How to keep your lawn lush

It's hard to keep a family garden looking its best, so HANNAH STEPHENSON finds some top tips that could help

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As the summer holidays approach and children and pets venture out increasingly on to your lawn, sometimes you might wonder if there will be any grass left by autumn.

Toys, trampolines, sandpits and paddling pools so often take up significant sections of the garden, leaving your lawn trampled and suffocated.

But you can take steps to minimise the damage, says Kate Turner, horticulturist for Evergreen Garden Care, who has worked behind the scenes on BBC Gardeners' World, Love Your Garden and Garden Rescue.

"The biggest obstacles are kids with trampolines and paddling pools. All the toys come out and they stay on the lawn. But we have to accept that during the summer just enjoy your lawn, don't get too upset about it."

However, there are things you can do to minimise the damage, she suggests.

1. BE WATERWISE

"If there isn't a hosepipe ban and you want to water the lawn, give it a deep soak one evening a week, or early morning if you're an early riser," she advises.

"But the lawn is the most hard-wearing plant in your garden. So even if the dry weather continues, once the autumn rain comes, usually the lawn will bounce back."

2. LET YOUR GRASS GROW LONGER

Over the summer, don't mow your grass as frequently and if it goes brown, stop mowing it completely, she advises.

"If you're not mowing the lawn, get the edges done because that makes the garden look so much smarter," she suggests.

3. SINK YOUR TRAMPOLINE