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Speaking to the owners of the neighbouring properties is recommended. If you are still unsure, you may need to check the original deeds to the property. Generally the rule is that you are responsible for the fence at the right hand side of your property.

Regular maintenance is vital for keeping a garden looking its best. By carrying out regular gardening work, you can ensure that your garden is as functional as possible. Regular garden maintenance work could also save you money, as it is better to detect problems such as overgrown trees or rotten fencing early.

1. Plan your shed base You must have a sturdy base for your shed, otherwise the frame won’t stand properly and could stop the door from opening. Decide whether you’re going to have:
   • A concrete base laid on hardcore
   • Concrete slabs on sharp sand
   • Treated wood beams on hardcore or shingle
   • An interlocking plastic system
   All bases should be laid on firm, level ground as far as possible.
2. Treat wood with preservative To help your shed last as long as possible, you should coat all the wooden parts with timber preservative before you put it together.
3. Put the shed floor together Some will need more assembly than others, but you need to make sure that the floor panel is attached to the joists; follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the correct spacing.
4. Put up the shed walls
   • Mark the centre point of each wall on its bottom edge, then do the same for the shed floor so you can line them up together.
   • Stand the gable end on the base and line it up. Check that it’s vertical with a spirit level – you might need someone to support the panel while you do this. Use a temporary holding batten to keep it in place.
   • Fix a side panel to the gable end panel with countersunk screws, then add the second side panel in the same way.
   Don’t attach the panels to the floor until you’ve fitted your shed roof.
5. Fit the roof
   • If the shed comes with a support bar, put this in position before you put the roof panels in.
   • Nail the roof panels in place, ensuring there’s a parallel and equal overlap at each end.
   • Roll out some roofing felt from front to back, leaving a 50mm overlap at each side. Secure it with clout-headed felt tacks at 100mm intervals.
   • Apply mastic sealant to the outside corners, then fix each corner trim with 30mm nails.
   • Add the fascias and finials, predrilling 2mm holes to avoid splitting the wood. Nail them through the felt into the shed using 40mm nails.
6. Add the shed windows
   • Slide each windowsill into the tongue and groove cut out, then put the window cover strip in position, fixing it to the vertical framing.
   • From inside the shed, put the glazing sheets into the window rebates, making sure the bottom edge of the glazing sheets sit on the outside of the sill.
   • Fix the window beading on the top and sides with 25mm nails.
7. Fix the walls to the floor Before you do anything, make sure you check that the centre marks on the walls line up with the marks on the shed floor. Then fix the wall panels to the floor with 50mm screws, aligning them with the joists.
And that’s it! But if you’re not confident in building a shed yourself, there are plenty of professionals available who will be happy to help.

• The shed doesn’t cover more than 50% of the garden
• It’s not in front of your house
• The shed is single-storey with eaves no higher than 2.5m and the overall height is no taller than 4m for a dual-pitched roof, or 3m for any other type. If it’s located within 2 metres of your property’s boundary, it mustn't be more than 2.5m high
• There’s no veranda or balcony
• The floor area is no bigger than 15m² - up to 30m² may be covered under Permitted Development if other conditions are met
• The shed is for domestic use only by those who live in the property and there’s no sleeping accommodation – that means you can’t run a business from the shed unless you apply for planning permission

• If you live in a listed building, you’ll need Listed Building Consent before you can build a shed in your garden
• If you live in a conservation area or similar, the maximum area of ground covered by outbuildings, pools and enclosures situated more than 20m from any wall of the house mustn’t exceed 10m² if they’re to be considered as a permitted development
• If you own a piece of woodland, you must seek planning permission for any permanent structure
• In Scotland, you’ll need planning permission if any part of the shed comes within 1m of a neighbouring property or is more than 2.5m high
• In Northern Ireland, there are rules about how close your shed can be from a road that passes by the back of your house. It’s best to check for clarification

If you’re thinking about a career in gardening or horticulture, regardless of the aspect there are relevant memberships, accreditations and qualifications available. First and foremost, gardening courses can range from as little as 6 months to a couple of years depending on the level of expertise that you require. Before you can be accepted as a member of a gardener’s association such as The Gardener’s Guild, you must prove to have a minimum of one horticultural qualification at Level two or above. It’s highly recommended that gardeners seek formal training in other to ensure a steady development - both personal and professional.

When it comes to gardening, qualifications are very important. They’ll give your customers the confidence in your commitment to your trade as well as your reliability. Having a qualification in gardening can also make you more efficient as you’ll be able to identify plant properly, know when they flower and need pruning etc, which helps you to effectively manage your time. The skills qualifications you’ll need include LANTRA and City and Guilds/NTPC qualifications which typically includes licenses for the use of horticultural equipment. For instance, if you plant to use a chainsaw, you’ll have to contact them to enquire about local courses. Licenses are a legal requirement in certain events and represents your seriousness when it comes to safety and environment issues.

RHS qualifications are also very popular amongst gardeners in the UK. The RHS courses can be completed at local colleges or through correspondence. Here, there are various modules that specialize in different horticulture topics and can also be combined to achieve higher level qualifications.

