Monkton Elm News, Events and Tips Blog

On a decent day, if you’ve got the urge and your secateurs are handy, it’s time to get out into the garden and give a few things a haircut.

Now that the evenings are lighter and the weather is slowly improving, it’s time to think about giving your garden a spring clean. Many people spring clean the home so why not the garden too?

Winter garden fragrances come principally from flowering shrubs and bulbs. Shrubs close to paths are best as when you go by them you get a wonderful whiff.

We asked our top plantsman, Andrew Pitman for his gardening tips for the month and this is what he said…

Our gardening experts say if you’re making a ‘to do’ list for February here are a few things to pop on it:

  Feed Due to the longer days, houseplants may start growing again. You can begin feeding them again, but use a dilute 50% fertiliser mix until the growth is well established.

Keeping your garden safe from thieves is a difficult task.

  Viburnums are among the most reliable, hardy and rewarding shrubs you can grow and will cope with almost any soil or aspect. It is a large genus of more than 150 species with mainly white or pink flowers, some very fragrant, with the potential for flowers all the year round with careful choice.

Feeling like getting out in the garden today to do some jobs...here are some of Andrew’s tips for what to do in your garden now.

Children are the future generation of gardening and we believe it’s extremely important to get them out into the fresh air and learning all about horticulture as soon as possible.

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.

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

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.

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:

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

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’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.

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.