nathe, Author at Lawn Solutions Australia

Creating the perfect family space with good landscaping and great lawn

Posted on June 25, 2020July 28, 2020 by nathe

With Charlie Albone

Creating a family friendly garden doesn’t mean it has to all be trampolines, cubby houses and sandpits – you can have the best of both worlds with a show stopping high impact design and space for the whole family.

Create a Wish List

Designing a family garden starts in the same way any garden design begins – you need to make a wish list of what you want in the garden. This should include all the things you can see your family using and all the things you’ve always wanted; a swimming pool, a lawn for the kids to play, an entertaining space, space for the dog to sleep, a BBQ, a veggie patch, the list can go on and on!

The next step is to prioritize this list into what is most important to you, the ‘must haves’ at the top of the list and the ‘would be nice’ towards the bottom of the list. When sorting through your list you need to consider the actuality of owning some of these items, do you have the time to service a swimming pool? Can you spend hours of your week deadheading flowering perennials or watering the masses of garden beds?

Designing a garden for the maintenance you can give it doesn’t have to take the fun or designer edge out of the garden; for example, you can have a lush hardy green lawn, such as DNA Certified Sir Walter Buffalo that doesn’t require a cylinder mower run over it every day to look its best.

Create a Concept Plan

Once you have your list you need to fit all these elements into your garden and the best way to do this is with a concept plan. Working to scale draw up all your garden wants in plan view is the best way to make sure everything fits into your space – it is so easy to think it will all fit but actually space might be tight. When adding in spaces that have people moving through them, such as entertaining spaces, or play lawns make sure you give them generous proportions for people to move around them as well as through them. For lawns, which are a necessity in a family garden make sure you make them as big as the design will allow, this will not only give you practical space but a breathing space for the surrounding planting so the garden doesn’t feel too over crowded.

If you are uneasy about working or drawing at scale, it’s a good idea to cut out the spaces in paper and arrange them over a survey or house plan – that way its also easier to move the parts around giving you various layout options.

When planning your garden and layout consider the parts you want to look at and the bits you want to hide or mask. Having an open lawn where you can watch the family play in a relaxing setting requires open sightlines where as utility areas like washing lines and trampolines benefit from a baffling of the sight lines through hedging or screening.

Site Analysis

Once you think you have a good layout my advice is to sit and wait … outside that is. There is an old saying ‘the right plant in the right spot can’t die’ and making sure the plants and spaces are in the right spot requires you to do a site analysis of the garden, checking where the sunny spots are (great for lawn and veggie patches), where the wet and dry spots are and any other issues that effect how you will use the space – nobody likes an entertaining space in a wind tunnel.

This site analysis might change your layout a bit but its good to do it after you have had a play around with the shapes and elements of the garden as it gives you options to change rather than being constrained or put off by these effects on the garden.

Choose your Elements

Once you have the layout you’ll want to apply your finishes to these elements – this is what gives your garden a design edge. With family gardens you need to pick wisely as picking the right product to its usage will make your garden look new for longer. When it comes to paving using natural stone gives warmth and an upmarket feel but it can stain easily so its not ideal in heavy traffic areas, a printed porcelain may be a better fit. Timber adds texture and an earthiness to a design but on the horizontal plain can require excessive maintenance to look its best so a composite may suit your family. For plants you’ll need hardy plants around areas where kids are kicking balls and running amuck and softer flowering plants towards the back of your garden beds where they are protected.

Lawn Choice

You can apply this ethos to the lawn you will use too – A family lawn needs to be tough and hard wearing, Tif Tuf Bermuda is both of these things and drought tolerant to boot, hence why its being used on many sports fields and stadiums. If you are after a slightly larger leaf, classic DNA certified Sir Walter is a classic, for a reason – because it performs well in a family garden.

The best way to make the most of your family garden is to get out there and use it – designing and building a new garden is something that can take time but making memories in that garden with your family will last forever.

How do I stop my dog wearing out my grass?

Posted on June 25, 2020November 1, 2023 by nathe

How do I stop my dog wearing out my grass?

You love your dogs and the space that a lawn provides them keeps them happy and healthy. Unfortunately, some dogs, usually large and highly active, can cause disruption to the grass and its ability to survive.

Whether it be digging, relentless running back and forth leaving ruts or the zoomies all over the place, your lawn can cop quite a hiding. How do I stop my dog wearing out my grass?

