Here comes 2012 – a brand new year of gardening and enjoying the great outdoors.  Happy New Year!

We all have great ideas for our gardens this year with Karl, our bedding expert, planning a Jubilee garden of red, white and blue and Roland adding a rockery filled with alpines.

So what are your plans?  A completely new look or more colour, or even a larger space for growing your own?  Whatever you plan to do, we can inspire you to make the most of your outdoor space.

The weather may not be kind to us in January but you can still enjoy the fresh air by plotting your new schemes.  If you want a change in certain areas, now is the time to identify where you would like to improve your borders, for example, or choose which vegetables you want to grow.  That’s an easy one – start with your favourites!

So, for vibrant colour in your flower borders, why not plan your display now?  With seeds and bulbs to choose from, you can begin to prepare now.  What could be more satisfying than nurturing your seeds to established planted groups of colour?  Choose a mixture of colours and heights for the best displays.  Did you try any of our new varieties of plants last year?  If so, we would love to hear from you – how did you get on?  We introduced Petunia Phantom which proved very popular and this year we are going to add to our range with Starflame Primroses available from mid February and a new range of Nemesia Michelle Pink and Myrtle Blue from April.

Sweet Peas are an old favourite of Roland here at Grosvenor.  He says you can’t beat the colours or fragrance of the Sweet Pea.  Try ‘Prima Ballerina’ for gentle shades of pink, mauve and cream with each stem producing an average of four blooms so perfect for cutting and bringing indoors.

Sweet Pea Prima Ballerina

Watch out for our new seedlings which will arrive at the Garden Centre from mid February so if you want to cut out the first stage of encouraging seedlings from seeds, this is the option for you.  Make sure you use a recommended compost from our growing area which will give your seedlings the best start possible.

Don’t forget to protect your pots and containers for another couple of months by placing them close to the house or a sheltered wall.  And that all important fleece will still come in handy so make sure you have plenty ready for those frosty nights.

As you know, your lawn is the pinnacle of a beautiful garden and to ensure it stays in peak condition through the colder, slow growing months, you should have given it a good autumn feed.  Add a reminder to your 2012 calendar now that your lawn will need a feed in March to give it a boost before spring arrives.

Easy to grow tomatoes are a favourite with many beginner gardeners as they really are an easy starting point to a productive edible garden.  All you need to get started is a planter and seeds in your chosen variety – we have plenty to choose from!

Seeds of large onions should be sown in January to give them a long period of growth.

We would suggest that you start a gardening diary now so that you can keep notes throughout the year and monitor your successes and thoughts for improvements for 2013.

Indoors, your Christmas poinsettias should continue to thrive over the coming weeks but keep all houseplants away from heat and droughts.

And finally, encourage more birds to your garden by keeping your bird feeding station kits, feeders, trays and bird baths topped up with fresh food and water.  Make sure the water does not freeze over!

Every tree matters at Grosvenor as the garden centre encourages customers to plant at least one tree during the UK’s largest celebration of trees, National Tree Week (26th November – 4th December). 

Marking the beginning of the winter tree planting season, National Tree Week has been celebrated since 1975 and is now an unmissable date in Grosvenor’s calendar.

“Not only does planting a tree in your garden increase your positive impact on the environment and support wildlife, but trees have been proven to offer health benefits too as they promote wellbeing and improve the green space around you,” commented Iain Wylie, managing director.

Grosvenor is marking the occasion by introducing new varieties to its popular range of fruit and ornamental trees, such as Apple Christmas Pippin and Rosette, Prunus Frilly Frock and Sorbus Olympic Flame.  
  
“Our trees are sourced from British nurseries as local to the garden centre as possible with none travelling further than Worcestershire so they arrive and remain in the best condition possible,” stated Pete Davies, plant buyer.

“Each of the new varieties has been carefully chosen for its excellent quality and exciting new distinctive features.  National Tree Week is the perfect time to plant at least one new tree and any of these new varieties would be a great addition to every garden – we even provide a free stake and tie to give all our trees the best possible start,” Pete continued.

