If you are tidying up your leaves, watch out for hedgehogs! A pile of tightly compacted leaves, moss and garden debris at the base of thick hedges, under bramble bushes, shrubs or among piles of leaves may mean that you have a hibernating, spiky friend in your garden. Hedgehogs are fantastic friends to gardeners as […]
Category Archives: Advice
The dark nights, colder temperatures and stronger winds begin to arrive in November but there are still several jobs that can be done in the garden this month. Protect outdoor container plants by raising them off the ground using bricks or special ‘pot feet’ available at the nursery. Insulate outside pots by wrapping them in […]
Hedging has fabulous practical and aesthetic purposes in the garden and, as the risk of frost passes and the ground becomes more workable, it is a good time to get planting one. Hedges can be used to mark boundaries and add definition to your garden; they can provide frame and focus, guiding the eye to […]
One of the questions we are often asked in the nursery is when is it the best time to plant. It can come as a surprise to discover that autumn is one of the best times to plant a perennial. Regardless of the temperature above ground, the soil is actually quite warm at this time […]
By October, autumn is in full swing, with colours changing, daylight shortening and the first frosts on the way. A crisp, bright, autumn day is the perfect time to begin tidying up in the flower beds, vegetable patch and greenhouse. Continue cutting back herbaceous perennials that have finished, or, alternatively, leave dead foliage to encourage […]
As summer slips into autumn, the rich variety of colour in the garden ignites plants that may have taken more of a backstage role during the summer months. It is hard to beat the vivid colours provided by Japanese Acers; varieties such as Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ (coral bark maple) develop wonderful yellow leaves in autumn […]
The height of summer is a wonderful time to reap the rewards of all of your efforts in the garden over the past few months. There are, however, still a few jobs that need to be done to keep your garden looking its very best in what is often the hottest and driest month of […]
By June, the warmer weather has arrived and this, along with extra sunlight hours, means that there are lots of jobs to be getting on with in the garden this month: check plants daily during warm spells, particularly plants that are establishing, and water when necessary keep on top of weeds by regularly hoeing your […]
May is a fantastic time to be in the garden: the weather begins to warm up and the beds and borders respond to changes in day length and temperature, meaning there are many jobs for the busy gardener. Now is the time to begin hardening off tender, young plants. Place your plants outside during the […]
There are many plants that you can grow in your vegetable patch that will encourage beneficial insects, redirect the unwanted attentions of pests and attract pollinators that will feed on unwelcome visitors, as well as improving crop yields and the overall health of your plants. Some strongly scented crops, planted alongside one another can be […]