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.

Are you growing your own fruit and veg?  If you need advice on what to plant, how to look after it and when to harvest come in and speak to our Green Team, or email us info@grosvenorgardencentre.co.uk.

There’s still time to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, sweetcorn and more.  All you need to get started is a window box, hanging basket or if you’re lucky enough an allotment!

For growing advice, the best plants, compost and feed visit the team at Grosvenor Garden Centre, Wrexham Road, Belgrave, Chester CH4 9EB.

May is one of the busiest months in the garden so whilst the weather is beginning to get warmer and the days are longer, from bedding plants to summer seeds and vegetable plants, there is plenty to keep you busy.

Keep an eye out for late frosts but this is a great time to get planting tender bedding plants.  Be prepared just in case a frost is forecast and have fleece handy.  When planting out your bedding, give each plant a thorough watering in their tray or pot the night before so they have had a good drink prior to the trauma of movement!

We always advise you choose your plants carefully so they suit their new location.  In shady areas, choose Buzy Lizzies, fibrous rooted Begonias, Lobelia and Pansies as they will thrive without too much attention from the sun.  If you have a sunny spot that receives much heat from the sun, make sure you buy plants that are more tolerant to droughts.  Geraniums, Petunias and Verbena are great sun-worshippers!

Improve your flower beds before planting with a good quality soil improver to add structure and help retain water and nutrients to give your roots the healthiest conditions in which to thrive.

Use stakes for tall plants to add support and structure in your borders and tie up regularly as the stems continue to grow. 

Plant out tubers of Dahlias now and again, treat the soil with an improver first. 

Watch for buds appearing now on your summer flowering roses and shrubs.  An exciting time in any garden, just make sure that you are on top of your pest control as blackfly and greenfly search for a new place to breed and buds are the perfect solution!

Clematis look fabulous at this time of year but to keep yours in tip top condition, make sure you keep the soil at the roots moist and sun on the top.  Water occasionally and add mulch to the surface of the soil too. 

Feed your shrubs and climbers and water too – ideally in the evening when the heat of the sun is not strong enough to damage your plants.

You will see that your lawn grows extremely quickly now so weekly mowing is a must to keep your lawn looking luscious throughout the summer months.  Create your own compost and turn your green waste into rich compost by adding your vegetable peelings, cardboard or old pieces of newspaper.  If you don’t add waste such as this, your grass clippings will become slimy and smelly but add a sprinkling of garden soil for added richness and quick breakdown of the waste.

Don’t be afraid to use a weedkiller on your lawns for selective areas of rampant weeds such as clover, dandelions and daisies.  The weedkiller will rid your lawn of the weeds without harming your grass.  Treated grass clippings should be disposed of through your usual household waste and not added to your compost.  A spring fertiliser will be an effective lawn dressing now to make your grass even greener.

Hanging baskets add colour and interest to a stark backyard, terrace or patio and are a welcoming addition to your front door too.  Great waterfalls of colour make a wonderful statement and are easy to care for with an abundance of blooms likely to last through the coming months.  Choose complementary colours for a tonal display or a vibrant selection of multi-coloured plants for a bold statement.  
Simply water daily or use a moisture control compost which will absorb twice as much water as an ordinary multi-purpose compost. 

Patio pots and containers are just as easy to care for or window box planters and troughs if you are short of outdoor space.  The latter often have a water reservoir in the bottom of the container which will mean they can survive for around two weeks between waterings.

Make your patio more productive by growing your own fruits, salads and vegetables in containers or planters. Best crops to try are lettuce, tomatoes and salad leaves.  If your patio is a sun-trap, try aubergines, bell peppers and chilli peppers in pots too.

If you have a wider area to create or expand your Edible Garden, now is the time to sow a great variety of vegetable seeds.  Some are better grown in pots and transplanted later in the month, or if you want to miss that step out, choose varieties that are better sown directly into the soil.

Tender ones such as courgettes, French beans, outdoor cucumbers and runner beans or sweetcorn suffer when the weather is colder at night and could be killed if we get a late frost.  Sow first in pots and keep protected indoors until the end of the month when the seedlings can then be planted in your garden.