A member of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Grosvenor is highly supportive of any means to encourage wildlife in gardens.  Trees provide an excellent source of food and nutrients and prove an effective way of creating a food source for animals before hibernation.

For further information on Grosvenor’s range of trees (and Christmas trees!), please call Grosvenor’s team of horticultural experts on 01244 625270.

Well, winter is most definitely here and we can’t hide from it any longer.  The nights have drawn in and Christmas really is on its way.

Make the most of any sunshine and get out into the garden with your flower beds, bulbs, lawns and patios all needing attention.

Leaf collecting is a must now to make sure your grass does not die off.  The compost heap will benefit from small pieces of leaf which should rot down fairly swiftly over the next few months.  Add it to kitchen waste for a rich mulch.

If, however, you have a large amount of leaves, you should consider making leaf mould. This is the same principle as the compost and will take longer to rot but when mixed with a compost maker and amalgamated with leaves, the mulch that will result over the next year or two will be the delight of any gardener. Not only will your garden benefit from a fantastic compost, rich in nutrients and ready to be used as a mulch or soil conditioner, leaf mould is easy to prepare.  Simply fill a large plastic compost bag with leaves and compost maker, tie with string and place it in a shady spot before returning to it in a year or two when it will be ready to use.

Ensure your lawn remains in tip top condition over the winter as this is your last chance to use an autumn treatment to harden growth and kill moss.   You can continue to mow the lawn fortnightly while it is still actively growing - you may find this continues until the beginning of next year when the icy weather really takes hold and stops growth.

Divide perennials (these plants should grow again every year) such as argyranthemum, echinacea and rudbeckia now to encourage further growth and a flourish of flowering heads next year.

Cut back tall rose bushes now before they get too wind-blown.  The wind can have a disastrous effect on roses as it can loosen roots and have a negative impact on the energy of your plant thereby stifling growth. 

You can finish planting spring flowering plants now such as wallflowers, winter pansies and violas.  And tulip bulbs should ideally be planted now.  This will give them a boost as the soil will not have cooled down yet so the root system should have chance to establish well.  Which colour tulip is your favourite?  The trend is for black tulips – especially Paul Scherer which is probably the darkest tulip available.  But there are so many varieties to choose from that you can create a display that lasts from March to as late as June! 

Did you know that bulbs are planted with the flowers already formed inside the shell of the bulb?  Plants, however, need to be fed to form decent flowers year on year.  By feeding the roots with a slow release plant food, you can ensure that nutrients will be released when needed – particularly in the spring as the soil begins to warm up and leaves start to show.

At this time of year, it is vital to protect your plants.  Last year, due to the extreme winter, many borderline hardy plants such as agapanthus and cordyline were lost.  So you can be better prepared this year by making sure you place an extra 5cm of compost over the roots of these plants for added insulation against the elements.  Cordyline leaves should also be tied up so that rainwater does not gather where the leaves join the stems.  

Hyacinths are such a popular indoor plant at this time of year so buy your prepared bulbs, add to 1cm water in a special glass vase and wait for the bulbs to develop.  You will soon see green leaves and flower buds appear from the top of the bulb.

Water and continue to regularly feed any plants such as cyclamen and Christmas cactus as these should soon start to flower.  Find a spot that your cactus is happy in and leave it there – it will not enjoy moving too often and will drop its buds.

For interest on your patio over the coming winter months, mix pots of spring bulbs and winter bedding.  Add layers of bulbs at different depths in the pot so as to encourage different flowering periods and prolong your colourful displays.  For example, add around 8cm of compost to the bottom of your chosen pot and place daffodils around 3cm apart.  Add more compost and then place early Tulips such as Red Riding Hood in this layer.  Add another layer of compost before positioning crocus and top off the pot with winter pansies and violas.

With the onset of the colder weather comes the first harvest of your delicious winter vegetables.  Early Brussels sprouts, leeks and parsnips should be just about ready.  Parsnips should be left on the soil surface once dug so that the frosts can help to change carbohydrates into sugars and naturally sweeten the vegetable. 