We have put some tips together to help you minimise the stress on your lawn and to save you from pulling your hair out too!

Turf Variety Selection

The most important thing you can do to limit damage is to install a wear resistant lawn to start with. This includes turf varieties like couch (TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda for example) and kikuyu in particular that grow quickly and also have the benefit of both above ground runners and below ground runners to establish from. Buffalo grasses are also a really hard-wearing option, particularly if you have increased shade, but will take a little more time to recover as it only has above ground runners to repair from. The preparation of the soil is also highly important as a healthy lawn will be more likely to recover.

If you already have both dogs and a lawn, but are looking for answers to the dogs wearing out the grass, here are some things to consider…

Wear and Tear

If your pet continually uses certain tracks causing that area to wear more than others, placing an obstacle like a pot plant on the track will force them to take a different route, giving the lawn a chance to repair itself. This may have to be done more often in winter or shady areas. Extra aeration may be necessary to help rectify any compaction that may have occurred. With excessive activity, a more comprehensive maintenance program may be needed by way of more regular fertilising and aeration. Moist and shaded areas will suffer most so some extra drainage and attention will be required.

Compaction

Compaction is a common problem with lawns, particularly those with dogs and it is important that you address it regularly. What compaction does is prevent oxygen, nutrient and water from being able to penetrate properly to the roots of your lawn, which in turn leads to poor lawn health. Aerating your lawn will help to alleviate this compaction and allow better penetration of oxygen and nutrient and will also allow your lawn to root down deeper making it more drought tolerant and resilient.

Digging and Destructive Behaviour

An important thing you can do to restrict unnecessary digging or destructive behaviour, is to give your dog plenty of attention and to take them for regular walks and exercise. Boredom is one of the main reasons for dogs digging holes and pacing back and forth, so keeping them active and distracted can help to limit this kind of damage.

Turf Reinforcement Mesh

Sometimes particularly with larger dogs, it is a constant uphill battle and a more permanent solution is required to help the grass survive. Turf reinforcement mesh can be laid as part of a new lawn installation or to an existing lawn. There a few different products available so installation and preparation of the turfed area does vary, but generally it is as simple as mowing the grass short, rolling out the mesh, pegging it down and lightly top dressing. The grass then grows up through the mesh and the roots are protected.

During the early stages after installation of a mesh type product it is important to remember to not mow too low to avoid the mesh becoming caught in your lawn mower. The mesh will then reinforce the grass helping to reduce grass wear, tracking of ruts into the grass and digging. Turf reinforcement mesh can also help to provide a more supported root base helping with additional foot traffic or even vehicles.

Temporary Fencing

If your lawn is looking a little worse for wear and you have done all of the above, it may be worth considering giving the grass some time to recover without traffic. Fencing off a small area at a time, aerating and conducting some lawn care on this particular area will give it the best chance of survival.

If you have found any other tips to stop your dog wearing out your grass or for managing your pets, let us know! We love to hear what others have tried and this information can help others in the lawn community also.

How to undertake a lawn overhaul

Posted on May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 by nathe

By Charlie Albone

Like everything in the garden regular maintenance and the occasional overhaul is the best way to keep things looking their best – This includes lawns too.

There are several ways you can keep your lawn looking in top shape and regular maintenance is top of the list, cutting your lawn little and often is the best way to have a lovely deep rich green lawn.

Lawn Maintenance

Keeping on top of weeding is also a good way to ensuring your lawn looks more like a golf course than council park in the middle of summer! Weeds are often an indicator to underlying issues with your soil so have a chat with your local Lawn Solutions grower as they can advise on how to keep them at bay and stop them from returning.

Dethatching and Aerating are also jobs that are great for maintaining air in the soil and fungus free foliage, if you are unsure about when and how to do this, again talk to your local accredited grower.

Top dressing is the practice of spreading a sand rich soil on the surface of the grass to remove divots and to fill any holes, not to be done all the time but a great way to even out an aging lawn after aerating and dethatching.

Fertilising a lawn ensures the grass is getting all the nutrients it needs but make sure you do a PH test before applying as if your PH is out no matter how much fertiliser you put on your lawn it simply wont be able to take it up.

Continue reading “How to undertake a lawn overhaul”

Backyard Gardening Tools for Winter

Posted on May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 by nathe

You have run out of excuses not to do that backyard makeover you have been putting off, but understandably you are dreading the work involved. The threat of cold weather is also in the back of your mind, but some things are best attended to before they get out of hand.

