Most of St Bridgets plants have been grown on our own nursery in Exeter, so haven't travelled across the country to reach you.

We grow all our own fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs,heathers,perennials,climbers and bedding plants.

Come and see the range of locally grown plants at St Bridget Nurseries two Exeter garden centres.

St Bridget plants are Green in two ways

1. Green or colourful foliage with flowers /fruit to give your garden colour througout the year.
2. They haven't travelled for miles across the country before reaching your garden.

Acacia Baileyana

Acacia Dealbata

These tall growing shrubs / trees give a fantastic show of bright yellow Flowers during Feb / March,

They can grow into large trees if left alone but can also be susceptible to cold winters, so plant in very sheltered spot in the garden and they will give a lovely show during the sometimes dull months of Feb and March.

Initially they will need staking but will grow away very quickly when established.

St Bridgets have a good selection for sale at both our garden centres.

Prunus Nigra, Prunus Kursar

The early flowering Ornamental cherries are out now, 3 of the earliest are Prunus Nigra and Prunus Nigra Woods Variety also Prunus Kursar. Both these flower from early March, and are medium sized trees suitable for medium to large sized gardens , Prunus Nigra is a purple leaved plum and is one the earliest to flower and come into leaf, with lovely pink- white flowers with a show of small purple leave throughout the spring ,summer and autumn.It is one of the last trees to lose its leaves in the late autumn.

Time is running to plant your bare root trees With spring fast approaching time is running out to plant open ground trees,depending on the weather you may have only about 3 weeks left in which to plant bare root ornamental and fruit trees.
Call into our garden centres and ask to see the list of trees in our fields or ring to make an appointment to view the trees yourself and pick the one that suits you.
We can deliver to most parts of Devon or you can collect from either of our 2 garden centres.
contact
sales@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk
or ring 01392873672

PRUNE YOUR ROSES .

Roses give a great display of colour during the summer, the end of February /March is the best time to prune roses.

Prune back to an outward facing bud and feed with bone meal or blood fish and bone and then mulch with bark or garden compost,to give your roses a good start this spring and you will have a good display of colour through June / July and August.

All St Bridget's roses are grown on our own nursery in Exeter.

Contact our garden centres for details of varieties and prices on 01392873672 or email sales@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk.

CAMELLIAS from St Bridget Nurseries, Exeter

St Bridgets Nurseries have a large range of Camellias in bud fresh from our own nursery,they come in a vast range of colours and flower shapes, doubles , singles and semi doubles.

Reds, pinks whites and even creamy yellow so a colour to suit everyone.

Plant in a semi shady position out of the early morning sun and then the flowers wont be damaged by early morning frosts,apart from that and requiring an acid soil they will be perfectly happy in most gardens.

An early flowering shrub to brighten up that dull spot in your garden

National Nest Box Week 14th-21st February

National Nest Box Week (NNBW) is organised each year by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Britain’s leading bird research charity, whose work primarily involves studying the populations of our common and garden birds. Come and visit one of St Bridget's garden centres for some great deals on bird nest boxes and feed. There is currently 30% off selected Tom Chambers Nest Boxes until the end of February. For more information on Nest Box week please see http://www.bto.org/nnbw/index.htm Go on, give a brood a home!

Here is a feature from our Clyst St Mary Garden Centre's Salvage Garden.

It's a water feature made from a bin lid and bike mud guard!

Rainwater collects in the bin lid and when it reaches a certain level it overflows down the mud guard into a lower pond (large bucket). Have a go yourself when you visit - we've left a watering can out so you can pour water.

See our earlier post to find out more about the project.

Get wild, get recycling, get gardening...

The Exeter Wild City project, a five year initiative to encourage wildlife in the city, is launching a brand new competition for 2011. The aim is to challenge local schools to turn unwanted waste items into wildlife-friendly garden habitats. The Salvage Garden competition is sponsored by St Bridget Nurseries and Sutton Seeds and runs until June 2011 when the winning school will be announced.

The school with the best garden will receive a behind the scenes to St Bridget Nurseries for one class of pupils. The winners will also receive a plant per student to take away with them. All entries will be photographed and displayed at Plantsmans Café at St Bridget Nurseries, Old Rydon Lane in the autumn.

Paul Martin from Devon Wildlife Trust is organising the competition. Paul said: “Schools are already very active at recycling and we wanted to combine that enthusiasm with a creative challenge that would benefit wildlife, even in schools where green space is limited. Elsewhere we’ve seen people use baths, toilets, wheel barrows and all manner of things. I can’t wait to see what the students in Exeter come up with!” Schools in Exeter will be receiving further information and a packet of seeds to help get them started, courtesy of Sutton Seeds and for inspiration and advice can visit St Bridget Nurseries, who have been challenged to create their own Salvage Garden. Tammy Falloon, Marketing Manager for St Bridget’s said: “This is such a brilliant initiative. It brings together gardening, wildlife, education and environmental practices - plus it’s fun! We can’t wait to see what the children come up with and hope their families get involved at home too”. For more information about the competition or how your school could be involved in the Exeter Wild City project contact Paul Martin on 01392 279244.

