Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

Archive for May, 2014

Price reductions at MowDirect

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

MowDirect reduced the price on this item today

Oleo-Mac Orion Fully Automated Robotic Lawn Mower with Docking Station

Oleo-Mac Orion Fully Automated Robotic Lawn Mower with Docking Station was £1199.00 now £1099.00
Get your hands on this fully robotic lawn mower from Italian manufacturers Oleo-Mac and you’ll be able to effortlessly achieve the sort of pristine formal lawn that would otherwise take serious dedication.Just because it’s a technologically advanced bit of kit, it doesn’t mean it’s complicated and difficult to operate. All you have to do to get it going is layout the perimeter wire around the area you wish to be cut; perform some simple calibration; programme the mowing times; and then you can sit back and relax as the Orion quietly and discreetly mows your lawn.Driving its powerful and durable brushless propulsion-motors is a high-performance 25.2v (2.9Ah) lithium-ion battery that has no memory effect; and which charges in only two-hours, giving a mowing time of up to the same amount. The beefy propulsion motors work with the high-grip tyres to allow the unit to operate on inclines up to 35˚.The Oleo-Mac Orion Robotic Lawn Mower is equipped with a pair of ultra-sharp blades which work together to reduce clippings to tiny particulates that will rapidly rot down, leaving your lawn debris-free and naturally nourished. It boasts pin-code theft protection, which renders it useless if stolen; and it features a unique retrieval function, which means you can choose to suspend mowing at any time and bring the mower back to its base-station. Obstacles are no problem for the Oleo-Mac Orion – if they’re under 7cm it will simply drive over them; if they’re bigger than that, the anti-collision detector will kick-in and direct it around the obstruction.A safety sensor stops the blade immediately the unit is lifted; important if children and pets are in the garden; while a five-stage height-of-cut means you can start with a higher blade position, and then gradually lower it until you’re left with a pleasing close-cropped finish.The Orion is waterproof, so it can operate in wet weather. However, if you’d rather it stayed at home when it rains, you can activate the rain-sensor that will see it return home to the docking station the moment the precipitation starts.Also worth mentioning is the LCD control and status-information panel, which makes the mower simple and intuitive to use; and the carry-handle that ensures you’ll have no trouble shifting it from site to site when necessary.

New products at Gardens and Homes Direct

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

Gardens and Homes Direct has these new items today

Suntime Madison Brown & Black Rattan Suite with Cream Cushions

Suntime Madison Brown & Black Rattan Suite with Cream Cushions £289.99
Our Suntime Madison Brown & Black Mixed Rattan Suite with Cream Cushions, of a 2 seater sofa, two armchairs and table, is constructed from stylish, black, woven brown resin rattan with a black tinge, giving an attractive two-tone effect. Perfect for the garden, patio or conservatory, this durable, robust steel-framed set is colourfast, UV and weather-resistant*, requiring minimal maintenance. The matching comfortable, cream seat cushions are removable and washable and the spacious table is finished with a tempered glass top and magazine shelf.Features:• Brown and black PE resin rattan mix: Weather and UV-resistant*, colourfast construction.• Smart matching, washable seat cushions.• Easy to clean and maintain. • Tempered glass table top.Dimensions:Chair: Width 60cm/24in Depth 48cm/19in…

Read the rest of this entry »

New products at Suttons Seeds

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

Suttons Seeds just added these new products

Geranium/Begonia - Twin Pack

Geranium/Begonia – Twin Pack £24.99
Geranium/Begonia Special Offer – BUY BOTH and SAVE s! Twin Pack contains 60 plants (30 of each variety) – Geranium Cabaret Mix and Begonia Parisienne Trailing:Geranium Cabaret Mix -A popular choice for mass bedding displays. Early to flower, with a compact and bushy growth habit, this is an outstanding choice for bedding or patio containers. The mixture includes all the traditional bright geranium colours, many of which also feature attractively zoned foliage. Height 35cm (14); spacing 30cm (12). Ideal for beds and borders, patio pots and containers. Prefers full sun.Begonia Parisienne Trailing – A spectacular show come rain or shine. A trailing begonia thats ideal for baskets and you won’t even have to stoop to appreciate its fragrance! Ideal for hanging baskets, patio pots and containers. Prefers full sun or partial shade.

Read the rest of this entry »

Price reductions at GreenFingers

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

Reduced price on lines today at GreenFingers

Greenfingers Kensington 2 Seater Bistro Set

Greenfingers Kensington 2 Seater Bistro Set was £80.99 now £74.99
Greenfingers Kensington 2 Seater Bistro Coffee Set is ideal for any style of garden and looks great on patio or decking too. It

Read the rest of this entry »

New products at GreenFingers

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

GreenFingers has these new items today

Ant Trap - 3 pack

Ant Trap – 3 pack £1.49
The easy way to get rid of those pesky ants! These Ant Traps are pre-baited and ready to use! You simply place them in the path the ants take. Neat and clean once the trap is full of dead bodies you simply dispose of them in a bucket.Poison-free Pack of 3For other Pest Control ideas please click here to view.

