NEWSLETTER
ARCHIVE
April 2005
Newsletter
End of Bare Root Season
Create a Sub-Tropical Corner
Seeds & Plug Plants
Shrubs & Trees
Special Offers
Garden Lighting & Candles
Garden Furniture
New Plants
All Change!
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Buckingham
Garden Centre
Tingewick Road
Buckingham
MK18 4AE
Telephone:
01280 822133
Fax:
01280 815491
www.hedging.co.uk
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For your interest we have
an archive newsletter section.
Please note that any special offers and prices mentioned may not
now be current.
 End
of Bare Root Season
A gentle reminder that we are beginning to see buds on some varieties
of plants starting to swell, so the days for planting bare root
stock are numbered, in fact much of the fruit is now in its summer
growing position in the top field. We are still able to sell many
lines, such as beech which is always later to come out of dormancy,
so do come in immediately if you have ground ready for planting.
If you really cannot get the preparation work done in time for
bare root stock, we shall have a good supply of cell grown hedging
and trees available into late spring and early summer. These proved
very popular last year as those who planted them were often amazed
at the speed these grew after planting, and those planting this
season and using Rootgrow will have even better results.
Create
a Sub-Tropical Corner
For those who have been in the shop recently will, no doubt, have
spotted the display of four different varieties of Colocasia, a
plant which originates from tropical Asia where one variety, Esculenta,
commonly known as Cocoa-yam, is widely grown as a staple food.
They are fascinating looking, and when planted they put out roots
really quickly. They develop huge tropical leaves which are ideal
for creating a sub-tropical corner in a sheltered garden as they
will grow from 36 to 70 inches high (90 to 175cm). This should
remind you of balmy (not barmy as on our back board in the shop!)
days on holiday. They can also be used as pond marginals. They
will need drying and storing in the dormant period. They are well
worth the price of £6.99 each, with the varieties Esculenta,
Black Magic, Illustrus and Odora available.
Seeds
& Plug Plants
For those with vegetable gardens or allotments now is a busy time
with so many seeds to sow, preparations and plans to be made. We
have taken on a new, really exciting range of vegetable seeds produced
by Franchi, Seeds of Italy. Franchi is the oldest family run seed
company in the world. Giovanni Franchi (the current Mr. Franchi’s
great, great, great, great, great grandfather, started selling
seed from his horse drawn cart at the local market piazza the same
year that Mozart wrote his first mass!) Any one who has travelled
extensively in Italy, especially in the rural regions, will know
that the Italians are passionate about their food and a high proportion
grow at least some of their own so that they are eating the very
best fresh produce. Although one thinks of Italy as a sun drenched
country two thirds of Italy is alpine with the Alps and Dolomites
in the north and the Appenines running down the spine. The result
is that some of the varieties are very hardy. Varieties include
Basil Genovese, Courgette Romanesco, Lettuce Romana Bionda Degli
Ortolani and Tomatoes Pantano, Principe Borghese and S. Marzano.
If you cannot get in to the shop the Franchi varieties can be ordered
from our web site and we can post these out
to you.
Onion sets, garlic and Jerusalem artichokes are available from
the shop, but like so many things, don’t leave purchasing
too late as you may be disappointed. For those wanting plug bedding
plants you really must rush as they will soon be phased out, but
the baby plants will be available for some time yet. The bedding
plant season is definitely creeping up on us with the early hardier
varieties available already. Do be warned not to get over enthusiastic
about planting tender plants out. To lose plants you have raised
with tender loving care because you are impatient to plant out
is so disheartening. Also make sure you have a good supply of fleece
available to cover up plants with tender new shoots such as acers,
pieris, tree peonies etc. and listen or look up frost warnings
and cover vulnerable plants up as early as possible. Instant colour is always on demand – especially at this time
of the year - so do check out our range of pansies, bellis and
violas – perfect pot gap-fillers. Summer bedding is now coming
on stream with the likes of antirrhinums making an early brave
appearance. We expect the full range of summer bedding to be in
place by the end of the month, fingers firmly crossed that the
frosty weather will have passed. The range of cell-grown vegetable plants is increasing weekly
now and you can plant broad beans, brassicas (cabbage, broccoli,
sprouts)
as well as pot-grown 9cm and 11cm herbs, including parsley,
mints and thymes.
