December 2015 Newsletter

Last call to any slow coaches out there! ….

You only have a couple of days left to pre-order your Christmas tree and get 10% off the price and free local delivery. This offer ends on Monday 30 ^th November … it’s no use turning up on 1^st December and saying you forgot!!

From 1st December, trees will be charged at the full price and the usual delivery charges will also apply.

This Saturday is the ‘Love West Dulwich’ Christmas Fair . Events will be taking place both at the Croxted/Park Hall Road end and the Rosendale Road end of West Dulwich, including a range of entertainment, stalls selling street food, craft stalls, many businesses offering one-day-only promotions, and …… roll the drums ……

SANTA’S WOODLAND GROTTO will be at the garden centre!

For one day only (Saturday 28^th November) Santa has agreed to visit us, along with one of his elves, and a tree fairy. If you have a little one who would enjoy the magical experience of meeting these three, decorating a ‘wishing star’ to hang on the tree, having photos taken with Santa (and you!) and receiving a lovely age appropriate gift, then book your place soon, as Santa’s schedule is filling up fast. The cost is £9.50 per child, with all proceeds going to the not-for-profit organisation Whippersnappers.

Elsewhere in our bit of West Dulwich, there will be:

• Entertainment in a Raj Tent outside Lloyds bank, including performances from local Choirs and a Youth Theatre
• ‘Where’s Santa?’ treasure hunt, starting at Dulwich Books
• A tree decoration workshop at Dulwich Trader
• A luxury hamper raffle at Thomas’
• Henna hand painting at Jaadu
• Street food market stalls

At the Rosendale Road end of West Dulwich you can:

• Get your hair cut for £10 (£5 for kids) on the street outside Changes
• Enjoy a pulled pork bap and roast chestnuts at Scotch Meats
• Treat yourself to a slice of cake at Tea West and get a free cup of tea or coffee
• Browse the craft market stalls and get a head start on your Christmas shopping

As you can see, West Dulwich will be well worth a visit on Saturday!

Here at the garden centre we’re getting into the Christmas spirit and the place is looking and smelling very festive. Our first delivery of trees has arrived, so we’re enveloped in that pine forest scent again. Tamsin returns as our in-house florist for the season, so part of the vintage shed has once again been transformed into the most wonderful sight … vibrant berried stems, glorious cut flowers, sparkly stems, holly and ivy, hand-made door wreaths holding cinnamon sticks, orange and lime slices, and cones. The perfect way to transform your home, come and talk to us about bespoke cut-flower table or mantle decorations, or just choose a small hand-tied bunch to put on the hall table. You can pre-order and specify exactly what you want to have made, ready for collection on the day of your choosing. Yet another example of why buying local makes sense! You can have what you want, when you want it.

If you haven’t already seen the fantastic decorations we’ve sourced this year, come in soon as they are disappearing fast …. extraordinary, colourful hand-made glass stars, icicles, trees and robins from newcomer ‘Molten Wonky’; gorgeous smoked glass baubles, handmade silver door wreaths, and glass baubles in a range of colours from one of our favourite suppliers, nkuku; vibrant ‘peacock’, and simple but stunning whipped white glass baubles as well as wooden tree decorations from Sass and Belle. With prices ranging from just 95p to £200, there really is something for every budget. Oh, and the cute felt decorations you loved last year (made by Felt So Good) have made a return visit too.

Most of you know that we have a plethora of items that make ideal gifts and stocking fillers, ranging from hand carved pencils, to fabulous Felco secateurs (for the serious gardener); from luscious hand creams to exquisite candles – be seduced by the scent of cinnamon and clove, fig, sandalwood and stem ginger. There’s a range of ceramics, hand-made in France and the UK . Also made in the UK are our Burgon and Ball gardening tools. Or if you’re still not quite sure what to get that gardener friend for Christmas, what about a voucher, so they can come and choose for themselves?

Of course, we are still very much a garden centre, so there are plenty of fabulous plants and shrubs to be had … naked winter stems on the silver birches that almost glow at dusk, berried Pyracantha and Skimmia reevesiana, delicate Cyclamen, winter pansies and violas, and formal looking standard bay and Ligustrum.

