Pest control posters – free to download.

Fruit, vegetable and greenhouse pests.

National Composting Week is coming up soon! Sunday 6 to Saturday 12 May 2012 is National Composting Week!

So use this as an excuse to get composting!

You can have either a compost heap or a compost bin. A bin is tidier though!

You then have the choice as to have a cold heap or a hot heap? A hot heap is more complicated as you need to save layers of things and build a pile all in one go… Or you could treat yourself to this amazing compost bin called the Hotbin!

GreenFingers have this fantastic compost bin

HotBin Composter £137.99
90 days to homemade compost.
This hotbin can handle virtually all UK domestic food and garden waste and is the size of a wheelie bin. Manufactured from expanded polypropylene making it 100% recyclable it is a 200 litre hot aerobic composting bin that can easily achieve a temperature of 60’C. You can safely compost cooked food waste in this compost bin.

Look out for local composting events – perhaps your council will be giving away compost bins, or having composting lessons?

The hotbin is a hot composter that can deal with cooked food waste. This means you’ll be able to compost even more at home. The hotbin is quite a neat size too – it’s not massive like the normal garden composters. This is great if you don’t have a big garden space. What’s the hotbin then? It’s a 200 Litre hot aerobic composting bin that can compost all food waste including meat and fish.
It’s been designed to ensure that you don’t have to worry about smells, flies or rats!
Regularly adding waste allows the bin to keep building up to 60’C which is what is needed for safely composting food waste.

You can also add garden waste to this bin too. You need to add a bulking material when you add food waste to the bin. This is to ensure the process takes place correctly allowing air to flow around the food waste. If the waste just sits in a big mass then this is when it goes slimey and horrid. You can use bark chippings and you can shred paper or cardboard to add to the bin too.

It sounds quite scientific but it’s very simple. Add food waste and other materials to ensure the right mix. The compost takes 90 days to be made. The system doesn’t require any turning – just a light touch with the rake to mix in new material when you add it. This is easier than traditional compost bins where you either have to leave the pile for months and months, or turn it out and replace it into the bin. The hotbin looks like the easy option for making compost at home.

Whilst my own council recycles food waste, not all councils do. I’d still prefer to recycle my food waste at home. My local authority sends it off to be composted and then the material it makes is sold back to council tax payers! The hotbin would allow me to keep all my food waste and recycle it properly and safely.
If your council doesn’t collect food waste separately then the hotbin would mean your general waste bin would start to smell better as you stop putting food in the refuse bin and put it in the hotbin instead!

Of course we should all aim to reduce the amount of food we throw away by learning to use and store leftovers properly. Even if you do this really well you’ll always have leftovers you can’t actually eat, or plate scrapings that you can’t do anything else with. All these bits could be composted at home in your hotbin!

The hotbin sounds like another useful tool for anyone interested in reducing what they throw away.

Nature mulches all the time, so why wouldn’t you?
Leaves falling off trees are probably the easiest way of explaining nature’s own mulching. The leaves fall off, and gather normally around the bottom of the tree. They are then broken down by a combination of weather and microorganisms that rot the leaves and the nutrients are released and can be reabsorbed by the tree.
If you’ve ever swept up leaves to make your garden tidy you’ll know just how bulky they are. They rot down really well though it does take a few years. The mulch of rotting leaves is beneficial to the tree, so why shouldn’t similar mulch be useful to other plants? You have to look at setting to decide what sort of mulch to use. What mulch would you find around that plant naturally? Anything that grows in a field is likely to have a grass or straw like mulch build up around it. Anything near trees is likely to have wood based mulch near it.

You can use this basic decision making process to look at what mulches to use near plants.

Paper and cardboard can be used where you might find a wood based mulch, as can bark and cocoa bark mulch. You can also use paper as mulch in areas that would expect a grass based mulch mainly because of the thinness of the paper, so the rule isn’t quite strict. Straw or grass clippings can be used as mulch around plants in a bed or border.

The rules are generally to put mulch down when the ground it wet. This is what nature would do. Leaves fall in the autumn when the rain tends to increase. Although with the British weather at the moment this isn’t always the case – but it’s what’s best for plants.
Mulch a sensible layer – too little and it won’t do the job, too much and you’ll bury the plant. A few inches is good for basic mulching but if you want to make sure you keep weeds down then a bit more is best.
Don’t put fresh mulches near plant stems. If you want to mulch right up to plants then use a more mature mulch material – something that has started to break down already. Home made compost or even well rotted horse muck can make great mulch once it’s cool again. Hot mulch could damage plant stems and even kill plants.

Mulching for better soil – one aspect of mulching is that it protects and helps the soil. It encourages worms to be more active by acting as a blanket against cold weather, and an insulator against scorching hot weather. The mulch itself will start to break down and this increases the soil fertility.

