Nothing can beat the scent of a real Christmas tree in your home for the festive season. Here are some of the options available to you: Norway spruce – is the more traditional Christmas tree and it provides a distinctive festive scent to any home. The Noble and Fraser Firs – there are the ultimate…
Customers at garden centres across the country boosted their spirits by buying houseplants during October (2020) according to our Barometer of Trade report. Compared with the same month in 2019, sales were up 48.2%. Our mental health and wellbeing has become an even bigger topic this year and it’s become incredibly clear that gardening and…
A classic flora symbol of Christmas would have to be the poinsettia. Here are some top tips on how to care for yours: When selecting your plant, chose one with a minimum of five heads as they will have a longer lasting display Make sure the poinsettia is sleeved before taking it outside or back…
It’s that perfect time of year to start planting new trees into the ground. They are best planted in the late autumn, especially bare-root varieties. Newly planted trees are at their greatest when exposed to moderate temperatures and rainfall. They need time to root and acclimatise before the onset of the summer heat. Container grown…
Believe it or not autumn/winter is the best time to plant bulbs including corms, tubers and rhizomes ready for next spring. Looking ahead and planning for spring in your garden or on your patio or balcony will give you something to look forward to in these troubling times. Just starting small with a tub or…
Gardening is great for improving mental health and decreasing stress. Don’t just take our word for it, click on this link and find out what the charity Thrive says. While taking some time to tend your garden can be relaxing, your efforts can also result in a sense of achievement, boosting confidence and self-esteem. Here are…
Gardeners across the country enhanced their outdoor spaces during September (2020) which led to a rise in sales in hard landscaping according to our Barometer of Trade report. Compared with the same month in 2019, sales were up 72.37%. Hard landscaping sales have been steady through the summer, but it was a surprise to see…
After calling-off our inspections for the first time in 50 years, we have also cancelled our Christmas competition and Annual Conference due to COVID-19. Despite these cancellations we have seen growth in our GROW e-learning initiative and have moved to having virtual meetings for our members. We recently wrote to our members to confirm that…
Got some spare time this weekend? Get out in the garden and get these quick, gardening tasks completed. Cut back tall deciduous shrubs like roses, tree mallow (lavatera) and butterfly bush (buddleia) by about a third now to prevent wind-rocking. Herbs growing outside will mostly die back during the winter, but with a bit of…
October is the perfect month for planting bare-rooted apple trees. You should choose an open, sunny, but sheltered site and make sure the ground is not prone to water logging. Fork in some well-rotted manure or compost at the rate of a good bucketful to one square metre, then apply a general fertiliser at around…