Education Translation

• Memory Foam Mattress
• Memory Foam Mattresses
• Memory Foam Mattress Topper
• Memory Foam Mattress

For years we have heard that a firm mattress is better for those who suffer from back pain. There are even cases of doctors suggesting that their patients put a layer of plywood or a door under their mattress to make it even more firm. While some people may find relief while sleeping on a very firm mattress, a renowned study by a group of researchers in Spain, led by Dr. Francisco Kovacs has shown that a medium mattress offered relief for twice as many patients when compared to a firm mattress.

Dr. Kovacs’ study found that patients who slept on a medium mattress required less pain medication, reported less pain while lying down, and even less pain while walking around during the daytime. The differences in outcome were substantially more positive for the group using medium mattresses.

If we look at the way the body interacts with a firm mattress, the difference is pretty clear. Dr. Kovacs, in his report published in The Lancet, a well-respected British medical journal, said “Firm mattresses don’t allow shoulder and hips to sink into the bed. This leaves an unsupported area in the lower back so the spine is curved leaving one side of joints open while the other is closed. If you keep doing this, one side of the back is stretched. The ideal is to have your spine in a straight line.”

While a mattress should be firm enough to limit the depth to which hips sink into the mattress to prevent curving in the opposite direction, some yielding actually improves spinal alignment. Furthermore, using a material like memory foam that surrounds and cradles the body as it makes contact with the mattress surface provides critical support while preventing the misalignment that the Kovacs study found with firm mattresses.

Memory foam, then, is an ideal choice for those who suffer from chronic or periodic back pain. Sufferers of this condition would be well advised to make their next mattress a memory foam mattress. If they have already purchased a firm mattress and have found little or no relief, there’s no need to run out and replace their existing mattress. By simply adding a memory foam mattress topper to an existing mattress, the benefits of a comfortable, yielding, yet supportive sleeping surface can still be realized. Memory foam mattress toppers are typically available in thicknesses ranging from one to four inches. For back pain sufferers, a four inch thickness in the denser memory foam is likely to provide maximum benefit.

With any medical condition, follow your doctor’s advice, but if your doctor still recommends a firm mattress, ask him about the Kovacs study that showed much higher rates of relief with mattresses of medium firmness and ask whether memory foam might be the right option for you.

• Hunter Wellies
• Garden Furniture
• Flymo
• Flymo Lawnmowers
• Bosch Lawnmowers
• Barbeques
• BBQ
• Barbecues
• Chiminea
• Lafuma Chairs
• Garden Furniture

It can seem daunting to start a border from scratch. Buying plants from the garden centre can prove extremely expensive, particularly if you have a lot of space to fill. For a better value, and more personalised summer display, try growing your border from seed. At Gardens4less, we have a huge variety of species to choose from. So with a little forward-planning, you can create a bright, vibrant backdrop for your barbecues and evening drinks.

Sowing Annuals

It is best to start planning your border well in advance. Most annuals can be sown in spring and allowed to germinate in a heated propagator (link) or in the airing cupboard. When seedlings emerge, be sure to allow them plenty of light - a sunny windowsill is ideal. Generally speaking, plants should be ‘pricked out’ when they reach approximately an inch in height - use a dibber (or wooden lolly stick) to lift seedlings into individual modules. Annuals can be planted out when all risk of frost has passed, usually around May. If you wish to sow seeds directly into the ground, wait until June, when the soil is beginning to warm up. For unexpected cold snaps, our mini greenhouses (link) provide protection for potted plants. If you lack the room for a greenhouse and don’t want seedlings cluttering your windowsills, try a cold frame (link).

What Should I Grow?

If you don’t have time to plan a border but want a splash of colour, try one of our mixed seed selections. The easy ‘Fairy Mix’ (link) provides interest throughout the summer, in shades of purple, pink, white and yellow. If you’d like a more natural look, try our ‘Butterfly Mixture’ which will encourage beneficial wildlife into your garden. Inject some holiday cheer into your beds with the ‘Californian Mixture’, containing golden poppies and other bright blooms. For best results, broadcast sow (scatter liberally) in drifts throughout the border. Our seed collections are also useful for filling gaps in the border when another, larger plant has finished for the season.

Planning a Border

The key to a good layout is choosing plants which do not overpower each other in size or colour. Place large specimens towards the back of the bed, and choose smaller species as you work to the front. If your border is against a warm wall, try a climber to create a green backdrop to your planting. The purple bell vine (link) is a rapid scrambler with stunning black/purple blooms. Reaching an impressive 91cm, poppy ‘Black Peony’ (link) has rich red blooms which can provide a foil for smaller, light-coloured varieties. Mid-border, why not choose the familiar ‘Oxeye’ daisy (link)? Easy to grow, this variety is ideal for a wild flower theme and attracts a range of insects. Dwarf varieties are ideal for the front of your planting scheme. Sow viola ‘Petite Bronze’ (link) for dainty red blooms, or the award winning ‘Jolly Joker’ (link) for instant cheer. For gaps at the front of your bed, alyssum ‘Avalanche’ provides superb ground-cover and will cascade onto paths to blend into an informal display.

New and Unusual

For something novel, try ornamental millet. ‘Purple Majesty’ (link) is a superb architectural plant; the tall, maroon spires providing definition to a soft or clump-forming scheme. Amaranthus ‘Autumn Palette’ (link) is another striking feature-plant, and can be cut for indoor displays into the autumn.

The toast of new pansy breeding, ‘Chianti’ (link) is an elegant addition to your garden. The ruffled, striped petals will attract admiring stares from your neighbours. Sow in spring for summer blooms, or in summer for flowers throughout the winter.