/brochure

Spring Favourites

Perennials

Seed & Grain Cafe

Seed Potatoes

Spring Bedding

Summer Flowering Bulbs

Garden Delivery

Potters crouch

Landscaping & Building

Landscape Materials & Fencing

Tradesman

The Hertfordshire - Header

About Us

Brand New Seed & Grain Cafe & Coffee Shop

Welcome!

<p>These <strong>top 5 flowering shrubs</strong> will keep your garden in bloom most of the year. There are so many to chose from there is a flowering shrub definitely suitable for every single garden. Many are fragrant, some have stunning colours, from evergreens to deciduous, the options are endless. Here are our top 5 suitable for most gardens.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These <strong>top 5 flowering shrubs</strong> will keep your garden in bloom most of the year. There are so many to chose from there is a flowering shrub definitely suitable for every single garden. Many are fragrant, some have stunning colours, from evergreens to deciduous, the options are endless. Here are our top 5 suitable for most gardens.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>1. Sarcococca</h2>
<p>These are wonderful evergreen shrubs with little creamy white flowers. They may be small, but they are seriously fragrant from winter into spring. They give a great deal of interest and fragrance to any garden, along with the berries that follow. Sarcococca confusa is a bushy shrub that grows up to about 2m and often enjoyed in gardens worldwide.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>2. Daphne</h2>
<p>Another fragrant shrub that really comes into its own when there isn’t much else flowering in the garden. The scent can be caught in the air all the way down your garden path, and the flowers are beautiful. Great for small or larger gardens and even better when planted nearby where you will walk so you can catch the scent in the air. The majority are evergreen, so even when they are not flowering, they still greatly interest the garden.</p>
<h2>3. Hebe</h2>
<p>Hebe is a well-known shrub grown all around the world. You can find many different varieties and sizes available to suit most gardens. They can be grown as a stand-alone shrub or for ground cover, even hedging, and as they flower for a long time throughout the year, they are a great nectar source for bees and other pollinators. Chose from many colours such as lilac or white plus variegated foliage.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>4. Weigela</h2>
<p>These are. Low maintenance deciduous shrubs that grow well in many gardens. The foliage ranges from dark green to variegated, and the flowers from deep pink to yellow, which pollinators also love. The shrub will flower in the summer.</p>
<h2>5. Spirea&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Another deciduous shrub with several species available. The foliage is on thin stems, but the clusters of flowers are big and very pretty. They can be long, cascading flowers or small puffs of flower too. There are also some with great autumnal colours too. Spirea ‘bridlewreath’ is one not to be missed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Shrubs give structure in a garden, homes and food for wildlife, plus nectar for bees. By choosing the right shrub for your garden, it will thrive for many years and provide you with a lot of interest at various stages. Do a little research before you buy, so you know what will be best suited to your garden.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Visit us in store where you will find a selection of shrubs and friendly staff to advise you.&nbsp;</p>

Top 5 Flowering Shrubs

<p>Baked, boiled, chipped or roasted, potatoes are always a winner. And there’s nothing quite like your own potatoes, dug up from the ground like buried treasure. <strong>Growing your own potatoes</strong> means you can choose from a wide range of different potato types, flavours and even colours. If you’ve never grown potatoes before, now’s the perfect time to start.</p>