Pitting, also referred to as spalling is the event whereby “pits” or small holes start showing on the surface of your concrete driveway which makes it appear both worn and uneven. Concrete driveway pitting is a common but highly frustrating problem for most homeowners. You’ll see some concrete driveways that’ll only start to pit after a couple of years, but this is not true for all concrete driveways as others will start to show signs only after a couple of months. So how do you tackle this issue? Well, it’s relatively simple to tackle, however if you’re not confident or lack the necessary skills, we’d recommend you get in touch with a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll take you through the concrete driveway pitting repair process.

✓ Prepare the pits by cleaning the area, clearing out all debris and more. The small pits can be cleaned with a stiff brush while a sturdy broom will do a good job for larger pits.

✓ Make use of a hose to spray the concrete pits and flush out all remaining bits of waste.

✓ If you’re tackling series of small pits, simply use a caulking gun filled with pre-mixed epoxy and specially formulated for concrete to fill the pits. Clear off the excess eproxy ensuring that its level with the concrete surface. Once done, simply leave for at least 24 hours before the application of a concrete sealant to prevent the wear and tear of the new concrete.

✓ Chisel out a little concrete and clean with a pressure washer. Once done, apply a concrete resurfacing compound mixture into the holes and use a trowel to level off.

✓ Ensure that the repaired concrete driveway is protected from rain and foot traffic for at least 6 hours (or 24 hours for vehicles).

• Blade material Artificial grass is made up of lots of individual blades, just like real grass. The blades are made of plastic and are sewn to a backing material. To help keep your artificial grass looking great for longer, a blend of blades made from nylon and polyethylene are best. Nylon is extremely resilient, but isn’t very comfy to walk on, so adding the polyethylene which is still very strong helps to keep it feeling nice underfoot.
• Backing material The backing material holds all the artificial grass blades together. It’s made of two layers: a membrane that the grass is attached to, and a section that’s usually made of latex or polyurethane and bonds everything together. When you’re choosing your artificial grass, ask for samples – try to pull away the backing material. If it comes apart easily, steer clear of that type of grass.
• The artificial grass’ use The lifespan of your artificial grass will depend on how much traffic it gets. It’s best to invest in strong nylon or nylon-blend turfs where it’s going to get walked on regularly, such as on a pathway to a door. Of course, if the artificial grass is more ornamental, a lower-quality product will last a long time.
• Good installation One of the main things that will help your artificial grass last a long time is effective installation. If artificial grass is laid badly, it might suffer from poor drainage and weeds which will reduce its lifespan. It’s always best to get your artificial grass installed by a professional since they’re trained in fitting it to a high standard.

Moss, mushrooms and weeds are all problems that many homeowners face on their lawns. Luckily, with a bit of maintenance, there are ways you can get rid of these unwanted organisms and prevent them from coming back. Getting rid of moss A simple way to remove moss from your lawn is by scarification. This basically means that you vigorously rake your lawn, but only do this in the autumn when the grass is actively growing and it’s not too hot, cold or dry. However, you can also use specific weedkillers to control moss on your lawn, and most of these should be applied when the moss is actively growing. Apply in fine weather by hand or with a push-along spreader, making sure not to apply too much as you could kill off the grass too. Check the instructions, as some will require watering after 48 hours if it’s not rained. Then, get into a scarification routine to help prevent moss growth. Removing mushrooms from your lawn If you’ve got mushrooms in your lawn, it usually means that your lawn is damp and shaded, so it never dries out, and is organic waste-rich. There could be a drainage problem with your lawn that is encouraging mushroom growth, so it’s important to investigate why the mushrooms are growing to prevent them from returning once you’ve removed them. To get rid of mushrooms in your lawn, make sure you scarify your lawn and get rid of all the moss, thatch and dead grass that comes up. If you leave it, this is heaven for mushrooms to grow in. If your lawn is shaded, try to prune and thin surrounding trees to offer it more light. If you do all of these things, it will prevent mushrooms from growing in the future, and then it might be worth using a fungicide to get rid of the mushrooms that are there. But if you just do this step, it’s likely the mushrooms will just come back. How to get rid of weeds To get rid of weeds from your lawn, you can use selective weedkillers that will just kill the weeds and leave your grass alone. But if you’d rather not use weedkiller, you can get rid of weeds from your lawn manually. For large, deep-rooted weeds like dandelions or plantains, use a trowel to lever them out, ensuring that you get the whole plant including its roots. Then use compost to fill the hole it leaves behind, pushing it deeply into the hole. Sprinkle with fresh grass seed, cover with extra compost and water. Make sure you keep the area damp until the seed has germinated. To prevent moss, mushrooms or weeds from returning, the best things to do are:

• Scarify your lawn in the autumn, and lightly in the spring if necessary
• Seed your lawn in the autumn if you need to
• Try to keep trees trimmed and pruned as much as possible to reduce shade
• Use a pre-emergent weedkiller in the spring to catch them before they grow and handpick any that come through
• Mow your lawn regularly in the spring and summer, being careful not to remove more than a third of grass at a time, then before winter give it one last mow and a fertilisation treatment