Shrubs & Trees
Elsewhere, in the plant area, shrubs and trees are beginning to
spring forth, especially the likes of cytisus (brooms), flowering
prunus, malus, magnolias, skimmia (those busy bees are already
enjoying the early nectar) and ceanothus. You cannot beat a good
Japanese acer, especially when planted in an ornamental glazed
pot. We have some lovely named varieties on offer this season,
courtesy of the ace plant grower Mount Congrieve from Ireland,
who really knows how to cultivate these little oriental beauties.
Potted into lime-free ericaceous compost with good drainage and
a regular acid-loving plant fertiliser then the plant will be happy.
Remember with acers to position the plant out of direct sunlight – dappled
shade is best and you will get the best results tucking your plants
away from those chilly easterly winds.
Special
Offers
‘Super buys’ in the shop at the moment include: 4
dahlia packs for £3.99 or 3 dahlia packs £2.49, 25
gladiola pack £3.99, 5 Asiatic Lily pack £2.99, 5 Pixie
Lily packs £3.99, Doff slug killer – 25% extra free £2.59
and Get Off Gel Spray with Get Off Scatter Crystals for £4.99.
Garden
Lighting & Candles
Looking forward to spring and summer when we can enjoy evenings
in the garden, subtle garden lighting can make this so much more
enjoyable. There is now such a wide range to choose from it makes
it possible for every garden to have some form of lighting, even
if it is not possible to use electricity outside. There are solar
powered lights which give out a gentle light even if the sun levels
are very low in the day. Antique style candle lanterns are very attractive
and can be used indoors or outdoors, modern looking black or white
solid base oil burners are easy to maintain and for an environmentally
friendly light the Eco Blocks are great. These are cut from fallen
pine trees and after lighting the internal candle these will last
for 50 to 60 minutes and will burn away to a small pile of ashes!
There really is a good choice, so we would suggest investigating
now and you will be organised for that first balmy evening.
Garden
Furniture
Furniture also needs bringing out from its winter storage and giving
the appropriate treatment if it is timber. A fine coating of oil
well rubbed in brings out the colour of the wood and helps preserve
it. Do not make the error of putting a ‘good thick coat on’ thinking
this will do more good, as this can easily result in an unsightly
grey black mould developing which can be difficult to remove. If
you need to replace your furniture now is the time to do it as there
is the widest range available. Many leave it to the end of the season
hoping to pick up end of season sale bargains, but to encourage people
to buy when they really need it we have put some really good offers
out. For example a very neat and comfortable and well made six piece
set consisting of a glass top table, four textiline folding chairs
and a 2.1 metre parasol for just £175. Also we are offering
10% discount for certain sets of both Kettler and Alexander Rose
Furniture and a massive 30% off Camelot furniture and BBQ covers.
Obviously these offers are available for a limited period.
New
Plants
Varieties to look out for this season: the lime tolerant Rhododendrons
Inkarho which are such a bonus in an area where generally lime hating
plants will not grow. We stocked this form successfully last season
and we know from your feedback that you were pleased with the plants!
We have a much wider range of varieties and sizes on the Inkarho
rootstock this season than last year, so if you fancy growing a rhododendron
give this one a try – you won’t be disappointed.
For visual impact take a look at the two very contrasting euphorbias,
Blackbird with its dark purple foliage and Silver Swan with the
pale silver variegated foliage, giving a real eye-catching display
if
planted together. The small delicate clematis Pixie is smothered
with nodding yellow green flowers and when these are over the deeply
serrated dark green foliage makes an interesting screen. Two sun
loving Hebes, Heartbreaker and Goldrush are worth looking at.
All
Change!
The Plant Information office has gone! Well not exactly, it has
moved down amongst the plants to the large log cabin which has been
erected between the bare root selling area and the pot grown area.
The erection did cause a little disruption in the selling area but
the inconvenience should soon be outweighed by the benefit of the
plants people being amongst the plants. Also the mail order office
has moved and is now situated at the end of the plant information
office. The old plant information office has now changed to the epos
and buying office, and the consequence is that office space in the
main shop building is about to be incorporated into the main shop.
As with the erection of the log cabin, the changes in the shop will
be disruptive, noisy and dusty for a while but we will do our best
to minimise the disruption, and when all is finished I am sure you
will appreciate the better layout and more space.
A customer service desk has been installed at the entrance to the
shop with someone always on duty to help with any queries. With the
extra space we shall be able to introduce new lines and extend existing
ones. Feedback on the changes we are making will be appreciated – we
want to make sure that, you, our customers, are happy with, what
we think, are improvements.
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