Spring

And here we are, in March! And more specifically, it is the 20th March, the official FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

Well, what a relief it is to finally be bidding goodbye to winter. Why IS IT that winter lasts for several years? As I pondered this, and marvelled at the new life that is forming now that winter is retreating, a poem began to form in my mind, so I jotted it down and added it to this blog:

The season has started and DEGS is already very busy, March has seen us carrying out lots of first lawn cuts for both existing and new clients. Dave has also cut our lawns twice, with only a few days between them as our grass grows very fast. As everyone is well aware, we have had a LOT of rain, and our advice is, if it is spongy, boggy, and wet underfoot, then don’t mow your lawn until there have been a few dry days. The basic rule we apply is, if you can walk on your lawn and it feels firm underfoot, then you can put your mower on it - but don’t be tempted to make your first cut very short. Just nip off up to one third of the grass’s length, that will be ideal, as cutting it too short can damage the lawn.

A few of our First cuts - March 2024

As I mentioned in my poem, Dave has completed our sixth and final raised bed, and with all that rich fertiliser in the form of horse manure, we should have a bountiful harvest. I’ll come back to this later on in the season.

Interesting point - as well as today being the first day of spring, the International Day of Happiness is also celebrated on 20th March each year. So many people find that their gardens, and working in their gardens makes them happy. This is unsurprising when we learn that serotonin and dopamine - the two important chemicals that keep us happy by boosting our immune systems - have been recognised as environmental triggers that happen IN THE GARDEN! Dopamine, helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centres, and regulates emotional responses, enabling us not only to see rewards, but also to take action to move towards them. Researchers found that dopamine is released in the brain when we harvest products from the garden. It’s similar to the biological process that occurs in addiction or compulsive shopping. Just think about it - picking what you have grown yourself could be a natural alternative to a shopping spree! So there you have it, get out in your gardens, and enjoy them. And if you need help, we are only a phone call or an email away.

I’ll be back soon, with more news for you all.