Maintaining your garden

Your new home may have the benefit of a garden with grass. This needs care to allow it to bed in and become an established lawn. This can take up to two years, so:

• Please stay off newly laid turf for at least four to six weeks, especially if it’s been laid in wet conditions or in the winter.
• If your lawn was laid in dry conditions, keep it well watered. Water in the morning or evening to avoid it drying out in the sun.
• Wait until roots stabilise the soil before mowing. New turf takes at least one season to settle properly. When you do mow it, don’t cut it too short.
• Feed the lawn each spring (after the last frost) and throughout the summer.
• During the autumn, aerate the lawn with a garden fork, helping healthy root growth and drainage. This can also help prevent leatherjackets (crane fly larvae), which feed on grass roots and stem bases.
• Shrinkage may appear where turf joins. The care tips above will help prevent this, it is not uncommon. 

You may wish to plant shrubs, hedges and trees, but there are a few points we would ask you to bear in mind:

• Most shrubs and trees need little attention once they are established, but should be regularly watered during the first year.
• Newly planted trees should be drenched at least twice a week and more frequently during dry spells.
• Never plant trees too close to your house, as roots may interfere with your foundations. We recommend you seek an expert opinion.
• Also be careful planting doesn’t interfere with drainage or other services.
• Cut back plants during the autumn to improve root growth.
• If you have trees or shrubs overhanging your property, we would recommend that you first discuss this with your neighbour and also consult a tree specialist for advice before taking any action.

We install extensive drainage systems on our developments to clear surface water from roads and pavements. However, it is normal for some areas to become a bit waterlogged in extremely wet weather conditions.

• This isn’t a construction defect and so isn’t covered by your warranty.
• Wait to see if the water drains away of its own accord within a day or so. Please bear in mind that water may take longer to drain away following excessive periods of rainfall.
• If the water is within three metres of your home and doesn’t drain away within a reasonable time, and especially if you experience prolonged flooding in that area near to your home, please contact us to discuss the matter.
• Water pooling more than three metres from your home is not covered by your warranty.

Making home improvements such as installing patios, block-paving or other impermeable surfaces in your garden may reduce the rate at which water drains away and make the area more susceptible to waterlogging. 

• The appearance of mushrooms in recently laid turf is not unusual and is not a cause for concern.
• The process of harvesting, transporting and laying new turf can sometimes stimulate the growth of mushrooms. They will most commonly appear during warm and humid conditions and will usually disappear after a few weeks or when the season changes.
• They are unlikely to reappear after the first growing season.
• The mushrooms can be removed by brushing away or mowing the lawn, we would recommend using a collection box to prevent spreading.