Newsletter

Spring 2022

At the time of writing we are having a glorious day of sunshine and we have been feeling very spring-like here; we are chomping at the bit at the prospect of the new season and have plenty of new stock arriving every week. We have lots of pots of tulips, daffodils, alliums and other bulbs in all sorts of colours and sizes, ready to plant out into pots or into the ground – very very easy.

The first delivery of David Austin roses arrives next week. There are some beautiful varieties coming and most have repeat or continuous flowering and delicious scent. Please do ask us if you need help with choosing one of these delightful roses.

We’re using our amazing Yorkshire supplier of beautiful shrubs and perennials again this year; we have just had another delivery from them today and are admiring a whole shelf full of colourful Phormium and heavily scented Sarcococca ‘Winter Gem’. The fruit trees and soft fruit have now arrived; as well as gorgeous blossom, there will be wonderful fruit to look forward to later in the season. It’s very satisfying to ‘pick your own’ and it always seems to taste much much better than shop-bought!

Seasonal bedding for spring is now here; it’s a very easy and cheap way of brightening up the pots in your garden or balcony. It’s nice to have something colourful to look at on those gloomy days.

The edibles arrive as the weather improves; we will have a big range of herbs, veg strips and pots; convenient for those of you who don’t have the space (or the time) to grow them from seed. We always have some of the more unusual varieties as well as the classics.

We have a fantastic new supplier of herbaceous perennials who is based in West Sussex and we are really looking forward to our first deliveries coming in from them in the coming weeks. They are a small family-run business who specialise in peat-free grown perennials. They grow just about everything without heat which means that the plants are very hardy and well suited to being planted outside straight away. They also use biological controls, such as nematodes, rather than chemicals.

We have a small selection of cottage garden style plants now such as hollyhocks, foxgloves and lupins that will give you lots of colour this summer.

Think ahead to what seeds you might like to try this year – vegetables, herbs and flowers. We have everything you might need to germinate them, including Rocket Gro seed and cutting compost from a Somerset farm; this is a finely textured peat-free and organic product, perfect for bringing on young plants and for sowing seeds.. They are also supplying us with their Soil Improver which will revitalise tired soil and boost soil fertility; also all the ingredients in their composts are from locally grown produce.

The houseplant shed is once again filling up; the stock changes each week so there’s always something new to see. Remember that spring is the best time to repot as the roots will be actively growing so assess what you need and come and see us.

We have some colourful new wildlife products this season and now is the time to start thinking about putting up a nesting box, also siting some bird feeders. This really is the best and greenest way to keep your plants free of pests. It’s also lovely to watch them visiting your garden again and again.

Once again we are stocking Garden Trading’s bistro sets in four colours and a very comfortable Richmond bench (we’ve been trying it out). We also have their small Foscot fire pits which come with a half-grill for barbecuing food. We always have plenty of lumpwood and charcoal so you know where to come to stock up.

Finally we will have some lovely new products in our shop this spring and we hope to welcome you very soon.

Warm regards

Rob and the Team