Gardening Direct reduced the price on these lines today

Busy Lizzie New Guinea Marquise 6 Large Plants was £11.99 now £5.99
Producing Much Larger Blooms!A lovely variety, Busy Lizzie New Guinea Marquise will grow to a much larger size and is more robust than your usual Impatiens. It will produce masses of large blooms in hues of purple and pink from June to October, giving your patio pots and border displays that ‘WOW’ factor.

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Gardens and Homes Direct just added this new item

Allibert Ibiza New Blue Dining Chair £19.99
Our Allibert Ibiza New Blue Dining Chairs will add a little touch of luxury to your garden. Comfortable, weather-proof* and stylish, our Allibert Ibiza New Blue Dining Chairs combine with any one of our Allibert Rezolith Tables to provide you with a luxurious, spacious and comfortable patio/conservatory dining set. Suitable for use indoors and outdoors, the low-maintenance, robust Ibiza New Blue Dining Chair is easy to clean and stacks for easy storage. Features Stacks for storage Use: Outside/Inside Perfect with Allibert Rezolith Patio Tables (Available Separately) 3 Year guarantee.

New products at Dobies

Mulberry Bush – Charlotte Russe £19.99
The new Dwarf Mulberry Bush – Hard to find the fruits in supermarkets, you can have all the joys of growing your own mulberries without the hassle of keeping a large tree. With heights reaching 8 metres, many people don’t have the space for a mulberry tree.This dwarf, compact variety only reaches a height of approximately 1.5m (compared to normal mulberries that can reach up to 8m in height), making it suitable for any garden. Its self-pollinating, fully hardy and fruits on both old and new wood, meaning you can be picking mulberries within the first year as opposed to the usual 8 or 9 years it takes most other mulberries. And unlike other varieties that only produce fruit over a 3-week period towards the end of summer, Charlotte Russe (Matsunaga PBR) produces berries over a very long period, from May right through until September! Supplied in a 1.5 litre pot, plant size 15cm.

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New lines at Suttons Seeds

Popular Perennial Plants – PLUS 3 FREE Primula Vialii £27.00
Turn your borders into a carpet of colour, with 9 potted perennial plants for 27. Our gardeners have picked out a vibrant selection of perennials that combine to create instant wow factor in time for summer.The collection includes the Armeria in three different colours, 3 of the of the Scabiosa Blue Note with its cheerful shades of blue, and well give you 3 of the striking Vialii Red Hot Poker free with your order.One of those plants thatll catch your eye every time you step out into your garden, this bold, two-toned Primula Vialii has unique pyramid-shaped flower heads that burn brightly with colour throughout the summer.A fuss-free way to transform your borders with colours that work together beautifully, this collection includes 9 of our most popular perennials for just 27.

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Jersey Plants Direct has cut the price of these products

Busy Lizzie New Guinea Marquise 6 Jumbo Plants was £11.99 now £5.99
Producing Masses of Large Flowers. This recently introduced variety of Busy Lizzie is a larger, more robust plant than your usual Busy Lizzies. New Guinea Marquise will produce masses of big flowers in hues of pink and purple all Summer long until October. Offering an excellent resistance to downy mildew, this variety is perfect for adding vibrancy to your bed, border and patio pot displays.

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GreenFingers reduced the price on these lines today

Garland Large Bulb Baskets Pack of Two was £3.49 now £3.14
These Garland Large Bulb Baskets Pack of Two are perfect for drying and storing your bulbs ready for the next year. Once the flowers are past their best simply dig out the baskets and place out of sight ready to be replanted when the new season comes back around.Plant Grow Flower Dig OutEasy to useAllows later flowering bulbs to be planted in the same placeMaterial: PlasticColour: GreenDiameter: 30cmHeight: 8.3cmPack of two baskets

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New lines added today at GreenFingers

Greenfingers Adjustable Plant Trolley – x4 Multi Buy £17.99
Move heavy planters and pots around quickly and easily with this handy Greenfingers Adjustable Plant Trolley 4 Pack Multi Buy.Made from powder coated steelAdjustable fits 25-38cm diameter potsSupports up to 50kgHeight: 7.5cmFour trollies suppliedPlant not included

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Price reduction at Blooming Direct

Polianthes tuberosa The Pearl (Tuberose) – pack x 10 size 12/14 was £14.99 now £7.49
Commonly known as Tuberoses, these amazingly sweet-scented beauties will enchant you in summer, as their beautiful fragrance wafts gently on warm evening breezes. You can see why it is used so much as a base fragrance in leading perfumes !! Tuberoses make a really nice cut flower to scent a room with, or enjoy in pots too. Plant the bulbs indoors in spring to get a head start, and bring outside from May, growing in a warm, sunny spot. They flower in August and September, producing pretty creamy white double flowers, with an intoxicating strong fragrance, on stems about 60-80cm tall. Top tip for success is once flowered, remove this section of the bulbs, as it never flowers again, but leaving new side shoots to flower next year. Bring pots inside each winter for frost-free area, and dry back. Enjoy the allure of your own Tuberose fragrances wafting on evening breeze in your garden.

