Clandon Park Garden Centre
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Garden Centre Opening Hours
(Apr-Aug) Mon to Sat - 8.30am to 6pm Sun - 10am to 4pm (Sept-Mar) Mon to Sat - 8.30am to 5pm Sun - 10am to 4pm Coffee Shop Opens 8.30am weekdays and 10am Sundays Service Counter Closes 4.30pm weekdays and 4pm Sundays Pet Centre Opening Hours - Please see Pet Centre Page
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September 2010 NewsletterSummer is coming to a close soon and yes before you say anything we have had quite a reasonable summer really. Anyone who has seen my sun tan would agree to that. The biggest problem we have faced is the lack of rain but as I write it has been dribbling constantly for a while now. We will all be moaning about having too much wet weather soon!In the garden there is so much to look forward to and a little forward planning now will pay huge dividends later. Spring bulbs have arrived early this year so it's a good idea to decide quickly what your requirements will be, as they will sell out very fast. Plan carefully for an exciting floral display which will brighten up even the gloomiest late winter/early spring day. Starting with some of the earliest flowering narcissus like "Sir Winston Churchill" or "Cheerfulness" giving great colour and the advantage of a sweet fragrance, then leading through myriad of floral forms like Hyacinths, Crocus, Tulip, and many more to lead in the spring sunshine. Naturalising Narcissus and crocus in lawns is a great idea especially under trees and on those awkward banks where nothing seems to grow. I personally prefer the smaller dwarf and species forms that are available. Try Narcissus "Thalia" with near white perfectly formed blooms or the old favourite "Tete a Tete" for that mass of early yellow under trees or in tubs/baskets. Remember though bulbs will still need feeding to become well established. Plant with a little Bone Meal and a sprinkling of compost or Bulb Fibre for the best start possible. Generally, bulbs will need to be planted about twice their depth, the pointed end uppermost. If in doubt, you can plant them sideways and nature will do the rest for you! As a general rule when choosing your bulbs, get the biggest firmest bulbs as these will give much better flowers than some of the cheaper smaller bulbs. One rather large problem this year has been the extreme temperatures we have experienced. This has really been hard on container displays and hanging baskets. Now you can all start again! YES the autumn bedding is beginning to arrive in earnest now. Universal Pansies, Primroses, Polyanthus and Cyclamen to name a few, not to mention shrubs like Skimmia or Viburnum Tinus and Perennials like Heuchera, Ajuga and Sedum can also be used. The list is endless and will give enjoyment for so very long. Remember to use fresh compost where possible or at least freshen up stale compost with a little fertiliser .Under plant Autumn displays with Spring bulbs and you will have a very pleasant surprise when a new flush of flowers brighten your day in the new year. Why not try something a little unusual this autumn with shrubs like Camellia Sasanqua, an unusual autumn flowering shrub giving an evergreen hardy flowering plant at a time when so few shrubs are in flower. Try the variety "Sparkling Burgundy" with ruby rose double Paeony shaped flowers. An exciting new addition to our displays is the brand new Skimmia "Obsession" with its self fertile flowers giving way to glossy red berries later in the year - a sure winner. Talking about berries, look out for Callicarpa "Profusion" with iridescent purple berries. Many of the Japanese Acers are looking fantastic at this time of the year with their diverse leaf shape and great autumn colour. The lawn again will need a little bit of attention soon. Apply an autumn feed now as this will toughen up the grass and create strong roots which will enable the grass to survive the rigours of winter weather more easily. It is a good idea to scarify the lawn now to remove all of the thatch build up. This will encourage new healthy growth. Treat any areas of moss and weeds with a combined weed/ moss killer. Weed patches are best dealt with using a selective lawn weed killer like Verdone. Any bare patches may now be sown with "Lawn Refresh" a mix of specially treated seed and fertiliser which will give you back the lawns we so love. Aerate the lawn using a hollow tine aerator or just a garden fork, this will assist in drainage and if horticultural sharp sand is brushed into the holes the benefit will be greatly increased. Brush off any worm casts with a Besom broom before mowing and again raise the mower blades a little for the last few autumn cuts. Remember to clear away leaves from the lawn; these will rot on the grass causing disease and other problems. Not least just looking awful! In the vegetable garden it will be time to prune autumn flowering raspberries, cut out the weak forked or damaged stems and tie in strong healthy canes to bear next years fruit. Strawberry runners can be dug up and potted to give fresh new plants next season. Japanese onion set may be planted out now for over wintering, as can garlic cloves. A spray against potato/tomato blight is well worth the time now as this can be a problem in late summer. Use Dithane or a similar copper based fungicide. One last point is to spray Peach, Nectarine and Apricots just before leaf fall against Peach Leaf Curl. Use a copper based fungicide like Dithane now and then again in the spring. If possible move under protection for the winter months. Don't forget to keep feeding the birds at this time of year. They are packing on fat to get through the winter so a little help I am sure is always appreciated by our feathered friends. Fat balls, meal worms and various seed mixes are readily available in the garden centre. Come and visit us again soon at the Clandon Park Garden Centre. Our opening times are 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday till October; when we close at 5 o'clock. Sunday we open at 10am and close at 4pm. See you soon, Andy |
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We sell National Garden Vouchers