Welcome to this week's newsletter

The autumn-planting bulbs have arrived here at the garden centre and are guaranteed to bring an amazing burst of colour to your garden next spring. Come in soon and have the pick of the varieties, you'll find bulbs for every type of garden. We've also got seed potatoes to plant now which will provide delicious new spuds for the Christmas dinner!


It's a great time to freshen up your containers with plants that will look good all through autumn and winter. We've always a great selection of seasonal plants for that instant splash of colour and we can help you pick out plants that perfectly suit your pots and colour schemes.


FREE Beekeeping Event
We're delighted to have expert beekeeper Eamonn Tubmann back again in early September to give an insight into the art of beekeeping (see below for details). 

 

Hope to see you soon

   

FREE Beekeeping Event

Plant of the Week: Hardy Fuchsia

Hardy fuchsias are invaluable shrubs for late summer and autumn colour and have unmistakable dangling flowers, shaped like miniature ballerinas. Most people know the red and purple flowered hedging fuchsia, Fuchsia 'Riccartonii', often seen on country roadsides with orange montbretia growing beneath.

There are also quite a few more compact hardy varieties, much better suited to a planted bed. Some of our favourites are 'Mrs Popple' with red and purple flowers, 'Lady Thumb' with pink and white flowers and 'Genii' which has gorgeous golden foliage.
 

Job of the week: Prune summer-fruiting raspberries

Job of the week: Prune summer-fruiting raspberries

Once summer-fruiting raspberry varieties like 'Malling Jewel' have finished fruiting for the year, it’s time to prune them. Cut back all fruited canes at ground level after harvesting, then select six to eight of the strongest young canes per plant and tie them in 10-15cm apart onto their supports. Remove any remaining weaker stems at ground level. PS Don't forget to net autumn fruiting raspberries so the birds don't get all your fruit!

 

Flowers:
  • Sow hardy annuals to overwinter as seedlings in a cool greenhouse
  • Continue to liquid feed all your summer containers to prolong the colour.
  • Pull suckers off roses, trees and shrubs – don’t cut or they’ll come back stronger
Fruit & veg:
  • Lift and store onions and garlic in a dry frost-free position
  • Summer prune cordon and espalier apple and pear trees
  • Dig up any rooted strawberry runners and re-plant if needed or give to friends 
Greenhouse:
  • Pick split tomatoes promptly and try to water more regularly to prevent the problem
  • Sow Oriental greens like mizuna and mibuna into module trays
  • Check heaters are working and replace if they’re faulty
Around the garden:
  • Cut back pond or marginal plants that are starting to flop into the water
  • Cut summer-flowering meadows, letting seeds drop before removing debris
  • Squash any greenfly on the flower buds of roses. 

 
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