Nationwide access to glorious gardens over Festival Weekend

The National Garden Scheme’s Festival Weekend 2018 will see gardens open for charity in all counties across England and Wales on 2^nd and 3^rd June – giving everyone access to private gardens in their area during one of the most beautiful months of the gardening year.

Held annually and now in its sixth year, Festival Weekend celebrates glorious gardens in bloom at the height of the season. Over 316 gardens will be open to the public over the weekend, with an average of nine open in every county across the North, East, South East, South West, the Midlands and Wales and the Marches.

Visitors can enjoy a variety of gardens over the weekend – including small urban spaces, cottage gardens and gardens opening together in a village group, as well as impressive country house gardens and community gardening projects. Delicious tea and cake, a much-loved staple of National Garden Scheme garden openings, will also be available.

George Plumptre, CEO of National Garden Scheme, says:

“Festival Weekend is a fantastic opportunity to experience the joy of gardens at their very best and with open gardens in each county, we’re delighted they are easily accessible to everyone. But it’s not just about enjoying our volunteer’s breath-taking gardens, a slice of cake and a cup of tea – the weekend will raise vital funds for the nursing and caring charities the National Garden Scheme supports, who do extraordinary work such as community nursing and in specialist areas such as cancer, Parkinson’s and end-of-life care.”

Festival Weekend gardens can be found by visiting ngs.org.uk/festival, or in the Garden Visitors’ Handbook 2018, and gardens not to miss over the weekend include (*see notes to editors):

• Hunmanby Grange, Driffield, Yorkshire
• Barton Bendish Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
• Kew Green Gardens, Kew, London
• Spencers, Great Yeldham, Essex

The average entry fee for visiting a National Garden Scheme garden over Festival Weekend is approximately £4.45 for adults and free for children. Dogs are also welcome at a number of open gardens and many sell plants.

This year the National Garden Scheme donated a record £3.1million from funds raised at open gardens in 2017 and continued supporting charities including: Macmillan Cancer Support; Marie Curie; Hospice UK; Carers Trust; Queen’s Nursing Institute; Parkinson’s UK; Perennial; National Autistic Society; and MS Society.

Ends

For more information, high resolution images or to interview a spokesperson, please contact Becky Medhurst by emailingbecky@ngs.org.uk or calling 01483 213908.

Notes to editors

About National Garden Scheme

Since 1927, the National Garden Scheme has been inviting garden owners to open their exceptional gardens to the public, giving people unique access to some of Britain’s most beautiful and memorable gardens while raising money for charity through entry fees, teas and cake.

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors, the National Garden Scheme is the most significant charitable funder of nursing charities in the UK – having donated £55million over the last 90 years.

This year the National Garden Scheme donated a record £3.1million from funds raised at open gardens in 2017 and supported charities including: Macmillan Cancer Support; Marie Curie; Hospice UK; Carers Trust; Queen’s Nursing Institute; Parkinson’s UK; Perennial; National Autistic Society; and MS Society.

There are over 3,600 private gardens open to the public in 2018, all of which can be found by vising the National Garden Scheme website, or in the Garden Visitor’s Handbook, which is published annually and available via the National Garden Scheme shop and at all good book retailers.

Registered Charity 1112664

www.ngs.org.uk

*Gardens not to miss over Festival Weekend:

• Hunmanby Grange, Driffield, Yorkshire

A 3-acre garden situated on top of the Yorkshire Wolds, Hunmanby Grange boasts a delightful array of planting to create contrasting colour, shape and texture. Humanby Grange also features a pond garden, a scented patio, a coppice woodland and the National Garden Scheme’s only private brewery in a garden, Wold Top Brewery – where visitors can sample a beer brewed with home grown barley and pure chalk filtered water.

Opening times:
2nd June 2018 11:00 – 17:00
3rd June 2018 11:00 – 17:00

Refreshments:
Light refreshments in Wold Top Brewery bar area.

