The third instalment in this series of micro generation films from n power, unveils how solar thermal panels can be utilised by homes to generate hot water and heating, and how solar energy can significantly reduce your monthly bills. Presenter Oliver Heath, learns that the use of thermal solar power panels can generate as much as 50% of your hot water annually, working in conjunction with your existing boiler to ensure you always have enough hot water. Julian Brookes from ecoshomes, an environmental estate agency, then explains how energy performance certificates are now enforced by law, and affect every property transaction. He goes on to explain how having an A graded energy performance certificate greatly increases the value of your property, turning your neighbours green with envy!

For more information about Oliver Heath, go to http://www.oliverheath.com

The final short film in n power’s series to promote the use of micro generation looks into the savings that can be made by opting for these carbon reducing technologies. Users of solar PV panels acquire cash returns from their suppliers when selling the surplus energy they collect back to the grid. Twice a year user’s phone up for a meter reading to cost up the energy their panels have put back into the grid. A cash return for this energy will then be put straight into their bank account by their supplier. Matt Colmer from the energy saving trust explains how insulation can greatly aid the levels of cash return you can acquire from your supplier. He goes on to examine how the technology adds great value to a property, and how home buying is often the greatest purchase people make in their lives, and that by investing in micro generation technologies your helping secure the investment you’ve made in home buying. But again as well making huge savings on your utility bills, reaping the rewards of selling energy back to the grid and adding great commercial value to you property, it’s about reducing your carbon footprint and helping preserve our planet for future generations.

For more information about Oliver Heath, go to http://www.oliverheath.com

Preparing a flower bed for spring requires a bit of hard work and a few simple tips.

Whether you’ve got a large expanse of grass or a small rectangular patch, the preparation of your lawn in spring  is the same, and ideally starts around the end of March, with a trip to your local garden centre. You may need some new tools, such as a lawn rake, or perhaps even a new mower, and you may also need to invest in some sharp sand if your lawn needs help with drainage and compost to feed and enrich your lawn, and stimulate new growth.

Once you have everything you need, the golden rule is to make sure you have the right conditions for mowing the lawn – if the grass is wet with morning dew, you’ll need to leave the job until it has dried out. Late afternoon on a warm day with a dry surface are the ideal conditions for mowing. But beforeyou crank your mower into action you need to prepare the lawn; rake up anyrubbish, tree branches, twigs and debris that have accumulated on the surface of your lawn over the winter months. Move any garden furniture or other obstacles that will get in the way of your mowing.

Take a long-handled lawn rake to any moss that has grown on the surface as this can kill large areas of grass if allowed to spread unchecked. Now is the time to also remove deep rooted weeds that will seed and spread in spring if allowed to go unchecked. Take a short handled fork, dig around the plant, andmake sure you remove the whole root, which in some cases can be quitedeep. Now you are ready to begin mowing.

It’s important that for the first cut of the season your mower rotor or cylinder blades are on a high setting. You really just want to top the grass on the first cut, as cutting too closely will damage the grass, particularly if the surface is very soft.After a wet winter, you may notice spongy damp areas of your lawn, which may well indicate a drainage problem. This can be improved by using a fork to create a pattern of holes in the grass a few inches apart. Sharp sand should be sprinkled into the holes to improve drainage and improve the quality of the surface.At the beginning of April, you can begin a pattern of fortnightly mowing, and re-set the blades on your mower to a medium height This will enable you to create the much admired tramline effect, and the heavier the roller on your mower, the more pronounced these lines will be. Once the main cutting is finished, you will need to take your edge trimmers around the perimeter to complete the manicured finish. Your lawn will benefit from a feed of spring fertiliser summer compound around this time, which should contain nitrogen to encourage a lush green colour. Most lawn feeds also contain some weedkillers to finish off that moss you’ve raked out so make sure you remove all the grass cuttings, and don’t put the first cut on the compost heap.

This video will outline some basic principals but you should always look up the particular plant you wish to prune before doing so to make sure you get it just right. Pruning is the secret to bringing out the best in your plants but while some plants need only a light trim, others flourish by being cut back hard and the time of year that you get our your pruning shears will also vary.

 Fruit trees are pruned In the winter or early spring and this ensures they provide colourful blossom and a wealth of fruit ready to harvest in the autumn.

First, take your pruning saw, and start removing branches that are crowding the centre of the tree. This will reduce the chance of summer fungal infections. Remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches. Next, cut branches back to the collar, making clean cuts with a sharp saw. This will reduce the chance of infection. If you have a step ladder, reduce the height of the tree by cutting back any long branches by a half to one third, or side branches so that they face outwards with no crossing. When pruning a side branch, make an undercut first, and saw halfway through the stem, then make the final cut from above, sloping away from the side branch. This will prevent tearing. The sloping cut allows moisture and rainfall to drain off and reduces the risk of rotting. Next shorten any thin whippy growths by cutting back to short ranches with a pair of secateurs. This will encourage flower bud formation. If pruning cuts from previous years, remove short, weak or crowded stems growing around the wound. These are of no use and divert energy from the main branches. Remove all branches that are crossing or starting to grow from the outside of the tree into the centre. Carry on working around the tree, removing unwanted branches and when you are finished, step back to ensure you have created a balanced shape with an uncongested centre. It may look bare but in a few weeks will be in blossom and bearing fruit at the end of the brnaches by late summer.

Many plants require pruning in Spring, one being the colourful Dogwood, or Cornus Alba, which has colourful red winter stems. This is one of those plants that thrives on being cut back hard – almost to the ground – as only fresh stems give that vivid red winter interest. First remove all the damaged or diseased stems, then cut out all the weak and thin stems to leave an open structure. Keep checking the plant to identify and remove the more spindly stems. Now prune the remaining healthy strong

The popular Buddleja, - or butterfly bush - is another shrub that does performs best when pruned. If you leave it will be come straggly over a couple of seasons. Most gardeners will cut stems back almost to the point of last’s years pruning, stopping a 2 buds short of last season’s mark. After summer flowering remove flowerbuds to prevent the plant from self seeding.