New lines at Blooming Direct

Pair of Pink Oleander Standards with Tulipa Planters & 50g Finest Fertiliser £29.99
This winter hardy standard oleander produces a riot of sumptuous pink, sweetly scented flowers & luxurious evergreen foliage and will create a wonderful Mediterranean feel all summer long! The gorgeous, sweet scent from their exotic, vibrant pink blooms will gently waft through the warm air in your garden simply delightful in early evenings in the summer.Flowering all summer long, they are wonderfully exotic, yet incredibly they are UK winter hardy to -5C too! They are very easy to grow as they literally thrive on neglect and love hot, dry weather – no wonder Oleander are such a big favourite with UK plant lovers! They will add height, vivid colour and sweet fragrance to your garden for years to come. Also included with this pair of stunning palm trees is a set of 2 11 Tulipa metallic finish plastic planters – the perfect addition to your trees! Plant your trees up right away with these beautiful, simple and contemporary pots and place your trees either side of patios, terraces, decking or place around beds and borders.What’s more, we’re also throwing in a 50g sachet of our Finest Fertiliser to make sure you get your Oleanders off to the best start! It contains all of the important nutrients that are essential to look after shoots, roots and flowering and fruit yield for bigger crops and floral displays!

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Haskins Garden Centres has released its latest summer gardening trends including everything from vivid displays to relaxed gardens, and small trees to traditional roses.

Alasdair Urquhart, plant advisor at Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown, said: “This summer is shaping up to be exciting for gardeners. Bright flowers such as dahlias are back in fashion, as well as traditional rose bushes. To suit those with hectic lifestyles or smaller outdoor areas, low maintenance ideas are becoming more and more popular as well as compact plant varieties such as fruit trees.”

Haskins Garden Centres (www.haskins.co.uk) in Ferndown in Dorset, West End in Southampton and Roundstone and Snowhill in West Sussex have the following summer trending plants for sale:

• Dahlias from £7.99
• Echinacea from £8.99
• New Guineas, coastal geraniums and osteospermum £3.99 each, or for 4 for £15
• Echeveria from £4.99
• Sempervivum from £1.95
• Mizune, red veined sorrel £2.49

Succulents:
Plants such as echeveria or sempervivum are low cost and have strong architectural shapes which suit rustic or unusual bowls. These types of plants also require little care as they store water in their leaves, so are low maintenance for those with a busy schedule.

Vivid colours:
Vibrant and strong coloured flowers such as dahlia, echinacea and rudbeckia are springing up in more gardens this summer to give a powerful look. Impatiens New Guinea are fluorescent, even when growing in the shade, and are a great replacement for Busy Lizzies.

Roses:
The classic rose is featuring again in garden trends, especially fragrant, repeat flowering climbers and ramblers. Haskins Garden Centres is currently hosting a Rose Festival until Thursday July 28, to showcase the vast amount of colours, varieties and versatility of roses.

Compact plants:
Downsized, compact plant varieties are on the up as more and more of our gardens are getting smaller. Smaller varieties of trees, especially fruit trees on dwarfing root stocks and low growing shrubs are ideal for smaller gardens as they help keep the space in proportion.

Container gardening:
Edible plants and berries are continuing to grow in popularity as they can be easily planted in pots or baskets and can tolerate cold winters. Blueberries, and unusual salad leaves such as Japanese Mizune or Red-veined Sorrel also grow year after year.

Relaxed planting styles:
The naturalistic cottage garden is back on trend thanks to its low care requirement and the bright colours attract beneficial insects.

For more information please visit www.haskins.co.uk

Have you had your first home grown strawberry? Several people I know have, but mine are still not quite ready. Here’s something that will interest you if you have a glut of strawberries!

I love making strawberry jam. It’s one of our family favourites. Good for on a pieceof bread and butter or in between a victoria sponge!

Best of British – homegrown strawberry jam recipe

Sample the fruits of your labour this summer with a tasty strawberry jam recipe created by Haskins Garden Centre with tips on how to grow your own.

Strawberries are easy to grow and it’s the perfect time to get planting as the British climate heats up. The fruity berries can be harvested from borders, growbags, containers or hanging baskets – they just need plenty of sun, shelter and fertile, well-drained soil.

