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<p>Dress up your garden with our colourful pumpkins</p>

Autumn pumpkin

It's Autumn time

<p>We have a full range of Daffodils, Crocus, Hyacinths, Tulips and Snowdrops</p>

Plant spring bulbs

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Flower bulbs

Daffodils for spring

Climbers

Containers

<p>You don’t need a big garden to <strong>grow your own fruit</strong>, just a pot on a sunny patio or balcony. Choose the right plants, follow a few simple steps, and you’ll soon be enjoying delicious harvests of your own fresh-picked fruit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You don’t need a big garden to <strong>grow your own fruit</strong>, just a pot on a sunny patio or balcony. Choose the right plants, follow a few simple steps, and you’ll soon be enjoying delicious harvests of your own fresh-picked fruit.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Growing strawberries in pots</h2>
<p>Strawberries grow well in pots and even in hanging baskets, with pretty white or pink flowers in spring and delicious red fruits in summer. Planting them in hanging baskets also means they’re safe from slugs and snails, although not necessarily from other hungry garden wildlife such as squirrels and birds!&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Choose a pot or basket with good drainage, place in a sunny position and fill it with multi-purpose compost.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Space the plants around 25-30cm (10-12in) apart.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Water regularly and feed fortnightly with a high potash feed once the flowers appear.</li>
<li>Cut off the runners in autumn.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Growing blueberries in pots</h2>
<p>Because blueberries will only grow well in acidic soils, it’s often easiest to grow them in containers. Choose a compact variety like ‘Bluecrop’ or ‘Bluegold’,&nbsp;and, if you have space, plant two different varieties, as cross-pollination will produce bigger fruit.&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Start plants out in a 30cm diameter pot filled with ericaceous compost, then repot into a larger container when necessary.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Water with rainwater whenever possible, as tap water will make the compost more alkaline, especially in areas with hard water.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Feed monthly with a liquid fertiliser suitable for ericaceous plants.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Net the bushes once the fruit starts to ripen to protect it from birds.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Growing apple trees in pots</h2>
<p>Yes, it is possible to grow an apple tree on your patio or balcony. Look for trees grown on dwarf rootstocks (the M9 and M26 rootstocks are best for pots) and choose self-fertile varieties that can produce fruit without needing another apple tree nearby for pollination.&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Choose a pot around 45-50cm in diameter and fill it with loam-based compost like John Innes No. 3. Add a slow-release fertiliser to the compost mix before planting.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Water your apple tree regularly.</li>
<li>Replace the top 5cm (2in) of compost every year.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Growing fig trees in pots</h2>
<p>Fig trees grow well in large pots, and with their attractive lobed leaves, they make excellent specimen plants and provide delicious fruit. Varieties like ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Brown Turkey’ are hardy and well suited to our temperate climate, fruiting reliably even in poor summers.&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Start small plants off in 30cm (12in) pots filled with a loam-based compost like John Innes No. 3 and re-pot into a slightly larger pot every two years. Place the pot in a sunny, sheltered spot.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Water weekly during the growing season and feed fortnightly with a liquid high potash fertiliser such as tomato feed. Tiny fruitlets appear in late summer and will ripen the following year.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Cover the tree with fleece in winter to protect it from frosts, or move the container into a frost-free greenhouse.</li>
</ul>
<p>We have a fantastic range of fruit trees and bushes in the centre, so visit us today and get set for a delicious harvest!</p>

Growing fruit in pots

<p><strong>Sempervivum</strong> means ‘always alive’, and it’s a good description of these attractive and <strong>easy to grow succulents</strong></p>

<p><strong>Sempervivum</strong> means ‘always alive’, and it’s a good description of these attractive and <strong>easy to grow succulents</strong>. Sempervivums come mainly from mountainous regions and cope well with both drought and cold. With their neat, geometric rosettes of fleshy leaves, they look great all year round in troughs or pots in a sunny spot, needing very little care.</p>
<h2>Where to plant sempervivums</h2>
<p>Sempervivums don’t need much to grow – they will thrive in cracks in walls and have traditionally been grown on the roofs of houses, hence their common name of houseleeks. They like plenty of sunshine and can be grown in the ground in very well-drained soil or pots filled with well-drained compost.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Plant Sempervivums in pots in a 3:1 mix of loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 3 and horticultural grit. Place them sitting slightly above the compost level so that there is space to top-dress it with a layer of grit. As well as looking good, this stops the compost splashing onto the leaves when it rains and causing them to rot.</p>
<p>Sempervivums don’t need regular feeding, but it’s a good idea to repot them into fresh compost each year or feed them annually with a balanced liquid feed.</p>
<p>Once a rosette has flowered, it will die, but will quickly be replaced by offsets – these are smaller rosettes that grow from the main stem.</p>
<h2>Propagating sempervivums from offsets</h2>
<p>Propagating sempervivums from offsets is very simple. Here’s how it’s done:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cut offsets off the main plant with a sharp knife, ideally with some roots attached.</li>
<li>Remove most of the fleshy leaves from the offset base, leaving just a small ring of leaves in place. This reduces the risk of leaves rotting off.</li>
<li>Fill individual small pots with a 50/50 mix of loam-based compost such as John Innes No 1 and horticultural grit.&nbsp;</li>
<li>With a dibber or pencil, make a small hole in the compost in each pot and plant an offset in the hole. Firm the compost gently around the offset.</li>
<li>Water well and place the pots somewhere sheltered. After around 3 months, the offsets should have rooted and can be planted out.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h2>Sempervivum varieties to grow</h2>
<p>There are so many beautiful sempervivums to choose from, and it can be hard to know where to start! Here are five of our favourites:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cobweb houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum): rosettes of red-tipped green leaves, with a delicate cobweb of white threads over the tips of the leaves.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Sempervivum ‘Pippin’: deep green leaves tipped with deep maroon-red.</li>
<li>Sempervivum ‘Purple Dazzler’: narrow pointed leaves, green at the tips and deep burgundy red at the centres. The colour gets more intense in winter.</li>
<li>Sempervivum ‘Eddy’: spoon-shaped red leaves, darker red at the centres</li>
<li>Sempervivum ‘Brunneifolium’: large rosettes of pale pinkish-grey leaves with a metallic tinge.</li>
</ul>
<p>Whether you’re planting up a pot or filling a border, you’ll find plenty of plants to choose from in our great ranges. Visit us today and add some extra colour to your garden!</p>