Hardier seeds that can be planted out straightaway include broccoli, carrots, lettuce, peas, radish and spinach.

Watch your potatoes begin to sprout this month but make sure they are protected from ground frosts by covering the leaves with a light dusting of soil.

Next month (June) we look forward to choosing new garden furniture, barbecues and chimeneas to help you relax and enjoy your garden well into the evening.  June is also the perfect time to plant biennials, perennials and annuals including Sweet Williams, Chrysanthemums, Dianthus, Eryngiums and Impatiens, Lobelia and Digitalis – adding even more vibrancy and interest to your borders and containers.

With so many Bank Holidays coming up this month, now is the perfect opportunity to get out in the garden and get your hands dirty. 

Look for the signs that your garden is coming back to life after the winter as new growth and bulbs and shrubs begin to flower and weeds sprout.  Tackle these unsightly weeds first so that they do not take over your borders, becoming unwieldy and taking up much needed nutrients and space that your plants need to thrive.  Tackling weeds will also mean you have a clean and tidy border too!  There are different weedkillers available – including those that kill weeds from the roots to those especially designed to clear paths and driveways. 

Our plant of the month is the Rhododendron with its great blousy blooms.  Choose your location carefully as Rhododendrons perform best in a sheltered position but avoid too much shade.  A more exposed site will be fine as long as it is protected from winds.  An acid soil is a must and it should be moist but well-drained with added organic matter for best results.  Don’t give up if your soil is more alkaline though as rhododendrons can be grown as container plants too, or dwarf varieties look and behave well in a rockery.  Remember: when your Rhododendrons have finished flowering, snap off seed heads to encourage new shoots for next year.

If your soil is not acid and Rhododendrons and other ericaceous plants do not thrive easily, use ericaceous compost designed especially for such plants.  And feed every two weeks or so with specific plant food. 

Tender plants need planting in your borders now so that shoots appear after the last frost. 

Established shrubs, Roses and herbaceous perennials including Campanula and

Delphiniums need feeding now.  For maximum flowering, try a slow release granule feed which you can simply sprinkle around each plant and then work through the soil using a trowel.

If your Delphiniums have lost their sparkle, divide them into separate plants now so that each one has enough space to create a new root system to support large flowers.  Make sure each clump has strong roots and a number of new shoots preferably. 

Hardy annual seeds can be sown in garden soil as soon as the temperatures begin to rise.  These include Cornflowers, Pot Marigolds and Sweet Peas – or why not try a mixed collection of wildflowers including mixes to attract bees and butterflies.

Now let’s take a look at your Edible Garden which also needs attention this month.  It really is a busy time of year as there is much to be done to create a feast on a plate for the coming months.  There are plenty of seeds to choose from ripe for planting now including Beetroot, Broad Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Leeks, Onions and Spring Onions, Rocket, Spinach and Turnip.  This is the perfect opportunity to try something new and if there is a vegetable you are not familiar with, give it a grow!

If you have limited space in your garden for a vegetable patch, don’t forget your windowsill is all you need to get started.

Some seeds, particularly herbs, can be sown straight into compost or herb planters (and can then be grown on a windowsill) but some vegetables are best sown in pots or trays first - Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflowers and Cabbages for example.  They then need to be kept indoors on a windowsill or outside in a warm spot of your patio until they germinate.  When the seedlings have their first two leaves, transplant them into individual pots and get ready for planting outside next month. 

An easy way to add instant colour to your fences, walls and patios are by adding hanging baskets and planted containers.  Plant your own using a wide variety of seedlings or bedding plants and be adventurous!  Bold colours and themes look fantastic in pots and containers!  And add trailing plants for added interest too.

Finally, you can really begin to enjoy your garden again this month as the days are longer, the weather hints at becoming warmer and summer is only a stone’s throw away. 

Spring arrives in your garden with colour and a hope that winter is behind us!  March is the perfect time to rescue your garden and plan for summer.

Plant up pots of summer flowering bulbs and sow seeds of your favourite summer blooms and if there is one flower that you have always wanted to grow, 2011 is the time to give it a go!  Why wait?  With so many high quality plants to choose from, introduce something new to your garden this year. 