Reasons not to mulch? The only reason not to mulch is if you can’t get any mulch materials. This is where you need to start thinking ahead of the game. Keep lawn clippings in bags ready to sprinkle on to the beds, collect leaves in autumn, ask anyone you see shredding garden waste for the chippings. Once you start to see places to get free mulch then you will realise there are lots of opportunities out there. Even newspaper and cardboard can be used as mulch. Some people use shredded newspaper.

Mulching in practice
If you wanted to mulch a large area for growing vegetables then you might find an organic material you can layer on the surface. Don’t rush out and throw it on. Remove any nasty weeds – especially dandelions and docks. These are best dug out as their tap roots enable them to stay alive even if deprived of light for some time.
Mow the grass surface or strim it as short as possible.

Cover the surface with cardboard or newspaper. You could ask your newsagent if they have any papers that you could have, or old boxes. You could always collect newspapers off a couple of neighbours until you have enough. Wet this layer of newspaper as you put it on as this will stop it blowing away quite as much. Then cover the wet newspaper with the layer of organic material.
This method should stop light getting to the weeds and the worms will love the mulch layer above them and get more active. This activity helps create more air ways through the soil which in turn improves the structures. The worms action also helps put organic material into the soil further improving it.

Bedding and borders mix – 36 plants just 1p
Best selling offers from only 49p
Spring plant sale – over 30 varieties included.
Petunia Surfinia 10 jumbo plants just 1p

Tons of amazing special offers at thompson and morgan

Alan’s Top Tray Bumper Pack – 72 plants only £14.99

A stunning collection of 6 annual plants to brighten up your borders, beds and
hanging basket displays.

72 plug plants (6 varieties, 12 of each) –
ONLY £14.99, Worth over £25

Patio, Bedding and Basket Pack – Save £19.98

Everything you need for your garden! This fabulous collection will fill your
garden with colour that will last all summer long. You will receive 12 plugs
each of 9 fantastic varieties – enough to start filling your containers, borders
and baskets.

108 plug plants – ONLY £18.99, SAVE £19.98

Sunpatiens ‘Volcano’™ – from just £11.99

The world’s first sunpatiens for your hanging baskets!
Buy 2 or more packs for only £11.99 each!

Sunpatiens ‘Volcano’™ produces hundreds of large scarlet-red blooms on
tough, weather-resistant, drought tolerant plants.

Double the plugs for just £4 extra

View our fantastic range of great value plants!

Double the amount of plants for just £4 extra! There is a great range
for you to choose from including begonias, petunias, geraniums, marigolds and
many more!

Money Saving Collections – SAVE £££s

Save over 50% in some of our fantastic collections

View our great range of plant money saving collections. Including some exciting
new collections such as the giant-flowered dahlias of ‘XXXL’ Mix – 4 jumbo plugs
ONLY £9.99, SAVE £25.97.

Lavender ‘Hidcote’ – Double the plants for just £1 extra

Display these stunning violet-blue compact spikes in your garden. This classic
English lavender plant has an attractive grey-green fragrant foliage.

5 jumbo plugs – £13.99
Double up for just £1 extra
10 jumbo plugs – ONLY £14.99, SAVE £12.99

Seed special offers
Seed Sale – Prices from just 49p

Customer favourites at new lower prices!

We have reduced many of our customer favourite seeds. Including the delicious
Runner Bean White Lady – 40 seeds ONLY 49p and the beautiful Poppy ‘Summer Fruits’
– 400 seeds ONLY 49p.

Our Best Flower Seed Special Offers

Popular varieties in great collections

Take a look at our selection of this years best flower seed collections – Prices
start from as little as £2.49.

View now
Value Seed Varieties from just 69p

Save £££s & grow from quality, low priced seed!

View all of our value seed varieties from this years range. With great new
packets from only 69p, grab yourself a real bargain and get sowing.

View now
Customer Favourites Collection – SAVE £3.97

3 packets, 1 of each – £6.49

SPECIAL OFFER! – Our Customer Favourites Collection comprises one packet each
of Californian Poppy Jelly Beans, Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy and Runner Bean Wisley
Magic.

Fruit special offers
Raspberry Full Season Collection

All year round Raspberries

Enjoy fresh raspberries from late June all the way through to mid October with
these British-Bred, superbly flavoured, heavy cropping varieties. Glen Moy has
the reputation of being the best early fruiting raspberry available.

Strawberry Full Season Collection – Save £11.98

Extend the cropping season with this specially selected collection so you can
keep harvesting a constant supply of delicious sweet, juicy strawberries from
June through to November.

12 runners – ONLY £13.99
36 runners – ONLY £29.99, SAVE £11.98

Citrus Patio Trees – Save £4.99

These compact orange and lemon trees make decorative pot plants all year round.
Set against a foil of glossy, dark foliage, the delicate clusters of tiny white
flowers fill the air with their delicious fragrance. Oranges and lemons can
be harvested as they ripen and once picked will keep for up to 2 weeks.