Here are a few innovative gardening tools to lighten the load:

Battery Powered Blower

Autumn means leaves, combine this with wind and the build-up of sticks and other debris your lawn and gardens can slowly become smothered. But a quick and easy way to tidy up is to use a battery powered blower.

Battery blowers have come a long way in recent years and models like this Husqvarna are quieter and still have plenty of power to get the job done quickly and easily.

Fiskars Xact Weed Puller

It is important to not let the weeds infiltrate your lawn while it has slowed in growth and this Fiskars Xact Weed Puller is a great way to remove weeds easily and it also makes it kind of fun as well.

You don’t need to bend down; you simply use the four deep-reaching stainless-steel claws to dig down into the soil where it grabs the roots from all directions and removes the entire weed cleanly.

Battery Powered Hedgers and Trimmers

The trees and shrubs are getting shaggy which not only looks a mess but the extra shade to your lawn is not ideal either. A handheld battery trimmer like this one makes light work of giving them a trim and you can use the blower to help clean up afterwards.

Battery Powered Chainsaw

If you have bigger trees to trim, then there’s battery powered chainsaws as well, good for trimming branches and for cutting up firewood as well.

It is important you provide as much sunlight as you can to your lawn, this will allow better photosynthesis and help to limit excessive amounts of moisture sitting within the profile where disease issues can develop.

Husqvarna Automower

This last one will keep the lawn mowed and you won’t even have to go outside to use it. A robotic lawn mower like this Husqvarna Automower will keep the lawn neat with a sharp cutting action, but also go over the lawn regularly enough that it will help to breakdown most debris that lands on the lawn as well. Automowers are comparable in price to a ride on mower or cylinder mower in most cases and are easy to install. If you hate the cold, you can simply keep warm inside while it does the job for you.

With the use of these gardening tools you can keep your lawn tidy through winter and if all goes to plan, be ready to entertain again in spring.

What grass is used on the world’s best golf courses?

Posted on May 27, 2020April 12, 2021 by nathe

Often overlooked when reviewing golf courses is the grass itself. Some grasses like to be cut super short; others prefer to be kept longer. Some grow during the cooler months and others thrive during the summer. All of these factors, plus many more, play a part in determining which golf course grass is best suited to the different areas of a golf course, and for the climate in which they are located.

Ever wondered what grass is used at some of the best golf courses like Augusta, Pine Valley or even Royal Melbourne? Well, read on!

Augusta National Golf Club

What grass is used at Augusta?

The famous Augusta opened in 1932 and has hosted the Masters Tournament since 1934. To play host to one of the four major championships in world golf you need to be a pretty impressive course.

Augusta is situated in what many consider to be Bermuda grass country, or couch as we know it by here in Australia. The Masters Tournament is held in early spring, which means the turf grass has to be at it’s very best in both appearance and playability. Bermuda/Couch grass is a warm season variety, so by nature it’s usually not at its peak during early spring. To overcome this problem, the grass on the tees, fairways and roughs at Augusta are over seeded with perennial ryegrass. The greens, however, are bentgrass (since 1981). Bentgrass has no need for over seeding with it being a cool season variety. Bentgrass makes for a great putting surface as it has very thin blades and high density. A sub-green cooling system makes it possible for it to retain quality appearance even during the warmer months.

Royal Dornoch G.C.

Royal Dornoch Golf Course is a links course tucked in an arc of dunes along the North Sea shoreline in Scotland. The Royal Dornoch Golf Course is known as the most natural course in the world.

Being situated in a cooler part of the world, the grasses on the course are cool-season grasses. The greens are predominantly fine fescue with some highland bent grass. The greens, surrounds and fairways are overseeded at the end of every season with pure fescue. Fescue is a versatile grass that works very well particularly in the coastal areas of Great Britain.

Royal Melbourne Golf Club

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club is Australia’s No. 1 golf club. It features two courses, West and East, of which the West Course is ranked number 1 in Australia and in many rankings is ranked in the top 10 courses in the world.

The fairways were converted to Legend Couch in the lead up to the 2011 Presidents Cup. This was done to restrict the process of the ball along the ground. Fescue green surrounds were also implemented to encourage the ground game and prevent couch infestation in the greens. The greens feature a special strain of bent grass unique to Royal Melbourne known as Sutton’s Mix.