How to grow sempervivums

<p>These <strong>top five alliums to grow</strong> will fill your garden with pretty colourful spring and early summer colours each year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Our <strong>top 5 alliums to grow</strong> have been picked from the many Allium varieties available for gardeners that are all lovely bulbs and bloom into some of the most wonderful of all spring bulbs. The balls of lilac, white and even slightly blue or green are a must-have for any garden from a cottage style to something more contemporary. These top five will fill your garden with pretty colourful spring and early summer colours each year.&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li>Allium ‘Hair’</li>
<li>Allium ‘Art’</li>
<li>Allium ‘Purple Sensation’</li>
<li>Allium ‘Gigantium’</li>
<li>Allium ‘Globemaster’</li>
</ol>
<h2>1. Allium ‘Hair’&nbsp;</h2>
<p>This Allium is both interesting and freaky all in one! The flower head looks like a mop of hair sticking up and all over the place, but even with that description, we can guarantee you they are gorgeous and most definitely a talking point in the garden. It’s a great choice of allium.</p>
<h2>2. Allium 'Art’</h2>
<p>Another fascinating allium with unique flower heads that look like crazy hair. They are indeed a piece of art! These alliums flower between May to June, and Allium ‘Art’ is an exceptional addition to any garden border.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>3. Allium ‘Purple Sensation’&nbsp;</h2>
<p>This Allium is most definitely one of the more popular alliums. With tall stems and deep purple flower heads, which are made up of many star-shaped flowers. They look great in garden borders or pots and containers. Don’t forget allium foliage dies back before the flowers fully form, so ideally, you’ll want to plants something around them to hide the faded leaves.</p>
<h2>4. Allium ‘Gigantium’&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Gigantium alliums have bright globes of purple florets and on stems as high as 1.5m. They are stunning in any garden as the deep globe colour contrasts perfectly with the paler green leaves.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Planted in swathes in a garden border or dotted about in amongst other plants.</p>
<h2>5. Allium ‘Globemaster’&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Globemaster has won many awards for its huge flower heads of star-shaped violet flowers that grow up to 25cm in a cluster. It’s a stunning variety that flowers for a long period, and the seed heads look just as great in the garden as well if you leave them.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>How to plant Alliums</h2>
<p>Alliums are attractive for bees and other pollinators and easy to grow. Plant them during autumn in well-drained soil, and don’t forget to label where you have planted them, so you don’t dig them back up again. They need to be planted about 4 times the bulb's diameter directly in the garden or a container. Your garden will be awash with lilac during the following spring, and you will be so pleased that you planted them. Why not choose from some of our top 5 and get your garden ready for next spring.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We have a selection of spring bulbs in store, so please do come along and visit us.&nbsp;</p>

Top 5 Alliums to Grow

<p>Here are a few to look out for and some tips on encouraging <strong>wildlife in your garden</strong>.</p>

