A neat, manicured lawn is many a gardener's dream. Alongside pretty flower beds, brightly coloured containers and neat borders, the lawn is one of the most important aspects of a garden.

When your lawn looks unkempt, overgrown and covered in weeds, it can make the whole garden appear messy.

With summer just around the corner, many Britons are looking to get their gardens in shape and ready for barbecues in the sun and alfresco dining.

One way to get your garden in shape is regularly mowing and caring for your lawn.

However, cutting your lawn isn't as simple as getting the mower out and trimming your grass, it's easy to make mistakes which could impact your lawn's overall health.

Joe from Joe's Lawn Care said one of the "biggest lawn care mistakes" people can make is mowing grass too short.

The lawn care expert said one of the reasons people cut their grass too short is because it will delay them having to mow it again as soon.

He said: "They think if they mow it extra close to the ground they will somehow delay the inevitable task of having to mow it again."

Another reason people often "scalp" their lawns is because they see manicured lawns on TV and are inspired to make their own gardens look the same.

However, Joe explained that these "highly-manicured turfs" are often mowed with a special reel mower and are then "lacquered with an extravagant amount of fertilisers, herbicides, chemical fungicides and a thousand other products most garden-owners have never heard of".

Joe said mowing your grass too short "heaps stress onto your grass" because the shorter the blade of grass, the less it can photosynthesise which means it will produce fewer roots and shoots.

"Scalping" your lawn damages the crown of the plant which can make it vulnerable to pests and diseases.

As a general rule, gardeners should aim for a height of around three to 3.5 inches.

Mowing lawns each week at this height will ensure it doesn't get too stressed while keeping it healthy.