The Dawber Community Garden situated next to Lincoln Castle in the city’s cathedral quarter, has been providing joy to garden visitors for more than forty years.
Developed to celebrate Lincoln’s international connections, the garden is a peaceful hidden haven planted with 400 varieties of plants from all over the world.
Local volunteers from the Garden Community Trust work to keep this garden looking splendid right through the year. Beyond planting, part of that work includes keeping the pathways clear and safe for visitors.
This beautiful space is enclosed by old brick walls with pathways made up of tarmac, block-paving and cobble sets, some finished with decorative brick edges, all winding through planted beds, borders, ponds, sculpture, and artworks.
Local resident and Agrigem Account Manager steps in with Sapphire Pro
Recently, local resident and Agrigem Account Manager Dan Roberts visited the garden to help the trust remove algae and grime from steps, pathways and walls using Sapphire Pro.
He says: “I’m a regular visitor to the community garden and had noticed a build-up of slimy algae and moss on most of the hard surfaces. This is a common problem, especially after wet weather in winter and in areas that receive little or no sunlight.
“The garden attracts a range of visitors young and old, and I knew that removing algae and moss would make the pathways and steps safer for everyone. I began treating all affected areas including tarmac, stone steps, brick walls, and paving stones.
“Sapphire Pro works quickly and showed results on the steps in seven days. But all the moss and algae had been killed off completely in most areas within 28 days - returning the surfaces to their summer best.”
Why Sapphire Pro
Sapphire Pro is a biocide derived from plants and works to kill and control algae, moss and grime on outdoor hard surfaces, de-greening them and preventing regrowth.
One of the other benefits is the reduced water requirement - significantly less than other biocidal treatments. It also has a very low environmental hazard classification making it safe to use both for the environment and operator. It will not foam up in a watering can or spray tank.
Sapphire Pro can be used at any time of year and is particularly effective when used before the worse of the winter weather when frost and rain can make algae and green deposits slippery.
It can be used on most outdoor hard surfaces including:
• Most building materials
• Pavements and paving blocks
• Patios
• Driveways
• Steel
• Zinc
• Aluminium
• Tiles
• Bitumen
• Exterior wood and decking
• Plastic
• Glass (exterior walls of a greenhouse)
• Stones
• Non-grassed athletic tracks
Sapphire Pro does not need to be applied through a pressure washer; it can simply be diluted at the correct rate, sprayed on and left to work. You do not need to brush, scrub or wash the surface after application either. The active ingredient – nonanonic acid - will do the hard work for you.
The reaction from Dawber Garden
Lynn Ritson from The Dawber Garden Community Trust says: “We’re delighted with the results achieved by Dan. Aside from the safety aspects of removing algae, de-greening the pathways and hard surfaces helps set off the planting and showcase the hard work of our wonderful volunteers!”
You can visit The Dawber Garden at the Lawns on Union Road, just opposite Lincoln Castle's famous West Gate. Just head towards the children’s playground at the rear of the Lawns and you'll find the gate to this 'secret' garden.
For more information on Sapphire Pro, please get in touch with our technical sales team.