2 potted plants – ONLY £14.99, SAVE £4.99

Blueberry Full Season Collection

Extend the cropping season with this outstanding collection of blueberry bushes.
Blueberries are packed with health-boosting compounds and are especially delicious
in pies, muffins and jams. Fruits from July – mid September.

3 x 1.5 litre pots – ONLY £29.99
3 x 3 litre pots – ONLY £39.99, SAVE £16.98

Potato & other vegetable special offers
Fantastic Potato Sale – Prices from just £2.99

We have a fantastic selection of potato tubers at unbelievable prices!
Including the 5 star customer rated Sarpo Mira (maincrop) – 20 tubers now ONLY
£2.99.

Order now before your favourites sell out!

Supersweet Tomato Collection – Save £4.99

You won’t find these super-sweet tomatoes in the supermarket! This heavy cropping
tomato range includes the varieties Tomcredible™ and Tomarvellous™.

10 jumbo plugs (5 of each) – ONLY £14.99, SAVE £4.99 + 3 FREE Auto-waterers
(worth £7.49)

Asparagus Pacific Challenger – Better than half price

The most disease resistant asparagus variety, producing high yields of slender
green spears with firm, tight tips.

10 crowns – ONLY £8.99, SAVE £9.00
25 crowns – ONLY £14.99, Better than half price

Potato Sarpo Collection – Save up to £12.95

With exceptional resistance to potato blight, virus, disease and drought, these
‘Sarpo’ varieties are perfect for gardeners who want to grow delicious
potatoes without the need for chemicals. Collection features Sarpo Axona, Sarpo
Mira and Blue Danube.

60 tubers – ONLY £12.99, SAVE £3.48
120 tubers – ONLY £19.99, SAVE £12.95

Garden Supplies special offers
Eezee™ ‘Fold-away’ Greenhouse – Save £50.00

Give your plants the perfect start!

This superb plastic greenhouse offers just what you need to get your plants
started. Tall enough to stand up in, takes just 10 minutes to erect and it folds
away to the size of a shoebox at the end of the season.

Greenhouse – Now ONLY £49.99, SAVE £50.00

Eezee™ Hanging Baskets – Half price

Buy any plants for baskets and you can get our strong and durable hanging baskets
for half price. Plus, receive a free demonstration DVD with each purchase.

2 baskets – ONLY £4.99, HALF PRICE

Thompson & Morgan has this exclusive hellebore.
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
Easy to grow, problem-free and will last for years
Fabulous early colour when the garden is dull and drab
Plants quickly establish and form clumps in any shady spot
Excellent value plants from T&M’s own breeding
Makes an elegant cut flower for the home; try floating blooms in water

Hellebore
‘Hybridizers Mix’ –
WORLD EXCLUSIVEEasy to grow, problem-free and will last for years
Fabulous early colour when the garden is dull and drabPlants quickly establish
and form clumps in any shady spot
Excellent value plants from T&M’s own breedingMakes an elegant cut flower for
the home; try floating blooms in water
Thompson & Morgan inherited the breeding successes of world renowned hellebore
expert Elizabeth Strangman a few years ago.
Since then, T&M have raised a superb range of Washfield hybrids, each with
carefully perfected forms and colours.
Produced by a hand-pollinated breeding program. Helleborus Hybridizers Mixed
are superb garden plants – and you might even get a surprise colour or two!
Height and spread: 45cm (18”).

Hellebore ‘Hybridizers Mix’ – 3 jumbo plugs £6.99

Hellebore ‘Hybridizers Mix’ – 6 jumbo plugs £8.99

Hellebore ‘Hybridizers Mix’ – 1 plant in 9cm pot £8.99

Thompson & Morgan have these lovely buddleja plants. They’re available in three colours
Buddleja ‘Buzz™ Sky Blue’
Buddleja ‘Buzz™ Magenta’
Buddleja ‘Buzz™ Ivory’
which means you can have just one of the colours, or go wild and have all three. They’d make a stunning display in your garden and would be great for encouraging butterflies and bees in to your garden.

Buy individually or as a set of three.

