Monkton Elm News, Events and Tips Blog

Once again we’re inviting worthy causes from Somerset to put themselves forward to receive between 50 and 100 free young trees, known as whips, this New Year.

We’re thrilled to be sponsoring the Open Stakes at the Taunton & District Canine Association’s Dog Show dog. We have donated prize money and rosettes to the value of £200 for the dogs that place from first to sixth.

©   John Shaver   Dreamstime Stock Photos We are a resource of friendly free advice and this year if you’d like some help with what to feed the wild birds that visit your garden throughout the winter come and see us.

If you are looking for a place to socialise and escape the wintery weather this month then we’d love to invite you to our award-winning Four Seasons Restaurant for some wonderful fare and a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Are you interested in sowing your own vegetables and other plants this year? To kick off the New Year we will be offering complimentary advice on how to sow and propagate seeds, handle seedlings and grow on young plants, so why not pop in and chat to our team and get some free tips.

Join us for our next Pondside Knit Club session on Wednesday, January 8th from 4.30pm until 7.30pm.

We have lots of delicious dishes being served in our Restaurant this month, perfect to re-ignite that little central heating system in your stomach. We are pretty confident there will be something to tickle everybody’s taste buds too! We have the classic winter treat of tasty soup, but ours is no ordinary soup, our chefs make our soup daily from fresh local ingredients. For an extra special treat why not try our soup of the day. For a main course warmer why not try one of traditional English dishes such a Stew & Dumplings, Lancashire Hotpot or Cottage Pie. For a hot dessert we have Bread & Butter pudding or mouth watering steamed Chocolate Pudding. If you don’t fancy stopping for a meal then maybe we give you a quick ‘hot fix’ with one of our specialist barista coffees or hot chocolates.

As we enter a new year, we would like to take the opportunity to reflect on a few of the memories of 2013 and what we can expect in 2014...

Let us introduce you to three exceptional plants that provide lovely scent in January. When days are still dark and all the decorations have been packed away for another year they provide a burst of winter fragrance for an instant pick-me-up. Daphne odora aureomarginata

Plan next year’s garden This time of year is perfect for erecting fences, trellis, pergolas, arches and other garden structures. Discover how easy it is to add a new feature and explore the wide range of types and styles we have available. Just ask a member of staff for assistance.

Christmas trees Remember to buy your live Christmas tree – we have a superb range to choose from including the non-needle drop Nordman. All live trees will need watering so buy a self-watering stand for cut trees. A can of Spray ‘N’ Save will also help prevent needle loss. We have a huge range of lights and decorations too.

Christmas lunches are being served in our restaurant until Monday, December 23 for anyone who fancies a tasty pre-yuletide meal.

People looking for gift ideas for friends and relations this Christmas (2013) will have an opportunity to create their own Christmas hamper or buy one of our ready-made ones this Yuletide.

Camellias With their glossy, evergreen foliage and large flowers in spring, camellias are the perfect way of brightening up the garden. Buy yourself some now or give them as presents. They need a lime-free soil, so if yours isn’t suitable grow them in large pots.

Feed feathered friends for winter Garden birds need our help throughout winter so make sure you put out food and water every day. We have a wide range of feeders, tables and food available, so take a look at what’s on offer and help our feathered friends.

Our next Cardmaking with Cindy workshop takes place on Saturday, December 7.

We’re looking forward to having representatives from James Wellbeloved visit on Saturday, December 21 to chat to visitors about their animals’ nutritional needs. They will be giving people tips and advice on how to keep their cat or dog as healthy as possible this yuletide.

We love decorating our in-store Christmas trees for our festive displays and thought we’d share our top tips on creating the perfect tree.