The two St Bridget Garden Centres will also be getting into the spirit of the competition and are having a personal competition between the two sites! The photo here shows the garden at Clyst St Mary (which you can go and see EX5 1AE). We'll be highlighting some key parts to the display over the coming days so you can take part at home.

Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) Fragrant Flowers

Hamamelis is a winter-flowering shrub, commonly known as witch hazel. Its fragrance and spidery flowers in yellow, orange and reds make it a must for the winter garden.

They give a spectacular show on their bare stems through out January and February.They prefer Acid to neutral soil, plant in an open sunny position to avoid the plant becoming straggly in shady positions.

St Bridget Nurseries have a lovely selection of Polyanthus and Primroses in bud and flower now, why not select a few and make a cheery display in you greenhouse or conservatory .

Colours vary yellow, blues,pink, reds and white make a lovely display to brighten your windowsill in these dark January days.

St Bridgets now have pots of Snowdrops (Galanthus) for sale .Cheer up your winter garden and plant a few pots around the garden and they will naturalise and come up and flower in years to come.

With all the rain that we have had recently, the soil is to wet to do much to it but there are plants that love the wet ground.They will thrive in soil that others just won't grow in.

Examples of these are Astilbes, Some varieties of Iris, Ligularia and Primulas.

Most will die down to virtually nothing during the winter months, so need very little attention, just a tidy up and cut down the dead foliage to keep things tidy and in spring they will spring back into life and give you colour in that wet part of the garden that you thought nothing will ever grow successfully.

Astilbes give lovely colourful spikes of flower in June, July in various shades of pink , red and whites.

In the press...
St Bridget's very own marketing manager was in the local press this weekend. Check out the article for some great January gardening tips...

A shrub for winter interest
Garrya Elliptica

An evergreen shrub with dark green, leathery leaves, in the depth of winter, long grey-green catkins that can festoon the whole shrub make an interesting talking point in the garden. Useful in shade against walls, but suitable for the larger garden. The beautiful catkins are borne in late winter through early spring and if knocked will dispatch masses of pollen into the air.
This shrub will tolerate hard pruning if it gets to large so a useful shrub for the larger garden.
Available from St Bridget Nurseries garden centres

Helleborus Niger Helleborus Niger better known to some as Christmas Rose is one of the few herbaceous perennials that will flower through the mid to late winter.
hey will keep their leaves throughout the winter but you can always thin some leaves to show the buds and flowers.
They need a good open well drain soil with plenty of organic matter Incorporated into it when planting and a regular mulch annually , should encourage plenty of flower and buds through the winter.

St Bridget Nurseries would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Why not spend some of the Christmas holidays planning for 2011, thinking about seeds and bedding and new borders to plant in Spring.

Bare root ornamental and fruit trees can be ordered up to mid March, pick some fruit from your own garden next year.

Enquires for availability can be made from either of St Bridgets 2 garden centres.

Brighten up your winter garden with some more scented winter flowering shrubs.

"Lonicera fragrantissima" is a bushy, spreading, deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub with dark green leaves and, in winter and early spring, fragrant, tubular, creamy-white flowers.

"Viburnham Bodnatense Dawn" is a fast-growing, deciduous shrub with clusters of fragrant, pale-pink flowers from late autumn through to spring.

Both available form St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres, give a plant as a present this Christmas

Cold weather forecast,

If you have tender shrubs in your garden and lost them last winter, be prepared for the 2nd cold snap of the winter,

Protect them with fleece or bubble wrap or if they are in pots move them to a greenhouse, conservatory or a sheltered position in the garden.

Plants will be OK in a garage or shed for short periods of time in winter but move them out when weather permits as plants need light.

Plants like Tree fern (Dicksonia) can be wrapped up in straw to protect them, be prepared and protect you treasured tender plants so they survive to give you pleasure next spring / summer.

Fleece and bubble wrap are both available from St Bridgets Nurseries garden centres.

Winter flowering shrubs

Winter flowering shrubs including varieties of Camellia sasanqua will give colour through late autumn and winter and Sarcococca and mahonias also give winter colour and give a lovely sweet scent to your winter garden.

St Bridgets garden centres sell varieties of them all so come and pay us a visit and give a bit of scented cheer to your garden in winter.

Sledges... Get ready for the next band of snow with a proper sledge - far grander than a baking tray! The ones at St Bridget's are so popular even the teddies had a go when the shop was shut. Available in red or blue they make lovely Christmas gifts. Available from both St Bridget Garden Centres in Exeter, Devon.

Brrrrilliant!
It is very cold outside and with a scatter of snow around in Exeter these little penguins have wandered into the Sidmouth Road (A3052) St Bridget's garden centre! They are soft and cuddly and perfect for the young and young at heart.
Pop in to do your Christmas shopping, there's more than plants to look at!

If you think it cold at the moment, why not think towards next Spring and summer .


