Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

Archive for January, 2012

What’s the most hated job in the garden?

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

You need facebook to answer this quick question
– What’s the most hated job in the garden

Pear trees

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Fancy growing some pears?
Have grown conference pears on my old allotment and they were great!

Pear ‘Accolade’ – 1 tree £24.99

Pear ‘Concorde’ – 1 tree £22.99

Pear ‘Conference’ – 1 tree £17.99

Pear ‘Delsanne’® – 1 tree £21.99

Pear ‘Family Pear Tree’ – 1 tree £39.99

Pear ‘Garden Pearl’ – 1 tree £29.99

Pear ‘Williams’ Bon Chretien’ – 1 tree £21.99

Pear Collection – 3 trees – 1 of each variety £49.97

Pear Tree Collection – 3 trees – 1 of each variety £54.99

Apple trees!

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Grow some apple trees!

Get together with neighbours and plant a selection!

Apple ‘Family Apple Tree’ – 1 tree £39.99

Apple ‘Bright Star’ – 1 tree £29.99

Nashi Pear (Asian Pear) – 1 tree £29.99

Quince ‘Leskovac’ – 1 tree £29.99

Medlar ‘Nottingham’ – 1 tree £26.99

Apple ‘Festival’ – 1 tree £24.99

Apple ‘Pixirosso’ – 1 tree £24.99

Quince ‘Vranja’ – 1 tree £24.99

Apple ‘Tentation’ – 1 tree £24.99

Crab Apple ‘Golden Hornet’ – 1 tree £21.99

Apple ‘Pinova’ – 1 tree £21.99

Apple ‘Red Falstaff’ – 1 tree £21.99

Apple ‘Egremont Russet’ – 1 tree £21.99

Crab Apple ‘Red Sentinel’ – 1 tree £21.99

Apple ‘Golden Delicious’ – 1 tree £21.99

Crab Apple ‘John Downie’ – 1 tree £21.99

Apple ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ – 1 tree £21.99

Apple ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ – 1 tree £21.99

Apple ‘Braeburn’ – 1 tree £21.99

Fruit tree collection

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Thompson & Morgan has these fantastic value fruit tree packs.
Ideal if you want to grow several fruit trees. Get value for money buying these packs

Double U Cordon Collection - 2 trees - 1 of each variety

Double U Cordon Collection – 2 trees – 1 of each variety £119.99
These distinctive U-shaped cordons are ideal for growing against a wall or training onto a wire framework. Guaranteed to look fantastic all year round and perfect for growing a heavy crop in small spaces which can be harvested from September. Being slightly older trees they will bear fruit quickly even in their first year of planting, and by simple spur pruning you will keep your investment in good shape for years to come. Pears are not self fertile and will need to planted near to another pear tree for successful pollination. Apple ‘Cybelle’ is self fertile but crops will be improved with cross pollination by another apple tree. Apple rootstock: P2. Pear rootstock: Quince A. Height: 2m (6’,5”). Spread: 75cm (2’,4”). Collection comprises 1 Double U Cordon tree each of:Apple ‘Cybelle’ – An excellent quality eating apple, with crunchy flesh, a delicate juicy flavour and a well balanced combination of sugar and acidity.Pear ‘Delsanne’ – Produces unusual round shaped fruits with a smooth tan skin and exceptional flavour.Useful links:How to grow fruit trees Fruit rootstock guide 

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Quince and Medlar

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Something usual for your orchard!

Quince and medlar at Thompson & Morgan mean you can grow something different. Perfect if you have plenty of land and are lookin g for more unusual trees to plant.

Medlar 'Nottingham' - 1 tree

Medlar ‘Nottingham’ – 1 tree £26.99
Considered the best flavoured Medlar, producing a heavy crop of medium sized fruits with a interesting caramel flavour. Medlar trees have a flat topped weeping habit, with large white spring flowers and attractive leathery leaves that turn to shades of golden orange in autumn. The russet coloured, apple shaped fruits are excellent eaten with wine, port and cheese, although are more commonly used to make into preserves or the Victorian delicacy Medlar cheese. Grafted onto a ‘Quince A’ rootstock, to create a productive tree with moderate vigour. ‘Nottingham’ is self-fertile and therefore does not require a pollination companion. Medlars will begin to fruit 3 or 4 years after planting. Root wrap plant supplied. Height and spread: 4m (13’). Rootstock: ‘Quince A’.Useful links:How to grow fruit trees Fruit rootstock guide 

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Growing Rhubarb at home

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Thompson & Morgan have this range of rhubarb. Multi-pack options are available on some varieties.

