Part of the appeal of a Charcoal BBQ are the smells that are produced from not only the charcoal BBQ but from the food cooking and sizzling away, sometimes for a bit too long becoming a part of the charcoal burning on the BBQ.

Always think about the positioning of your Charcoal Barbecue before setting up. The following pointers should help you when looking for somewhere to set up your charcoal barbecue:

Make sure there is nothing overhead that can catch fire like trees or washing lines.

make sure you keep a good distance from any buildings, especially wooden sheds.

Flat level ground.

Good access or exit in case of a problem.

If you have pets it would be advisable to shut them away whilst cooking on your charcoal bbq.

When choosing the right spot for the Charcoal BBQ also consider what it will be like when all of the starving guests are in the same area. So work out how much space you will need and then make a concious decission on whether to go for a Portable BBQor a built in charcoal barbecue. The best way is to weigh up the pro’s and cons and work out which will best suit your needs.

Most people will go for a portable BBQ as they are convenient and easily put out of the way when not in use. Whereas a static charcoal BBQ is out in all weathers and open to animals both wild and pets running on them or worse.

Now you have decided which type of charcoal BBQ you want and you have chosen the area that you are going to be using it in you can start to look around at the various types and designs that are available.

Safety is also of great importance after all it is a fire that you are playing with. The re-inforced foil used in portable BBQ’s is very thin and can often be quite dangerous, the bottoms have been know to give way which can obviousy be very dangerous in itself. Go for a sturdy charcoal bbq with a good thick solid base. not only will it last much longer it will also be much safer.

Try and keep your feet on the ground though and buy a Charcoal BBQ that is the right size for your requirements and not too big. Remember, the bigger the Charcoal BBQ, the more charcoal you will have to put on it, which can often be very costly.

I know I have gone over it already but it is worth mentioning again safety when using a charcoal BBQ is vital. Keep children pets and other animals out of the charcoal BBQ cooking area at all times.

Just about the most important things to watch for in your Garden Topsoil is the moisture levels is of paramount importance. Too much and it will be too boggy. Meaning your plants will be far too wet around the roots. Too little and the topsoil will be way too dry to sustain your plants needs. Not enough moisture held in the soil is a sign that the water is draining through it way too quickly. If you have either of these issues, all is not lost, there are many things that can be done to optimise the the quality of the topsoil.

To ensure the water drains easily and to stop the soil clumping, try digging in fine gravel or sand to your garden topsoil. Horse Manure or well rotted compost will also benefit your soil.

Whilst these may be the cheapest way to improve your drainage, they are by no means the easiest, buying high quality garden Topsoil in the first place will reduce the need to do this, but obviously that comes at a premium. Other ways would be to introduce large amounts of well rotted manure or compost which will not only add a lot of nutrition for your plants to feed off but will also help with moisture retention.

If your garden is not well maintained you will face the bain of every gardners life, weeds. No sooner do you get rid off them that another one replaces it. A good natural Mulch is probably the most effective way to control this. This will help by blocking out the light so the weeds won’t grow again, as it rots down it puts nutrition back in to the soil meaning that your gardens topsoil remains in excellent condition.

Bad topsoil can also affect you grass as well as your plants. Out of sight out of mind springs to mind when talking about the condition of the topsoil underneath your grass. Of course there are signs that problems are occurring even with a lawn. Heavy moss or puddles forming can be signs that there are drainage problems. The best way to solve that is to aerate the lawn add a small amount of sand and a good quality natural turf dressing.

Your lawn going discoloured before anyone else’s in hot weather is a sure sign that your soil in too free draining and needs your attention. Yes, lawns should be slightly dry but on the other hand they still need moisture to draw those all so important nutrients.