The Grove XXIII

Basketball great Michael Jordan’s new course, aptly named to include the No. 23 he played in, is a sight to behold. This relatively new golf course in Florida is at the cutting edge for design and for improved golf course grass. The championship course is grassed with Trinity Zoysia (L1F) tees and Zeon Zoysia (Sir Grange) fairways. These new turf varieties are the very of the best available anywhere in the world.

Hoiana Shores

Hoiana Shores is a stunning links golf course on the coast of Vietnam. The course has TifEagle Bermuda/Couch greens, with Zeon Zoysia (Sir Grange) tees and fairways. The coastal property is constructed on a base of pure sand, with the zoysia being perfectly suited to provide a firm and fast surface. The course is near Hoi An, UNESCO World Heritage site known as The City of Lanterns. Because of this, as a nod to Hoi An, the pin for every green has a lantern instead of a flag.

Lawn Solutions Sports Turf through its partnerships with leading turf scientists and turf breeding programs, have exclusive access to the best new golf course grass varieties available for golf in the world.

These grasses are being used on some of the best golf courses in the world and are now available in Australia.

LSA Sports Turf varieties currently include Sir Grange Zoysia, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, Trinity Zoysia and Primo Zoysia. These turfgrasses have proven their superiority over other grasses and continue to impress professional golfers, sportsmen and women, superintendents and curators all over the world.

What time of year is best for Stargazing?

Posted on May 27, 2020May 28, 2020 by nathe

It can be hard to find a reason to venture out into the yard during the colder months, particularly at night. But there is one activity that is best done in winter and your lawn is the perfect vantage point for it… stargazing!

Less humidity, cool calm air with generally clear skies, presents the perfect opportunity to see the black star lit canvas in more detail.

The centre of the Milky Way is passing overhead in the colder months of winter, which is also the best part to view as well.

Ask most experts and they will likely tell you that the very best place to view the stars is from your own front or back lawn. A place away from bright lights, with no fireplaces burning and also best when there is no moon.

All you need is a blanket, maybe a pillow, a star map for navigating and binoculars. If you have a telescope you will be able to see a lot more detail, but if the sky is clear binoculars will be enough to see some of the main attractions in the night sky.

Some of these include:

Asterisms

An Asterism is a pattern of stars that looks like a recognisable shape.

The Southern Cross

The most famous of the asterisms in the southern skies, the Southern Cross consists of five stars. Four of these stars form the primary cross shape. Commonly referred to as a constellation, the cross itself is actually an asterism, a collection of stars that belongs to the constellation Crux, the smallest constellation. The Southern Cross can be seen at any time of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Teapot

The Teapot asterism is formed by eight of the brightest stars within the constellation Sagittarius. The Milky Way forms what looks like steam coming from the spout when the conditions are at their optimum for stargazing.

Constellations

A Constellation is a grouping of stars that creates a recognisable pattern. Constellations are traditionally named after their apparent form or after a particular mythological figure. Astronomers use the term constellation to identify a region or area of the sky.

Sagittarius

Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac and lucky for us is located in the Southern celestial hemisphere. The word Sagittarius is latin for archer and as a whole it appears much like a stick figure archer drawing its bow. As mentioned above, it also includes The Teapot asterism.

Scorpius

Scorpius is the southernmost constellation of the zodiac located in the Southern celestial hemisphere. Latin for scorpion, the constellation has a j shaped tail which makes it relatively easy to identify as it resembles its namesake.

The centre of the galaxy is located between the tail of Scorpius and the Teapot of Sagittarius.

Stars

Sirius – Brightest star in the sky

Sirius is known as the Dog Star as it is the chief star in the Canis Major constellation. In early July, Sirius can be seen twice. Once in the evening where it sets after the sun and again in the morning where it rises before the sun.

Canopus – 2^nd brightest (shown in Southern Cross image above)

Canopus is part of the Carina constellation, Carina is latin for the hull or keel of a ship. The name Canopus is believed to have originated from the mythological Canopus, who was navigator for the king of Sparta.

Alpha Centauri – 3^rd brightest (shown in Southern Cross image above)

Alpha Centauri is actually a triple star system. Stars Alpha Centauri A and B are sun-like stars that form the binary star Alpha Centauri AB. To the naked eye, these stars appear to be a single star. Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the Centaurus constellation.

