It doesn’t seem like five minutes since we were celebrating an unusual Christmas and New Year in our isolated ‘bubbles’ but, as January races to a close, gardeners and allotment holders everywhere have one big job building to mountainous proportions in their minds.
 
Stormy winter rain, wind and snow might be upon us now, but nature waits for no-one and the time for us to pull on our gardening gloves and wellies will be here before you can say “dead leaves on my lawn”. 
 
Faced with such a big job, green-minded folk everywhere are keen to start clearing away all this winter debris to make ready for spring and need all the help they can get. A godsend for any busy garden or allotment keeper, therefore, is the new multi-purpose rake from Clear ‘N’ Collect, which makes the big pre-season clear-up that much quicker and easier.

Clear ‘N’ Collect is capable of much more than the typical garden rake or simply clearing dead leaves. Moss, twigs, prunings, brambles, thorns and more are amassing in areas that will soon need to be ship shape if we’re to make the most of the growing season ahead and Clear ‘N’ Collect can shift the lot of them.
 
As every gardener knows, removing debris is essential to prevent a build-up of pathogens in vegetable gardens and flower beds. So, with good allotment and garden hygiene being so essential for the successful cultivation of plants, flowers and vegetables, we need to keep those beds clear of the leaves and other debris which may have been piling up for months.

Not only is Clear ‘N’ Collect’s sturdy, multi-purpose rake one of the handiest garden tools you’re likely to see, it is also a great British success story, fully designed and manufactured in the UK by an independent family business. 
 
The hallmarks of excellence in design and manufacture are also backed with high environmental standards, with every Clear ‘N’ Collect product made from incredibly robust recycled plastics which include former car dashboards. It can, of course, be recycled at the end of its life as well.
 
Clearing up year-round leaf fall
Whilst the majority of leaf fall takes place in the autumn months, a combination of the volatile, changing climate and extreme bouts of weather are having quite an impact on trees, shrubs and bushes. 
 
The December/January storms and high winds we’ve seen lately have caused many trees and shrubs to shed extra debris throughout winter. This means that the September-November clear-ups won’t see us through to spring and we’ll have to put in some more elbow grease this year before gardens are ship-shape and ready for new growth. 
 
Not only are piles of decaying leaves and branches unsightly, they also present an increased risk of slipping and need to be cleared up so our outdoor spaces – especially terraces, steps and driveways – are safe to walk on. Clear ‘N’ Collect offers  an eco-friendly alternative to noisy powered leaf blowers which disturb the peace for family and neighbours (as well as the local wildlife who could see their homes displaced by powerful tools) alike on what should be balmy spring days.

THE MANY USES OF THE CLEAR ‘N’ COLLECT MULTI-PURPOSE RAKE
 
Getting your lawn Summer-ready
There was never a good time to let lawns run wild and get buried under leaves, but now we’re mostly at home and seldom going out, the idea is worse than ever. With lockdown meaning most of us have barely set foot beyond our personal space for much of the past year, our gardens have become cherished as outdoor green sanctuaries more than ever before. 
 
So just as flower and vegetable beds need clearing up early in the day to make ready for planting, as spring unfolds, we need to give our lawns some TLC, so they recover from the ravages of winter. 
 
Key tasks we need to consider here stem from  light scarification and moss overgrowth, both of which are easily dealt with using Clear ‘N’ Collect. As is well known, lawns must be raked before the first cut of the season and it is essential to remove leaves, stones and wind-blown debris that can damage the blades of lawnmowers. Just as Clear ‘N’ Collect can tackle all such debris with ease, in one big scoop, so does it offer the easiest possible solution for clearing moss and thatch which has been pulled from turf.

Safe removal of brambles and other thorny branches
The multi-purpose rake is also incredibly good at clearing up those thorny and prickly trimmings which seem to stab through every kind of gardening glove and get tangled into all items of clothing, including shoes. 
 
Most of us will have experienced the feeling that we’re being physically attacked by out-of-control brambles, pyracantha, holly, mahonia and even our favourite roses at times and it isn’t the slightest bit fun. With Clear ‘N’ Collect you can keep these aggressive prickles further than arm’s length while you’re gathering them up for safe deposit on the burn pile. 
 
You can then keep the same principle in mind when dealing with allergy-causing plants which can irritate sensitive skin: Just scoop them up and set them aside in Clear ‘N’ Collect’s robust double-headed rake.
 
‎ Hedge your bets on Clear ‘N’ Collect! 
Those of us with hedges will be well-aware what a big task it is to keep them in shape, never mind clearing up again afterwards. Trimming and pruning is an ongoing job which cuts across the seasons, depending on the variety of hedge and the style you want to keep it in. 
 
Along with its other multifarious benefits, Clear ‘N’ Collect once again comes into its own as a hedge clearing helper, ideally suited to the collection of all those lighter hedge clippings, twigs and leaves which fall during pruning. 
 
Additionally, cultivated hedges which provide important habitats for wildlife being an increasingly popular alternative to garden fencing, the number of people in need of such handy help is rapidly growing. Hedge growing, in general, is a good habit to get into for those who care about the environment, not only for the benefits to wildlife but also because it eliminates the need to use extra timber and wood-preserving chemicals. We must, of course, take care not to disturb nesting birds or even the endangered English Dormouse when tackling hedges and hazel coppices.

For more handy gardening advice and information about Clear ‘N’ Collect, visit   www.clearncollect.com   or check out the company’s social media feed at  https://www.instagram.com/clearncollect/