November 2015 Newsletter

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After the glorious autumn we’ve had, with November now here, our thoughts must turn to winter. The darker evenings may be hard to bear, but there are compensations to be had ….. lighting the fire, and planning Christmas, to name two!

We are getting ready for all the fun that the festive season brings, and to kick it off we want to tell you about the second ‘Love West Dulwich’ Christmas Fair on

Saturday 28^th November, from 10 until 5pm

There will be plenty of family entertainment to be had all day around West Dulwich. The wonderful street-food market will be back, many businesses will have promotions or events on the day and there will be back-to-back entertainment in a marquee outside Lloyds bank.

Best of all, here at the garden centre, we’ll have Santa’s Grotto!

The wonderful organisation Whippersnappers (who many of you will know for their music workshops with children) are setting up a grotto up in one of our brick sheds. The transformation will be magical, and each child visiting Father Christmas will be met by an Elf who’ll escort them to meet Santa, where they can have a chat with him and receive a gift. Of course, mums and dads are welcome too, and there will be an opportunity to take photos with Santa (the Elf is pretty good at using digital devices now!).

With limited time slots available, the wisest of you will book in advance. Tickets cost £9.50 per child and all proceeds go to Whippersnappers (who are a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of children through music, art and sport) - click here Whippersnappers

Please put the date in your diary, and look out for the leaflets that will be available in the next week or so. You can always follow us on twitter @lovewestdulwich, or on facebook.com/lovewestdulwich.

Christmas Trees

Our stock of Nordman (non dropping) trees will start arriving at the end of the month. The trees are cut from sustainable stock, and come from both Scotland and Denmark. Those of you who have been buying our trees over the years know, you just cannot beat our trees for quality.

This year we are again offering our unique Christmas tree service, which includes 10% off the price of all pre-ordered trees …

Pre-order and pay for your Christmas tree between 1^st and 30^th November, either over the phone or in person (stipulating exactly what you want in terms of height and shape), and we’ll reserve your tree as soon as the delivery arrives, knock 10% off the price, and deliver it in our local area, free of charge. Add to this the fact that the base of the tree will be whittled to fit into a stand, and we’re sure you’ll agree that our customer service is second to none.

You can, of course, come by and check that you’re happy with the tree we’ve picked out for you prior to delivery (and change it if necessary, while stocks last). Alternatively, we can reserve your tree ready for you to collect at your convenience, if you’d prefer.

We believe this personalised service will not only save you time and hassle but will ensure that you receive the size and shape tree that you want.

The tree prices are as follows:

3’ (90cm) £29.95

4’ (1.2m) £39.95

5’ (1.5m) £49.95

6’ (1.8m) £59.95

7’ (2.1m) £79.95

8’ (2.4m) £99.95

Unfortunately we can only offer the taller trees IF YOU PRE-ORDER ONE IN NOVEMBER. So, if you know you want a tree over 7’, please call us for details of price and to put your order in.

Don’t delay – book yours today!

We will also be selling 2 sizes of sturdy metal stands – 4” @ £19.95 and 5” (for trees over 7’tall) @ £24.95 which you can also order in advance to be delivered or collected with your tree.

Please be aware that there will be a delivery charge of £10 if you buy your tree in December.

So, what else is happening at the garden centre this month?

Autumn plants

There are many plants and shrubs that look good through winter … Cornus (Dogwood) with their vibrant stems;Pyracantha, Skimmia and Ilex (Holly) laden with berries; cheery little Cyclamen, Vibernum tinus and Camellia already promising colour and form in the months to come.

Spring flowering bulbs

It’s the ideal time to plant tulips and alliums, and as it’s been such a mild autumn, you can still get away with planting narcissi, and fritillaries.

50% sale of plants

At this time of year we put some plants on sale. Canny gardeners will know that buying herbaceous perennials now (even though they have gone past their best) rather than in the spring, means they’ll be stronger and larger next year. They may not look like much at the moment, but you’ll be smugly smiling next year if you plant them now. Check out what’s on offer in our ‘bargain corner’.

Gifts and home

We have been stocking up on more items in preparation for Christmas. Along with what have become the almost ubiquitous votive True Grace candles in scents such as Fig, Cinnamon & Clove, and ‘Christmas’, we now have their range of candles in a tin …. same wonderful scents, but more economical.

Many of you have already tried the range of Somerset hand creams we’ve had for the past year (we use the testers ourselves on a daily basis!) which help to ward off the dreaded winter cracked finger tips. Because they’ve proved so popular, we’ve extended the range to include some gift packs which are just perfect for Christmas.

You continue to love the range of ceramics we have in the shop, both from the South African sourced Dassi range, from French ceramicist, Sue Ure, and from UK based Sarah Page. We’ve extended the range of hand-made pieces, including mugs and expresso cups, bowls and vases across all 3 ranges. Added to the range this year is a small selection of the handmade lamps and tea light holders from local ceramist, Chrissy Silver. Each, though very different from each other, are in their own way truly exquisite and any piece would make a unique and delightful gift.

