travel & outdoors: Weekend work
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If you have a new lawn in mind, resist the temptation to skimp on preparation. Rake soil several times in different directions to get a level surface. Get rid of all stones and shuffle over the soil in your boots to tread down the surface. Choose a seed mixture to suit the site.
Think about stakes now.. Letting nature take its course is all very well, but nature did not invent top-heavy delphiniums. Single bamboo canes are fine for these cathedral spires. Use twiggy pea sticks for plump plants such as Michaelmas daisies, and tall half-moon stakes for shrub roses such as "Ispahan".
Continue to sow seeds of annuals to flower in the garden this summer. "Full Sun" (Suttons, 95p) is a classic huge yellow sunflower with heads 12in across. "Velvet Queen" (Thompson & Morgan, pounds 1.59) has flowers of a sumptuous mahogany.
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