Flower Seeds – Foxglove (Digitalis) Excelsior Hybrids Mixed £1.99
This effective and spectacular strain are superb for shady shrub and tree areas. They can really bring the early summer garden alive with plants flowering in early summer to a height of 5ft. Sow in late spring/early summer outdoors in a well prepared seed bed. Sow the seeds very thinly 1.5mm in drills 30cm apart and keep the soil damp until germination takes place. Thin out the seedlings to 15cm apart when large enough to handle.Transplant 60cm apart into a flowering site in the autumn for flowering the following year. They will grow in most soils and prefer partial shade.Quantity: 2500 seeds
Borinda fungosa (chocolate bamboo) £39.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast Leaves: lime to mid-green Canes: green, turning reddish in sunnier spots Hardiness: fully hardy New canes emerge in early summer, upright at first, but becoming more arching under the weight of the unfurling, light to mid-green leaves. When grown in sunnier spots, the canes will slowly turn shades of rich chocoalte-red, thus creating a wonderful contrast to the foliage. Formerly listed as a Fargesia, it is a larger and more vigorous form and has been reclassified. It is still very rare here in the UK, so it should appeal to aficionados and plant collectors. Garden care: Do not allow to dry out while the plant is getting established. Protect from cold, drying winds.
Blooming Direct reduced the price on these lines today
Leucanthemum Highland White Dream x 3 was £9.99 now £4.99
This delightful White Shasta Daisy produces masses of white daisy like flowers in early Summer through to Autumn. ‘Highland White Dream’ has been bred to produce lovely large white flowers with fuller petals which will give stunning displays in your garden. As a fully hardy perennial it will come back year after year in your garden with bigger and better displays.
Plant in either patio pots and containers, or straight into beds and borders and enjoy watching the butterflies flock to the flowers during the summer days. Grow to a height of 90cm tall they will really stand out with their bright white petals and golden centre. Lovely to use as cut flowers for floral displays. Recommended by the Royal Horticultural Society as a perfect pollinator for encouraging butterflies and bees and other beneficial pollinating insects in your garden.
Pair of Full Standard Bay trees 1.5M+ £99.99
Add a stately look to your home with these beautiful Bay Trees. These plants have been professionally grown and have a ball of fragrant evergreen foliage aloft an elegant ruler-straight stem. They are easy to care for and look simply stunning in big pots.
The lush foliage has a mouth-watering flavour and rich aroma and can be added to stews or marinades or used to add depth to cooking all year long. They look fabulous in pairs either side of doorways, gates, or paths, and add a sense of classic style and structure in gardens of every size. Easy to maintain, these bay trees enjoy moist, but well-drained soil, positioned in full sun or partial shade.
Harvesting potatoes –
The best bit of allotmenting is harvesting your crops and taking them home to eat and enjoy.
Harvesting potatoes is easy.
Ideally pick a day when it’s not raining as it makes it easier to get the potatoes out without getting covered in mud.
The tools you’ll need are a fork and a bucket.
Pick the plant you want to dig up and move the foliage so you can see the plant properly.
Once you see where the stems come out of the ground then look at putting the fork in about 15cm from the plant. Gently put in the fork and lift the soil. You can pull on the plant stems at the same time and this can help lift the plant out.
You should see potatoes. If your plants have very few potatoes on then leave the rest of that row for another few weeks.
Put the potatoes in the bucket – even the tiny ones. remove the plant foliage and put it on the compost heap.
Dig around with your hands if the soil is loose and easy to move. Take out the potatoes. Dig the area over carefully to find any ones hiding.
Take them in, wash and boil them up and serve with butter. Delicious.
When are potatoes ready to harvest?
12 weeks for first earlies and 16 weeks or so for main crops. Usually the flowers will have appeared and finished and then they’re ready to harvest.
Harvesting potatoes is a great task for children to help with. They will have fun spotting the potatoes hiding in the soil.
Tiny potatoes can be cooked still – for less time of course. They are a nuisance to wash though.
Harvesting sweet potatoes – Takes between 12 and 16 weeks before they have reached maturity. The plants will start to die back giving you the clue they are ready to be lifted from the ground. The sweet potatoes should be dug up before the first frosts or before excess rain which may cause them to rot in the ground. Lift and store in the same way as you would harvest potatoes.
Pansy Matrix Citrus Collection (72 plants) £20.0000
Producing gorgeous orange, yellow, white and cream coloured pansies, our Pansy Citrus Collection is a great source of winter colour. These winter pansies are taken from the Matrix series, the best performer in our trials.
Flowering for longer than normal winter pansies, this variety not only resists stretching but produces large blooms on compact, well shaped plants. When combined with other colours from the Matrix range, they’ll flower at roughly the same time and grow to a very similar size – perfect for creating stunning colour combinations!
Uses: Because of their versatility matrix pansies can be used in beds borders and window boxes.
Care: Plant in rich well drained soil that is allowed to dry slightly between waterings.
For best results apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly.
Height: 15-20cm (6-8)
Spread: 20cm (8)
Harrod Horticultural has cut the price of these items
Em Mud Balls was £5.95 now £4.75
A Unique Mix Of Bokashi Wheat Bran, Clay, Em Microbes And Em Ceramic Powder Are Fused Together To Produce These Em Mud Balls Which Promote Sludge-eating Microbial Activity, Leaving You With A Naturally Clean And Bright Pond. start Your Pond Treatment By Adding 1 Mud Ball Per 1000 Litres Of Water In Your Pond And Maintain The Clear Condition By Adding 1 Ball Per M2 Of Surface Area Every 6 Months. as Youd Expect, Em Mud Balls Are Totally Safe For All Fish, Animals And Humans.em Mud Balls Provide A Completely Organic Pond Treatment1 Single Mud Ball Will Initially Treat 1000 Litres Of Wateradd 1 Ball Per Square Metre Of Surface Area Every 6 Months To Maintain Clarityfish And Other Pondlife Unaffected If Correct Dosage Is Followedperfectly Safe To Add Single Balls To Ponds Under 1000 Litre Capacity As Long As Fish Are Not Presentbest Results Obtained When Water Temperature Is Above 10cavailable Individually Or In An Extra Value Pack Of 4if The Mud Balls Appear Fluffy This Is Just Due To Microbial Activity Meaning The Balls Are Very Active And Will Be Effective When Placed In The Water.
EMU Arc en Ciel 2 Seater Outdoor Bistro Set, Aluminium was £169.00 now £119.00
Arriving in a choice of vibrant finishes, this two seater bistro set makes enjoying the outdoors simple this summer. Perfect for entertaining in the sun in any outdoor space, this set is lightweight and compact and folds away for easy storage. The sturdy steel frame is treated with EMU-Coat, a 4-layer electroplated coating, giving it a tough and scratch resistant all-weather finish that is suitable for outdoor use all year round. Chairs: H81 x W42.5 x D43cm Bistro table: H74 x W70 x D50cm Not all of our Furniture ranges are on display at every branch. Please phone your nearest John Lewis to check before you visit. If you buy this product in our shops, it’s eligible for Interest Free Credit, which is available when you spend £1000 or more on selected home products. Terms and conditions apply: find out more