3homestyle
The lawn
ranger
L
OCATED in the picturesque
setting of the Lake District,
and on the shores of
Derwentwater, is a lawn that
has been named the best in Britain.
Owner of the lawn is Portinscale
man Dr Robert Strachan, 75, a retired
GP from Yorkshire who beat off
competition from 20 million other
lawns to land the award.
Despite owning the splendid lawn
Robert says he has not always been a
keen gardener and does not let the
lawn dominate his life.
He says: "Tending to the lawn is
just part of my
regime.
"It fits in around
my fell running and
cycling and much of
the raking and
mowing manages to
keep me fit as well."
Robert has five
top tips for keeping
his lawn in perfect
condition and he
feels that having a good mower is
essential.
He says: "You have got to have a
good and appropriate mower to make
sure the grass is cut properly.
"You have to cut it twice a week
during the growing season between
April and September and then cut it
once a week during the winter.
"The mower that I use is a
Ransome's Marquis which I have
used since 1982 and it has never let
me down."
Robert gives his lawn a high cut to
prevent moss getting into it and
makes sure the lawn has enough air
so rakes it once a week and scarifies
it in September to make sure all the
moss is out.
Robert sees the importance of a
healthy lawn so feeds it twice a year
in the Spring and Autumn using
Scotts Lawn Dressing to make the
grass look greener.
He says: "It needs to be spread
evenly over the lawn and raked out.
"You need to have healthy grass
and the main
enemy is moss. If
you scarify the
lawn in September
you can get all the
moss out."
Robert has
stamped his own
personality on the
lawn and says a
good edge on the
lawn is essential so
it fits in with the rest of the garden.
He says: "The edge has to
complement the shrubs and flowers
that are in the rest of the garden so
it is very important.
"I make sure the edge of the
garden is seen to once a week."
Despite tending to his lawn Robert
says he does not spend an excessive
amount of time on it � from one-and-
a-half to two hours a week.
Robert feels the lawn is the focal
point of his garden but
admits it experiences a
lot of wear and tear
throughout the year.
He says: "The family
play games on it, such as
croquet and football, we
have barbecues and we
let my grandson's dog
play on it as well.
"Now I have retired I
have had a lot more time
to care for the lawn and I
have enjoyed doing it."
As part of Robert's
award for having the
best lawn in Britain he
received a visit from
gardening expert Martin
Fish who advised Robert
on how to keep the rest
of his garden. Robert
says he is very surprised
with the award that he
has received but also
very proud and that all
his hard work has been
worth it.
He says: "A lawn
should be your servant
and not your master and
I do not let it dominate
my life."
LAWN ORDER: Dr Robert Strachan at his home in Portinscale, Keswick`Tending the lawn is just part
of my regime. It fits in
around my fell running and
cycling and much of the
raking and mowing manages
to keep me fit as well'
Robert Strachan, 75
GP's prescription
for a super lawn

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