If you want something growing inside your house, we have Amaryllis bulbs ready to plant now, in shades from palest cream, through vibrant red, to deepest black. There are also pots of Hyacinths and Narcissi Paperwhites, to bring their delicious scent into your home.

All in all, you’ll be spoilt for choice if you visit us this festive season!

So, we very much hope to see you on Saturday and beyond, but I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year.

As usual, Sally’s check list of things to be doing in the garden over the coming weeks follows.

With warm wishes to you and your family

Karen and the team

PS December opening hours are:

9.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm Sundays.

We will close at lunchtime on Christmas eve, and reopen at 10am on Monday 4^th January.

Garden jobs for
December 2015

It's not top of everyone's 'to do' list, but you may be tempted outside in December. This isn't a long list, just a few simple hints and tips to keep your outside space healthy and looking good.

My top 2 jobs for December, and the winter ahead

1. Protect tender plants from cold temperatures, either by moving them to a sheltered spot or into a greenhouse, or by mulching and fleecing plants which can't be moved.

2. Write a Christmas wish list for the garden!

Planting, pruning and protection

• There is still plenty of opportunity to plant containers for winter interest. Use Skimmia, cyclamen, viola, pansies, and trailing ivy to brighten up the view from inside, or to welcome visitors to the front door.
• Finish planting tulips for colour in the spring.
• If ferns are looking a bit tatty, give them a Christmas haircut, close to the crown, just as the new growth is coming through. A drop of liquid fertiliser will give them a boost too.
• Start to winter prune wisteria, cutting summer side shoots back to 2 or 3 buds.
• Prune acers and vines where needed, if left longer into the winter months, they will bleed.
• Sow broad beans, directly into the ground, but not if it's frozen or waterlogged.
• Prune open grown apple and pear trees during the winter months, but not those trained against walls which should be pruned in summer.
• Plant deciduous trees and shrubs.
• Move containers to a sheltered, dry spot, grouped together for mutual protection. Stand pots on feet or bricks to prevent water logging, and wrap with bubble wrap, hessian or fleece to protect the roots from freezing temperatures, and prevent the pots cracking in freezing weather.
• If snow is forecast, tie up cordylines, conifers and other plants which may be damaged by the weight of snow.
• Have a look for pretty seed heads and cones to bring into the house, and holly and ivy for festive decorations. Stand holly in a bucket of water until you're ready to use it.

Indoors

• Indoor bulbs such as hyacinths, narcissi and amaryllis will last longer if kept in cooler conditions of 13-15C. The same applies to indoor plants such as cyclamen, azalea and poinsettia - they don't appreciate central heating!

Lawns

• Throughout the winter months, avoid walking on waterlogged or frozen grass.

General garden maintenance

• Check fences and trellis and repair as necessary.
• Put away outside furniture, pots, tools etc which you won't be using during the winter months. The recent storms may have deposited them somewhere new in the garden!
• Make sure climbers are tied in and trees are stable to protect against wind damage.
• When freezing temperatures are forecast, a ball left floating on the pond can be removed to leave an air hole. This is especially important if there are fish in the pond.
• Frosts will improve the structure of previously dug soil, but take care not to walk on or work the soil when it is waterlogged as this will do more damage than good.
• Frosts and freezing temperatures will help to kill off pests and disease, so enjoy the cold weather knowing it's doing good work outside.

Wildlife

• Birds need regular supplies of food and water through the winter months, so keep the feeders topped up with high calorie offerings. In cold weather, keep the water supply fresh.

Gift lists

• Write yourself a Christmas wish list. Longed-for gloves, good quality tools, beautifully designed secateurs, a gorgeous statement pot or container - drop a few hints!
• If you're looking for a lovely plant as a gift for somebody, try a Camellia, a beautifully scented Daphne, an Olive tree, large or small, a pot of scented paperwhite narcissi, or an elegant amaryllis to grow. And for new gardeners, what about a trug or flower pot filled with useful bits and pieces such as string, plant labels, a trowel and hand fork. There are lots of garden oriented ideas, which make really useful presents.

I wish you a peaceful Christmas season and look forward to 2016 when I hope to inspire you with more ideas for your gardens and outside spaces.

Sally