Grow Minis is our gardening club just for kids and we hold monthly gardening sessions to get those little green fingers involved in great gardening ideas and learn all about wildlife, plants and the environment.
The sessions run on the first Saturday of the month at 11am.
These sessions are free if you are a Grow Rewards member, otherwise its just £2 per class.
We were delighted that our group fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support has resulted in us raising an amazing £35,000 for the charity. These monies were raised from our teams taking part in the Mighty Hikes, Coffee Mornings and by donations from customers who came to see our singing reindeer during the Christmas period.
Winter can be a difficult time for wildlife. Temperatures lower and food becomes more difficult to find. It is claimed that birds can eat more than their own weight in food per day, which is why it is so important. Insect-eating birds turn to alternative foods, some species travel far and wide, but we can lend a helping hand by providing a welcome source of extra food for birds to turn to.
Different birds are attracted to certain foods, often reflecting their special adaptations for natural food types.
Offer a variety of tempting morsels to maximise your bird table’s wow factor.
If you haven’t done it already, January is a good time to prune open-grown apple and pear trees. They should be pruned every year to encourage new growth on which new buds will form and ensure a good harvest the following season. Trees that are not pruned become less productive and congested with old branches and diseased shoots.
Don’t worry, pruning is easy – use a pair of bypass secateurs and aim to take about 10-20% of the overall canopy off, then work around the tree evenly, careful not to over prune, as the more you prune the stronger the regrowth will be. Pruning too much means your tree is likely to produce vigorous upright branches called watershoots which is not ideal.
Planning out what seeds you would like to sow this year is an exciting task. To ensure you get the best choice of varieties, it’s worth buying them earlier rather than later.
The arrival of the New Year does bring with it the opportunity to sow some seeds indoors for the year ahead. Although, sowing early will require a little patience, you can prevent certain issues by cleaning everything that will come into contact with seeds or seedlings. Seeds such as Sweet Peas Dahlias, Delphiniums, Chillies, Basil and Aubergines can all be sown indoors.
The early bird catches the worm, and the early shopper catches the best range of potato varieties. Check out our range now available instore, we have a great choice of potatoes to buy, plus expert advice.
Choose potatoes without long shoots or any signs of mould. When you get them home, stand them rose end up (the end with most small dents, or eyes) in a seed tray or an old egg box and leave them in a cool, frost-free light place until you plant them, otherwise known as chitting potatoes. This will discourage the sprouts from growing too long. The potatoes are ready to plant when the shoots are about 3cm (1in) long.
Houseplants provide a touch of colour indoors even when everything outdoors is still chilly and bare. As well as looking great, making your home welcoming and cosy, they have lots of magical qualities.