Protect brassicas from pigeons who are wily when it comes to feeding themselves at this time of year.  Use netting held down by stones to keep the pigeons away. 

Any spare soiled areas can be dug over now ready for next year’s crops.  Use compost to prepare the area thoroughly and use soil conditioner too. 

You can plant apples, blackcurrants, raspberries and redcurrants and of course, the delicious pear this month.  Again, improve the soil before you plant these cane and tree fruits so that new roots can spread into the new soil. 

Pick the last of the apples and pears ready now and begin to winter prune.  Cut away any unproductive branches and dead wood and then cut back hard the vertical stems by at least half to ensure the shape of the tree is maintained.  New side shoots should also be pruned to three leaf joints so that new fruit spurs will form over the next few years.

If you have any queries on any of these tips or the terms used, please do not hesitate to contact us – we’re here to help!

We always look forward to RHS Flower Show Tatton Park here at Grosvenor.  With so many keen gardeners in one spot it really is the chance to showcase the best of the North West, and the rest of the UK, with a great day out in beautiful surroundings at Tatton Park.

And good weather is a bonus!

Inspirational displays can be found everywhere at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.  From the pinnacle of the show gardens to the back to back gardens, the visionary gardens and the flower bed competitions to the floral marquees and the truly brilliant fresh fruit and vegetable displays! 

Know your Onions!

As we set up our marquee on Tuesday alongside Cheshire’s Gardens of Distinction we happened to walk into the floral marquee where a family group of exhibitors was creating the most delightful sculptures from their fruit and veg!  Not only talented at growing the most impressive produce, also extremely gifted at displaying their wares too! 

Creative fruit and veg

So, to the best of the best.  Which award wins did we agree with?

We were thrilled to see Grosvenor Estate win a Silver-Gilt award for their back to back garden, ‘Painting with Plants’.  Using bold and vibrant colours, the garden has been designed to reflect the work of French artist, Henri Matisse, and perfect planting recreates an artist’s palette.  We are loving the water feature too – selected from our range here at Grosvenor!

Grosvenor Estate

Personal favourites from the show gardens were the ‘Blathanna Fiaine an Inbhir’ (Wild Flowers of Inver) garden with peace and tranquillity at its roots.  Designed by Stephen Dennis and Brett Landscaping around the natural landscape of Inver, Co Mayo, the rolling flow of the gardens surrounds an expanse of water with a beautiful bronze harp at its centre to represent the national symbol of Ireland.  The calmness and serenity that this show garden presented was very appealing – a sense of peace in an otherwise busy world.  Well done on a Silver Flora award!

Blathanna Fiaine an Inbhir

Agree on the award for the Best Show Garden – ‘Save a Life, Drop the Knife’ designed by HMP Everthorpe was distinctive and really grabbed attention with clever planting to depict the horrors of knife crime and how much more harmonious life could be if we make the right decisions and turn from crime.  An ingenious design with a great message – deservedly the Best Show Garden.

Save a Life, Drop the Knife

There is plenty more to see at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park right up to and including this Sunday, 24th July, and this simple blog cannot convey the excitement and inspiring developments that are showcased so well at Tatton – a great advertisement for our region.

So don’t forget to say hello to our horticulturalists too – see them on Avenue C in the Cheshire Gardens of Distinction marquee!  And don’t forget our friends at Cheshire Wildlife Trust and Cheshire Life too – you could win one of our hampers bursting with goodies!

www.rhs.org.uk/tattonpark

Welcome to the first day of July!

July has to be one of the best months of the year for entertaining in your garden.  It’s midsummer, the days are long and (hopefully!) balmy and friends and family are in the holiday spirit!

And your lawn should be looking its best too.  You may find that we have a few days of very dry weather now so you need to combat this with a really good soaking of your lawn once a week rather than simply wetting it daily.  The deeper the water the more it will help the root system.