<p>You’re not the only one who enjoys your garden. There’s a whole host of creatures living in it, helping to create a balanced ecosystem. Here are a few to look out for and some tips on encouraging <strong>wildlife in your garden</strong>.</p>
<h2>Ladybirds</h2>
<p>These small, black-spotted red bugs eat huge amounts of aphids, the tiny green or black insects that infest new shoots in spring. A single ladybird can eat around 5000 aphids in its lifetime, so it’s no wonder gardeners love them! Ladybirds also eat pollen, so having pollen-rich plants like</p>
<ul>
<li>lavender,</li>
<li>thyme,</li>
<li>cosmos,</li>
<li>yarrow.</li>
</ul>
<p>Encourage ladybirds to lay their eggs in your garden by planting pollen-rich plants in your garden. This helps to ensure&nbsp;a good population of future ladybirds.</p>
<h2>Bees</h2>
<p>Bees and bumblebees are enormously important pollinators, vital for the health of our ecosystem, so the more we can do to help them, the better. One of the best things we can do as gardeners is to have at least one plant in flower in the garden in each season. As well as all the summer-flowering plants, you could plant ivy for the autumn, winter-flowering shrubs like Sarcococca and Mahonia, and crocuses for early spring flowers. Avoid using pesticides, as this can harm bees and other pollinators.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Earthworms</h2>
<p>Earthworms do wonderful things for the soil, consuming leaf litter and compost and working it into the soil, improving structure and nutrient levels.&nbsp;To help your earthworms, mulch your soil annually with compost or leaf mould. The worms will reward you by producing beautifully rich, crumbly soil that plants will thrive in.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Birds</h2>
<p>Birds add life and music to the garden with their song, and many birds are also great at pest control. Small birds like blue tits and sparrows eat aphids and other insects, and song thrushes will even eat snails, bashing them on rocks to break their shells.&nbsp;</p>
<p>To encourage more birds into your garden, plant berry-bearing shrubs and trees like holly and hawthorn. These provide food in autumn and winter and shelter for nesting birds in spring and early summer. Put up a bird feeder in a sheltered spot, and keep it topped up to encourage more birds into your garden.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Frogs</h2>
<p>Frogs do a fantastic job in keeping slugs and snails under control, and you don’t need a huge garden to make a pond for them. Even a large washing up bowl sunk into the ground, filled with rainwater, and planted with aquatic plants will attract wildlife over time. Please place it in a position that gets several hours of sunlight, and make sure there’s a way for wildlife to get in and out safely by placing rocks or a ramp at one end. A log pile near your pond will also encourage amphibians to look for a safe place to overwinter.</p>
<p>If you’d like to make your garden more wildlife-friendly, visit our centre to see our great range of plants and garden accessories. Our friendly staff will be happy to help and advise!</p>

Wildlife that’s good for your garden

<p>Are you wondering <strong>how to store autumn harvests?</strong>&nbsp;Autumn harvests are some of the most delicious and there are many ways to store them. Here are our tips:&nbsp;</p>

<p>Are you wondering <strong>how to store autumn harvests</strong>? Sometimes when you bring home plenty of homegrown produce from your kitchen garden or allotment, or even your balcony and patio pots, it can be a lot to prepare and eat while it is still all fresh. Fresh is of course best but there are many ways to store harvests grown throughout the year and the last of the autumn harvests as well to get you through the winter and into the following year. Autumn harvests are some of the most delicious and there are many ways to store them. Here are our tips:&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li>Apple&nbsp;</li>
<li>Squash&nbsp;</li>
<li>Fruit&nbsp;</li>
<li>Beans&nbsp;</li>
<li>Herbs&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<h2>How to store autumn harvests of apples&nbsp;</h2>
<p>When apples start falling from the tree, it is time to enjoy that loveliest of autumn harvests. Apple pies, apple crumble and the sweetness of homegrown fruit. Apples can be stored in wooden crates placed on top of each other in a cool, dry area where pests can’t get to them. Keep an eye on them for any sign of disease or rotting.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>How to store autumn harvests of squash&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Most squashes will be fine if stored in a cool, dark place and you’ll be able to eat them for months. Ideally, leave squashes to ripen on the vine for as long as you can before harvesting as that helps longevity in storage. If it isn’t frosty, you can leave them in the sunshine for about a week first. Alternatively, cut them up and freeze portions, make delicious soups to freeze or even a hearty winter pie.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>How to store autumn harvests of fruit</h2>
<p>Autumn fruiting raspberries are a popular autumn fruit in kitchen gardens and allotments. The sweetness can’t be beaten and they will soon sweeten up a crumble or pie. Freezing them in fruit bags is a good way to store them. Each bag can be filled with many different fruits so you can use each bag to make a smoothie.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>How to store autumn harvests of beans</h2>
<p>The last beans to be harvested from the vines are usually a sad moment! Beans can fill up the kitchen all throughout the summer and as they come to an end in autumn and it is time to finish the harvest, you might be wondering how to store what’s left. After you have boiled or stop fried some they can also be blanched and frozen for use over winter. Another great way to use up beans is to make a green bean chutney or even pickle them in vinegar and pickling spices with a dash of mustard.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>How to store autumn harvests of herbs&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Hanging bunches of herbs with string up to dry can not only look great but the scent can be wonderful too. You can use dried herbs for making cups of tea over the winter months and for use in cooking. Other ways to store them are in airtight jars or even freeze them in ice trays.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Visit us in store for garden storage accessories.</p>

How to store autumn harvests

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Turn clay soil while it's still dry and reasonably manageable, leaving it in large lumps over winter so that the frost can help break it down. You'll find once the big clods are shattered by freezing they'll be much easier to work in spring: add well-rotted organic matter to boost nutrients, too.