Pick your strawberries when they are bright red all over, ideally during the warmest part of the day when they are the tastiest. For more tips on how to grow delicious strawberries please visit www. haskins.co.uk

Recipe – strawberry jam

Step in to summer with this strawberry jam recipe which will make enough for one jar. Strawberry jam is the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich, scone or cake.

Ingredients 
250g strawberries
200g sugar
¼ lemon
½ tsp butter

Method

• Layer the sugar and strawberries into a large bowl, finishing with a layer of sugar. Cover and leave for one day
• By the following day, your berries should have reduced into lumpy sugary pink syrup. Tip the mixture into a large heavy-based pan and warm to dissolve the remaining sugar. Once dissolved, bring to the boil, stirring frequently
• Add the lemon juice, return to the boil for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat
• After 40 minutes, the jam should be a jelly-like consistency to indicate it is ready
• Allow to cool for half an hour, then pour into sterilised jars leaving 1cm from the top and seal

Please note:
Keeps for 1 year – store in the fridge once open.
If the surface of the jam contains too much froth, stir in the butter to reduce.

New product today at Van Meuwen

Geranium pratense ‘Double Jewel’ (Hardy) – 1 bare root geranium plant £9.99
Exquisite double white, star-shaped flowers with contrasting pink-purple centres. This new introduction has neat, compact growth with a more upright habit than many other Geraniums, so it can even be grown in a container on the patio. Height: 25cm (10"). Spread 30cm (12"). Supplied as bare root plants.

John Lewis has these new products today

John Lewis Croft Collection Islay Coffee Table £200.00
Islay embodies a naturally weathered look that expresses true elegance, with an aesthetic you’ll love to display in your outdoor environment. This coffee table features a slatted surface, and is made using acacia with a lacquered finish. Whether you choose to use it for casual dining with soft chairs, or as part of a full outdoor lounge set-up, this coffee table makes a versatile and appealing addition to your garden. Islay (EYE-la), a Scottish island known as ‘The Queen of the Hebrides’, lends its name to our new Croft Collection outdoor furniture range. Croft Collection is beautiful and considered. Neutral in palette, tactile by nature, it evokes a relaxed feel you’ll love to come home to forever. Please note: Not all of our ranges are on display in our furniture departments. Please call your nearest John Lewis to check before you visit. 0% APR Representative: 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

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Tooled Up has this new product today

Jubilee Hose Clip Flexible Driver £11.95
A flexible hose clip driver to fit Jubilee® hose clips. 7mm hexagon head. Enables clips to be tightened in inaccessible areas.Size.11in….

Gardens and Homes Direct has these new lines today

 £839.99
Dimensions: W200 x D50 x H55cm / W79 in x D20 in x H22 in

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GreenFingers has cut the price of these items

Spring Bulbs – Onion Red Baron was £1.49 now £0.99
The Red Baron onion won The Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit 2005. They are a mid-late maturing variety with flattish-round bulbs which are a beautiful dark red colour. They are an excellent cropper and produce attractive firm well-flavoured bulbs which keep well. These make an attractive addition in the salad bowl. Plant onion from mid-February to March 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Lift the onions when they are mature and allow them to dry before using. Position: full sun Soil: any soil Harvest: AugustRate of growth: average Hardiness: fully hardyQuantity: 50 onionsSize: 14-21

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GreenFingers has these new products today

Raised Bed 230 Litres £21.99
Made from durable black plastic this raised bed could help to improve your growing results! Bigger better vegetables

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New product today at Blooming Direct

Pair 13 Wicker effect Black Gold Planters £8.99
Perfect for bulbs, bedding, shrubs, houseplants and more, these wonderful black planters with a brushed gold finish will add an exquisite decorative look to your home or garden, without the cost of real metal pots. Hand finished in gold paint, in a ‘wicker’ style effect, they will add a touch of class to your home or garden. Each one has raised drainage holes and water reservoirs to allow your plants to thrive! Made from heavy-duty injection moulded plastic, they’re tough & durable, and also frost & UV resistant, so they’ll withstand the worst of our British weather too. This set of planters represents great value especially when compared to normal prices for metallic or ceramic pots, yet you get a timeless and classic look!