Why not redevelop one area of your garden to start with?  Here at Grosvenor we have our own Edible Garden to show you just how easy it can be to create your own productive space and you could do the same.  Grow your own is a very popular pastime and if you love your garden but have not yet ventured into the world of growing your own fruit and vegetables at home, why not plan an area of your garden and give it a go?  If you need any help, just let us know and we will be delighted to give you advice.

Begin with sowing tomato seeds for indoor varieties - they really are very easy as a starting point for you to experiment with as they are so simple to grow and care for.   Outdoor varieties should be sown later this month and then you can plant them out in June.  And this is the perfect time to mulch your vegetable patch if you are already well on your way to home-grown vegetables and fruit.

Compact vegetable varieties of crops can be planted in pots throughout this month and into April so if you do not have space in your garden for your own patch, pot-grown vegetables and herbs are still a wonderful addition to any backyard or hanging basket.

Early seed potatoes can be prepared now too.  Leave them to stand in a cool, bright position and you can start sowing crops outdoors including broad beans, lettuces, leeks, beetroot and radishes.  Ask for advice if you need more ideas.

After the harsh weather, your lawn needs some tender loving care.  Brush it briskly to remove any build up of debris that it may have collected over the winter months and then rake it so that the grass stands upright ready for its first light cut of the season.

Together with preparing your lawn for summer with a spring feed, you should also begin to feed your plants now with a slow-release fertiliser.

Keep your bedding plants looking good for as long as possible by continuing to deadhead and prune your shrubs and hedges now to allow more room for new growth.  Add a layer of compost to enhance your pot-grown shrubs.

Summer flowering clematis will benefit from a good pruning now and roses should be pruned too, giving you the perfect opportunity to remove dead and damaged stems.  Willows and hardy fucshias should also be pruned back hard this month.

If you do not already have a water butt, try to get one soon to reduce water wastage.  Used correctly, your collected rainwater can be used to water your garden throughout the summer.   

As the clocks go forward, we can all look forward to a spring full of colour in readiness for a long, hot summer.  Well, fingers crossed!

Top Tips for March:

1. Prune shrubs and hedges\
2. Invest in a water butt
3. Plan a vegetable patch in your garden for a healthier lifestyle
4. Clean your greenhouse
5. Prepare your lawn for summer
6. Divide perennials and share with friends and family.

This month celebrates the romance of Valentine’s Day and preparation for the summer months begins in earnest with early crocus, snowdrops and Dutch iris beginning to peep through and giving us fresh impetus to make the most from our gardens.

With the weather still chilly and wet, there should be periods of milder weather too which encourages growth.  But no matter what the weather, you can still prepare for the summer indoors by sowing seeds.

Sow your chosen seeds and leave them on your kitchen windowsill to germinate.  As the days begin to grow longer and the light increases, you should find that your hardy seeds will germinate quickly and become seedling plants within just a few weeks.  Other seeds are tender and will take longer to grow to flowering stage.  These include bedding geraniums, regal pelargoniums, bedding begonias, salvia and verbena and cannot be planted until the frosts are finished. Often called Half-Hardy Annuals, they need the warmth of indoor cultivation.  Keep them in a propagator or warm place and maintain a high temperature of 21 – 24C.

If you would prefer to choose ready germinated seedlings or opt for plug plants, here at Grosvenor we have everything you could possibly need with new selections arriving daily and we can help you make your choice. 
 
And what else epitomises a Valentine’s Day gift but the rose?  A red rose signifies passion, pink means perfect happiness and a white rose means eternal love.  We are sure most of us would appreciate any of these choices but instead of presenting a bouquet, why not choose a more enduring token of your affection by giving a rose bush or tree instead?  Here at Grosvenor, you can choose from a wide selection of rose at any time of year but Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to take a look. 

February is too early to pruning established roses but look for signs of disease and dispose of infected foliage, thereby lowering the chances of continued infection in the months to come.

