Dear [Name,fallback=]

Firstly I want to thank you for all the lovely emails we’ve received in support of our decision to remain closed in May. Some of them made me feel quite emotional; the generosity of spirit, understanding and kindness shown in this difficult time has been quite overwhelming. Thank you.

It is with some regret that, for a combination of reasons, the decision has been made to remain completely closed for the time being.

There are several unique issues and challenges facing us at APGC that do not apply to other centres, so whilst I say ‘some’ regret (because of course we would love to be open and dealing with our loyal customers and the wider community again) the decision was reached unanimously by both our shareholders and our staff team, so I know it is the right one.

We explored different ways of working; we’ve looked at other models, and talked to garden centre owners who have reopened, and have heard of the challenges they have faced. We’ve concluded that we couldn’t adopt any model safely, given the limitations and complications we face, both with our site and with our team.

I’m afraid this means we won’t be offering either a delivery or click and collect service as we’d previously hoped we might be able to.

We’ll keep monitoring the situation, of course, and anticipate reopening in some capacity in late summer/early autumn.

Please be reassured that all your gift vouchers (be they physical ones you’ve been given, or electronic ones earned on your reward card) will have their expiry date extended by 12 months.

The vast majority of plants on site will happily stay there for several weeks, and those which we felt wouldn’t survive have been donated to local community projects.

The site is visited several times a week to water, feed, top dress, weed and trim plants where necessary, keeping everything in tip top condition. Houseplants have been taken home to receive the specialist care they need.

Most importantly, Basil and Mittens are being fed daily and getting cuddles from our lovely neighbours, Ayshea and Daniella, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude!

I will continue to monitor emails, so can respond to specific queries if you have them. Please feel free to keep in touch.

Even though we aren't open to help you, noted below are some jobs for you to be getting on with in June, which Sally compiled last year. As always, please don’t stress if you can’t do them all; summer months should be about enjoying your garden, and you won’t do that if you feel you always need to be doing something in it. Letting things go a little can offer up unexpected delightful surprises ....

With warmest wishes

Karen and the rest of the team at APGC

Garden jobs

General garden maintenance

• The basic garden jobs of feed, weed, stake and water carried out regularly will keep the garden looking good.
• Treat the garden to a good fertiliser if you can, and your plants will perform much better.
• Keep on top of weeds in borders, containers and in paving. Annual weeds can be pulled out or hoed while they are small, and left to wither on top of the soil. Perennial weeds should be removed completely with nothing left of the root. Alternatively use a chemical gel or spray to treat invasive weeds if you must, but please do so with the utmost care, and only selectively, when the air is still to avoid drift.
• It's not too late to stake tall herbaceous plants - do it now before taller plants like delphiniums, lilies, and peonies lean too far with the weight of their blooms, especially after heavy rainfall.
• Early flowering perennials such as Geranium phaeum, Brunnera, Tellima, Pulmonaria and others can be cut hard to the ground when the flowers have faded - new leaves will be generated. Water well afterwards.
• Deadheading - most plants will continue to flower if you regularly remove faded blooms, stopping the plant from setting seed. Cut fading flowers either to a pair of buds, or back to the main stem, depending on the plant in question.
• Carry on tying in climbers as new shoots grow on plants such as honeysuckle and clematis. Use soft padded wire or string to tie onto trellis or wires.
• As soon as your sweet peas start to flower, keep picking them to encourage continued flowering for weeks and months.
• Remove blanket weed from ponds to allow plants and fish to breathe. Leave the debris on the side of the pond to allow wildlife to return to the water before putting it on the compost heap.

Container gardening

• Plant up containers to bring a hot zingy splash of colour or a calming pastel display to your balcony, terrace or patio. There are many annuals to choose from, if you can get hold of them. Use a combination of upright and trailing plants to give a pleasing display. Water, feed and deadhead containers of bedding on a regular basis to keep them looking good for months.
• Alternatively, put some more thought and planning into a group of perennial plants for a big container which will come up year after year. Choose from plants which will thrive in shade for a tricky corner, or sun-lovers for a pot in a hot spot.
• Fruit, vegetables and herbs can all be grown in containers - there are lots of edibles to try such as patio fruit trees, blueberries or strawberries, tomatoes, aubergines, peas, beans or salad leaves which you can try. Almost any herb can be grown in a container. It’s well worth the effort - keep them watered and enjoy the fresh harvest.

Pruning

• Trim topiary to keep it looking smart and to maintain the shape. Choose an overcast day, or do it after the sun has gone down, so that the leaves don't go brown with leaf scorch. Remember to feed and water afterwards.
• Prune late winter and spring flowering shrubs such as flowering currants and forsythia. Cut a few stems down to ground level, and the remaining stems to a healthy new shoot. Next year's flowers will develop on the new growth.
• Cut out stems of variegated plants such as Euonymus and Elaeagnus which have reverted to plain green.
• Prune out overcrowded or dead stems of evergreen Clematis (such as Clematis armandii) once flowers have finished in order to maintain a good shape.

