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Newsletter
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DEAR GARDEN ENTHUSIAST The brilliant thing about being a gardener is that, amidst the economic doom and gloom and having endured the hardest winter for many, many years, we have an amazing bonus. A severe winter produces the most fantastic blossom on trees, shrubs, climbers and plants and ever ywhere you look nature is lifting gardeners’ spirits with its beauty. I just wish now it would warm up a bit! Paul is organising a fun evening for all you singles out there. This is a great opportunity to meet other people in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere – and to make a change there are no computers involved! Just good old fashioned mingling in a lovely setting... So, if you are single and would like to meet other single people, do come along – we’re also offering a discount as extra enticement! I look forward to seeing lots of you on the night. Happy gardening, Beryl From Louise In May there is simply so much happening at the Garden Centre it is hard to stop and put pen to paper, but I wanted to share with you the excitement of this busy month. As gardeners, May, brings us longer and hopefully warmer evenings in which to enjoy spending time in your garden as there is so much to do and enjoy At North One I am busy buying in the best plants, filling every conceivable inch with plants I just couldn’t resist and I hope you will feel the same way. Every Thursday when the new stock comes in I think where will it all go? But to my constant surprise we manage to find a home for all the new arrivals. We might be small in size but we still aim to maintain a great selection. Summer Colour for your Pots and Window Boxes May is when the summer bedding plants come into their own and we reach the peak of selection. If you have delayed replacing your spring pots and containers, then now is the ideal time to make your summer choice. For a sunny window box in a hard to water place, there can be no better choice than Geraniums and all their magnificent colours. Geraniums benefit from a feed of Tomorite. This improves the flowering without promoting foliage growth. Shadier pots and window boxes can be planted up with Geraniums but they won’t flower as profusely. More ideally suited to a shadier location are Busy Lizzies (Impaitens), Violas, Nicotianas (Tobacco plants) and Fushias. Grow your Owns Herbs Come May, herbs are looking fantastic. Basil is now available and safe to plant outside. Herbs can be easily grown in window boxes. We advise planting your Mediterranean herbs – Rosemary, Thyme and Sage – together, as they need full sun and less watering than the more green and leafy herbs. Leafy, green herbs such as Parsley, Coriander and Basil need watering regularly but can’t be allowed to become waterlogged as they will rot off. The trick to keeping these greener herbs in good condition is to prevent them from flowering as this causes the plant to ‘bolt’ (put on a lot of leggy growth), and subsequently they don’t taste as nice.Pinch out the flower stalks as they emerge and give these green herbs a feed of a general-purpose fertiliser such as the seaweed based ‘Maxicrop’. Plant your herbs in our multipurpose / John Innes mixed compost or our ‘New Horizon’ organic compost. Other bits of news before I dash off We have had our second delivery of fruit for this season - lots more soft fruit, apples, plums and pears. They can still be planted for cropping this year, but remember to keep them well watered during any dry spell in their first year of settling in. We have also had our second delivery of roses – particularly more climbing and rambling roses. If you missed out on getting your ‘Iceberg’ or Rambling Rector’, we are now fully stocked up. In the next week I will be out buying some new, large specimen plants that will be in the garden centre by the time you are reading this, so come and see what choice things I’ve found. I look forward to seeing you in May and June, come share in the fun! All the best, Louise From Paul Trends in gardening are at the forefront of what North One is about and it seems there is huge interest in people wanting to grow houseplants. Over the years we have built up a reputation for having quality indoor plants with a good selection of unusual varieties and, of course, technical advice on hand for those who need a little guidance. Along with this we also have a seasonal supply of unusual exotics for the greenhouse and conservatory. For those style gurus amongst you, we have a constantly changing array of indoor containers to make them suitably stylish. Our indoor pots come in fashionable colours and materials suitable for every type of plant and home. Some recent arrivals are made of recycled paper; the resin interior holds in the moisture and the outer is decorated in funky paper! The new ‘concrete look’ pots are grey and very urban, they look great with succulents and foliage plants, such as an Echeveria. We search far and wide to find pots that are different. Companies that we use abroad have designers constantly redesigning according to trends: the new sand sea collection of pots are inspired by the way the sea leaves the sand on shore, and, in a similar material, the bee bum pots are inspired by just that! So if you want some sting in your pot plants you know where to come! Cacti (prickly fellas!) and succulents (the juicy ones without spines) are great for a sunny window sill and will also enjoy the summer outside. They look great in an urban