The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) 2010 Shows

Cardiff RHS show

Chelsea Flower Show

Hampton Court Flower Show RHS

Tatton Park RHS show

RHS Flower Shows
The RHS puts on yearly flower shows exhibiting the best of show gardens, showcasing
cutting edge designers such as Diarmuid Gavin and Alan Titchmarsh. These are the shows to go to – and as there are four around the UK you shouldn’t have to travel too far! They are a must for keen gardeners looking for cutting edge garden design and new flowers.

The first of these fantastic shows kicks off in Cardiff on 16th – 18th
April, tickets £9

Chelsea flower show which happens on 25th – 29th May. Tickets £44

Next is the wonderful Hampton Court show 6th – 11th July Tickets £30

Tatton Park on 21st – 25th July Tickets £9

You can save money by booking your tickets in advance! Cheapest tickets for Chelsea Flower show are £14!

Making compost is something that every gardener should do. A compost bin can be made from old wooden pallets fits together, or be a brand-new plastic one bought through some of the many discounted schemes local authorities run. Contact local council to see if they were a discount scheme on compost bins.

Or you can buy one online from Suttons – Compost bins at Suttons

Where should you put your compost bin? It should go somewhere where you don’t mind visiting every day with vegetable peelings from the kitchen. If it’s too far away from the kitchen then you’re just not bother using it. It shouldn’t be to close though because it can get bit whiffy if things go wrong.
What can you compost? You can compost almost all the green matter from your garden. There are arguments for and against putting in damaged plants that have infection. If you run your compost bin hot enough, then it should destroy any problem material, but most small compost bins won’t do this. For most small gardens the sensible advice be to throw away disease plant material. For those with bigger garden it should be okay to put things in the summer should build in a big stack and it gets hot enough to destroy things.

You can compost all your lawn cuttings, you could add shredding is of newspaper and cardboard, you can add other plant material like stems and prunings, and you can add lots of vegetable kitchen waste. You shouldn’t put meat or bones in the compost, as these may attract rats who will then set up home within your compost bin.

If you add too much of one type of material, then your compost bin won’t work as well. In a perfect world you would collect different types of material and then built a compost heap in layers. For most people this is impractical and just throwing everything in as it arrives is the best way to deal with things. You might then need to turn the compost over at least once before it’s ready.

Your compost bin can be in the shade, after all the Sunni areas in your garden at best to serve the plants you want to grow. A little prevent it getting to where in rainy weather, although some liquid is required for good composting. Some gardeners believe that adding urine to your compost heap speeds up the process. One TV gardener who is no longer with us, claimed to do this!

Older more woody material is slower to rot. If you have a garden shredder, then shredding this type of material before adding it to your compost heap is a great idea. It will speed up the decomposition and create great compost quickly.

Some plants are supposed to be great for activating compost. Nettles are supposed to be a great plan to put your compost bin. Just wear gloves when picking them. You should avoid putting in plants with thick roots like dandelions. It’s probably best to avoid putting Dandelion heads in as well as they will go to seed and then you’re just creating a perfect environment for them to replicate.

As long as you avoid taproot weeds and flowering heads of weeds you should produce good compost. Sometimes there will be bits that don’t decompose straightaway, safety is for your next heap. You will be amazed as the how much grass cuttings compost down quickly in summer. This is probably a good job as the lawn constantly needs mowing all summer long.

Potatoes at Suttons
Potatoes are fun to grow and can be grown even in a small garden. For an allotment or large garden you can try lots of different types and grow some really delicious spuds! The joy of digging up your own new potatoes and getting them into a pot very quickly will show you the advantages of growing them yourself!

Time to decide what potatoes you’ll be growing this year!

Speciality Salad & New Potato Collection
£12.95
Buy Both Salad & New Potato Collection and Mashed & Baked Potatoes Collection and Save £5.95

For the freshest potatoes of the year, why not try our collection of four different varieties that are sure to please? Charlotte – The classic salad potato, Rocket – Earliest to crop, Vanessa – One of the very few pink skinned earlies and Nicola – Excellent in salads or sautéed. All taste delicious with a knob of butter or with freshly chopped mint or chives.

Delivered as 1 kg tubers of Charlotte, Nicola, Rocket and Vanessa
Code: 228360

Buy Both Salad & New Potato Collection and Mashed & Baked Potatoes Collection and Save £5.95
Code: 228385

Mashed & Baked Potatoes Collection
£12.95
Buy Both Salad & New Potato Collection and Mashed & Baked Potatoes Collection and Save £5.95

Whether you prefer perfect creamy mash or crisp baked potatoes, these varieties all chosen for their heavy crops will feed the family for months! King Edward – unsurpassed for roasting, Rooster – An excellent all-round potato, Picasso – Easy to grow with good disease resistance and Cara – King of the Bakers.

Delivered as 1 kg tubers of King Edwards, Rooster, Picasso and Cara
Code: 228364

Buy Both Salad & New Potato Collection and Mashed & Baked Potatoes Collection and Save £5.95
Code: 228385

Super Healthy Potato – Mayan Twilight – with Growing Pouches
£9.95
Grow Your Own Peruvian Gold!
This variety boils in half the time of a normal potato.

