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Love tulips? Then nip along to your Co-op

The British tulip season has commenced, and Co-op became the first supermarket this season to launch the UK-grown blooms to help brighten-up our homes as we head into darker months this weekend.

Described as bright, cheerful and affordable flowers, tulips are: “perfect for the home and a popular choice with our customers, certain to lift people’s spirits and put a smile on faces during the winter months” said Co-op’s Horticulture Technical Manager, Gemma Gray.

Grown in Lincolnshire, the sale of British tulips forms part of Co-op’s ongoing commitment to work closely with and support British growers and farmers.

Co-op is also a signatory to the National Farmers Union (NFU) plants and flowers pledge.

Gemma went on to say: “Co-op works closely with its farmers and growers all year round, building long term relationships and supporting suppliers throughout the seasons. We are very excited to lead the way with British tulips this season. We're very confident our customers will love them, I believe the flowers provide a sense that brighter days are just around the corner, and I am delighted that high quality and much loved British tulips are now available in Co-op stores in communities across the UK.”

(The image used is courtesy of seth0s and Pixabay)

Dobbies can help you prepare your garden for the year ahead

Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles 

Garden centre highlights winter gardening tips to prepare for a blooming good 2023

As temperatures drop and we look out our cosiest winter coats, taking care of our gardens might not be at the forefront of our minds. However, Dobbies, the UK’s top garden centre, says winter shouldn’t be a time of gardening shut down and, in fact, there are jobs to be done that will prep our outdoor spaces for the new year. 

Looking after your garden now, will save money and time in the long run.

Whether you’re looking to get planting, inject some winter colour into your garden, or protect your bedding plants, Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles has some tips on how you can look after your garden this winter and prepare it for a blooming good 2023. Find out what gardening jobs you can do this winter and how you can appreciate the beauty of the outdoors regardless of the season.

Tidy up

When it comes to tidying up our gardens in winter, Marcus advises this is the time we should be cutting back our herbaceous plants and getting rid of a lot of the debris around them. Marcus says we should try leave some of the seed heads and branches for structure though as these will add to the beauty of your garden in winter when the first frost sets in. Leaving some debris around your plants will also provide a sanctuary for wildlife to protect them against the elements and will give insects a place to lay eggs.

Marcus says you shouldn’t need to mow your lawn in winter however, you should remove any fallen dead leaves as soon as possible as these will block air and sunlight; two things that grass needs to survive.

Protect plants

Marcus says mulching is one of the most important jobs in winter as this will protect your plants from the elements. To ensure good soil health and protect your plants’ roots when temperatures drop, Marcus advises mulching well with Bloomin Amazing or Dobbies’ award-winning own brand peat free compost. Mulching will insulate your plants and enrich the soil, however, your more tender plants will benefit from frost protection fleece or placing in a cold frame or grow-house during a particularly harsh winter cold snap.

Instant winter colour

Refreshing your containers and hanging baskets is a great way to give your garden a burst of instant winter colour and Marcus says that the hardy Skimmia rubella is a fantastic choice for this, with its beautiful red flower buds that look like berries. Winter heathers are great value and a lovely option for brightening containers at this time of year, and Marcus suggests planting these in pots at your front or back door.  Don’t forget to use ericaceous John Innes compost for both these plants.

To frame your doorway in winter and add a welcome touch of greenery to your garden, dwarf Conifers can be planted in pots - just make sure your container is large enough to give the Conifer roots room to grow. The compact Flowering Box (Sarcococca) and Bay trees can also be planted at your door in winter and will breathe life into your containers, plus, can be adorned with twinkling lights for a festive touch as we approach Christmas.

Seasonal planting

Although a lot of people might think that winter is a time for garden shut down, Marcus says there is still plenty of options for those who want to do some planting. Winter-flowering Violas and Pansies can be planted through the autumn and winter and will survive the cold temperatures, giving you a beautiful display of flowers right through until spring.

