November

November

November is a month I enjoy, it is like putting the garden to bed for the winter and gives me the opportunity to plant bulbs which I know will herald the start of Spring.

Patio Gardening

There is still time in November to plant your patio pots for winter colour. Your summer bedding will be looking quite poor as the days get shorter and colder so it is a good time to do this now whilst there is still choice of plants. What you use is a matter of what you prefer but we have superb Cyclamen, pansies and primulas for colourful flowers, Hypericum and Gaultheria for berries and for colour and texture, ivy, heathers and hebe. Of course we have lots more to choose from but these will give you a wonderful patio pot.
Bulbs
November is the correct time to plant tulip bulbs as this reduces the risk of them getting the fungal disease tulip fire. We have a good selection in stock both loose and in packs so you can select the right height and colour for your planting scheme. All our bulb packs have planting guides on the pack but if you have any doubts ask our resident bulb expert Graham. Tulip should be planted about 15cms apart and at three times their own depth.

The Lawn

Last month we said it was almost the last chance to cut your lawn for winter but the mild weather in October has meant that the grass has continued to grow, although slowly, and another cut, as long as it is not too short, will tidy up your lawn and help remove fallen leaves.

November is not too late to apply an Autumn Lawn food, Scotts Lawn Builder ( 400 sq m £29.99 ) encourages grass roots to grow rather than the grass itself so helping your lawn face the ravages of winter.

The Vegetable Garden

If you came to our Fruit Weekend last month you will already have had lessons on how to prune your fruit trees. Pruning is a fairly complex topic, it all depends whether a plant fruits on new or old wood so before you go hacking away at your plant I suggest you do a little reading. A very easy to understand book I recommend is The Fruit Expert by Dr D G Hessayon ( £7.99). I have just pruned my apple tree, I planted it 4 years ago. The first years of pruning are more about perfecting the shape of the tree to allow apples to form nicely, now my aim is to encourage as much fruiting wood as possible to form whilst maintaining the existing fruiting wood. I must be doing something right as this year we have had a bumper crop of both cooking and eating apples and our freezer is filled to the brim.

If you need any advice do not hesitate to contact our Outdoor Experts who will be willing to help.

Once you have harvested your crops do dig over the soil afterwards to break up the soil. Remove any old vegetation, weeds and rubbish as this can harbour pests and diseases and finally to improve soil structure dig in some compost or well rotted farmyard manure.

Composting

It has never been more popular to compost at home than it is now, especially since rubbish collections have gone to every other week. We are always giving advice to customers in store on how to begin composting or how to be more successful. Whilst you can send this household vegetable matter to the land fill site the conditions there are not ideal for composting and abundant methane gas is produced which is harmful to the environment.

Home made compost when added to your garden soil will improve its structure and it is free!

Once you have your container you can add your waste materials. Do not put cooked food waste in as this will attract vermin. Ideally there should be a mix of 50% green products such as vegetable peelings, egg shells, leaf material, grass cuttings and 50% brown products such as autumn leaves, thin stems. It is essential to keep your compost warm so that the bacteria can grow and decompose the waste.

We have a good range of compost bins in stock and they are a good price.

Birds

I enjoy feeding the birds in our garden, they give so much entertainment and as the days get shorter there is less time for them to find food for themselves. Half coconut shells filled with fat seem to be the favourite of sparrows and blue tits but they do have to fight off the bigger birds such as starlings and magpies. I try to put the food on the thinnest of branches to try and deter the heavier birds, now I have a sparrow that thinks it is a humming bird and hovers spectacularly whilst taking the fat. To my great delight we also have a Woodpecker which comes every morning to feed. Don't forget to look after the ground feeding birds such as blackbirds and thrushes too. We sell a wide range of foods specially developed to cater for the dietary requirements of birds but you can also use scraps from the kitchen although these might not provide the right nutrients. Our birds are particularly keen on bacon fat!!

If your bird table is past its best we have a range of tables and nest boxes to suit all budgets and tastes in style. Our newest ones are in nice pastel shades. We also carry a host of different feeders, some of which are designed to prevent squirrels taking the food. We also have feeders particularly designed to feed squirrels. The ingenuity of these creatures to get into a food source is truly amazing.

There are animals who make their home in your garden too and they also benefit from a little help over the winter. We have boxes for toads and hedgehogs, bats and frogs. These make ideal Christmas presents for all ages