At the time of writing, it’s cold and grey outside, but Rob and I have been checking on the herbaceous stock that we overwintered here at the garden centre and are amazed at how much fresh growth there is in many of the pots …. hurray! So, however hard it is to drag yourself out, there really is quite a bit to be getting on with in your garden, because spring is not that far away.

Vegetables and other edible crops

Get digging! Apart from the fact that the work will keep you warm, it’ll be so beneficial to spend some time and effort preparing and improving the soil. The dramatic frosts we had have done some of the hard work for you, by breaking up the soil, and you’ll quickly be able to incorporate compost or horse manure to break down the clumps even further and nourish the soil prior to planting.

If you need to add compost to your raised beds or vegetable patch we have Topsoil, Abbeymore Organic compost, well rotted Horse Manure, Multi Purpose with added John Innes, and John Innes.

Once your plot has been dug over and fertilized, start planting. We have variety of seed potatoes in stock, all of which are organic, ready to plant straight away.

As always, we have the fabulous Franchi Italian vegetable seeds in stock. Some items within the range are ready to plant now, and others can be started off in a propagator or greenhouse. We have John Innes “seed” compost available, which is the best medium to grow seeds in. As soon as our suppliers have them available we’ll have our ever popular young vegetable plants in stock, for those of you who’d rather not plant from seed.

We’ll have a good range of soft fruit and fruit trees in very soon. I’ve sourced a new fruit grower (a small, UK supplier, of course) whose fruit trees and soft fruit are fabulous. If you are looking for a particular type of fruit tree, please let me know, and if possible I can add your request to the order (which I’ll be doing this week, so hurry!) click here to order

I’ve sourced a new supplier for our herbs as well. They come in larger pots than the little 9cm ones we’ve sold in the past, and the pots are made from coir, meaning you can plant them in the ground and they will quickly biodegrade, thus avoiding the risk of damage to tender young roots when planting out.

We’re converting one of our two brick alcoves on the upper site into a dedicated area for “grow your own” – you’ll find everything from propagators and cloches, seed trays and root trainers, to raised bed frames and bean and pea supports, not forgetting tomato and potato planters. Oh, and of course the fabulous Veg-tables, which are totally brilliant if you’re short of soil space or find it hard to tend plants in the ground.

Ornamental plants

If you forgot to plant spring bulbs in the autumn, don’t worry - we have a good range of growing bulbs in pots, including Crocus’, Snowdrops, English Bluebells, Narcissi, dwarf Iris and Hyacinths.

In the shop you’ll find summer flowering bulbs ready to be planted now, including Dahlias, Gladioli and Lilies. As with spring flowering bulbs, this is a wonderfully cheap and easy way to add colour and scent to your borders.

Our Camellia delivery has just come in. As one of the few shrubs flowering at this time of year they are a purchase that will brighten up even the dullest of gardens, and have the added advantage of being shade tolerant.

Magnolias, including the dazzling Magnolia “Stellata”, are ready to plant, and offer splendid early spring colour.

February is the perfect month to be planting roses, and we have a large selection coming in from David Austin any day now.

A range of flower seeds from Suttons are winging their way to us as I write this. They provide a simple and cost effective way to add colour to your garden.

General

The bitterly cold temperatures and snow we’ve had this winter have really affected wildlife, so it’s vital that you keep feeding the birds! We’ve stocked up on the full range of Bill Oddie’s bird food, which have clear indicators on the front of the packs, making it easy to choose one that’s right for the birds in your garden.

I hope to see you very soon.

Warm regards

Karen

PS   

Don’t forget Valentine’s day! Rather than a bunch of flowers or box of chocolates, why not buy something that will last longer? We’ve got so much for you to choose from - you’re bound to find something just right. Come and have a look!

Opening Hours for February:– 10am - 4pm Monday to Sunday

Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk