Blog Posts
Garden furniture – massive furniture sale
1st Feb:
If you have always wanted stylish Rattan garden furniture for your garden but never got round to buying it, now is definitely the time to think again. We are currently offering amazing prices on the ex display garden furniture we have in the show room at the moment. We need to clear this stock to make room for the arrival of new furniture this month, all furniture must go.
• Black Rattan Sofa set – 2 seater sofa with an arm chair and 2 foot stool/coffee table – from £500
• Rattan Coffee table with 2 chairs and 2 footstools (to create a mini lounger) – from £300
• Dinning Table and 8 chairs – from £800
• Sun lounger – from £250.00
• Cushion Box – from £250
Please call us or come in and see us if you are interested.
Fusarium patch disease
22nd Nov:
Recently some of our clients have brought to our attention a problem that seems to be afflicting people’s lawns at the moment. We have been speaking to our turf supplier and the problem is Fusarium. Below is a link that they have sent to me that explains a bit about it. Although in the article it says there are no chemicals available to the amateur gardener, we do have a treatment that should help get rid of the problem. If anyone has any problems or questions please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Harrington Porter. <a href=”http://http://www.turfgrass.co.uk/index.php/knowledge_base/view_article_details/5/?c_id=1″>
Gardening and bulb Tips for November
15th Nov:
This time last year winter had well and truly arrived, this year nature is giving us a greater opportunity to complete those outstanding gardening task.
Traditionally November is a busy time in the garden especially with regards to planting (bare-rooted and/or root balled hedging, trees and shrubs.
• Remove fallen leaf from lawn areas and use to make leaf mould, an excellent compost for planted border. Simply dampen collected leaves and store in a black plastic bag. Pierce bag and set aside for 6 months
• Check and remove (rake/scarify) any moss and thatch from lawn areas
• If temperatures remain mild, grass will continue to grow, wait for dry conditions before giving the lawn a trim
• Apply autumn/winter lawn feed (high in phosphates and potash) to encourage good root development
• November is a good month to take a critical look at the garden, correct any mistakes, determine and plan changes for spring and try something new
• With a mild Autumn so far there is still time to plant your spring flowering bulbs. Here at some suggestions for some last minute bulb planting:
o Tulip Montreux, Tulip Fantasy, Leucojum aestivum, Nerine bowdenii and Fritallaria meleagris.
• Daffodils don’t have to be boring, here are some stunning and unusual suggestions:
o Narcissi Ambergate, Narcissi Audubon, Narcissi Rip Van Winkle, Narcissi Polar Ice & Narcissi Cum Laude.
Conkers
1st Nov:
You don’t have to be a tree hugger to care and we have all enjoyed a game of conkers at some stage in our lives.
The horse chestnut tree has been hit by two diseases. The first hit is a bacteria, bleeding canker, which infects the bark and cuts the water supply to the crown off. The second hit is an ‘alien’ leaf-mining moth which is relatively new in the UK and comes from the Balkans. Its indiscriminate, attacking workaday horse chestnuts and grander trees alike, weakening them which results in smaller conkers.
You may have noticed the leaves turning a deep shade of brown and thinking this was just autumn protocol but up close the leaves are marked with the infestation of the leaf miner, if you look close enough you can see the caterpillars embedded in the leaf. The tree hit by this infestation will not die immediately but it does have long term implications. A big tree can contain up to 2 million moths with the caterpillars eating through the leaves turning them brown earlier than they would naturally therefore reducing its ability to photosynthesis meaning the tree has less energy stored for the winter months. This makes the tree severely weak and if on top of the moths the tree is hit by bleeding canker it could easily die.
There are a few ways to stop the leaf miner. Some tree have been sprayed, it is also important to clear leaf litter from underneath the tree, this removes the moths habitat therefore reducing its numbers. There have also been some experiments with small wasps that feed on the moths.
If you would like to take a more active approach to finding a way of saving the conker tree you can join the likes of Steven Fry and download the free app from www.conkertreescience.org.uk. You can upload your findings of trees in your area straight on to the website therefore enabling the ecologists to plot how far the leaf miner has travelled, how many trees are being effected and hopefully a way to protect the tree for generations of conker players to come.
Something to do this weekend – Serpentine Gallery Pavillion
6th Oct:
You have until the 18th October to visit this year’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Step away from the hustle and bustle of London, a garden within a garden.
“The concept for this year’s Pavilion is the hortus conclusus, a contemplative room, a garden within a garden. One enters the building from the lawn and begins the transition into the central garden, a place abstracted from the world of noise and traffic and the smells of London – an interior space within which to sit, to walk, to observe the flowers.”
http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2011/04/serpentine_gallery_pavillion_2011_zumthor.html
Decking
4th Oct:
Decking and what are your options.
There are three main types of decking one can have in your garden. We frequently get asked which is the best choice to go for and especially which one requires the least maintenance.
Below are some brief explanations for each of the three main types of decking and hopefully if you are thinking of getting some decking done in the near future this will help with your decision.
Firstly you have softwood and hardwood decking. Basically softwood comes from faster growing trees and is therefore easier to farm, whereas hardwood comes from slower growing trees which are common in rainforests. These are also now ‘farmed’, which means that when a tree is cut down they are replaced by a newly planted one. The terms hard and soft have nothing to do with physical hardness of the wood, but hardwood does include some natural properties that softwood doesn’t have such as high fire rating, natural oils, and a natural resistance to insects, fungus, acids and alkalis, which ultimately will mean less maintenance needed for a hardwood deck. In theory both softwood and hardwood decking should be cleaned and oiled once a year.
The other option is composite decking. This is a relatively new product and is a combination of wood, plastic and PVC. It is good for anyone looking for a very low maintenance deck but will not look as good as the real thing. Also it has a longer guarantee and can last for up to 25 years.
Then there are the different widths of the boards (approx 4 inch or 6 inch) and the option of having smooth boards, small grooves and large grooves.
If anyone would like to know more about the options available and approximate costings of the three different types available please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Harrington Porter. Also have a look on our website as we have recently added some photos of some gardens we have recently done and some of them include decking.
Garden furniture sale
27th Sep:
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.
Bulb List- Autumn 2011
26th Sep:
At Harrington Porter we stock a fantastic range of bulbs, and now is the time to get busy. Cheap, plentiful and rewarding…
Planting now for 2012
23rd Sep:
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!
Autumn maintenance
23rd Sep:
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.
