Bonsai Trees

The plants in our Garden centres are enjoying the rain and sunny spells between showers. They’re putting on lots of growth and looking really good. Unfortunately the weeds like it too so our plant staff are having to work extra hard to keep the plant centres looking tidy and weed free. The trick is to keep on top of it by weeding little and often – In the garden you could use a hoe to skim the tops off newly emerging weeds to weaken them, a hoe also takes the back-ache out it. You can also put down soil improving compost or bark as a good thick mulch which will suppress weed growth, feed your plants and help conserve moisture.

Amongst the fresh plant deliveries we have every week we’ve found some very nice Bonsai trees that are suitable for growing outside in the British climate. The team at John Browns Garden Centre have made a Japanese themed display using them which looks stunning. These mini gems add a real point of interest to any outdoor space and are surprisingly easy to take care of provided they aren’t allowed to dry out and get a feed every now and again. Keeping them trimmed and tree-like can become a very satisfying hobby and add a whole new dimension to your garden and gardening skills.

Four seasons in one day

A saying usually associated with a song about Melbourne in Australia but equally applicable to this month so far! Sunny moments are encouraging us to get out when we can but the cold wet interruptions are typical of a British spring and we can use this weather pattern to our advantage. It’s ideal planting weather for hardy shrubs, climbers, perennials and trees. I like to nip out during the sunny spells to plant then get back in the dry when the heavens open for a well earned cuppa whilst the rain takes care of watering them in for me.

Now is an ideal time to plant Hardy Shrubs

Many of you are asking us for plants that you can put in now that ‘won’t die’. It’s always sad to lose a plant you’ve lovingly nurtured and we’re all a bit more cautious after the recent hard winters so here’s my top five bomb proof plants:

Viburnum tinus - Evergreen this underrated toughie flowers in late winter and early spring. A large shrub that can be made to behave with a good hard prune every couple of years.

Geraniums – Choose the perennial ones for a plant that will come back year after year and flower its socks off in blue, pink, white and every shade between. If it gets straggly after flowering cut back and you should get another flowering it prefers a sunny spot but will grow in most situations.

Yew – Great as a hedge or for training into weird and wonderful shapes as topiary. Shiny evergreen leaves and red berries in the autumn (these are toxic) Yew will grow – albeit slowly – in the darkest corner where nothing else will. Will take abuse.

Catmint – Lovely aromatic and soft grey green leaves with blue, blue flowers in summer cut back as with Geraniums, the drier and sunnier the spot the better – Excellent on sandy, poor soils.

Fuchsia – Pick a hardy one and it’ll be with you for years reliably flowering its heart out every summer. Various sizes and colours available there’s one for every garden as long as it’s not under water.

All of the above will last years as long as they are treated well in their first season until established (Plant with some decent organic matter and water them well during dry periods) and aren’t made to sit in water for long periods of time. Chuck a bit of plant food at them now and again and they’ll do even better.

Grill Academy Training Day for Golden Acres Staff

This week 10 of the staff from Golden Acres 5 garden centres all attended the weber BBQ grill academy training day in Oxford, giving all the staff a good understanding of how to use look after and cook on the full range of weber quality BBQ's this training day was not only a great day out but was a fantastic opportunity for staff at all centres to offer the best advise to our customers.

"It thrills me as garden centre manager to be able to offer this level of knowledge and service to our customers, if you thought BBQ's were all about black sausages and burgers then think again the grill academy taught us how to cook joints of meat, pizzas, puddings and more as well as teaching about smoking different flavours and getting the most from the food you cook as well as  which BBQ is right for you. Come and see us at any of our centres for some great advice and hopefully some great cooking tips and lets look forward to some hot sunny weekends so we can get out in the garden and cook Al Fresco" - James White Centre Manager Badger Garden Centre

Our Centres offer a great range of weber charcoal & gas BBQ's as well as a fantastic range of cooking accessories and charcoal and don't forget to search weber grill academy online for a special day out for yourself or the one you love.

Weber Airstream at John Browns Three Garden Centre Legged Cross

A Barbeque at the end of a hard days gardening always tastes amazing – This Saturday we have the Weber BBQ roadshow visiting our John Browns Centre in Three Legged Cross - pop in for BBQing tips, demos and some fantastic Easter special offers.

WeberAirstream at John Browns

With the current typical spring weather life in the garden is far from typical! Alongside having to dress for all weathers I’m noticing just how fast things are growing now with the longer and (generally!) warmer days. Every week we have more and more lovely plants becoming available and even the full range of summer bedding plants are now ready to go.

This year as always we are conscious of conserving water and keeping the garden low maintenance. There’s still time to plan your patch with this in mind. A good mulch of manure, soil improver or bark chips around your flower beds will keep weeds down and moisture in. Before you buy do a bit of research into plants that will hold their own come rain or shine and that will suit the soil and position or pop in and ask our experts for some suggestions. A good start in life is key, so invest in a general feed and some soil improving compost to plant them with now and reap the rewards later on in the year. Lawns will also cope better when under stress if they’ve been top dressed and fed at the start of the season.

For a glorious display use water retaining granules in your pots and baskets. This will help retain moisture and reduce the daily chore of watering – modern brands include a feed which will keep your bedding looking fresh and healthy. Another tip is to use bigger containers that will hold more moisture (and plants!) with a decent quality compost (a lot of research goes into compost and its water holding properties!) Again our experts can fill you in on the best choices for you and your garden.