Admission:
Adult: £5.00
Child: Free

Address:
Hunmanby Grange
Wold Newton
Driffield
Yorkshire
YO25 3HS

• Barton Bendish Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk

Barton Bendish Hall is a beautiful traditional 10 acre country estate garden which features a woodland drive, an orchard, a kitchen garden, a walled herb and cut flower garden, and a Thomas Messenger style glasshouse full of scented pelargoniums. The garden’s south facing terrace has wonderful open views onto the wider farmed landscape.

Opening times:
3rd June 2018 11:00 – 17:00

Refreshments:
Home-made teas.

Admission:
Adult: £4.00
Child: Free

Address:
Barton Bendish Hall
Fincham Road
Barton Bendish
King’s Lynn
Norfolk
PE33 9DL

• Kew Green Gardens, Kew, London

Kew Green Gardens is a fascinating group opening of five long gardens behind a row of 18th century houses, close to Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Visitors will enjoy the profusely planted and traditional borders of a mature English country garden, contrasted with formal gardens, terraces and lawns, laid out around tall old trees; and woodland and wild flower planting. One garden boasts an unusual architect-designed summerhouse, while another offers the surprise of a modern planting of espaliered miniature fruit trees. Wine is served at this evening opening.

Opening times:
3rd June 2018 18:00 – 20:00

Refreshments:
Wine in the gardens

Admission:
Adult: £6.00

Address:
Kew Green Gardens (nos 69, 71, 73, 65, 67)
Kew
London
TW9 3AH

• Spencers, Great Yeldham, Essex

Spencers is a dreamy 18th century walled country garden around an elegant white Georgian house. The garden was laid out by Lady Anne Spencer and has been renovated by top landscape artist, Tom Stuart-Smith.  In Spring and Summer the garden overflows with spectacle – including huge tumbling wisteria, startling armies of ”true-blue” Lord Butler delphiniums, lavender walks, dazzling herbaceous borders and a knot garden enclosed by espaliered pears. Roses appear in many guises and visitors can also enjoy the woodland garden along the River Colne.

Opening times
3rd June 2018 14:00 – 17:00

Refreshments:
Home-made teas.

Admission:
Adult: £5.00
Child: Free

Address:
Spencers
Tilbury Road
Great Yeldham
Essex
CO9 4JG

Five ways that gardening can improve your mental health

It’s a well-known fact that spending time outdoors and being active can be beneficial for your wellbeing, and 56% of Brits say they like the Great British Outdoors*, but how many people overlook what’s on their very own doorstep?

Garden building retailer, Tiger Sheds, is encouraging Brits to get out into their back yard this Mental Health Awareness Week, with five simple tips on how to improve your mental health from your garden.

·         Find a personal space

The first step is to get out there and reconnect with the outdoors. Being in a peaceful space can help you to reset your mind and gather your thoughts. Sitting in a quiet space can have a similar effect to meditation, helping to lift stress. So, enjoy the green space in your own garden, as it can be a lot more relaxing and convenient than trying to find a peaceful spot in a busy park.

·         Get the whole family involved

Get the whole family to muck in! Gardening is naturally a fun activity for kids as well as adults, as they can work with their hands to dig, plant and harvest under adult supervision. It can also help to teach them key skills such as the importance of maintaining a garden and how to communicate with the people you’re working alongside.

Another benefit of gardening is that it can help develop the sensory system in young children; as lots of colours, aromas and textures can improve their senses and imagination.

·         Consider it a workout

Use the down time as an easy way to workout. As the saying goes, ‘a healthy body is a healthy mind’ and to an extent it is very true. Gardening can burn more than 300 calories during just one hour of light gardening work*. You’ll barely notice the workout and the exercise will help your body to produce endorphins, which help to improve mood and fight stress**.

·         Soak up the sun

Being outside will help your skin soak up all the vitamin D it needs. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to obesity, diabetes, cancer, seasonal affective disorder and cardiovascular disease. Spending time gardening is a way of making sure you get enough of the ‘sunshine vitamin’ that can seriously improve your mood and health.

·         Take satisfaction in your gardening achievements

Gardening can be one of life’s most satisfying activities. Being able to start a flower bed or vegetable patch from scratch gives you a sense of ownership, and seeing your hard work grow can fill you with a real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Kiarna Benson from Tiger Sheds said “Taking pride in your garden and spending some time outdoors can really help you to unwind. This Mental Health Awareness Week it is worth remembering that one of the best places for you to relax is right on your doorstep.

“Here at Tiger Sheds we want to encourage people to make the most of their own back yard and use it as a tool to improve their mental health”

For more information on how gardening can help your mental health, please visit: https://www.tigersheds.com/thehiphorticulturist/5-ways-that-gardening-can-improve-your-mental-health/