Garden furniture sale

27th Sep: by admin

All our garden furniture is currently on sale and must go as we are waiting for our new seasons stock to arrive.

 If you have always wanted garden furniture now is the time to get it.  Please call us or come into the showroom for more information.

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Planting now for 2012

23rd Sep: by admin

It’s official. It’s true. Despite the occasional sunny and warm day that teases with the promise of a forlorn, late Summer: Autumn is here. But that’s great news! Autumn is, with the exception of Spring, my favourite time of year. And, as a gardener, it is one of the most exciting and promising times of year.

 Despite the fact that the leaves are beginning to turn, and will soon shed their canopies’ load in myriad hues of colour, there is promise and hope in the air… For Autumn is the time when nurseries take a full re-stock of all their plants, and when some of the most fundamental plants and forms are available.

 Most plants are bought in containers. They stay in these containers for a few months, or many years, depending on the type of plant, and its eventual use. Containers – or pots – are great, and thoroughly useful. But, better yet – better by far – is a bare-rooted plant, field-grown. This means that it has been gown in the soil, in the ground. It is lifted in early Autumn, which basically involves it being dug up, and shoved rather unceremoniously into some kind of cloth-wrap, into which it is quickly knotted in unfussy fashion, and then it is all set to go and get planted. These plants are fresh, healthy, vigorous and strong.

 Bare-rooted stock includes hedging material, specimen plants – mainly trees – and Roses. Most other plants are also available as bare-rooted, such as popular shrubs. But the main staple basics are Roses, hedges, and trees.

The main advantage of buying any of these plants right now is, basically – they’re cheap. Super cheap. Hedging material can be bought at half the price, Roses at a third of the price, and trees about 20% cheaper. Price is not the only consideration – far from it. The most important factor to consider is timing. These plants are at their peak, and will have been grown in open ground for long enough to ensure vigour and reliability, and when planted at this favourable time of year – they are almost 100% guaranteed to ‘take’ readily and happily.

 This is most important with specimen stock. Big, mature plants that are expensive and important – ‘feature plants’, if you will. Planting them now will give them the very best chances of taking, and then thriving. They have a month or two to put out fresh roots while the weather is still mild. Then they have a few months to chill out and go ‘dormant’. And then, when the best part of the year has arrived with Spring, they can burst into life, and awaken in their new environments.

 Watering is a huge factor with newly-planted hedges and trees, as well as all other types of plants. Planting right now requires an initial soaking, and a few follow-up waterings over the next couple of months if we are blessed with warm and dry, sunny conditions. Other than that, they are totally undemanding.

 Also, bulbs are readily available in abundance. Now is the time to get busy! So cheap, so plentiful, and so rewarding. Invest heavily, and be carefree – 20 of this, and 40 of that is for shrubs and herbaceous… with bulbs – think 100s… seriously. 100 Allium ‘purple Sensation will set you back about £75.00…. that’s less that £1.00 per plant… when a small Lavender bush will cost about £6.00…. and don’t even get me started on Daffodils, Snowdrops and the like… Spend £200.00, and you will have a boisterous display of such spectacular glory and proportions that you will want to go bulb-crazy the following year!  If you would like to order any bulbs or are interested in any alternative bulbs give us a call.

So, Roses are fresh, trees and ‘big things’ can be planted without worry, hedges are fresh and strong and cheap, bulbs are plentiful and there-to-be-feasted-on, and lawns are ready for the re-laying.

 Get busy. For now is the time to be bold and daring… fill your garden with bulbs, refresh those tired, old Roses, plant up that hedge, get that specimen tree into the ground that you have always wanted, or lay the perfect lawn, and then – sit back, and wait for the ensuing pleasure and reward.

 Or – better yet – let us get busy, and get your garden ready for next year’s glory and enjoyment!

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Autumn maintenance

23rd Sep: by admin

Now is a very important time in the garden, a small amount of hard work now can really make all the difference to your garden next spring/summer.  Here at Harrington Porter we are now starting to get the gardens ready for the winter months which will soon be upon us.   Below are a few helpful tips for what to do in the garden over the next few months, in order to get everything ready.

• Tidy up your garden.  Especially after our fairly wet summer, it is very important to make sure that garden hygiene is top of your list. 
• At some time in October if you have an irrigation system, it will be time to take in your timer and put it away for the winter.
• Remove any plant debris and diseased leaves form flower beds.  Dig up any annuals, cut back any perennials and give the whole garden a really good weed.
• Lawn care.  If you want a great lawn next spring, then over the next couple of months is when you will need to put in the preparation.  Start to cut the grass less and don’t cut it as low as you do in the summer.  Scarify your lawn, which means raking out the dead grass and moss that has built up over the summer.   This will mean that your lawn will not look its best for a while, but trust us it will look a lot better next year.  Also give your lawn a good feed with a potassium rich autumn feed.
• Now there is no longer a need for the outdoor furniture, start to think about storing it away for the winter. If you don’t have a shed to store it in, it is a good idea to cover it with a waterproof sheet.  Always allow air to circulate around the furniture otherwise it will become damp and then stay damp for the whole winter, which won’t be good when you uncover it in spring!
• If you have a compost heap turn it before winter, so it has time to break down and rot before next spring.
• Now is a good time of year to plant spring bulbs and any new perennials for next year.  There is still time for new plants to establish themselves and late autumn / winter is a good time of year to move any shrubs or small trees.
• If you have a pond or water feature, cover with a net to stop debris / leaves falling into the water.

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Spring/Summer summary

23rd Sep: by admin

We built several of our now speciality outdoor rooms as well as a couple of larger family gardens in Clapham and Balham.  We have several interesting gardens at the design stage process and so far it looks good for Autumn what this space.  Please see below three gardens recently completed with fire pits, built in seating and contemporary trellis which is high on our clients wish list.   See our new case study section on our website to find out more details about these three properties.

Project 1: Before

Design

After A

Project 2: You may remember us showing you the design for this project in an earlier news letter. 

Before

Design

After

Project 3: Before

Design

After

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