Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
13th September 2025
‘Lawn Ranger
Most of us will have forgotten what our mowers (both the mechanical and human types) look like this summer. The lawn mower certainly hasn’t been the most used item in the shed this year, and after a no-mow 6 months, an expert is advising when we should do our last cut. And it’s sooner than you think.
Gardening expert James Ewens has broken down the optimal time for your last lawn cut in every major UK city based on latest projected trends in weather, temperature thresholds, daylight patterns, and grass variety.
He advises, “Timing is everything when tending to your lawn. Once temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius, grass will simply stop growing. Leaving your lawn cut too late in super cold conditions can actually harm your grass long term, and if you stop mowing too early in the year, you’ll risk a messy lawn and weakened grass.”
I’m not sure what the guys who mow as a profession and for a living will make of that and I am renown for executing an emoji-style eye-roll whenever I read similar non-specific, ‘blanket-advice’.
Despite any advice – well meaning or well-marketed – most people will do the last cut when it suits them. And as for any possibility of ‘damaging your grass’, just look at your lawn right now. That brown, crispy patch is already heroically showing signs of life after just a little rain. It will do what it does best and recover organically by next year – whether you do your last cut on August Bank Holiday or Christmas Day.
C for Colourful
And there’s my sleek link into the C word. I’m really not a fan of mentioning Christmas, verbally, before the 15th December but with regards to my columns, over the years I have been gently reminded that lots of people ‘start early’ and like to get presents sorted out in an organised way to limit financial and stress pressures.
The ‘heritage’ gardening company, Burgon and Ball, are forecasting a bright, colourful festive season with lots of their goods transforming from traditional greens, greys and browns into vivid colour as part of the RHS-endorsed FloraBrite range.
Having to think up new trends and ‘takes’ on old favourites would give me a headache but one indisputable benefit of brightly coloured hand tools is that you are less likely to lose them. I still think rather than the FloraBrite Range, it should be called the Menopausal Memory Assortment but that’s probably why I’m not in marketing.
More details at www.burgonandball.com
Not Mushroom in Here
The recent drop of rain has meant the mushrooms have ‘mushroomed’. That’s where the phrase comes from – the fact that mushrooms grow so quickly.
I picked these in a client’s garden last week in the morning and by the time I left later that day, the little button ones I had left were already opening their canopies.
I have written a lot about ‘wild mushrooms’ over the years, all based on the fact that they used to make my dad really ill. He adored them, but was always ill – not through a dodgy mushroom but simply because he had an intolerance of them.
Mushrooms can be tough on the tummy. Especially for people who have sensitive stomachs or lack the enzyme in their intestines that breaks down trehalose. Quite often this intolerance will be mistaken for poisoning, causing panic and giving field mushrooms a bad press.
For your own peace of mind, do your research well and if unsure of your own tolerance levels, only eat a small amount of wild mushrooms to start with.
Eye Seed Danger
Whilst picking up Yogi’s prescription last week, I had a chat to the vet about the ‘dangers of autumn’ for our dogs. Apparently lots of dogs will pick up windfalls of all sorts, from damsons to apples and even berries that aren’t edible.
Apart from the obvious effects of too many damsons on a small tummy (and the damson stones) there is the added issue of wasps feeding on fallen fruit, which can lead to stings to the dogs face, mouth and throat.
If you can’t train your dog not to treat the garden as an all-you-can-eat-buffet, then it is better to either endeavor to pick up windfalls before they become a problem or accompany the dogs into the garden at this time of year to keep an eye on them. I appreciate all three options are tedious in their own way but honestly it’s far better than the alternative.
Seed heads like teasels and burrs can also cause problems at this time of year.
Many seeds are designed to be carried to new ground by animals, but unfortunately not just in their fur. Seeds can get caught in eyes, ears, between toes and even end up inside a busy, explorative wet nose, causing all sorts of chaos.
We finished our conversation by agreeing ‘it’s a jungle out there’ and acknowledging there are only so many precautions you can take, but do be ‘aware’ and act quickly if your pet is struck by any ‘autumnal hazards.
Grape Fun
Whilst Yogi isn’t interested in home grown fruit or veg until it’s been cleaned and put in her bowl, my chickens are another story.
Thankfully ‘feathers’ are not at as much risk of the autumnal perils as ‘fur’ is and an abundance of some crops, like my outdoor grapes this year, are much – and safely – enjoyed. Grapes of course, are a big no-no for dogs.
I love my somewhat feral lifestyle and would much rather spend the evenings making dehydrated apple treats for Yogi, or feeding grapes to my chickens than a lot of things – but of course my brother couldn’t resist making some clever comment about me coming home one day to find my hens wearing togas and reclining on a big squishy couch waiting for their grapes.
Pick Responsibly
Foraging is a word that irks me. What happened to ‘picking’? That’s what we did as kids. We picked blackberries and sloes and hazel nuts. And we only picked enough for our own home use. I only ever picked and ate hazelnuts until they kept me up all night coughing. It was a narrow picking window. But now it seems that foraging is becoming an Olympic sport – and as such, there have been ‘warnings’ in the press about the legalities of it.
As very few people have enough land to ‘forage’ on it is worth remembering that The Countryside Act says that, “Foraging the 4 F’s (fruit, foliage, flora and fungus) from common land is acceptable so long as it is for personal consumption only. This means moderate amounts for you and your family only, and most obviously not for ‘commercial foraging’ purposes.
Years ago that came under the heading of ‘common sense’, but tragically sense is no longer common.
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