Rhubarb is an early plant – if you have enough plants you can force one or two to provide an even earlier harvest too. Don’t overdo it and be nice to the plants you force the following year as it can take a lot of energy out of them.
Easy to grow even in a shady corner. Doesn’t like to be disturbed much though so don’t put near invasive plants. Keep it covered in winter with a good layer of compost or manure.

If you want to grow fruit at home then rhubarb is one of the least effort plants. You can use it in pies and crumbles or stewed and served with yoghurt.

There is also autumn planting varieties available but these are all suited for spring planting.

Rhubarb RHS Collection (Spring Planting) - 2 plants - 1 of each variety

Rhubarb RHS Collection (Spring Planting) – 2 plants – 1 of each variety £16.99
Thompson & Morgan have teamed up with the RHS to offer the first AGM cultivars from its 112 plant National Collection of Rhubarbs. These young plants will quickly mature, resulting in crowns big enough to harvest from 2 years after planting.Collection comprises 1 plant each of:Rhubarb ‘Fultons Strawberry Surprise’ – Strong, vigorous plants produce flushes of eye-catching, vivid red stems with a well balanced acidity. Rhubarb ‘Giant Grooveless Crimson’ – Uniform, bright red stems with a flavour that is less acidic than many cultivars.

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Grow currants at home

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Thompson and Morgan have a wide range of fruit trees and bushes

Thompson & Morgan has these fantastic currant plants available. Delivery up to April 2012 – so order now for this years planting.

Currants are lovely – turn them into pies or jams! Blackcurrants hint – my dad taught me this – when it’s time to harvest take your secuteurs and cut the branches off that have fruit on. Take to table, sit down and pick berries off. Done. And the pruning is done too! You can thin out the middle of the bush if it gets crowded though too.
Try sticking the twigs into a bucket of soil too – take off 99% of the leaves and they should root. This gives you more plants – which you can put in your garden or pass on to other gardeners you know!

Currant Collection - 3 plants - 1 of each variety

Currant Collection – 3 plants – 1 of each variety £19.99
Currants have a long cropping season, freeze well and are perfect for pies and jams. We supply healthy, 1 year old bare root plants, which are pruned already and will quickly establish once planted. From the second season onwards each plant will produce over 3.5kg (over 7lb) of fruit and will keep producing for up to 10 years. Height and spread: 120cm (48”).Collection comprises 1 plant each of: Blackcurrant ‘Ben Connan’ – This heavy cropping small bush variety produces large, glossy black fruits with a superb rich flavour.Redcurrant ‘Rovada’ – Large luscious red fruits are produced in profusion from mid July, and through August.Whitecurrant ‘Blanka’ – Masses of large, sweet, almost translucent berries on long strings from late July through to August.We supply established, healthy 1-year old bareroot pre-pruned plants which will quickly establish once planted.

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Growing fruit at home

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Growing fruit at home is simple. You can start with strawberry plants in a
hanging basket, or lettuces in a window box. The possibilities are endless and
the more space you have the more you can grow.

Start small though – grow a couple of things that are going to be easy! Broad
beans are a favourite of mine as they are so simple and results are so delicious!

Things you can grow at home easily
Cress can be grown on a piece of tissue paper on a saucer. peas and beans are easy to start in pots and put out into a small border in your garden.
For more ideas and inspiration:

Thompson and Morgan have a great selection from beginners to more experienced gardeners

Fruit Plants
Blueberry Plants
Currant Plants
Raspberry Plants
Strawberry Plants
Rhubarb Plants
Vines & Climbing Fruit
Other Berry Plants
Fruit Trees
Special Offers
Apple & Pear Trees
Citrus Trees
Exotic Fruit Trees
Fig Trees
Nut Trees
Stone Fruit Trees
Fruit Seeds

All these types of fruit trees and plants at Thompson & Morgan

Caliente Mustard

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Caliente Mustard – Bred specifically for green manure and biofumigation, Caliente Mustard is ideal for improving soil structure and suppressing soil disease and weeds. For overwintering sow no later than mid-October 200g covers approx 120m2 1kg covers approx 600m2

Too late for overwintering this year

Discount garden shed offer

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Garden Buildings Direct are doing a new voucher code for 5% OFF on orders over £100,
which is: DISCOUNTFIVE
The discount is only valid with the voucher and is running NOW until Tuesday 24th January at Midnight. Delivery is FREE on all orders*

They have some really huge sheds if you need plenty of storage but these smaller ones are ideal for small gardens.

Just a few of the garden storage items at Garden buildings direct

Keter Rattan Style Multi-Purpose Shed

Keter Rattan Style Multi-Purpose Shed £109.90
Keter Rattan Style Multi-Purpose Shed

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