Have you noticed your garden feels like it has come alive these past weeks? It's autumn, and our plants are loving these beautiful days of mild temperatures along with the rainy days we have had recently. Over summer, plant growth slows while the plants struggle to deal with the heat. Come autumn and they jump back to life - which is probably what we will all do when we can finally leave our houses!
Gardening in autumn is a joy, with lots to keep us busy. This week, we celebrate the beauty and productivity of autumn, so read on for positive vibes!
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This year we've seen so much interest in people growing veggies at home. It's fabulous to see this trend starting to take off because it helps us all in so many ways. Kids learn to appreciate food more when they understand how long it takes to grow, food is tastier when picked and eaten straight away, and it helps our mental health to experience the joys of growing food for ourselves. It's very rewarding!
It's the perfect time to plant cool season crops. If you are new to food growing and need a bit of guidance with what to plant now, and how best to look after your veggies, we have developed a guide to give you a head start. Of course, we are also happy to answer any questions you may have so give us a call or pop in and see our team.
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Magnolias
Feeding magnolias now will help give them a boost as they go into their flowering period.
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Buxus
Autumn is a good time to give your buxus a feed and some dolomite lime to correct any soil acidity.
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Bulbs
There is still time to get your bulbs planted. In no time at all, we'll have spring bulbs to lift our spirits. For bulb care, read our bulb growing guide.
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Roses
If you are thinking of planting roses in winter, now is a great time to dig over the beds and add some manure and compost for beautiful rich soil when spring arrives. See our 12 month guide to rose care.
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To gardeners, autumn leaves might just be about as valuable as gold. Some of our staff even volunteer to rake their neighbours gardens so they can take the leaves home and turn them to leaf mould.
Creating this magic ingredient from those golden hued autumn leaves is so easy. The simplest way is to just use the leaves as mulch, throwing them on your garden beds and letting them break down. Or throw them in your compost bin (make sure you also add some veggie scraps and lawn clippings to keep things balanced) and give it a turn every now and then to break it down.
Alternatively, put the moist leaves in a garbage bag with a handful of poultry manure or organic fertiliser and leave the bag somewhere shady for around 6 months.
Mowing over the leaves, or running them through a mulcher before you compost them will make them break down faster and soon you will have a beautiful organic leaf mould that will enrich and enliven your soil.
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Just a reminder in case you haven't seen our previous email, that we have moved to Autumn Trading Hours, and are open 10am to 4pm every day.
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Finally, we'll leave you with this video that we made. If you haven't been in to the nursery in a while, here's a fun, little peak inside!
Enjoy your days everyone, and stay safe.
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