Read the rest of this entry »

Price reductions at Crocus

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

We've found a reduced price today on this product at Crocus

Set of 5 numbered key rings

Set of 5 numbered key rings was £14.99 now £11.99
Set of five key rings numbered 1 to 5 so that you can remember or describe which key is for what in the garden or home. One can also write on the end after the number if more detail is required. They are finished in a gloss powder coat in Royal Blue or our Crocus green. Dimensions: Length – 7.5cm Width – 2cm

New products at Crocus

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

New items at Crocus

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Garnet' (Japanese maple Garnet)

Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Garnet’ (Japanese maple Garnet) £49.99
Position: partial shade or full sun (but not south-facing) Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained neutral to acid soil Rate of growth: slow-growing Hardiness: fully hardy A pretty little tree, this has feathery, garnet-coloured leaves that turn bright scarlet in autumn and look as if they have been shredded. Its rounded, compact habit makes it a perfect focal point for a small garden, particularly in a container. Or try it alongside an ornamental pool, where its sculptural shape will be reflected in the water. It needs a sheltered spot, away from strong winds or scorchingsun, though its leaf colour is best enjoyed in a sunny position. Garden care: Add a top-dressing of a multi-purpose fertiliser around the base of a newly planted tree in late spring and keep well watered. No routine pruning is necessary. No routine pruning is required, just remove any dead, damaged or crossing branches in late autumn or winter when they are fully dormant.

Read the rest of this entry »

Big allotment challenge week 4 review

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

The big allotment challenge week 4 review
The Big Allotment Challenge Episode 4

Hosted by Fern Britton, the fourth round continues the search to find Britain’s best growers. Having reached the half way point, six pairs remain ready to battle it out to harvest prizewinning fruit, vegetables and flowers ready for the show bench.

For the first time in the competition Jim Buttress sets them the tricky task of growing in the greenhouse, he wants to see a faultless aubergine on the show bench. The specimen flower continues to test the gardeners and Jonathan Moseley sets the challenge of making a topiary tree. Finally, preserves expert Thane Prince is expecting to taste prizewinning pickle and piccalillis on the show bench.

Which pair will continue to triumph and who will fail to blossom and leave the allotment for good?

This week it’s :
Aubergines, Sunflowers and Piccalilli.

Aubergine
Greenhosue plants can suffer more than those outside. Need help with pollination – not enough insects, use earbuds or paintbrush.
All growing grafted apart from April and Jo, and Rupert and Dimi.
Greenhouse hot – needs shading. USB fan powered by solar to help breeze.
Mishapen veg caused by environmental or embryonic damage.Not good for show bench, but as every gardener knows it all tastes good!
Bright, blemish free, shiny,

Jo and Avril – Long purple
Kate and Eleanor – Scorpio – Best in show
Rupert and Dimi – Ivory
Gary and Pete – Scorpio
Alex and Ed – Black beauty
Shirley and Victoria – Moneymaker

3 perfect Sunflowers and a floral topiary Tree
Bright leaf, good head, straight stem.

Jo and Avril – Velvet queen
Kate and Eleanor – Teddy bear
Rupert and Dimi – Bicentenary
Gary and Pete – Harlequin and Teddy bear (I’ve grown this one it’s cute!)
Alex and Ed – Russian giant << best in show for sunflowers and << best in show for topiary tree
Shirley and Victoria – Valentine

floral topiary Tree – Line pot, pack with foam, then wet foam so it’s tightly packed. Use canes to make trunk, Wet sphere on top of canes. Wire on.
Sunflowers need to go in first cos of thick stems, use foliage, cover base.
Needs visual and actual balance.

30 minutes preparation and then finish the challenge the next day because it’s pickles and they need to get moisture out of the vegetables by dry salting or brining them overnight.

Pickles and Piccalilli
Picadilly should be smooth and well balanced with crisp veg.

Jo and Avril – Christmas piccalilli and beeroot and orange pickle
Kate and Eleanor – patch piccalilli and gherkin and runner bean pickle
Rupert and Dimi – courgette and vegetable picalilly. Courgette pickle.
Gary and Pete – Ploughmans pickle and quickalily. << best in show!
Alex and Ed – his own recipe for piccalilli which doesn’t brine, Pickled beetroot
Shirley and Victoria – misci picalilly and red radish kimchi

So who goes home this week?

Shirley and Victoria!
Well that was a tight run thing .. I did think Rupert and Dimi might be up for the chop this week, or even Avril and Jo.

Not sure I enjoyed it as much as last weeks. Maybe I have no interest in growing aubergines?

Allotment petition

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

Recent allotment petition has got a response from the government

They say there is no cghange planned to current allotment laws.
But they also say:
In January 2014, the department published allotment disposal guidance: safeguards and alternatives replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council’s waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal.

I think the important thing this means is that you should be on the waiting list of allotments if you want an allotment. Do not be fobbed off by councils not wanting to add you to lists. Ask where you are on the list every year. Go and visit the sites and speak to the site secretarys.

If you want a plot then go and get on the list. Don’t just make do with sharing someone else’s plot, get on the list yourself.

Price reductions at Harrod Horticultural

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

Harrod Horticultural has cut the price of this product

Showa Grip Master Gloves

Showa Grip Master Gloves was £7.95 now £7.45
These Showa Grip Master Gloves Give You Everything Youd Expect From A Pair Of Top Quality Gardening Gloves – And Then A Little Bit More! the Washable, General Purpose Gardening Gloves Feature A Nitrile Coated Palm For Exceptional Grip In All Conditions – No Tools Slipping Out Of Hands With The Showa Grip Master Gloves – And A Breathable Back Making Them Extremely Comfortable To Wear In All Weathers And Conditions. Expect The Grip Master Gardening Gloves To Provide Exceptional Grip, Reliability, Dexterity And Durability – They Really Do Represent The Ultimate In General Purpose Gardening Gloves And Were Forever Re-stocking Them!showa Grip Master Gloves Boast A Seamless Polycotton Liner With Special Hi-grip Latex Palmsuperior Grip For Tool Handlingexcellent Fit Gives Unparalleled Comfort And Feelbreathable Back Avoids Sweating Problemselasticated Wrist Minimises Dirt Ingressexcellent Abrasion And Tear Resistanceanti-bacterial Treatment To Reduce Odoursavailable In Sizes 7 – 10extra Value – Buy 2 Pairs Of The Same Size And Save 1 (discount Deducted At Checkout)!