Homegrown potatoes are grown and enjoyed by many gardeners now as you can buy a few tubers at once and you hardly need any space at all to grow them.  Even if you only have a small area outside such as a balcony or small patio, you can grow your potatoes in large pots or gro-sacs.  Choose your favourite varieties of seed potato now and remove the netting before the shoots have chance to grow through and snap off.  Put the tubers in the bottom of a seed tray and keep them in a cool, light position.  This is called ‘chitting’ and will encourage sturdy shoots for planting later.

Towards the end of February, plant out shallots and garlic cloves in a sunny position.  One of our top tips is to snip off the end of any dead stems close to the onion bulbs as the birds will find it harder to pull them out. 

Spring cabbages should be covered with fleece to encourage new growth and protect them from pigeons.  And you will find that by planting Jerusalem artichokes about 15ch deep and 45cm apart they will grow into 3m tall plants and provide a fantastic windbreak for more exposed areas of your garden.  And of course, they are delicious too!

Feed fruit trees and fruit bushes early to encourage growth.  If they are already offering you a good crop of fruit, try feeding with a balanced plant food such as Miracle-Gro Fruit and Vegetable Plant Food which should see an even better crop in comparison to unfed fruit plants.

Don’t forget to prolong the life of your winter pansies by dead heading regularly and feeding occasionally too as the weather becomes milder.

Finally, don’t forget the birds!  It is always important to keep them supplied with plenty of food but even more so while it is still colder weather.  Our range of seeds, mixes, nest boxes and feeders is vast so please indulge the birds in your garden to much needed nutrition (and a tasty treat!) on your next visit to us here at Grosvenor.

It only feels a short time since we were looking forward to 2010 with optimism for a productive Edible Garden and plenty of vibrancy and colour in our gardens.  And here we are looking forward to the same for 2011. 

Start your gardening diary now and keep notes of the dates and varieties of the seeds you have sown and even any problems you may have noticed throughout the garden.  Here at Grosvenor, we can advise you on any matter you may be struggling with so please don’t be shy and remember we are here to help!

Gardening is a great way to lose a few pounds whilst also benefiting from plenty of fresh air, and one of the first jobs you could do is to plant your pot grown Christmas tree in a sunny spot.  If your tree was a cut tree, recycle it by shredding it and using as mulch on your borders and beds.

Don’t wait until spring to get sowing.  Begin now by growing seeds on windowsills and choose from summer flowering bulbs here at the garden centre.  Once frosts are finished, you can begin to start planting.

Some vegetable seeds take a while to produce a crop, including onions.  But when you give them a head start and sow them in the New Year, your seedlings will have a good root system ready to plant out early in the spring.  You will need to sow them thinly and keep the tray at a temperature around 20C.

Prepare your patch of Edible Garden now by regularly digging it over and adding a soil improver ready for growing beans, marrows and peas.  Remember that areas set aside for growing root crops such as carrots and parsnips should not be treated with manure as it can encourage roots to split.

Buy your seed potatoes this month – why not go for a selection so that you have both early and late harvests?  Place them rose end up in a light, cool room so that the potatoes begin to chit, ie. produce sturdy shoots.  They will then grow quicker when planted outside in the spring.

Grapevines will need to be pruned now before the sap starts to rise as the weather becomes milder and winter flowering pansies should be deadheaded and tidied up now too.

Don’t forget that your garden needs plenty of protection during January as the weather can play havoc with plants and young trees.  Shelter them from the elements with fleece and use stakes to stabilise tender plants.

Houseplants do not generally need as much watering in the colder months, but make sure they do not dry out completely and as always, keep them away from draughts and radiators to prolong flowering.  Your Christmas poinsettias should continue to thrive over the coming weeks too.

Finally, January should be embraced as the beginning of a brand new year to enjoy your garden.  Join us again next month as we look ahead to planning for spring.

Top Tips for January
1. Start a gardening diary so you can keep your notes in a safe place
2. Plant your Christmas tree in the garden or recycle for mulch
3. Protect tender plants from Jack Frost!
4. Move houseplants away from dry heat sources such as radiators
5. Make sure your bird feeders are topped up and bird baths unfrozen.

With Christmas fast approaching, you could be forgiven for thinking that your garden can cope without you for a month.  But we do have some lovely bright weather in December so make the most of any dry days to tidy up and continue to prepare your garden for 2011.