Planting

• Shrubs, trees and herbaceous perennials can still be planted now as long as you take extra care of them, and ensure they are watered regularly. Planted well, they will settle in happily.
• There are lots of seeds which can still be sown - sunflowers, nigella, nasturtiums, calendula. Read the instructions on the pack, and be amazed at how quickly they germinate now that the soil is so warm.

Watering and feeding

• Be aware of the plants which need more water, including those recently planted, young vegetables and plants in containers. If we continue to have little or no rain, remember that it's better to really soak plants a couple of times a week than to sprinkle a little water each day. Always make sure water soaks right down to the deeper roots.
• All new compost has sufficient nutrients to feed plants for up to 6 weeks, but thereafter you should get into a routine of feeding when you water. This is especially important for plants in containers, which can't send their roots further into the soil.

Fruit and vegetables

• Tomatoes are always a favourite and rewarding edible to grow - the flavour can be so much better than supermarket offerings. Even if you only have a small outside space, as long as it gets 6 hours of sun each day, it’s worth trying a few plants. Once the first truss of tomatoes has formed, start feeding with a tomato feed.
• Harvest salad leaves and resow every 2 weeks for a constant supply.
• Avoid using insecticides on crops when they are in flower, as bees and pollinating insects could be poisoned as they search for nectar.
• Runner beans and climbing French beans can be sown or planted outside, as well as squash, courgettes and sweet corn. Leeks should be planted out when they are pencil thick. Radish, Swiss chard, salad crops, peas, beans, courgettes - now’s the time to sow lots directly outside.
• Watch out for the June drop which is the process of fruit trees naturally shedding surplus amounts of fruit. Once this has occurred, you can remove any damaged or misshapen fruit still on the tree. What's left will be better quality and the tree will have more energy to put into the remaining fruit.

Herbs

• Herbs are a fabulous group of plants, looking and tasting good when added to cooking and cocktails.
• Try to give herbs the conditions they require. A sunny spot suits Mediterranean type herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage and lavender; green leafy herbs such as mint, parsley, and coriander will be happy in semi shade.
• When harvesting herbs, the general rule is to cut a sprig or stem and then strip the leaves off to use. The plant will reshoot from where it's been cut, and keep producing fresh growth. If you simply strip leaves off the plant, the stems will go brown and die off, resulting in an unsightly plant.
• Some herbs such as coriander, basil, rocket and parsley can be grown from seed in successive sowings, ensuring that as one crop goes to seed, the next is supplying fresh green foliage. Sow new seeds at 10 –14 day intervals.
• Cutting some herbs such as mint, rocket, coriander to the ground will prompt fresh growth to extend the harvesting season.
• Remember too that herb flowers encourage beneficial insects into the garden. The flowers are normally edible, and can add lovely colour and flavour to salads.

Lawns

• Mow the lawn at least once, and preferably twice, a week at this time of year. The less grass removed at each cut, the healthier the grass will be. If we hit a dry spell, reduce the frequency of cutting and raise the mowing height.
• Recently laid or sown lawns should be watered regularly in dry periods.

Pests and diseases

• Mildew affects many ornamental and edible plants. It is identified as white powdery spreading patches of fungus on both sides of the leaf, flowers and fruit. There are different species of mildew which have quite narrow host ranges, thus the species which affects apples is different to the one affecting peas. Remove and dispose of all affected leaves and stems as soon as possible. Mulching and watering will reduce water stress and make plants less susceptible to infection, as will improving air circulation around the plant. If absolutely necessary, treat with an appropriate fungicide.
• Protect vulnerable plants from slugs and snails Dawn and dusk outings wearing gloves and carrying a bucket, and then dousing the collected molluscs with salt, can reduce the populations dramatically. Slug pellets or bait should be used very sparingly - follow the instructions on the pack. Using a mulch that is gritty will deter slugs and snails. Beer traps can be very effective too, but you need to empty them daily.
• Keep an eye out for aphid infestations, often on the underside of leaves - it's much easier to control if caught early. Squish them, or spray with a dilution of washing up liquid and water. If you use a chemical spray instead, always be careful; use in the evening when fewer beneficial insects are active, and ensure there is no breeze. Be particularly careful to protect bees - they are essential to our planet’s survival.
• Bright red lily beetle and bronze/green striped rosemary beetle can do a lot of damage in a short space of time, so keep an eye out for them. Pick them off and squish them as soon as you see them.
• See our notes on Pest Control for help with other problems.

Wildlife

• Birds need constant supplies of food and water as they raise their young, so keep feeders and bird baths topped up.
• Give bird baths a regular scrub to prevent the spread of disease.
• Don't trim hedges or prune shrubs unless you are sure any bird nests within are empty.
• Vary the length of grass around the garden to encourage different groups of wildlife: birds will find insects if the grass is short, longer grass may allow bee friendly lawn weeds such as clover to flower.

Finally

Make sure you take the time to relax in your outside space as well as keeping on top of essential jobs in the garden.