<p>Baked, boiled, chipped or roasted, potatoes are always a winner. And there’s nothing quite like your own potatoes, dug up from the ground like buried treasure. <strong>Growing your own potatoes</strong> means you can choose from a wide range of different potato types, flavours and even colours. If you’ve never grown potatoes before, now’s the perfect time to start.</p>
<h2>What are maincrop potatoes?</h2>
<p>Maincrop potato tubers are sown in mid to late April. They produce bigger potatoes than the first and second early varieties and take longer to mature. They are best planted in the ground rather than in containers or bags to give the tubers space to grow. Maincrop potatoes generally store well for several months in the right conditions.</p>
<h2>6 good maincrop potatoes to plant</h2>
<p>There’s a huge range of maincrop potatoes to choose from, so we’ve picked out six of our favourites to get you started.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Desiree’</strong> – red-skinned, waxy potatoes great for mashing or baking</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Maris Piper’</strong> – one of the best-known potatoes, great for baking, roasting and mashing</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Orla’</strong> - a first early potato that can also be left in the ground to mature into a maincrop. It’s both disease and drought-resistant and is ideal for baking and roasting.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘King Edward’</strong> – another trendy variety, fantastic for roasting, with fluffy flesh and delicious crunchy skin.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Sarpo Mira’</strong> – large pink-skinned potatoes with a floury texture, great for mash.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Purple Majesty’</strong> – a striking purple potato packed with anti-oxidants.&nbsp; It keeps its purple colour when cooked, causing a sensation on your dinner table!</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to plant maincrop potatoes</h2>
<p>It’s a good idea to ‘chit’ maincrop potatoes before planting. This means leaving the potatoes somewhere warm and bright indoors for a few weeks to sprout shoots before planting.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Potatoes need a sunny site and well-drained, fertile soil. Dig in lots of compost or well-rotted farmyard manure several weeks before planting. (Ideally, potato beds should be prepared in autumn, ready for planting in spring.)</p>
<p>Plant the potato tubers 12cm (5in) deep, spaced 40cm (16in) apart, in rows spaced 75cm (30in) apart. If you are planting lots of potatoes, it’s easiest to dig a narrow trench rather than individual holes and place them in the trench.</p>
<p>Once the potato seedlings have grown about 25cm (10in) tall, earth them up by mounding up soil around them to cover the stems, leaving the top 10cm (4in) of the plant uncovered. Repeat this process as the plants grow until the mounds are between 20-30cm high. This stops light from reaching the tubers and turning them green and poisonous.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Water your potatoes regularly in dry weather.</p>
<h2>Harvesting maincrop potatoes</h2>
<p>Maincrop potatoes should be ready to harvest from late August to October. When the leaves turn yellow, cut them down and remove them. Leave the potatoes in the ground for 10 days before harvesting.</p>
<p>Whatever you’re growing this year, you’ll find everything you need in our centre. Visit us to see our great ranges of seed potatoes and much more.</p>

How to sow and grow maincrop potatoes

<p>If you dream of a smooth green lawn in your garden this summer, now’s the time to start getting it into shape. As the days warm up and the grass springs back into action, putting in some work on your lawn now will pay dividends over the rest of the year. Here are our top <strong>6 spring lawn care tips</strong>.</p>

<p>If you dream of a smooth green lawn in your garden this summer, now’s the time to start getting it into shape. As the days warm up and the grass springs back into action, putting in some work on your lawn now will pay dividends over the rest of the year. Here are our top <strong>6 spring lawn care tips</strong>.</p>
<h2>Spring lawn care tips</h2>
<ol>
<li>
<p>Aerate your lawn.&nbsp; If your lawn is small, you can use a garden fork to spike holes at regular intervals, focusing especially on any areas of compacted ground. Alternatively, use a hollow tine aerator, which removes small plugs of soil, leaving holes behind. This improves drainage on compacted soils and allows air to get into the soil and reach the roots of the grass, producing stronger growth. If your lawn is too large to be aerated by hand, mechanical aerators are available.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Mow your lawn with your lawnmower blades on their highest setting while the grass is still starting to grow. As growth speeds up over the next few months, gradually lower the blade setting. Don’t mow wet or frosty grass.&nbsp;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Scarify your lawn by raking it firmly with a spring tine rake or using a mechanical scarifier to clear out moss and thatch (dead grass). If moss is a big problem in your lawn, apply moss killer first and wait until the moss turns brown or black, then scarify. As with any chemical product, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Feed your lawn with a spring lawn fertilizer, which is high in nitrogen to promote lush growth. This strengthens the turfgrass, thus reducing the opportunities for weeds and moss to get established.&nbsp; Check the instructions before applying, as lawn fertilizers often need watering in. Ideally, apply lawn fertiliser when rain is expected.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Tackle lawn weeds. Dig up deep-rooted weeds like dandelions with a dandelion grubber with a long thin blade with a notch at the tip. Insert the blade next to the root, twist around to loosen the root from the earth, then use the notch to sever the root at the base. If your lawn has too many weeds to dig up by hand, use a lawn weedkiller, which will target the weeds without killing the grass.&nbsp;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Fix bare patches by sowing seed or use a lawn patch repair kit, which contains seed and fertiliser. Before sowing, lightly dig over the soil's surface with a fork to break it up, then rake it smooth. Scatter the seed and rake over to cover it. Water regularly until the seed has germinated and the grass is well established, and don’t walk on the grass until after it is long enough to be cut.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Spend a little time and effort on your lawn this month – the results will be well worth it! We have a wide range of lawn care products and equipment in the centre, so visit us to get your lawn off to a great start this spring.</p>

