CONIFERS – THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR THE NO-SPACE, NO TIME GARDENER’S IN THE SOUTH WEST

Today’s busy lifestyles and hectic schedules mean that many people are short of leisure time and may struggle to look after a garden. PlantforLife, in conjunction with the Association of British Conifer Growers, found that over half (57%) of people in the South West want a garden that is easy to care for, with more than a quarter (29%) of those surveyed saying they want to enjoy a great-looking garden.

Since garden aesthetics are still hugely important and people are short of leisure time, there is a need for plants which are manageable and easy to maintain. However, people still want their gardens to have the same impact as large, well cared-for gardens.
Conifers fit all of the above criteria so they are an ideal solution for many gardens. Conifers are a wonderful way of adding colour and shape to the garden. What’s more, they last all year round – unlike many other plants. Many of them change colour throughout the year, giving gardens fabulous splashes of orange, blue or purple in the autumn and winter, when other plants are dormant.
When thinking of conifers, many people associate them with the large and fast-growing Leylandii conifer. While these can be very useful and magnificent trees, they can be too much for small gardens if not properly trimmed. However, there’s a lot more to the conifer family than tall trees. There is a huge variety of shapes and sizes of conifer.
Conifers are also fantastically versatile. They can be used in containers or as dramatic standalone features in the garden. They can give height to borders or create a formal look around a front door. Their beauty is striking when frost or snow covers their shape in winter.
Many conifers are also very easy to look after. As long as they are planted in the right spot, and there are many positions in the garden that would be suitable, conifers only need an occasional trim or prune to keep them looking good. They will need watering to get them established, but once growing will need little attention and will provide year-round interest. They are virtually maintenance-free and great value as they will perform for years to come.
The fourth National Conifer Week takes place from 27th September – 5th October 2008 and St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter are brimming with home-grown conifers and information on how they can add a contemporary look to your garden. Additionally, visit www.plantforlife.info/conifer for conifer suggestions, pictures, gardening advice.

Nursery Plant Sale - EXCLUSIVE BARGAIN EVENT!

With new season stock nearly ready for sale, St Bridget Nurseries' nursery department has some older stock that they would like to offer you at greatly reduced prices. All selected plants in this sale are just £3 each, which represents over half price savings for many of the plants! The sale takes place this Saturday (27th September) between 9am and 12 noon. Follow signs through the garden centre plant area in Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7JY. Get there early as we plants are expected to sell fast at this very special event!

Job vacancy at St Bridget Nurseries

St Bridget Nurseries' Clyst St Mary Garden Centre are advertising for a deputy garden centre manager. The deputy garden centre manager will be part of a team of 15 people working at the Clyst St Mary, Exeter garden centre & will help deliver quality advice & assistance to our customers whilst enabling the company to meet its financial targets. As a senior member of the company the role is flexible, the deputy garden centre manager maybe required to work at other sites operated by the company.
This is a full time position, 5 days a week including 1 w/e day.
You'll respect the importance of driving sales and exceeding customer expectations through the development, encouragement and recognition of your team. If this sounds like you please call 01392 873672 or e-mail marketing@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk for a job application pack.

Closing date for applications is 30th September 2008.

Berry Good!

Blackberries and their relatives loganberries and boysenberries produce fruit on stems produced the previous year. To ensure a good crop every year, cut back all canes that fruited this year to the base and leave the newer cane shoots to fruit next year!

Soft fruit plants including raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and blackberries will be on sale in St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres at the end of October - order yours now to ensure you get the varieties you want. Call 01392 873672

Winter Hanging Baskets

The basic principles of making a winter hanging basket is exactly the same as a summer one. Plant your basket during September or October. If you use a wire basket line it first (you can buy liners from a garden centre like St Bridget Nurseries). Fill the basket half full with compost like a multi-purpose or if you plan to plant heathers use an ericaceous compost. Start by planting one central evergreen centrepiece like a clipped box (buxus), cordyline (the green ones are more frost hardy that the red and purple ones), dwarf conifers or tiny choisya. Around this plant some trailing plants like ivy. For colour try any winter flowering bedding plants like primulas, winter flowering pansies, violas, cyclamen (as illustrated), or winter flowering heathers. Also plant some bulbs like iris for January and crocus for February flowers. Winter hanging baskets are best placed in a sheltered sunny spot, keep an eye on moisture - the basket should be moist but not soggy.

Bulb Bonanza!

St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter are packed with beautiful spring flowering bulbs. Now is the best time to buy them as it ensures you get the best specimens and the widest choice of varieties. Large bulbs tend to give the best flower displays such as daffodils and tulips. It's best to plant most bulbs as soon as you can but tulip bulbs may benefit being planted later (October/November) so prevent them becoming diseased.

Tulips like to be grown in a partial shade or full sun position and a sheltered one so that the wind and rain don't batter their flowers. Tulips like fertile well drained soil and are ideal for pots/containers. Plant bulbs about 10-20cm apart and at three times or more their own depth in the soil. You can also force tulips to give an earlier floral display. Simply plant in pots in November and keep in a cool dark place. Once buds emerge (in December) move to a cool, light spot. After two weeks bring indoors for flowers in February or keep in the cool for longer if you want to delay flowering a bit longer.

Look after Orchids

Orchids are simply stunning houseplants and they are really easy to care for. To help you feed your plants there are lots of new drip feeders on the market. You simply cut the end of these small tubes, turn them upside down and they very slowly drip their contents into the soil surrounding your orchid. St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres sell these 32ml feeders for just 99p each. Plus they have beautiful orchids, orchid pots and orchid compost for sale.

I'd like to grow a tree that giraffes like to eat!

The staff at St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter like to be asked challenging questions to test their horticultural knowledge but one customer recently had them baffled! The customer approached the member of staff and said, 'I'm looking for a tree, I don't know what it is called but giraffes like to eat it!' Intrigued the staff were about to call the local zoo but the customer managed to spot the plant for sale in the garden centre and the tree was identified as Robinia (False Acacia) pseudoacacia Frisia!

So next time you have giraffes in your garden you may want to protect these plants.