Which Type of Turf Is Best for Your Devon Garden?
Choosing the right lawn can make a huge difference to how your garden looks, feels and performs over time. There are some things to think about when you use your turf… how much maintenance you want to do, whether you have pets or children, how much shade the lawn gets…
Booking for 2026: Why Early Planning is Key for a Spring Garden
There is something special about the Devon countryside when spring finally breaks. After months of grey skies and wet weather, seeing the first bit of life returning to the garden is always a highlight. However, for many homeowners in Newton Abbot and across South…
Why Your Satisfaction is the True Measure of My Business
In the landscaping and turfing industry, it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers—square yardage laid, tons of topsoil moved, or the number of projects completed in a month. But at Steve’s Turfing, I’ve always operated on a different set of metrics. To me, a job…
Managing Your Garden Project: How My Diplomas Ensure a Stress-Free Build
When you decide to overhaul your garden, it’s a big commitment. It’s an investment of your time, your money, and your home’s curb appeal. I often hear from homeowners in Devon who are worried about the “chaos” of a build—the mess, the delays, and the…
From Labourer to Manager: My 25-Year Journey in the Devon Trade
If you’ve seen me out on a job in Newton Abbot or across South Devon, you know I’m not the type to sit in a van with a clipboard. I’m boots-on-the-ground, hands-in-the-soil. But that drive comes from a journey that started over a quarter of a century ago. My story in…
What to Expect During Your Free Consultation with Steve
When you’re looking to transform your garden, the first step can often feel like the most daunting. You have a vision in your head—or perhaps just a patch of mud you’re tired of looking at—and you need to know what’s possible. At Steve’s Turfing, I offer a free…
The Coastal Challenge: Laying Turf in Plymouth’s Salty Air
Living in Plymouth or along the South Devon coastline comes with some of the most stunning views in the country. But for a gardener or a homeowner trying to maintain a pristine lawn, the coastal environment presents a unique set of challenges. Between the salt-laden…
A Transformation in Exeter: Solving a Drainage Nightmare
Exeter is a beautiful city, but it’s no secret to the locals that many gardens here suffer from a common, frustrating problem: heavy clay soil. I recently finished a project in an Exeter suburb that perfectly illustrated how this “heavy ground” can turn a…
Traditional Values, Modern Methods: How Steve’s Turfing Operates
In any trade, there is often a debate between the “old school” way of doing things and the “new school” approach. Some prefer the grit and reliability of traditional methods, while others want the speed and precision of modern technology. At…
The 50-Mile Promise: Taking High-Quality Turfing Across South Devon
When I set up Steve’s Turfing, I knew I didn’t want to be a “national” company where the quality gets spread too thin. I wanted to be a local specialist. But in a county as big and varied as Devon, “local” covers a lot of ground. That’s why I…
Born and Bred: Why I Love Serving My Newton Abbot Community
There is a different kind of pressure when you work in the town where you grew up. When I’m laying a lawn in Highweek, Buckland, or Milber, I’m not just working for a “client”—I’m working for a neighbour. I’m a Newton Abbot man through and through, and for…
Is a Clover Lawn Right for Your Family? Myths vs. Reality
If you’ve been following the latest trends in Devon gardening, you’ve likely heard about the “Clover Revolution.” For some, it’s a way to save time and money; for others, it’s about doing their bit for the local environment. But when you have a busy…
The Pollinator’s Playground: Turning Your Garden into a Bee Haven
Over the last few years, many of my clients in Newton Abbot and across South Devon have started asking for more than just a “green carpet.” They want a garden that feels alive. With the British bee and butterfly populations facing real challenges, our back…
Drought-Proofing Your South Devon Garden with Clover Blends
Over the last few summers, we’ve all noticed a shift in the Devon weather. We’ve gone from our usual “liquid sunshine” to prolonged dry spells that turn the lush green hills of the Teign Valley a dusty brown. For a homeowner, watching a newly laid lawn…
Sustainable Spaces: Why Soft Landscaping is Better for Devon’s Wildlife
In recent years, there has been a trend toward “hard landscaping”—paving over gardens, installing porcelain tiles, or opting for artificial grass. While these have their place, they often turn a garden into a sterile environment. At Steve’s Turfing, I…