Mayan Twilight is a new super healthy variety combining the productivity of the modern potato with the highly nutritious and buttery texture of the traditional Peruvian potato. A single portion of this superb potato contains more vitamin C than an apple and more fibre than a bowl of bran flakes! It boils in half the time of a normal potato and because of its natural creamy flavour requires less butter, so overall it’s a delicious and healthy option.

Delivered as 3 Growing Pouches and 12 tubers of Mayan Twilight
Code: 228368
Bargain Patio Potato Growing Kit
Only £14.95!
HARVEST YOUR POTATOES IN LESS THAN 7 WEEKS!

Potato planters are the easy way to grow potatoes. In fact each planter is capable of producing up to 9lbs of healthy potatoes. These sturdy soft sided bags are ideal for growing a delicious crop of potatoes on the patio. With three potato varieties (Swift, Vivaldi and Charlotte) especially chosen from our patio growing potato trials for their high yields of delicious tasting new potatoes, we are certain that you will get a fantastic crop. Even better… why not re-use the planters later in the year for tomatoes or carrots or grow a second crop of potatoes in Autumn!

Delivered as 3 Potato Planters + 5 tubers of Swift (1st early), Vivaldi (2nd early) and Charlotte (Salad)
Code: 210160

Refill Potato Kit
£4.95
Just need the seed potato tubers?

If you already have the containers then all you need is our refill pack to plant them up again – 5 tubers each of:
Rocket – Earliest to crop…
Vivaldi – The super low calorie potato…
Charlotte – The classic salad potato…

Delivered as 5 tubers each of Rocket, Vivaldi and Charlotte.
Code: 228357

Reduced price on products today at John Lewis

Sophie Conran for Portmeirion Mugs, White, Box of 2 was £14.00 now £13.25
Created by Sophie Conran for Portmeirion, this collection of stylish, practical porcelain will look as beautiful in the kitchen as it does on the dining room table. Each piece has been designed with a nod to both Japanese serenity and English eccentricity, and features soft, organic curves and shapes – reflecting Sophie’s vivacious personality and an appreciation of innovative craftsmanship. Box of 2 mugs, each 0.35L.

Read the rest of this entry »

New products today at John Lewis

Weber Style Barbecue Mitt, Grey £14.95
The Style fire-retardant cotton mitt protects your hand and forearm from scorch and spatter, whether you’re cooking with gas or charcoal.With black border and red Weber branding.

Read the rest of this entry »

Crocus has this new item today

Standard Bay with Love Heart Stem £99.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: fertile, moist but well-drained soilRate of growth: slow-growing Flowering period: March to MayHardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection)With its lustrous, dark green leaves, this evergreen bay laurel standard makes an elegant centrepiece for a formal vegetable garden or potager, or planted in a smart contemporary pot either side of a doorway, will frame an entrance. Clippings of the aromatic leaves are valuable, fresh or dried, for flavouring savoury stocks and sauces.Garden care: Keep well-watered during the growing season and feed with a slow-release fertiliser such as Osmacote. Clip established plants lightly twice during the summer months to retain a balanced shape, using secateurs not shears.Size Guide110cm clear stem below a 40-45cm head, the heart is 50cm wide.

New lines at Blooming Direct

With Thanks Floral Arrangement £61.95
A stylish white basket arrangement containing stunning orchids, roses and foliage, finished with a top dressing of moss.

Read the rest of this entry »

Garden Centre Online just added this new product

Halls 88 Supreme Forest Green Greenhouse Base £140.99
This product can only be purchased with a Halls Greenhouse from GardenCentreOnline. Note: we only supply GENUINE Halls Bases – some don’t. Read our Halls Greenhouse Frequently Asked Questions page for further details about Halls pre-formed bases or building a brick base for your Halls greenhouse.

Price reduction on this item at Tooled Up

Metabo HS 55 Standard Hedge Trimmer 550mm Blade Length 450w 240v was £94.97 now £93.95
Metabo hedge trimmers of the standard class are light and compact, and also offer technology of the highest order. As with all Metabo hedge trimmers the blades are laser cut from solid steel and then diamond ground to give smooth razor sharp edges fo…

New lines today at Crocus

Bougainvillea Temple Fire £24.99
save £10.00 was £34.99Magnificent clouds of firey-orange floral bracts from July to September are the highlight of this strong-growing, evergreen climber. Great for growing inside a conservatory or in a tub on a sunny patio. While it can be moved outside during the summer months, it must be moved to a frost-free spot, such as a conservatory or temperate greenhouse in autumn.This plant is a bush and comes in a 3 litre pot and will be aproximately 25cm tall.Position: in summer move it outside where it gets lots of sun, then move it to a bright, heated conservatory in winterSoil: loam-based potting compostRate of growth: average Flowering period: July to September Flower colour: firey-orangeHardiness: tender (needs winter protection)Garden care: Bougainvilleas are long-lived, and can last for over 50 years if given the correct care. They much prefer a heated conservatory and tend to go dormant at around 10°C, at which point they will lose all their leaves and flowers. Temperatures below this can be fatal. Once dormant, keep them on the dry side until they come back into growth. When they are growing well, feed weekly with a balanced liquid fertiliser and lightly prune to keep the plant bushy. Water moderately during the growing season, and re-pot or top-dress in spring.

Read the rest of this entry »