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!

This month we welcome Christmas with a kiss under the mistletoe (home-grown of course!), a warming glass of mulled wine and an array of gardening goodies for green fingers to open on the big day itself!

But don’t put your feet up just yet - crisp, cold days are still a great time to enjoy your garden.

You should now concentrate on cutting down or digging up old plants to make space for new additions.  You may well have lost some of your favourites in the extreme weather conditions last year so take stock and plan areas for replacements.  Give new tender plants the best possible start by protecting their roots with a layer of mulch.

Don’t forget to add your garden waste such as the cuts of pruned herbaceous plants, to the compost heap to help create the high quality mulch bursting with nutrients ready for next year’s gardening.

If your patio is looking a little drab, add a planted container or filled tub to add colourful interest.  Filled with winter flowering plants such as Pansies, Heathers, Skimmia Rubella and Helleborus Niger and completed with foliage plants including Hedera and Sarcococca. Keep your containers on pot feet to retain good drainage – and don’t forget containers make an ideal gift at Christmas.

Leaves will still be falling so continue to collect them so that you don’t smother your low growing plants.  Once the leaves have finished, the month provides a great opportunity to begin your winter pruning of fruit trees.  Spur prune your apples and pears and bush fruit too.

Your lawn may need to be cut again if the weather stays particularly mild.  It would be a good idea to have your lawnmower serviced after this final trim so it is in peak condition ready for the spring.

Christmas would not be Christmas without Cyclamen and Poinsettia to add that all-important festive touch to your home.  Make sure they do not dry out and keep their roots moist at all times.  These plants need plenty of light but avoid droughts and heat sources such as radiators.  Other than that, they should be easy to care for and are always a welcome gift too!

At this time of year, the birds need you.  They need a steady supply of fresh water so please make sure your bird bath does not freeze over.  And keep any bird feeders fully stocked with seeds and nuts. Plants with berries are also a great way to provide birds with a tasty morsel and your Berberis, Holly and Viburnum will not only produce berries, they also provide a fantastic hedged nesting place for birds.

If your tulip bulbs are already in the ground, keep an eye on their location and water with a slug killer which will seep through the layers of soil and kill any molluscs below.

Winter root cropped vegetables should be delicious when harvested now, particularly your home grown parsnips and Brussels sprouts – the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner.

The weather will become colder soon so ensure you have stocked up with plenty of fleece to protect your plants on frosty nights.  Keep branches of young trees clear of snowfalls to avoid weight damage and tie shrubs and climbers back to protect from strong winds.

And finally, Merry Christmas from all at Grosvenor!

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!

Start the month with a salute to the great British conifer as we celebrate National Conifer Week from 1st – 9th October.

There really is a conifer to suit every position in your garden and, available in all shapes and sizes, we can help you choose the perfect conifer for you, especially as we can save you money this week with our great 3 for 2 offer on picea glauca albertiana conica; cupressus mac.wilma and cham. Lawsoniana ellwoods gold varieties.

Whether you are looking to add interest, structure or texture, our great British conifers are easy to care for, will grow quickly and as they are all evergreen, will provide all-round colour in your garden too.

October is a busy month in the garden and with Halloween at the end of the month, you should see a great harvest of pumpkins from your Edible Garden too!

So read on for our tips for getting the most from your garden this month.

The leaves are falling and there will soon be a distinct chill to the air, even though this week has seen soaring temperatures!  But be prepared for high winds and the start of the autumn rainy season over the coming weeks as the October weather begins to take hold.

The soil has not cooled down too much just yet so that you can encourage the growth of roots for newly planted shrubs and hardy plants.  And this is the perfect time to plant a hedge of conifers too.

Cut back the stems of flowering perennial plants (‘perennial’ means these plants reappear every year) including Penstemon and Rudbeckia.  Their flowering season is over and they should be tidied up – remember to add the remnants to the compost heap.  Some perennials will flower for a while yet and should be left alone. These include Asters, Chrysanthemum, Japanese Anemone and Sedum.  Other perennials such as ornamental grasses and Echinops (globe thistle) should also be left for as long as possible as they contain seed heads which will provide food for wild birds, together with colour and interest in your borders this winter.
If you are unsure of the needs of your perennials, please just ask us!

Continue to plant spring flowering bulbs now as crocus and daffodils in particular need to be in the ground early this month.  Feed the soil to ensure maximum nourishment for your bulbs during the growth period of spring. 

Your winter flower bed will look great using specially selected bedding plants including viola and pansies, wallflowers and primulas. 

Kill off any weeds including brambles, docks and nettles to kill weed stems, foliage and roots.  And clear any gravel paths and driveways too. 

Your spring pots should be planted now to give the roots the best chance to develop before the weather becomes harsher. 

We would suggest you choose snowdrops for February, crocus for March, daffodils for April and tulips for May as this will give you good colour before the summer flower heads appear.

Finish sowing seed for new lawns as the soil will still be warm enough to encourage germination.  You should have already nourished your soil with a good fertiliser for stronger roots.

Rake your lawn to remove any thatch.  This is called ‘scarifying’.  If your lawn has not been fed since summer, an autumn feed will provide plenty of nutrients to harden growth and give your lawn the best start for the winter.

All outdoor tomatoes should be harvested now as they will continue to ripen indoors. 

Marrows and winter squash will also be ready for harvest and stored once their skins have hardened for delicious warming winter recipes.

Pick your ripened pears and apples and enjoy straight away or store in a cool place. 

Don’t forget to come and celebrate the apple on Saturday 22nd and 23rd October from 11am until 3pm as we once again hold our popular Apple Weekend!

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.

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!

Not only does Wisteria evoke romance and images of flower-adorned walls with a princess trapped in a turret awaiting her saviour who is of course, a dashing knight in shining armour; it can add character and create a sense of mystery in modern homes too as lilac and white blooms clamber up ‘boring’ brick walls. 

One of life’s little mysteries is why the Wisteria sinensis variety produces beautiful flowers before its leaves appear and has anti-clockwise turning stems.  The stems of the Wisteria floribunda variety, however, turn clockwise and it’s blooms and leaves appear at the same time!

Not only is it a climber, this plant is more versatile than you think as it is perfectly happy growing in pots and containers and you can train it to grow as a standard too.

Add colour and interest to your patio, trellis or walls with our great selection of Wisteria.  Seed grown Wisteria tends to take longer to flower than plants grafted from established Wisteria and it is most at home in moist, well drained soil in sun or part shade too.  It is very thirsty so always remember to give it plenty of water.  An added bonus is that it is hardy and covered by our excellent five year hardy plant guarantee for extra peace of mind.

Did you know your Wisteria could easily outlive you with the oldest known living Wisteria in the UK aged around 200 years old!  This Wisteria has long been established at Fuller’s Brewery in Chiswick, London.