Always remember to keep on top of deadheading your flowering plants – both in baskets, pots or containers and in your borders too.  This will encourage the plant to produce even more blooms as it attempts to set seed.

Watering is vital now as we enjoy warmer weather and feed the leaves and around the roots fortnightly.  Always water in the evening and when the sun is not shining directly onto the plant to avoid leaf damage.  Why not try a hose end feeder which will automatically dilute liquid plant food so it can easily be sprayed over plants.  Call in to find out more.

Be aware of pesky ants, aphids and other pests this month.  We do have a comprehensive range of insecticides for the majority of pests that gardeners are likely to come across on a day to day basis.  Again, please do ask for our experts’ recommendations – the whole team is very knowledgeable and will be delighted to help.

Wow – didn’t our roses bloom early this year?  We saw many roses bloom as early as May and you can now encourage another display towards the end of the summer by making sure your roses have sufficient nutrients.  We have various feeds specifically for roses including slow release food and granules to produce the best blooms, perfume and colour from your roses.

Add slow release plant food to baskets, pots and containers

Even though July is generally one of the balmiest of the year, be aware of high winds and ensure your tall perennials and plants are supported well with stakes to avoid damage and keep them upright.

This is a great month to take semi-ripe cuttings of geraniums as they will root more efficiently now than in the cooler days later in the year.  Snip cleanly just below a leaf joint and remove some of the lower leaves.  Add four or five cuttings around the perimeter of a 15cm diameter pot filled with a good compost such as a Multi-Purpose with added John Innes.  Put your pot in a warm, shaded position until the roots start to form over the next few weeks.

You can sow seeds now of winter pansies, wallflowers and forget-me-nots too so that you will have good seedlings to plant out at the end of the summer or beginning of autumn.

You can also add to your Edible Garden now by sowing vegetable seeds in containers or plant seedlings.  And you can continue to sow seeds of cut-and-come-again lettuce and salad leaves in containers or herb planters.  These will be delicious in salads later in the summer.

Homegrown carrots are a tasty treat

Begin to harvest courgettes, French beans and runner beans now.  You may find the runner beans need a little longer and if so, try misting with water to encourage them to set.

New varieties of potato such as Maris Bard or Swift should be ready for harvesting soon too. 

You should see bumper crops of fruits now too thanks to the fantastic weather we experienced in the spring.  Watch for branches that may need a bit of extra support under the weight of a heavy crop.

Remember that all fruits and vegetables need regular, extra feeding – not only your tomatoes! 
 
Finally, we would encourage you to make the most of July and really sit back and enjoy your garden.

Grosvenor has been awarded the prestigious accolade of The Greatest Wildbird Care Team by the industry-leading Greatest Awards who presented their Gold award at the annual Gala Garden Party this week.

Celebrating the best teams in the garden retail industry and voted for by customers and suppliers, Grosvenor was also a finalist in The Greatest Indoor Living and Style Team and The Greatest Garden Centre Green Team categories.

The Greatest Wildbird Care Team award was presented to Grosvenor in recognition of their knowledgeable staff and their enthusiasm to discuss new ideas and products with customers.  Grosvenor is a Corporate Member of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and regularly supports wildlife and environmental initiatives within the community.

The Greatest Wildbird Care Team at Grosvenor

“With 10 finalists in the Wildbird Care Team category, we knew we would have to beat stiff competition to take the Gold award and were thrilled when the announcement that we had won this national award was made,” commented Graham Moorcroft, Team Leader, Garden Department.

“We are proud to have such an outstanding team and this award demonstrates the unsurpassable level of knowledge and expertise that they are able to offer to our customers every day,” Graham concluded.
 
The Greatest award is the latest award win for Grosvenor this year, having won the Garden Centre of Excellence accolade for a record 11th consecutive year.

No matter how much outdoor space you have at your disposal, big or small, you can easily enjoy the ‘Good Life’ and a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.

PlantforLife research has shown that nearly half of people living in cities dream of moving to the countryside to lead a more fulfilling, sustainable and greener way of life.