Christmas ‘Bling’

I’m delighted that you seem to like the home and tree decorations that we continue to hunt high and low for. We have some truly exceptional items to grace your tree and home with this Christmas. We have again sourced glass baubles in a range of colours and sizes from the fabulous Nkuku. The charming felt decorations make a return visit this year, as they were so well received when I introduced them to our range in 2014.

Hope to see you soon, and don’t forget that every penny you spend earns 5% on your reward card!

With warm wishes

Karen

Garden jobs for
November 2015

The winter months are nearly upon us, but we can enjoy the colours of autumn for a few more weeks. I've only just cleared a couple of pots of summer bedding, which have flowered for months on end, and have planted them for the coming months. With the shortening days, it's harder to find time to be outside, but here are some jobs to tempt you into the garden when time and weather allow.

Many of the jobs in last month's newsletter are relevant in November too. If you need a reminder, have a look here.

My top 2 jobs for the month

1. The autumn tidy up! Clean and store away all tools, pots, bags of compost, hoses and irrigation equipment which you won't be using during the winter months.

2. Keep on top of the leaf clearing, especially from lawns and pathways.

Planting

• Continue planting bulbs in beds and containers: November is the ideal month for tulip planting. Some bulbs cope particularly well in shadier areas - bluebells, muscari, snowdrops, daffodils - and remember that bulbs can be planted under deciduous trees and shrubs, to flower before the canopy develops next year.
• With the good October temperatures we’ve had, the ground is still great for planting. The benefits of autumn planting are the warm soil, and cool nights which leads to good root growth and fewer losses. This applies to herbaceous perennials, shrubs and trees - why not plant a deciduous tree or shrub with beautiful autumn colour and look forward to the display next year.
• Get rid of summer bedding in containers if you haven’t already. Pansies, violas, bellis and cyclamen will provide fresh colour and can be combined with small evergreen shrubs such as box, Euonymus, Choisya or a beautifully scented Sarcococca. Small conifers make a good addition to containers too, or try an evergreen fern, Hellebore or one of the beautifully coloured Heuchera.
• For a specimen container shrub, you can’t do much better than a glossy leaved camellia, full of bud now, ready to burst into flower in early spring.
• Pot up indoor narcissi and hyacinths, amaryllis too, ready for Christmas.
• Sow sweet peas ready for next year. Many people report much better results from autumn sown plants, kept in a cold frame over winter.

Plant and garden maintenance

• Leave ornamental grasses in place over the winter to support overwintering beneficial insects.
• This is a good time to move plants around if you've made mistakes. Dig them up with as much root as possible, move them to the new spot, firm and water them in well. With herbaceous perennials, cut the top growth down so that the roots can get established without wasting energy on leaves.
• Make sure tree stakes are secure to protect trees from strong winds.
• Tie in climbers, and cut back whippy growth.
• Mulch beds and borders with a thick layer of compost, bark or other mulching material to insulate plants and roots from cold temperatures. This is especially important for borderline-hardy plants.
• Raise pots and containers onto pot feet or bricks to aid drainage and prevent them becoming waterlogged.
• Be ready for frost with fleece to protect vulnerable plants.
• Remember that the roots of plants in containers are more susceptible to frost than plants in the ground, and therefore need protection. Move them to a more sheltered spot, or wrap bubble wrap or hessian around the pot.
• Acers, birches, walnuts and laburnum are better pruned now, after leaf fall, than after mid-winter, when the sap is rising and they may ‘bleed’.
• Keep up with clearing leaves from paths and terraces to avoid slipping, and from lawns to allow light onto the grass.

Vegetables and fruit

• Start winter pruning apples and pears at the end of the month.
• Lift parsnips as you need them, but leave them in the ground to get frosted as this helps the flavour.
• Sow broad beans for an early crop next year.

Pests and disease

• This month is your last chance to spray perennial weeds with systemic weed killers before growth slows down.
• Keep the battle up against squirrels - make their lives as difficult as possible in order to protect your newly planted bulbs. You can cover pots with chicken wire, sprinkle chilli powder around… there’s no simple answer, but it’s worth a try.
• Slugs and snails are still around, so continue to deter them from overwintering in your garden. Clear away rubbish - a tidy garden is a slug-free garden (or so they say).

Wildlife

• Clean out bird boxes as soon as possible: old nesting material can harbour parasites. Birds look for warm winter roost spots, and indeed, for somewhere to raise a family next year. If they are familiar with a box by spring, they are more likely to move in.
• Keep bird feeders full and provide a water supply too. Install a birdbath if you can, and keep the water fresh.
• When tidying and cleaning in the garden, leave somewhere for wildlife such as hedgehogs and toads to hibernate. If you're planning a bonfire, check your pile for any wildlife before you light it.

Enjoy the autumn sights and smells, make the most of sunny clear days. My winter boots will be coming out of the cupboard before the month is over, as well as warm hats and scarves, no doubt!

See you next month

Sally