBORAH.STONE@EXPRESS.CO.UK * CALLS COST 10P FROM A BT LANDLINE PHOTOGRAPHS: GAP PHOTOS
snowdrops to see on the noticeable, for the grass grows rapidly even when staggered and evenly spaced so that their edges
mile-long routes through you walk over it with increasing regularity are parallel to each other. Crazy paving should be
the Old Wood and Wild (non-league football matches apart), but in laid so that your foot lands on the centre of each
Garden. And today winter with grass growth at a standstill it is not slab where your weight will be evenly distributed.
there’s a long before the greensward turns to mud on When you are happy with the positioning of
Snowdrop Farmers’ Market at the regularly traversed routes. the slabs you can set about cutting them into the
Cheshire estate, in Scholar Now it is no earthly good telling turf. Go around each with a half-moon iron or a
Green, with more than 70 THIS WEEK yourself that you will not walk that spade, or else use an old kitchen knife to cut
indoor and outdoor stalls PLANNING SOME EARLY way for a while, since it is human down into the turf to the depth of the slab. Dig
selling seasonal crafts. SOWINGS? COVER SOIL FOR A nature to take the shortest route out each patch of turf and slot each slab into
Call 01270 873237 or COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH A LARGE from A to B. No; what you need position so that it sits fractionally below the level
SHEET OF CLEAR POLYTHENE, HELD
go to rodehall.co.uk. to do over the next few weeks is of the lawn. This will allow the mower to pass
DOWN WITH WOOD OR BRICKS.
to make sure that the most over the top without the blades hiting the stone.
THIS WILL WARM THE SOIL AND
frequently used pathways through
Have a bucket of sharp sand handy to bed the
ENCOURAGE RAPID your garden are as all-weather slabs into position and stop them wobbling.
Square deal GERMINATION. friendly as they can be. Once the job is done you will have an instant
This set of two square planters If you always walk across the lawn in all-weather pathway that will replace that
are made from robust pinewood and the same place, sink stepping-stones nasty muddy trench that you thought
make an attractive and useful addition into the grass. It’s an easy thing to do. “ARRANGE was going to be there forever, and
to your garden or On a day when the lawn is THE SLABS SO your temper will be far more
conservatory. not squelchy, lay your even as a result.
Order now for slabs out in a pleasing but THAT THEY SUIT THE Don’t miss Alan’s gardening
£74.99 (plus £4.95 practical pattern from the LENGTH OF YOUR column today and Tip Of The
UK mainland p&p) place where you will set Day every weekday in the Daily
by calling 01483 off to the place where you NATURAL STRIDE” Express. For more information on
204562, quoting will arrive. Arrange them so his range of gardening products
code EXT1532. that they suit the length of ALAN TITCHMARSH visit alantitchmarsh.com

SATURDAY MAGAZINE 63