Hello and Welcome to Shrubland Nurseries latest Newsletter
We have at last completed the move of our nursery onto an adjacent piece of land involving many months of upheaval. The logistics of running a nursery, keeping track of the plants and moving at the same time have been quite challenging, hence the very few and far between newsletters!
The nursery is open, but while we are busy getting the nursery organised our hours are irregular, though weather permitting we will be at the nursery most days. Also there is a reduced area for browsing, so it is essential that you contact us before visiting if you're travelling any distance, looking for particular plants or need any help selecting plants.
Access to the nursery is still through the entrance off Whatfield road, signs are in place to guide you to the new site. We are still very pleased to have customers come to see us!
Our polytunnel where we grow our exotic plants may be available to view, depending on weather, and prior notice is required.
If some plants appear to be unavailable give us a call, we very often have a few spares left over.
We package our plants for mail order with great care, giving them the best possible chance of getting to you in good condition via our courier APC. We aim to use close to 100% recyclable packaging. For the most part we send them upright in their pots, secured in sturdy boxes (re-using these where possible) with canes topped with cane caps (which you can re-use), and packed with shredded newspaper. This allows some air to circulate round the plants so they stand the best chance of arriving in tip top condition.
Here are some of the reviews we've received for our service and plants.
Your Hedgehog Needs you!
The British Hedgehog has recently been officially classified as vulnerable to extinction. Numbers are said to have fallen by as much as 50 per cent since 2000, with an estimated fewer than one million hedgehogs in Britain, as against around 30 million in the 1950s.
So why this article in a plant related newsletter? As gardeners we play a critical front line role when it comes to protecting and providing habitats which could stop and reverse this trend.
Hopefully we all know by now that bread and milk is bad for hedgehogs but did you know that Slugs in quantity are bad for them, and that foods such as Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds and Mealworms can be fatal for them? They will be forced to eat these if their favourite food of Caterpillars and Beetle Larvae isn't available. This is where we come in, by ensuring there are some wild undisturbed areas of our gardens where these invertebrates can survive. Ensuring easy access between our gardens is essential as hedgehogs can roam several miles in a night. Leaving or making holes in fences will greatly improve your local hedgehog habitat. Regularly putting out food all year round (quality dried kitten food) and a shallow tray of water can be life savers. Many rescue web sites have information about feeding stations.
Please spare some time to read about essential life saving information, and see the amazing work of the real experts in hedgehog care, namely the Hedgehog Rescues such as Hedgehog Cabin and their Tweets and our local rescue Poppy's Creche who are on Twitter too. You can follow them, and plenty of other rescues, to see the amazing work that they do, they are really on the front line when it comes to dealing with sick and injured hogs.
Find a couple of local rescues now and make a note of their 'phone numbers and keep them to hand. Think about how you can improve their habitat, provide food and water and get to know what to do if you find a hedgehog in distress, especially if you see a hedgehog out in the day which is very often a sign that they are very ill. You could play a critical part in saving the life of one of these endearing animals.
Finally, note that unfortunately even some wildlife websites give out the wrong information, so always seek advice from a Hedgehog Rescue.
Don't forget we're always on hand for any questions you may have. Just visit our website www.shrublands.co.uk email us info@shrublands.co.uk or ring us on 01473 657012 or 07890 527744
