Monkton Elm News, Events and Tips Blog

Indoor Cyclamen persicum.

One of the prettiest succulents, the flowers of the Kalanchoe are very long lasting and are available in a host of colours.

Conifers were very popular in the seventies where unfortunately it was almost overkill with conifers dominating many gardens, combining this with commonplace Leylandii monster hedges, they all got tarred with the same brush, “not suitable” or “old fashioned”.

Gardeners are being invited (December, 2013 and January, 2014) to swap gardening tips and receive a complimentary shrub at our monthly Gardeners’ Group.

Pest watch Many pests will lay their eggs on plants for over-wintering and these will attack early next year. Deciduous trees and shrubs that have dropped their leaves can be treated with Growing Success Winter Tree Wash. Slugs and snails will be very active during damp weather so protect vulnerable plants with your favourite control method. Diseased leaves that are left on the ground should be carefully raked up and disposed of. Other debris provides over-winter places for pests so get rid of this too.  

Conifers Conifers give structure, form and colour to gardens all year round and they grow to a range of heights from ground cover to large trees. Why not plant some versatile conifers now to enhance your garden?

Check for colour gaps Check for gaps in your borders and fill them with plants like hardy cyclamen, hardy chrysanths and winter-flowering pansies. Also look out for scented winter-flowering shrubs such as Viburnum farreri and Viburnum bodnantense, Mahonia and Sarcococca. Just ask our friendly plant staff if you need any help choosing suitable plants for your garden.

Protect fruit trees Now is the time to apply grease bands around the trunks of fruit trees to prevent damage later on from wingless winter moths. Carefully rubbing off any loose bark will remove hiding places for other pests. To kill over-wintering pest eggs use Growing Success Winter Wash when all the leaves have dropped. Spray peaches and nectarines to help protect against peach leaf curl. Finally, always pick up all fallen diseased leaves and destroy them. If you need any more help on growing perfect fruit, come and see our plant staff.

Plant baskets and containers for winter colour To get the best displays from your winter and spring hanging baskets and containers, plant them now. Plants to use include ivy, dwarf conifers and dwarf shrubs, winter-flowering pansies, hardy primulas and polyanthus. Add bulbs to extend the display. Check out our extensive range of plants, containers, baskets, basket liners, brackets and compost and remember to add a controlled-release fertiliser.

With bulb planting season rapidly gathering momentum we have decided to choose two plants of the month for September, and they both come in bulb form ready to burst into bloom next spring. Tulip: Hotpants First up we have Taylors bulb of the year: Hotpants. This tulip comes with unusual white and claret stripes, enough to bring a vibrant look to any garden.

Cuttings of summer bedding plants Take cuttings from all your half-hardy bedding plants such as fuchsias, bedding geraniums, marguerites and osteospermums to ensure you have plenty of plants for next year. Take the cuttings just below a leaf, remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and dip the end in hormone rooting powder or liquid. Then insert the cuttings in pots of cuttings compost. Cover the pots with a polythene bag or put them in a propagator and place somewhere warm and sheltered. Don’t forget to pick up everything you need for successful cuttings including pots, compost, dibbers, rooting hormone, labels and propagators.

Vegetables The harvesting season is now in full swing so make sure you pick crops that are ready. Leave them too long and they’ll lose flavour and tenderness. Now is a good time to sow endive, radish and spring cabbage for next year, or winter varieties of spinach and maincrop turnips. Having spent lots of time and effort growing your fruit and veg to perfection, protect it with fleece or small-mesh plastic netting or if you have a large area, put up a fruit cage.

Furniture There’s still plenty of time to really enjoy your garden this summer. Make the most of it by investing in a new furniture set – perhaps you need something with more chairs and a bigger table or a large parasol to create extra shade? Or how about a swing seat or hammock to relax in? Remember to pick up any care products you need, whether you prefer wooden or metal furniture.

Planning autumn planting Start planning that new border. Look for plants with a long flowering period and those that have two or more seasons of interest with flowers, fruit, colourful stems and interesting foliage. Choose plants with different foliage colours and shapes and remember that while evergreens help bring structure and winter interest they may need livening up with deciduous plants. Use winter and spring bedding plants to increase the seasons of interest and plant bulbs for extra splashes of colour.

Are you hoping to host a few more barbecues this summer? Our very own Tom Berry, who is in charge of the Outdoor Living Department, gives us his top tips for getting the most out of your barbie.

Cuttings August is the best time to take cuttings from half-hardy bedding plants such as fuchsias, pelargoniums, marguerites and trailing petunias. Once done, cover the pots with a polythene bag or with a propagator lid and place somewhere warm and sheltered but out of strong, direct sunlight. Don’t forget to pick up everything you need for taking successful cuttings including pots, compost, dibbers, rooting hormone, labels and propagator lids.

  Ponds During periods of hot, dry weather, the water in ponds can be very short of oxygen, which will affect the fish and plants. If your fish are gulping at the surface it’s a sure sign they need more oxygen. Make sure your pond contains plenty of oxygenating plants and add a pump, waterfall or fountain as the constant movement of water is one of the best ways of aerating it. Fish will be very active now so feed them little and often with a high protein fish food. Just ask one of our friendly staff to show you what we stock to ensure you have a perfect pond.

Pest watch During the warm, dry days of summer, pests like red spider mite, aphids and whitefly and diseases like mildew can really take hold and get out of control. Check plants regularly, daily if possible, for signs of trouble and deal with it quickly. One or two pests can soon become a major outbreak during warm weather. Ready-to-use sprays are the quick and easy answer to your problems. If your plants have any problems, pop in and ask our friendly staff to help you choose a suitable product to deal with it.

Our plant of the month for July is the Hydrangea. The plant is enjoying a renaissance as this iconic bloom, so representative of the classic English garden. As last year proved, a cool wet summer really sees them thriving and producing glorious flowers over a long period, although they will happily perform in a sunny summer too.