Fallen leaves should be collected to avoid smothering low growing plants such as aubretia, sedum and violets.  Slugs and snails will soon gather under leaves if they are left to decay.  Instead, collect and store and in time, this will transform into very beneficial leaf mould which can be dug into the soil to improve the soil and feed the good insects!

If you have planted tulip bulbs, pay particular attention to their location and water freely with a slug killer.  This will have the benefit of soaking through the soil and killing all molluscs that may be hiding under the surface.

Herbaceous plants such as Aster, Echinacea and Rudbeckia should be cut back this month if you have not already done so.

December is a great time to get out into the garden and make way for new plants, shrubs and trees by cutting down and digging up old ones.  Clear as much of the debris as possible onto the compost heap and to avoid the re-emergence of new shoots next year, treat the surface of the cut stumps and bark with a stump and rootkiller.

Handy tip:  dig over the soil and leave in large clumps so that the frost and harsher weather will break it down.  This will give you a finer tilth to work with in the spring. 

As we saw last winter, new plants and shrubs do not always survive the really cold snaps of the frosty months.  It is therefore a good idea to add extra protection to new roots by covering with a mulch layer of compost or soil improver.

Pots and containers should always be lifted onto pot feet at this time of year to ensure drainage is free flowing.

You can lay turf on warmer days unless the ground is too hard and prepare your lawn to sow grass seed in the spring.

Your Edible Garden will need additional protection as the frosts really begin to set in and to avoid pigeon damage.  Make sure your broccoli, cabbages and sprouts are covered by netting as all brassicas will be an easy target for pigeons as they look to supplement their usual diet which is now in short supply.  Stretch the netting above the tops of the plants so that the pigeons can’t use their weight to push the net downwards and peck through!  And you thought squirrels were canny!

Prune grape vines, currants and gooseberries and divide and plant rhubarb. New fruit trees and bushes can be planted now and if you already have young and free standing varieties, these can be pruned now too.

Always check your stored fruits and vegetables regularly - any that are mouldy or rotten can be given to birds or wildlife.  This time of year is very important for birds and wildlife as they need extra care, so please do not forget about them this festive season.  Bird feeders and certain food scraps will keep them well fed and comfortable and the larger the variety of scraps and foods you are able to provide, the larger the variety of wildlife you will see in your garden. Keep the birdbath topped up with water throughout the winter as this will provide them with much needed water so make sure it does not ice over.

This monthly gardening column would not be complete without news and tips on choosing a fabulous real Christmas tree for your home.  Did you know that the Christmas tree is one of the most efficient plants for absorbing carbon dioxide?  And if you plant a container grown tree in your garden after Christmas, it can be completely carbon positive!

But where do you start when you see the vast array of real trees to choose from here at Grosvenor?  All are freshly cut and responsibly grown and whether you want the traditional look of the Norway Spruce, the classic glossy dark green of the excellent needle retaining Nordman or the narrow shaped Fraser Fir, we can help you make your choice.

Whichever variety you opt for, don’t let it dry out.  You need to place it well away from radiators and fires and top up the stand regularly with water.  You can ask the horticulturalist to cut off the bottom of your tree so that it is able to retain water easier - and remember to ask advice on how to plant your pot grown tree in the garden after twelfth night.

Watch out for stormy weather too as this can wreak havoc on tender plants or newly planted shrubs and trees.  Always check these areas after a strong wind to ensure they have not loosened and if they have, firmly re-plant.  You will also be noticing the return of Jack Frost so don’t forget to have plenty of fleece handy for those cold December nights.

And finally, Merry Christmas from all at Grosvenor!

Top Tips for December: 

1. Do not let ponds freeze over and keep birdbaths topped up with fresh water and keep scraps for birds and wildlife to enjoy

2. Harvest root crops including winter cabbage, leeks, parsnips and not forgetting sprouts for your Christmas dinner!

3. Clear leaves regularly to avoid drainage and light problems

4. Tie shrubs and climbers back to avoid damage from strong winds

5. Clear snowfall from branches of young trees.