To help you learn about the southern night sky and stargazing, Sydney Observatory provides a guide and a sky map or chart each month. You can check them out here.

The best time for stargazing is when there is no visible moon (new moon). Check out this Lunar Calendar for best observation dates.

Turf Talk – May 2020

Posted on May 11, 2020November 21, 2022 by nathe

Turf Talk – Australia’s newest and most comprehensive turf magazine.

TurfTalk is a free quarterly magazine and distributed to over 3000 landscape and turf professionals.

Turf Talk is suitable for all turf professionals, from turf growers to landscapers, golf courses and sports ground curators, to government and related industry organisations.

Turf Talk is here to share with you the latest information on the turf industry, the exciting developments in turf research and to keep you up to date with everything you need to know about turf.

Some topics in this issue include:

Smart Approved WaterMark World First – TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda
Wimbledon warm season grass trials
QSAC Transitioning for the future
Glenelg Golf Club
The Boat Works at Coomera | A Sea of Green

For more information:

Phone – 1300 883 711

Email – [email protected]

Creating Your Own Show Garden at Home

Posted on May 1, 2020May 1, 2020 by nathe

Charlie Albone shares his secrets to creating the perfect show garden at home

Creating a show garden is not just about producing something that is breath taking and beautiful, you also need to meet a brief – just like designing a garden for a client in a design business, or simply creating a home garden for yourself.

The Brief

What a lot of people do not understand when you enter a garden show is that you need to tell the judges who the garden is supposed to be for and what you are trying to achieve. For example, the garden might be a family friendly space, an entertainers delight, a chic city courtyard or even a conceptual piece inspired by an experience you have had.

Once you have your brief in place the garden must meet the criteria you have set in every way possible. Like all gardens a great design starts with the layout, placing your spaces throughout the area in a way that gives a usable format with impact and having the correct scale and proportion is the best place to start.

When I designed my second Chelsea Flower Show garden in 2016, I designed a chic city garden with a stylish sunken lawn and this was one of the first spaces I laid out on the design. Former garden selector for the Chelsea flower show, head lecturer for the London College of garden design and a friend of mine, Andrew Fisher Tomlin, once told me “a lawn should never be so small so you cannot lay out on it and enjoy staring up at the sky.” This stuck with me as I started the planning of this garden.

The Details

Once you have a layout you can start thinking about the details – this is often the junctions where materials meet, the layout and pattern in the paving and the selection of the plants. For me the plants are the biggest and most exciting part of any garden be it a home garden or a show garden. In real life a garden is always evolving, as plants grow micro climates change and things come and go with the changes of season. In a show garden the whole planting palette needs to be horticulturally correct at that moment in time and its judged against the brief you put in. This also comes down to the variety of lawn you select – remember it is a plant too!

Lawn Choice

For a family friendly garden, you would want a lawn that is hard wearing, something like DNA certified Sir Walter. For a drought tolerant garden TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is the only grass in the world with a water accreditation approval so it would suit perfectly. For a chic city garden or a luxurious and stylish space Sir Grange Zoysia would be a great choice.

Designing a show garden is also about pushing the boundaries so you can inspire the thousands of people who come to see the garden. As a designer we are always looking for the new ways to turn the standard on its head and with grass this comes in the form of Sir grange Zoysia.

This turf variety is unique in the fact when you mow this grass to a standard backyard height it gives you a manicured fine leaf and stylish appearance but if left unmown it grows to an even 300mm, doesn’t get covered in seed heads where it can look scrappy but instead looks like a vibrant, luscious green native looking feature grass. Having this versatility in a single variety of grass means you can create great impact by leaving the edges and areas around trees wild and deep green and still hitting the mark like a traditional grass where it is mown.

Caring for a show garden is a very different concept to caring for a garden in the real world. Show gardens only last for a maximum of one week where as home gardens are for ever (unless you get bored and change the whole thing!) and this is something that needs to be considered when selecting all your plants and lawn.

When designing your very own show garden at home I would follow these 5 steps

Think like a show garden designer by collating a brief for yourself, think about what you are trying to achieve and how you want to use the space.
Draw up a layout of the garden to make sure you are making use of the spaces, that everything has enough room and the interactions between the spaces works – it also means there are no wasted spaces.
Select your materials from the things you love, prioritise the areas that will be used and seen the most and direct your budget to these spots first.
Pick your plants wisely so they succeed for your aspect and climate and this also means get your turf right to suit your theme.
Design for the amount of maintenance you can give your garden as a good looking space is one that is well looked after.

