Today at Head Office we had our annual Christmas buffet lunch and some of us came dressed in our Chrimbo Jumpers! Emma came in with Baby Grace and it was lovely for us all to have a cuddle with her! (Grace not Emma!) 

Here’s a picture of Simon bonding with the latest edition to the company!

We all can’t believe how quickly the year has gone and also how mild the weather has been so here’s hoping it doesn’t get too cold or too wet over the next week and everyone has a fantastic Christmas. We’re hoping to get out on Boxing Day and have a lovely walk in the forest, hopefully we’ll get to see the last of the Autumnal leaves still on the trees!

Don’t forget we are doing a competition on our Facebook page, if you post a picture of your Christmas Tree onto our wall, you could be in for a chance of winning £50 Gift Vouchers!! Got to be in it to win it!! Good Luck!

Lin

Our keen amateur gardener!

Okay, I think we’re almost ready for Christmas at home! The tree and decorations are up, although I did have to buy a few extra baubles, and we went for a frosted theme this year! While I was at the Garden Centre I picked up from our Farm Shop some lovely extra sauces and a yummy Chilli Jam to go with my own chutney for Christmas dinner and cold meats on Boxing Day.

At the weekend, depending on the weather I’m going to hopefully spend a few hours in the garden clearing up the last of the fallen leaves and where it’s been so mild doing quite a bit of weeding! I’m going to invest in some bark chippings to cover the ground; this will keep in the moisture and keep those dreaded weeds away!

Lin 

Our keen amateur gardener!

I’m off this weekend to get my real Christmas tree!!! We always get very excited about this as it’s the start of the lead up to the festivities, and decorating the tree has become a tradition in our house that includes a few tipples of something warming to get us in the spirit….I can’t say the tree looks amazing and it usually needs tweaking the next day but that adds to the fun!

We put our tree well away from the radiator and it’s a good idea to cut off an inch from the bottom of the tree like you would with cut flowers, so it can soak up water and I make sure it’s watered very day, apparently they can absorb up to a pint of water a day!

While I was helping out at the Christmas Evenings I was really pleased to see the selection of LED lights we have in the garden centres, I threw our old ones away last year as I was fed up with trying to replace the bulbs!! All that’s left to do is to get up into the loft to find the baubles… lets hope they’re not in too bad a state or I may well be visiting the garden centre again for some new ones!

Lin
Our keen amateur gardener!

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is almost upon us, every year I promise to get myself organized well before that rush a day before Christmas but as of yet have never achieved it! After helping out at our Open Evenings I had a good look around our gift area and I’ve found lots of perfect gifts for all the members of my family who are always hard to buy for!

There are some beautiful Houseplants in stock now, including the old faithful Poinsettia which is a must in our house and takes pride of place in the conservatory where there is a constant temperature and no cold drafts as this can easily make the leaves drop.

Lin 

Our keen amateur gardener!

Guess whose been roped into helping out at our Christmas evenings!! Actually we have great fun and it’s a chance for some of us at Head Office to get out and say Hi to all our lovely customers!

It’s worth popping in if you’re a Bonus Card member as you will get Double Bonus Points on the night. If you’re not a member already, sign up on our website, it’s free!!

We’ll be handing out Mince Pies and Mulled Wine and all the Centres will have choral entertainment to get us in the festive spirit. 

From the 7^th onwards Santa will be at John Browns and Cadnam Garden Centres every weekend up until the 22^nd December. The cost is £5 including a gift and all profits will be going to Diverse Abilities and The Honeypot Children’s Charity and we’re very proud to be able to help.

I’m bringing my God-children to John Browns on a Saturday in December to have Breakfast with Santa, Brekkie and a Christmas box are included, as well as meeting the big man in the flesh for a £5! That’s a bargain!!

Lin
Our keen amateur gardener!

While the soil is still warm it’s the perfect time for planting Shrubs and Trees, I’ve found the perfect present for my Dad as it’s his birthday this week and will buy him a rose. When we plant it I’ll make sure I’ve dug in plenty of rose food to give it plenty of help through the winter months and a good start in the spring!



Next Week (23^rd Nov – 1 Dec) is National Tree Week so how about improving your carbon footprint and planting a tree!! Trees are perfect for adding structure to a garden and it’s an ideal time to plant if you want some autumn/winter colour and even berries. Our variegated Red Robin has just started to turn a stunning red and is a real highlight in our slightly grey and dreary garden!

Lin
Our keen amateur Gardener!

Here’s the chutney as promised! It tastes even better after a week maturing, and I’ve got plenty to give away!!!!

Even though some of my Summer bedding is still looking splendid I must acknowledge that it can't go on for much longer, it’s time to strip it out, chop it up and put it on the compost heap!! Now is the time to come in and buy your bulbs for next spring, we’ve got a fantastic variety of Narcissus, Dafodils, Tulips and Hyacinths, to name just a few!! As well as getting them into the soil I’ve been busy making up containers to put on the patio, firstly layering the bulbs so there will be colour from February onwards, and using our own Cyclamens and Winter pansies, home grown on our nursery, to give me an instant flush of colour.

Lin 

Our keen amateur gardener!

I love composing, the thought of all that waste producing something for my garden for free! Now is the time to start your compost If you haven't already done so, by buying a bin or building a partially enclosed area for a heap. It is vital to replace the goodness in soil after a hefty growing season and autumn produces masses of garden waste that will put invaluable organic richness back into the ground for next spring. A variety of different materials can be added, spent vegetable and bedding plants, herbaceous leftovers, cuttings from the lawn, weeds, (but not the roots unless they have been through a shredder) hedge clippings, kitchen peelings and tea bags are ideal.

Lin
Our keen amateur gardener!
 

All of a sudden the weather has changed and the wind and rain has arrived, bringing next the cold weather! I’ve just brought my citrus tree back in and will leave it in my greenhouse covered in fleece till the Spring. I’ll also be using fleece on my autumn salad patch to proctect the leaves from a sudden frost as night time temperatures continue to fall.

 

If like me you have started to clear away your Tomato plants and have been left with a glutton of green ones, they can be left on a windowsill or even put in the fruit bowl with a banana to ripen!!! I’m going to make some delicious Chutney with mine and will bring it in for all to sample!

Lin 
Our keen amateur gardener! 

Congratulations to Emma who gave birth to Grace on Monday 7^th October, Mother and Baby are doing well and everyone at Head Office can’t wait to meet the new edition and welcome her into the Golden Acres Team, we’re sure that when she grows up she’ll be as dedicated to plants as her Mum is!!!

In the meantime, while Emma is on maternity leave we will be having ‘Guest’ Bloggers from each of our Garden Centres, and we can’t wait to read their tips and interests!!

The Golden Acres Team