Viburnum tinus is another wonderful choice for winter flowers and will add interest and a beautiful fragrance to your pots and borders. This resilient shrub can withstand harsh winter temperatures and will produce eye-catching pink buds that open to white flowers from October to March.

Another important job for during the winter months is pruning roses to ensure any harsh weather doesn’t interfere too much with them. Marcus recommends taking the stems down by half to stop the wind catching plants as much over winter, and then in spring, he suggests pruning back fresh new shoots which will give nice structure for the plants ready to flower next year.

For more gardening tips and inspiration, visit www.dobbies.com.

If you have any gardeners in your life, nip over to Dobbies for a fantastic range of plants, seeds, gardening tools, gardening books and more besides.

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Hedgelaying World Record Attempt creates wildlife haven

Over 60 dedicated hedgelayers from around the UK and Ireland have converged on East Hampshire for a Guinness World Record attempt.

Ahead of this year’s National Hedgerow Week, more than 60 hedgelayers from around the UK and Ireland converged on East Hampshire for a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest stretch of hedge laid in 12 hours. Dr Francis Buner, senior scientist at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) was called upon for scientific advice and to act as ‘Specialist Witness’ for the world record attempt.

The event on First October at the Rotherfield Park Estate resulted in a remarkable 555.4 metres of hedges laid in approximately seven and a half hours. A speed of nearly 80 metres of hedge laying per hour. £6,550 has so far been raised by the event, being split between prostate and breast cancer charities and the Ukraine DEC appeal.

Dr Buner said: “Hedgelaying is a beautiful rural tradition and the people practising it are just lovely. In times gone by hedgelaying was a necessity, being vital to keep livestock in fields, each region having its own typical style. Once the hedge has grown back, it will be brimming with wildlife once more.”

With a mix of amateurs and professionals from the National Hedgelaying Society and the National Hedgelaying Society of Ireland all working in 10m strips, the attempt saw over 60 hedgelayers getting involved. 

The local team was joined by teams from North Somerset, Lancashire and Westmoreland, Devon, the South of England, Midlands, Cheshire and Ireland. Many of the teams brought their own regional styles of hedgelaying, including the Midlands style and the Irish freestyle.

Conditions at Rotherfield Park Estate meant that this record attempt was difficult to compare to a previous hedgelaying record achieved, of just over 280 metres of hedge laid in 12 hours by two people, which it is assumed was undertaken by professional hedgelayers working on optimal hedges. Hedges should ideally be laid at eight or nine years old. 

In the Rotherfield attempt, the hedges had last been coppiced (cut down to one foot tall) around 18 years ago and were already 30 to 40 years old at that point. This, combined with the exceptionally dry spring and summer, meant that the stems and trunks were extremely thick and brittle, and the hedges included a mix of species with plenty of thorn bushes - proving a challenge for even the most seasoned of hedgelayers.

As well as being useful to farmers, GWCT wildlife monitoring has shown that proper management of hedgerows, including hedgelaying, is highly beneficial to wildlife. Francis commented:

“I have been doing bird surveys in the area where these hedges were laid since 2010. In that time farmland birds of conservation concern, such as skylark, linnet, yellowhammer, dunnock and song thrush have increased by more than 90%. That is testament to the efforts of Rotherfield team to improve habitat on their farm.

“During the same period, these birds have continued to decline nationally. The GWCT is proud to have been involved with the recovery of wildlife at the Rotherfield Park Estate.

“Whether this is a world record or not, we will find out once all the paperwork has been processed. Regardless, everyone, from the charities and the local community to the wildlife, is a winner.”

National Hedgerow Week began in 2021 to highlight the immense contribution these unsung heroes of the natural world make in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss and to raise awareness of the threats they face. Find out more hedgelink.org.uk/campaign/national-hedgerow-week/

For more information on the Hedgelaying Society and how they are working to maintain the traditional skills of hedgelaying and encourage the management of hedgerows for the benefit of wildlife and landscape, visit hedgelaying.org.uk.

(Image courtesy Tim and Pixabay)

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