Lawn Solutions Australia Welcomes Charlie Albone

Posted on April 24, 2020April 24, 2020 by nathe

Lawn Solutions Australia, along with long-serving ambassador Jason Hodges, are excited to announce the appointment of Charlie Albone as a new brand ambassador for the group.

Charles Albone is a leading Australian landscape designer and television presenter known for co-hosting Selling Houses Australia, and now a leading presenter on Better Homes and Gardens. Charlie’s business, Inspired Exteriors, completes leading high end landscape projects in Sydney and across Australia, Singapore, China and the UK. Charlie uses LSA products extensively and has had LSA turf varieties feature on many high-end projects.

Avoid the cabin fever!

Posted on April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 by nathe

Here’s 8 things you can do while you’re stuck at home.

Bored, cooped up and ready to achieve something constructive rather than just falling down that TikTok worm hole? There’s a whole raft of things you could be doing that won’t have you contemplating growing a mullet and changing your name to Tiger King. (If you don’t know what I’m on about you haven’t fallen down the Netflix worm hole just yet).

Build something to be proud of

There is a whole range of things you can buy online and have delivered to keep yourself occupied. There are build kits for almost anything, from robotics to flat pack furniture. You can build a model car, or you can even build a full-size kit-car, with some companies even supplying everything you need to build a Shelby Cobra replica!

Turn your lawn into a fanatic’s dream!

If you are looking to install a new lawn or repair an existing one, the team at Lawn Solutions Australia have an easy to follow step-by-step guide to show you how it’s done. While laying out the turf itself is an easy job, you’ll get best results if you spend some time measuring your lawn area correctly, preparing the area and follow our tips to get your lawn well established afterwards.

With a national network of turf suppliers offering ‘contactless delivery’ there couldn’t be a better time to spruce up your outside space with a new lawn.

Here’s how… https://lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au/laying-turf/

Keep healthy, physically and mentally

Keeping healthy is the most important thing you need to consider during this time. Staying active, eating healthy and maintaining human interaction through your phone and computer.

You can’t go to the gym, but you do have space out on the lawn and the know-how to do anything! (Thanks Google). There are some great training apps out there that can give you a cracking workout and you don’t even need any equipment. Chris Hemsworth is providing a free 6-week offer for his new training app Centr.

Meditation and yoga are also options to help you maintain mental strength and focus. Apps like Calm have started specific campaigns for meditating to help you keep a positive mental space and stay grounded during this time.

Design your garden sanctuary

With Bunnings among other garden centres and nursery’s still being open, you can finally spruce up your run-down garden. From droughts, flooding and everything else that’s been going on lately, your lawn and garden could do with a bit of attention. It’s a good thing to do to get yourself outside and the activity is beneficial for your health. Order your gardening supplies online for delivery to limit any unnecessary contact.

Learn Swahili?

You might not be able to go overseas right now but learning a new language will provide a great new skill and have you ready to communicate with the local tongue when you are able to travel abroad again.

Stay connected with Zoom

Zoom via the app or desktop allows you to stay connected with friends and family via video conferencing. Zoom has video and audio with screen sharing capabilities so you can have a contactless online party with all your friends without leaving the house. You could even team this up with the Netflix party extension, so you can all watch the same movie at the same time for a fun movie night during isolation!

How do astronauts cope with the isolation?

Astronaut Chris Hadfield knows what it feels like to be isolated for long periods of time in space. On his first space mission the internet was a relatively new thing and social media was still a few years away yet. But he didn’t find space to be lonely or isolating. Technology has eased the difficulty of isolation, but the biggest challenge is managing the change to your routine and how we manage the psychological boundaries of what’s normal. Chris says now is a great time to engage in education, to sign up to an online course or learn an instrument. Maybe you could learn Space Oddity by David Bowie too… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

Train your brain

Not the first app to be mentioned in this blog, but why not take advantage of the digital tools we have available right? Elevate is a brain training app which is designed to help your mind stay sharp, improving your problem-solving skills, processing speed and cognitive functions.

Hopefully with a few of these ideas you can keep yourself busy, healthy and stay connected. We’re all in this together!