April lawn care tips

<p><strong>Growing plants from seed</strong> is one of the joys of gardening. It’s great for gardeners on a tight budget, giving you masses of plants for minimal cost, and there’s no beating the sense of triumph that comes from seeing those first seedlings poke their green heads above the soil. Sow a few seeds now in spring, and they’ll give you a spectacular show in summer.</p>

<p><strong>Growing plants from seed</strong> is one of the joys of gardening. It’s great for gardeners on a tight budget, giving you masses of plants for minimal cost, and there’s no beating the sense of triumph that comes from seeing those first seedlings poke their green heads above the soil. Sow a few seeds now in spring, and they’ll give you a spectacular show in summer.</p>
<h2>Tips on sowing seeds</h2>
<p>Seeds are not all the same, and what works for one won’t necessarily work for all. Some need light to germinate, while others won’t start growing below a certain temperature.&nbsp; Before sowing, check your seed packet for the seeds’ requirements. Although seeds can sometimes germinate in the most surprising circumstances, you’ll have much more success if you give your seeds the environment they prefer.</p>
<h2>Sowing seeds outdoors</h2>
<p>To prepare the ground for sowing seeds, dig it over to get rid of any weeds and large stones, then tread over it lightly to firm it. Finally, rake it so that the surface is smooth and level, with a crumbly texture (generally referred to as ‘a fine tilth’).</p>
<p>You’ll see several terms used to describe methods of sowing seeds on seed packets and in gardening books. Broadcast sowing is one of the simplest, often used for wildflowers that would normally self-seed. It involves simply taking a handful of seeds and scattering them evenly across the ground, then lightly raking them over to cover them.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Sowing in drills is a method often used for sowing vegetable seeds, as it gives you a neat row of plants that can be easily distinguished from any surrounding weeds. Use a stick or the edge of a trowel to draw a narrow channel in the soil where your row of plants will grow, then sow your seeds in this channel and rake the soil back over it.</p>
<h2>Sowing seeds indoors</h2>
<p>Plants with a long growing period, like tomatoes and chillies, and tender annuals like cosmos, are sown indoors in early spring to protect them from frosts and planted out when the weather is warmer. Heated greenhouses and propagators are ideal for this, providing a constant, controlled temperature for young seedlings. Still, many seeds will also germinate quite happily in pots on a sunny windowsill from mid-spring onwards.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Seeds to sow indoors in spring</h2>
<p>These seeds can be sown indoors in spring and planted out once the frosts are over.</p>
<ul>
<li>Nasturtiums&nbsp;</li>
<li>Salvia</li>
<li>Marigolds</li>
<li>Tomatoes</li>
<li>Aubergines</li>
<li>Squash&nbsp;</li>
<li>Courgettes</li>
<li>French and runner beans</li>
</ul>
<h2>Seeds to sow outdoors in spring</h2>
<p>These seeds can be sown directly outside in spring for beautiful summer flowers and delicious harvests.</p>
<ul>
<li>Sunflowers&nbsp;</li>
<li>Beetroot</li>
<li>Wildflowers</li>
<li>Hardy annuals</li>
<li>Carrots and parsnips</li>
<li>Kale</li>
<li>Spinach</li>
<li>Coriander</li>
<li>Chard</li>
</ul>
<p>Spring is the perfect time to start sowing seeds for a sensational summer garden, and you’ll find everything you need in our centres. Visit us today and start sowing!</p>

Sowing seeds for summer

On the Blog

<p>Leaving soil bare to the elements for any length of time is a recipe for disaster. Soil structure is a delicate thing, and if it's pounded into a hard cap by relentless rain, baked by the sun and then colonised by tough, hard-to-eradicate weeds it's no wonder you struggle to get anything to grow 

Green manures

 Now the weather has finally started to warm up the plant matter in your compost bin will be rotting down a lot quicker, so turn regularly make sure the heat is distributed properly.  Amateur Gardening - Britain's top-selling weekly gardening magazine, on sale every Tuesday. ;