Nitrogen for Free: How Clover Acts as a Natural Fertiliser for Your Soil
In an era where the cost of living and the price of garden supplies seem to be constantly climbing, finding a way to get something for nothing is rare. But when it comes to your lawn, nature has provided a perfect solution that’s been under our feet all along. At…
The Newton Abbot Guide to Clover Lawns: Low Maintenance, High Impact
If you’ve spent any time walking around Newton Abbot lately, you’ve likely noticed that our gardens have to work hard. From the steep slopes of Highweek to the damp, clay-heavy plots near the Teign, the “standard” grass lawn often struggles to keep up with…
Quantity Surveying Your Garden: How I Provide Accurate, No-Surprise Quotes
One of the biggest anxieties homeowners face when starting a landscaping project is the “creeping cost.” We’ve all heard horror stories of quotes that double by the time the job is finished or “unexpected” expenses that appear as soon as the…
Shade-Tolerant Turf: Making Your North-Facing Garden Lush Again
Shade-Tolerant Turf: Making Your North-Facing Garden Lush Again If your garden is north-facing or tucked behind a tall row of Devon hedgerows, you know the struggle of the “moss vs. grass” battle. Many homeowners in Newton Abbot and the surrounding areas…
Beyond the Grass: Designing Feature Beds That Complement Your Turf
When I pull up to a property in Newton Abbot or Exeter, my main focus is often the lawn, but I never view a garden as just a patch of grass. A truly stunning outdoor space is about the balance between the “soft” green of the turf and the…
The Premium Finish: How We Achieve Those Crisp, Professional Edges
There is a world of difference between a garden that has “had some grass laid” and a professionally landscaped lawn. That difference almost always comes down to the edges. In the trade, we say that the edges are the “picture frame” of your…
Soft Landscaping 101: Pairing Your New Lawn with the Perfect Borders
When people think of “landscaping,” they often picture heavy machinery and concrete. But “soft” landscaping is where the soul of a garden lives. It is the art of using living elements—grass, plants, shrubs, and trees—to create a functional and…
Sourcing Local: Why Devon-Grown Turf Beats the Big-Box Retailers
When you are planning a new lawn in Newton Abbot, Exeter, or Plymouth, it is tempting to look at the prices at the big national DIY chains or the massive online “turf supermarkets.” On paper, they look like a bargain. But in my 25 years in the Devon trade,…
25 Years of Turf: What Two Decades in the Trade Has Taught Me
When I first started out as a labourer in the Devon landscaping trade twenty-five years ago, I thought laying a lawn was a simple enough task. You dig it over, you level it off, and you roll the grass out. But a quarter of a century spent working the soil from Newton…
Shed Bases and Structures: Why Solid Foundations Matter for Your Garden
When we talk about garden transformations at Steve’s Turfing, the conversation often starts with the lawn. But for many homeowners in Newton Abbot and across South Devon, a great garden also includes functional structures—whether it’s a tool shed, a summerhouse, or a…
The Truth About Rotovating: When to Do It and When to Avoid It
If you’ve been researching how to prepare your garden for new turf, you’ve likely seen the rotovator mentioned as the “must-have” tool. It’s a powerful bit of kit that churns up the earth, leaving a fine, dark soil behind. But after 25 years in the Devon…
From the Ground Up: Why I Treat Every Lawn Like a Construction Project
When most people think of “gardening,” they think of planting, pruning, and light maintenance. But when it comes to laying a new lawn that will stand the test of time in the Devon climate, I don’t look at it as a gardening job. I look at it as a…
Grading and Levelling: The Critical Step Most Gardeners Skip
When you look at a professional sports pitch or a high-end estate lawn, it isn’t just the green colour that catches your eye—it’s the perfect, tabletop flatness. Most people assume that if you buy good turf, it will naturally look that way. But the truth is, the…
Drainage Deep Dive: Solving Newton Abbot’s Heavy Soil Issues
If you’ve lived in Newton Abbot for any length of time, you know the “Red Mud” all too well. While our local soil is fantastic for the Devon countryside, it can be a total nightmare for the average back garden. Much of the ground around the Teign Valley…
The Level 7 Standard: Why Precision Planning Saves You Money
In the world of landscaping, “Level 7” isn’t just a number—it represents a standard of professional education usually reserved for high-level site managers and structural engineers. Holding a Level 7 Diploma in Construction Management means that when…