And you can live the ‘Good Life’ too – even by using a simple hanging basket, pot or container to grow your own fruit or vegetables.

Ask one of our team when you next visit us and we will show you how or download a leaflet here www.plantforlife.info/goodlife

Plants are great at cleaning the air so improve your lifestyle and enjoy a greener, cleaner way of life – and you don’t have to move house to do it!

Your garden should be looking beautiful now and bursting with colour and fresh fruit and vegetables.  Don’t despair if you have not prepared as much as you would have liked – this month we give you our top tips for catching up so your garden looks like you have spent months working hard in the garden.

If you are a beginner gardener and looking to create a beautiful garden and not much idea of where to start, we are here to help.  Try a moisture control plant food for an environmentally friendly method of keeping your plants full of moisture, yet without using copious amounts of water.  Easy to use, the granules should simply be sprinkled onto the soil and they will absorb up to 400% of their own weight in water!

Deadhead camellias and rhododendrons once they have finished flowering.  This will stop seed pods developing and the stem will benefit from new growth ready for bearing next year’s flowers.

Ericaceous plants (those that prefer acidic to lime soil) will need to be fed and watered well this month to encourage new buds.  Always remember to use any product either early in the morning or later in the evening when honey bees are less active.  As you are probably aware, bees are in decline and yet they really are the gardener’s friend.  Bees pollinate one third of the crops we eat and they need flowers bursting with pollen and nectar throughout the summer to survive. So, plant more colour in your garden and help to save the honey bee too!  Bees love the evergreen or deciduous Ceanothus which is available as a shrub or small tree. 

Houseplants love spending time outdoors too!  Place them in a sheltered spot and continue to water and feed regularly – particularly if we enjoy a dry spell. 

Continue to mow your lawn weekly now, weather permitting and feed regularly too to keep your grass in great condition.  Don’t forget to use a good lawn weedkiller too.  We have plenty of options to choose from, so please ask for help.

You can enjoy delicious homegrown produce from your Edible Garden now.  You should find they are growing quickly so remember to water regularly. 

French and runner beans can be sown now and until the end of next month but the sooner the better.  Now that the frosts are over, tender vegetables can be planted out now too.  Choose courgettes, cucumbers, pumpkins and squash, sweet peppers and tomatoes to get you started.  Make sure your soil has been prepared fully first with organic matter to give them the best possible bed in which to thrive.

Keep an eye on your early potatoes which should be ready for harvesting later this month. 

And summer fruits such as raspberries and strawberries can be picked and enjoyed now – delicious on their own, with cream or a beautiful addition to a pavlova.   

To add style and comfort to your garden, we have a fantastic selection of high quality garden furniture and a better than ever range of barbecues, accessories and chimeneas to keep you warm well into the evening.  And throughout June we have 10% off everything in our Weber range of barbecues and accessories so make the most of this fantastic offer and choose your new barbecue, perfect for alfresco dining!

If you have been avidly watching the reports from RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, or lucky enough to visit yourself, you will have been waiting with great excitement as the award wins have been announced this morning.

Much coveted Best Show Garden award went to The Daily Telegraph with their striking garden designed by Cleve West.  Cleve has used both modern and traditional materials to highlight how both old and new can work together to create a space for the future.  Clever planting has mixed yews and perennials with some self-seeding varieties which should search out cracks and fissures in the strong cobbled pathways, rocks and dry stone walling.  

Best Urban Garden went to The Winds of Change by Stockton Drilling Ltd and Hae-woo-so (Emptying One’s Mind) was judged the Best Artisan Garden.

And a category that has been much anticipated within our Plant team has been the Plant of the Year award – which has gone to Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants for their simply stunning Anemone ‘Wild Swan’. 
 
Our Congratulations go to all of the award winners at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011.

If you are feeling inspired and determined already to visit Chelsea next year, don’t forget RHS Flower Show Tatton Park from 20th until 24th July.  We will see you there!