setting using the grey foliage with sculptural-shaped pots and a dressing of black gravel. Make sure they have adequate drainage and use a cacti feed regularly during the summer. Try a hanging basket with different types of cacti for a stunning and original effect. Orchids, the world’s largest group of plants, will never cease to amaze even the most uninterested gardener. Flowering for many months, the shapes and colours of orchid flowers are second to none. Care of many of the orchids is easy. Phalenopsis give the best value for money flowering for many months at a time. The key is finding the right spot for them and let them flourish: a light place out of direct sun, room temperature and watering once a week (and some Orchid feed – which we stock here) is all that is required. Once the flowers have all finished cut the stalk back to just above the eye (little bump on the stem) and more flowers will grow again in due course. Ferns are a wondrous, relaxing plant to look at – the soft green leaves are soothing to the eye. These little beauties require a shady-to-bright spot and the soil should never be allowed to dry out. Occasional feeding during the summer will help the plant send out new fronds (leaves). Remember true ferns only reproduce from spores and will never have flowers! Bromeliads are epiphytes; these plants grow in the canopy of taller trees (but not feeding from them like parasites). The central urn of leaves collects water from the rain and serves as a hiding place for many animals, including tree frogs which lay their eggs there. Give these plants a bright to lightly shaded position which is warm and humid (bathrooms or kitchens tend to be good). The flowers which come in a huge array of colours last for many months. Of course if there are any plants that you require and we don’t have them in stock then feel free to ask us to order them in, we can’t always get everything but we can try! And here are a few of my personal favourites: Medinilla magnifica – this magnificent tropical shrub comes from the Philipines and in warm humid, bright conditions will reward you with massive pink / green buds which burst to reveal berry-like flowers that hang like pink chandeliers. Nertera granadensis – this tiny creeping plant has masses of glowing orange berries, which last for months. And its best secret is that it smells of the forest floor. Keep it moist and in a shady spot. Platycerium grande – the elk horn fern grows into a monster if given half the chance. I used to have a giant 2m tall growing on a slab of bark, it is an epiphyte like the Bromeliads from Australia. Given plenty of light, you too can have your own elk horns! Paul From Joel After the coldest winter for 30 years, the sun shone in April and put the smile back on all of our faces. Who will forget that glorious weekend of clear skies, thanks to the volcanic ash from Iceland. This year, we’ve brought our second newsletter forward, to keep you updated through the Spring and early Summer. It seems conversation has turned to hung parliaments and the merits of a 4-4-2 formation. We don’t do much politics or football at N1; but we know our stuff when it comes to plants and all things for the garden. So if you need to escape the post election/pre World Cup hysteria, then pop in for a dose of horticultural sanity. Some reminders and highlights to look forward to: Tubs for shrubs We know that many of our customers have ‘container’ gardens, balconies or terraces. As well as classic terracotta and biodegradable plastic, we have a fantastic selection of great looking outdoor pots to complement your plants. As you would expect, Paul has spent considerable time selecting exclusive designs not available in the larger chains. If you are going to put your ‘shrubs in tubs’, remember that container plants do tend to dry out a bit quicker, so will need more regular watering and feeding. Keep it trim Throughout May and June, you can keep the lawn looking healthy with a regular trim. Little and often is the key. At this time of year, aim for a length of around 3-4 cm and cut roughly once a week. Complement mowing with a feed, preferably one that also contains a weed killer. This should help to keep the grass looking lush. We stock a range of lawn feeds, including Evergreen Complete ‘Four in One’. As the weather has warmed up a little later than usual this year, aphids might now be starting to infest your plants. If so, spray with an insecticide. We have a range of the convenient ready-to-use sprays. Also, you can protect Hostas with some slug pellets – we stock both the regular and organic varieties. Finally, don’t forget that regular feeding will keep plants healthy through the season. If you prefer to be organic, Bonemeal or Fish, Blood and Bone are a good choice but they can be a magnet for foxes. Alternative recommendations are Growmore or Vitax Q4. As ever, we will be open throughout the bank holiday weekend at the end of May, from 9.30am to 6.00pm. See you soon. Kind regards, Joel NORTH ONE SINGLE STEMS, SINGLES NIGHT Finally, North One is opening its doors on Friday 11th June for a very special night: Single Stems! If you’re single and love gardening then come on down – we’re combining the two just for you! With complimentary glass of fizzy wine, some delicious nibbles, a 10% discount off all purchases plus all the gardening advice you need – this should be a memorable night – and who knows, you may bag yourself a plant, a new pal or a... date at the same time! See you there – 6-8pm. |
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