Keeping lawn edges neat
Most gardens with a lawn have a long edge where grass meets a border or a path.
That edge is the part a mower leaves behind.
These notes cover the tools people use for it, how often it needs doing, and how to do it safely. They draw on advice from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Electrical Safety First and Recycle Your Electricals.
Tools for edging
The RHS suggests a half-moon edging tool for cutting a fresh line in the turf. You push the blade down and lift away a thin sliver of grass.
Edging shears then trim the grass that hangs over that line. Shears with long or telescopic handles suit taller gardeners.
Some lawns have corners too tight for a mower. The RHS says these can be cut with lawn shears or a strimmer.
Wood or metal edging helps a lawn keep its shape. It also makes the edge easier to trim.
How often to trim
The RHS advises trimming the edges with shears after each mow. When grass is growing fast, that can be once a week.
Redefining the edge once a year makes the regular trim easier. Winter is a good time for it, because the garden is quieter.
If your soil stays wet in winter, wait until it dries. Working on wet soil squashes it and can damage the lawn. A wooden board to stand on helps if the soil is only slightly damp.
A drop of about 7.5cm from lawn to border keeps plants off the grass. It also stops grass creeping into the border.
Using shears well
Sharp shears give a cleaner cut and are easier to use.
Hold them upright, with the blades beside the lawn edge. Keep the lower handle steady and move the upper one.
Take small steps sideways and let each cut overlap the last. Look back afterwards for any tufts you missed.
Rake the clippings into small piles for the compost heap.
Powered trimmers and safety
Electrical Safety First says to use a residual current device (RCD) with all outdoor electrical equipment. An RCD protects you from an electric shock if a product is faulty or a lead gets cut. If your fusebox has no RCD built in, you can use a plug-in one.
Keep track of where the cable is while you work. Extension leads and cable reels should be made for outdoor use, and a reel should be fully unwound.
Switch off and unplug a tool before you clean, adjust or check it.
For strimming, the RHS advises full protective gear. That means steel toe cap boots, heavy-duty gloves and safety goggles.
Wildlife in the long grass
Long grass can hide wildlife, such as hedgehogs.
The RHS asks gardeners to check long grass for wildlife before strimming.
Some people leave a strip of lawn uncut for a while. The RHS describes No Mow May, where mowing stops in early May so wild flowers can bloom for pollinating insects.
Old tools and batteries
Recycle Your Electricals says anything with a plug, battery or cable can be reused or recycled. Its locator lists almost 30,000 places to take old electricals.
Batteries should never go in the household bin. Hidden batteries inside electricals can start fires when they are crushed in bin lorries and at recycling centres.
If you buy a second-hand trimmer, you can search the government's list of product recalls first.