News - Page 135

Dry onions for store

Dry onions for store once the tops turn brown and start dying back - a sure sign they've done their growing and are ready for digging up and storing for winter.

Onions store brilliantly for several months if they're dried well, so it's worth taking your time. The idea is to dry just the top layer of brown skin to a crisp, hard coating which preserves the core of the bulb in suspended animation, protected from mould and premature sprouting.

...

Read more...
The world's biggest flower show gets under way

The world's biggest flower show gets under way this week as the gates of Hampton Court Palace in south London open wide to welcome all that's best about gardening.

Highlights include world-class show gardens, including a first-time exhibit from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, Australia celebrating plants from down under. There's a floating raft of cranberries showcasing the extraordinary customs involved in their traditional annual harvest, and...

Read more...
What to do in the garden in July

The to-do list begins to ease off in midsummer, leaving you with more time to sit back and enjoy the results of all your hard work. Don't take it easy for too long, though - there are still a few jobs to be getting on with:

General tasks:

  • Trim hedges now that the birds have fledged. Avoid cutting conifers back into brown wood, though, as they won't regenerate.
  • Top up the pond during long dry spells, using rainwater...
Read more...
July's plant of the month is the salvia

July's plant of the month is the salvia, and there can be few plant families which offer more in sheer variety, from brilliantly colourful bedding plants for a quick splash of colour, to exotic-looking beauties and evergreen shrubs with fragrant leaves that make a useful flavouring for the kitchen.

Sample just a few from the fine selection we have in our garden centre here in Lymington and you'll see just what this wonderful group of pl...

Read more...
Grow your own medicine cabinet

Grow your own medicine cabinet and give a new twist to your herb garden using everyday plants we sell right here at our garden centre in Lymington.

Herbs can be used to treat all kinds of everyday ailments: it's like having your personal pharmacy outside your back door.

The beautiful purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is thought to fend off colds and flu, while deliciously fragrant lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) helps you get off to...

Read more...
Stock up your pond

Stock up your pond from the great display of aquatic plants in stock now here in our garden centre at Lymington.

A pond is a calming oasis in the garden and is a magnet for wildlife, plus you get to grow a fascinating new range of plants which like their feet in water - and now is the perfect time to plant them.

Pond plants come in five groups, each planted in different parts of the pond. Deep-water aquatics include waterlilies and live at...

Read more...
Prune early summer flowering shrubs

Prune early summer flowering shrubs once they've finished their display to keep them young and vigorous and guarantee a fantastic show of flowers this time next year. Deutzia, scented Philadelphus (mock orange), Kerria and Weigela can all be thinned out now.

Remove about a quarter to a third of the very oldest branches, cutting them out cleanly with sharp secateurs as close as possible to ground level. While you're at it, look out for b...

Read more...
Put your asparagus to bed

Put your asparagus to bed ahead of a long summer's rest and recuperation as a big thank-you for all the hard work it's put in to producing delicious, tender shoots all spring.

Asparagus is among the most coveted plants in the veg garden for its subtly-flavoured, much prized young shoots and its longevity - patches stay productive for 20 years. Plant in autumn or spring, choosing a sunny spot in well-drained soil. One-year-old crowns giv...

Read more...
It's barbecue season

It's barbecue season and time to hone your grilling skills to the max, as all the reports are that we're going to have a great summer with long, warm evenings of al fresco dining.

Barbecues come in all shapes and sizes, so it's worth taking a look at the new range on offer in our garden centre here in Lymington before you commit. For ultimate flexibility, more than one outdoor cooker gives you multiple options: there's a barbecue for every dish from bak...

Read more...
June's plant of the month is the rose

June's plant of the month is the rose, surely one of the most loved flowers in the history of gardening. Centuries of breeding has given us one of the richest heritages of different rose varieties imaginable, so we've collected together the very best for you here in our garden centre in Lymington.

To help make your choice easier we've picked out our top ten 'desert island' roses – truly lovely queens of the border we think no garden sho...

Read more...