Autumn 2021

Newsletter

If you are looking to pep up your containers for autumn and winter, there is a great choice of pansies, violas, heathers and shrubs as well as brightly coloured cyclamen. You can underplant with bulbs now so that you have multi seasonal interest next year. Taylors bulbs are in stock and most of them can be planted now except for tulips which need to be planted from November onwards. We also have peat-free bulb fibre and bulb planters on sale.

We have some beautiful young trees from Frank P Matthews in stock now; fruit trees in trained forms such as espaliers and fans, also some gorgeous ornamental trees for small gardens such as Sorbus ‘Wisley Gold’ with, as the name suggests, vivid gold berries. There are birches such as ‘Fascination’, a variety with peeling creamy pink bark, also Acers which turn the most amazing colours in Autumn. All the grower’s pots are made from recycled material and are also fully recyclable; they are especially good for growing tomatoes in next year! Don’t forget to pick up a tree stake and tie when you choose your tree.

Our herbaceous tables are still looking colourful – Japanese anemones, Sedums and Asters amongst the late summer flowerers. It’s a good time to plant now as the ground is still warm and the weather likely to be a little damp! The plants will get their roots down before the cold weather and will be raring to go next Spring. Also grasses are looking at their best at the moment.

We have a wide range of shrubs for any situation and some lovely winter interest varieties such as Daphne, Sarcococca and Skimmia have arrived. They are beautifully scented and are best planted near doors or windows so that you can breathe in the heady fragrance when they are in flower.

We have a great selection of indoor pots for your houseplants in all sizes, shapes and colours. Check whether your plants need repotting and moving into a bigger pot as they may have stayed in the same pot possibly for years! Our houseplant composts and feeds are perfect for this job.

We also have a good range of outdoor pots and containers in stock, from rustic terracotta to brightly coloured glazed. Alternatively, our range of Ecopots in black, grey or white are made from recycled plastic and are have a contemporary look.

Unlike earlier in the season when sourcing peat-free compost was difficult, we now have plenty of the excellent Melcourt brand so come and stock up. We also have Dalefoot composts in Wool, Lakeland Gold and Vegetable & Salad mixes. Melcourt’s ornamental bark is brilliant at tidying up borders, paths and woodland areas and gives a lovely finish to the area. It also helps to deter slugs and snails.

It’s really worth putting down a layer of Sylvagrow manure or home-made compost on all your beds and borders in the next few months. This will benefit the soil and plants enormously and helps to prevent soil compaction over the winter months.

We have plenty of items ready for the autumn clean up including bags, sheets, brooms, rakes and leaf sacks. Also check that you have all the tools you need for the jobs in hand such as a pair of secateurs, loppers and pruning saw.

As usual we have the full range of olive, seasoned and kiln dried woods, plus kindling and firelighters in stock; wonderful for those slightly chilly autumnal evenings when we still want to be outside but need a little extra warmth. We still have a few Kadai fire bowls left if you haven’t got one already – they do help to extend the time you can be out in the garden at this time of the year.

Lastly please don’t forget to look at our website and catch up on garden jobs you can do now. Happy Autumn!

Warm regards

Rob and the Team