Buddleja ‘Buzz™ Magenta’ – 1 jumbo plug £6.99
 Customer Rating T&M exclusive breedingThe best plant to attract butterflies to your gardenDwarf patio buddleja – won’t take over your garden15cm (6in) flowers the size of usual buddlejas, but plants are half the sizeLong-flowering, brightly-coloured blooms attract butterfliesEasy to grow and problem-freePlants last more than 10 yearsCustomer favouriteA new twist on a much-loved garden favourite, ‘Buzz’™ is the world’s first patio buddleja! These attractive, compact plants are loved by bees and butterflies, but won’t take over your garden. Buddleja ‘Buzz™ Magenta’ is easy to grow and problem-free with a super long-flowering period. Perfectly proportioned for patio pots and smaller gardens. Height and spread: 120cm (47”).Useful links:How to grow Buddleja Buzz™ 

Read the rest of this entry »

Thompson & Morgan

Busy
Lizzie ‘Divine’ (New Guinea) – Part of the Alan Titchmarsh Collection
 Downy mildew-free busy Lizzie. Ideal for beds, borders and pots, Fantastic
rainbow colour mixture. Those with ‘new guinea’
genes are downy mildew proof! So the great news is you won’t have to give
up on the UK’s favourite bedding plant. And they’re more robust
than traditional busy Lizzies, with good outward branching and flowering without
pause from June to November. Height and spread: 30cm (12″).

Easy to grow on. Pot up plants and grow them on in bright, frost-free conditions. While the plants are still small, pinch the growing tips out where the stems have more than 2 sets of leaves to produce a well branched, compact plant. When all risk of frost has passed, acclimatise Busy Lizzie plants to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days, prior to planting in their final positions.
Trouble free plants for a really fantastic garden full of colour this summer. Doesn’t mind if the weather isn’t perfect either.
Available to buy as plug plants – in different amounts according to how many you want in your garden this summer.
Busy Lizzie ‘Divine’ (New Guinea) – Part of the Alan Titchmarsh Collection – 24 plug plants £5.99

Busy Lizzie ‘Divine’ (New Guinea) – Part of the Alan Titchmarsh Collection – 36 plug plants £8.99

Busy Lizzie ‘Divine’ (New Guinea) – Part of the Alan Titchmarsh Collection – 72 plug plants £8.99

If you’ve just been given an allotment plot which needs some work doing on it, then you might be under pressure to get it started. If it’s raining where you are and the ground is soggy though it might not be a good idea.
On clay soil it’ll just turn to mush and you’ll be wading around in very sticky clay. Whilst you might not mind, you are further damaging the soil structure by further compacting clay together.

Look at your options.
– you could cover all the ground with weed fabric. This would help to start killing off the weeds making it easier for the digging when you get the weather for it.
weed fabric might also help warm the soil up and encourage worms underneath also improving the soil.
– you could cover the soil in cardboard and newspaper and mulch it with either the compost heap you have on site, or some well rotted manure. This helps suppress the weeds and makes the soil easier to dig when you get chance – or you can plant through it.
– you could use a lazy bed system as described earlier – where you don’t actually dig, just rearrange the turf.
– you could make raised beds with pallet collars or specially bought edging wood
– you could stand on boards and dig parts that don’t look as soggy. Standing on boards means your weight is a bit more spread out and you’ll get less mud on your boots. It makes the digging harder though – as you might have to lean over more.

– you could put your wellies on and get completely muddy.
an option most people will find really tiring as the mud sticks to your boots making your footing harder to keep.

If you’re on a deadline because you’re a probationary plotholder then speak to the committee and ask for advice about digging in wet soil. They might advise you to leave it well alone or point out areas that they know are less soggy on your site.
Sometimes you’ll find that you can’t do much on your plot but there’s bound to be something you can do to make it look like you’ve been on and are trying.
Most allotment association committees will be sympathetic to people who take on a site at this time of year when the weather is bad.

You could try these raised beds from Harrod Horticultural

Allotment Wooden Raised Beds – No Capping £13.00
Allotment Wooden Raised Beds are ideal if you’re new to raised bed gardening and growing your own veg and you might not want to splash out on the best wooden raised beds money can buy – and that is precisely the reason why they have added this budget FSC Timber Allotment Raised Bed kit to the range – supplied with pre-drilled planks internal wooden corner fixing posts galvanised screws and easy assembly instructions. Allotment Wooden Raised Bed Prices start from as little as £13!

Kitchen Garden Herb Kit
Grow Your Own Culinary Herbs All Year Round!
A superb ‘All-You-Need’ kit including the most essential kitchen garden
herbs for year-round harvesting!

This fantastic value kit contains everything you need to make your windowsill,
patio or balcony a handy herb-growing space.
Cooking with herbs cut fresh from the garden is cheaper and more convenient
than buying from a supermarket, and the flavour’s even better too.

Why Buy The Kitchen Garden Herb Kit:

5 types of winter hardy herb.
Supplied as Garden Ready Young Plants measuring 5-10cm tall.
Year-round harvesting.
Ideal for the windowsill, patio or balcony.
FREE Harvesting Snips with every kit!
Order today for delivery in late-May and start your herb harvest this year!
Read more about the Kitchen Garden Herb Kit.

1 Kit (5 plants, planter and compost + FREE Snips!)
£14.95