Monkton Elm News, Events and Tips Blog

Our Outdoor Living Department Assistant, Hana Parker, has successfully made it to the final stages of a national competition, organised by industry body the Garden Centre Association (GCA) and sponsored by Westland Horticulture, to become a ‘Westland Rising Star’.

Our very own Store Manager, Andrew Pitman, recently picked up a top prize for his show pony at a national awards ceremony.

During the winter months, it's tempting to stay in our warm homes rather than spending time out in the garden. But a little maintenance now will ensure your outdoor space looks great next year.

Low impact gardening is going to be big in 2017 and this means keeping it simple and cutting back on the maintenance and care required while still achieving great results.

Decorated, fresh Christmas trees are THE symbol of the festivities.

Crafty folk from Somerset who purchased a unicorn sewing kit from us have helped raise £1, 25 0 for charity (December, 2016).  

Our charity craft fayre in aid of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) takes place on Thursday, December 8 from 3.30pm until 8pm. We’ve invited talented crafters from across Somerset to display and sell their wares during the fayre. Below is a list of the crafters who will be attending...

Indoor Cyclamen persicum.

Come and get your Christmas gift shopping done at our charity craft fayre in aid of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) on Thursday, December 8 from 3.30pm until 8pm.

Keep your little ones entertained and eagerly employed on Christmas Eve with some of our handy hints:

  In the New Year make joining the garden gym your resolution.

Our handyman has created a wonderful giant model gingerbread family as part of our Christmas displays. We were so impressed with them that we thought we could use them to help raise some money for our chosen charity, Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Tis the season to be jolly and/or merry and bright but that doesn’t mean you have to be ultra-traditional...you can be kitsch and contemporary instead.

Father Christmas has decided to take up residence in our grotto and meet all the boys and girls from the area.

Father Christmas will arrive at Taunton Train Station on Saturday, November 26 at 10.15am before being collected by us and Wellington Carnival Club in their special float and travelling to ours for 11am with a special guest in tow. He will then take up residence in his grotto.

Animal lovers looking for expert nutritional advice for the festive season are invited to meet representatives from James Wellbeloved pet food here on Saturday, November 19 during our normal garden centre opening hours.

Somerset families are invited to join us in the festivities at our two Christmas open evenings on November 23 and 24 from 4pm until 8pm with live entertainment, food sampling and the chance to see festive displays.

If you’re the one in your household that is in charge of the garden tools, gadgets and machinery, then you’ll know this is the perfect time of year for a bit of well-earned maintenance.

Each week in November (2016) we’re going to being running a competition for our Twitter followers and Facebook fans.

We’re hosting a Christmas craft and gift fayre in aid of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) on Thursday, December 8 from 3.30pm and are looking for crafters to attend.

We’ve been busy researching the history of the pumpkin…

Our Plant Advisor Jane is a seasoned pro so we asked her to put together some gardening hacks to help all the budding gardeners out there.

  Wondering what to do in the garden this month?  There are lots of adventures to be had and here are a few of our suggestions:

Father Christmas will be arriving at Taunton train station before travelling to our place on Saturday, November 26 and we are looking for nominations for a child to accompany him on his journey.

Don’t let your garden go into hibernation this autumn and winter. Instead pick mixed planting in containers to add colour and life to even the darkest and shortest days of the year.

Autumn is the traditional time of year to tidy the garden before the onset of winter but there are still plenty of fun things to be getting on with too.

Children from Somerset can have a go at carving their best ghoulish faces into pumpkins when our pumpkin carving workshops for youngsters return daily from October 26 until 31 from 10am until 1pm and 2pm until 4pm.

As winter progresses, it’s cheering to see the tips of spring bulbs emerging from the earth.

We’re hoping to encourage people to clean out their garden nest boxes this autumn.

The common name of Callicarpa is ‘Beauty Berry’ and it’s not difficult to see why – clusters of almost metallic violet-purple berries like shiny beads are born on its branches just as the leaves begin to fall, and persist ‘Profusion’ is an improvement on the species as it is reliably self fertile, although growing a group of Callicarpa will result in a more showy display.  It may be trimmed to shape in early spring.  This fully hardy, medium sized shrub grows to 3m by 2.5m in ordinary soil (provided it has good drainage) in a sheltered, sunny position.  It carries masses of tiny lilac flowers in summer.   Callicarpa is generally untroubled by pest and disease.

Nature lovers can help bats beat the bad press they get at Halloween by popping in to see us during Wild About Gardens Week, which takes place from October 24 until 30 and is a joint initiative by the RHS, The Wildlife Trusts and the Bat Conservation Trust.

Herbs growing outside will mostly die back over winter, but with a bit of forward planning you can keep using yours right through the coldest months.

We are extolling the virtues of apples during our Autumn Open Week this week (September 19 until 25) and will be giving details of why they are not only good to grow but also represent an essential part of a healthy diet.

Here are three top tasks you could be getting on with next month and planning for now to get ahead of the game:

Tubs can be cleared of summer-flowering plants this month and can be planted with biennials and bulbs for a gorgeous display of spring colour.

If you want to learn more about autumn planting then come along to our Autumn Open Week from Monday, September 19 until Sunday, September 25 for free advice, tips and lots of offers.

The cool, moist British summer weather suits The Michaelmas Daisy, which grow from 20 cm to 2 meters depending on variety.  They attract bees and butterflies.  Grow in good soil in full sun to light shade, and stake tall varieties.

Now is a great time to sit back, relax and plan your autumn planting.

  If you’re off on holiday soon or want to make the most of long days in the garden, use your time wisely and read a good gardening book or two.

You have helped us raise £500 for Barnardo’s through our recent tea party event.

Our Taunton Flower Show display garden was named ‘Best in Show’ and won a large gold medal last Friday (August 5, 2016).

Hydrangeas have large blooms that bring flamboyant colour to the garden in late summer and autumn. They are easy to grow, dependable and improve with age.  Use them in big, bold groups in the border, or even try them in large containers. 

We’re inviting you to the Taunton Flower Show at Vivary Park on August 5 and 6 to see our display garden.

During the past eight years, with the help of our customers, we have collected £31,341.07 for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) through a range of events including Open Weeks and annual Santa arrival events.

It’s time to get out and really enjoy your garden.

We’re calling for donations of copies of photographs of Somerset from the 1920s, and 1926 in particular, and props including a post office bike, to be displayed in our show garden at this year’s Taunton Flower Show.

Lonely older people will benefit from sales of The Lavandula ‘Silver Line’ with £1 from every sale of our plants being donated to The Silver Line charity, which is a helpline for lonely and isolated older people.

Somerset has long benefited from its tourism industry and now we are going all out to attract holidaymakers of a different kind looking to fly in.

If you’re planning to get out on the plot, then here are a few simple jobs you can be getting on with…