Garden Advice
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Start here: to begin your gardening journey!
There’s no time to waste; let me, Lee Burkhill, show you how to use this site to go from zero to Garden Ninja in a matter of helpful guides and gardening videos. If you want to become a fantastic gardener, then let me help train you at your own pace! I’m an award-winning garden designer […]
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Garden Rescue Behind the Scenes: a look behind how the TV show is made
Quick Answer Garden Rescue is filmed over two days per garden: day one for groundworks and structures, day two when presenters arrive and planting is completed. Gardens are filmed a full year before broadcast. Contributors pay for all materials and plants (minimum £3,000 budget) while design fees and labour are covered by the production. The […]
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How to Lay Turf: Complete Guide to Installing Perfect Lawn in 2026
Quick Answer Prepare the ground by digging to 15cm, removing all weeds and debris, levelling, and creating a fine tilth. Lay rolled turf in a staggered brickwork pattern, butt joints tightly, water immediately, and keep moist for four to six weeks. The best time to lay turf in the UK is September to November or […]
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Best Lawn Scarifiers UK 2026: A Garden Designer’s Honest Guide
Not sure which scarifier to buy? BBC Garden Rescue presenter Lee Burkhill reviews the best UK lawn scarifiers for every lawn size and budget, from the Darlac DP888 manual rake to the Bosch UniversalVerticut and Hyundai petrol models. Includes a lawn size guide, hire vs buy costs, and honest opinions on which machines are actually worth the money.
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Japanese Garden Design Guide: Create the perfect Zen garden
Japanese garden design is one of the most studied, imitated, and misunderstood garden styles in the world. I have been fascinated by it for years, both as a garden designer and as someone who has travelled to Japan specifically to walk through the gardens that inspired the whole tradition. Quick Answer A successful Japanese garden […]
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How to Feed Your Lawn: The Complete UK Guide (When, What & How Much)
The result is the same in both cases: a lawn that limps through spring looking pale and thin, struggles to resist weeds and moss, and never quite achieves the lush, thick sward that every UK gardener is hoping for. I want to change that for you with this complete guide to lawn feeding. This guide […]
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How to Prune Box Hedges UK: Timing, Technique, Blight Prevention and Alternatives
RHS-qualified designer Lee Burkhill’s complete guide to pruning box hedges in the UK. When to prune, the batter profile, box blight prevention, renovation pruning, topiary and the best box alternatives.
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The Complete Autumn Lawn Renovation Programme: Scarify, Aerate, Overseed and Top Dress
Lee Burkhill’s complete guide to autumn lawn renovation in the UK. The correct order for scarifying, aerating, overseeding and top dressing, with timings, aftercare and common mistakes to avoid.
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Best Lawn Spreaders for Fertiliser and Grass Seed: UK Buying Guide
I started recommending spreaders to every client asking about lawn care about ten years ago, after watching too many autumn lawn renovation projects produce disappointing results when clients were scarifying or de-mossing their lawns but not overseeding. Once I made a spreader part of the standard recommendation alongside the seed and feed, the difference was […]
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Who is the Garden Ninja?
Garden Ninja, Lee Burkhill, is an RHS Multi Award winning Garden Designer & TV Presenter from the North West of England covering Manchester, Liverpool, Southport and the Cheshire region for stunning garden design.
He is one of the presenters on BBC1's Garden Rescue and he runs the Award Winning Garden Ninja blog & YouTube channel to help troubleshoot your garden design problems.
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Awards & RHS Medals
- Vuelo Top 10 Garden Blogger Award 2019
- Chelsea Flower Show Director Generals Trade Stand Award 2018
- 5 Star Trade Stand Hampton Court 2018
- Garden Media Guild New Talent 2017 Finalist
- RHS & BBC Feel Good Gardens Winner 2016