Have you a warm sunny wall or fence in your garden, why not plant a Peach or Nectarine or even an Apricot and pick some fruit late summer next year.


St Bridgets sell 2 varieties of Peach Peregrine and Rochester, Nectarine named Lord Napier and the Apricot Moorpark.

They have lovely blossom in the spring but protect the blossom if late frosts are forecast.

They are best grown as fan trained against a wall or fence rather than free standing make sure the soil is well prepared so it holds water through the summer.

Secure the branches to wires that are fixed to the wall.

Maiden 1 yr plants can be ordered from St Bridgets for £20.00 which can be be trained onto a wall.

If its a new herbaceous border, a mixed border or shrub border you are looking to plant, St Bridgets have all the plants you will need with something to give colour of some sort right through the year.



Perennial borders can be planned now putting all the taller growing varieties you like at the back of the border and mid sized ones in the middle and shorter ones right at the front, pick plants that flower right through the seasons spring ,summer and autumn and you will always have colour for 9 months of the year.


If you are not to sure just ask when you visit one of St Bridget's 2 garden centres and the staff will be only to happy to advise you of what plants flowers at which time of year

TREE PLANTING

With the autumn storms arriving, get out into the garden and check stakes and ties on trees and large shrubs etc to make they don't suffer from wind damage.

When planting new trees make sure you are prepared before hand and you have a good stakes and ties you have made the hole big enough so you don't have to dig out more when the tree arrives.

Dig in plenty of organic material into the bottom of the hole and the soil you are back filling with.

If you are buying trees at this time of year from St Bridgets there is a good chance that they will be bare root so take precautions to keep the tree free from frosts and make sure the roots don't dry out.

After planting if you are planting in grass keep the area around the tree clear of grass to give your tree a good start and keep it well watered in the first year.

In spring mulch around the base of the tree to conserve water in dry periods of spring/ summer.

St Bridgets Nurseries sell everything you need to give your new tree a good start in it's new surroundings

Countdown to Christmas The Christmas lights are being turned on in Exeter tomorrow and so the countdown to Christmas begins. St Bridget's Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary garden centre has some great alternatives to chocolate advent calendars including advent candles, wooden advent trains, felt advent Christmas trees and these fantastic blackboards only £2.25!

The above text reads:
The nursery department is currently busy in the field digging up new season roses.
Roses at this time of year (upto Christmas) can be purchased as bare rooted.

Benefits of buying roses bare rooted:
Price—Hybrid Teas and Floribundas are £1 below the listed price and Climbing, Rambling, Ground Cover and Shrub roses are £1.30 below the listed price.
Cheaper packing & Carriage -
As the roses are lighter than containerized ones, carriage is cheaper. Carriage charges for bare root roses are:
1 to 5 roses* £6.45
6 to 12 roses* £9.40
13 to 18 roses* £11.70
*excluding standard roses
Establish easier—
The roots don’t have to struggle growing from one type of soil into another they are planted in one type from the beginning.
Greener—
No plastic pot!

VIP OFFER
As you are a loyal customer, we would like to offer you an additional 50p off each rose ordered before 24th November. This is on top of the standard bare root price (see price above). Full terms and conditions below.

Terms and Conditions: Offer applies to all new rose orders placed between 10th November and 24th November inclusively. A total reduction of £1.50 off the listed price of Hybrid Teas and Floribundas will be made and a total reduction of £1.80 off the listed price of Climbing, Rambling, Ground Cover and Shrub roses. Prices are based on the 2010 St Bridget Nurseries Price List (85th anniversary edition). No discount off packing and carriage charges. Offer cannot be used with any other discount or promotion. Orders for containerized roses will have a 50p price discount if ordered by the 24th November.

To order or request a rose list please e-mail sales@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk or call 01392 873672.

St Bridget's will be starting to lift our field grown stock in the next few weeks, ready for
delivery or collection.

If you want some new roses or a tree for that special place in your garden, visit one of our garden centres and get your order in now, you will get expert help to assist you in choosing the right plant for your garden.

We have large trees for those with a larger garden and small trees that are suitable for those with
smaller spaces.
If its foliage colour or flowers there is a tree to suit everyone.

GIFTS FROM ST BRIDGETS

St Bridgets are have lots of different gift ideas, the is something for everyone.
Browse the shops and you will find gifts for the Bird lover, something special to give to someone special for birthdays and Christmas, we have a range of pickles and chutneys, jams and sweets too.
You can also pick up one of the ready made gift packs which are already wrapped and ready to give as a present.
There is something to suit every ones pocket.

Introducing Emma's Soaps....

St Bridget's Old Rydon Lane, Exeter Garden Centre is delighted to welcome Emma's Soaps to its Gift & Leisure range. Emma's soaps are hand made in Devon, wrapped in Organic fair trade cotton. They do not contain petroleum, mineral oil, palm oil, sls's or slr's, artificial colours or fragrances or parabens. In a nutshell they are delightfully natural, beautifully packaged and great for all skins. Here in the office we've decided they'll make great stocking fillers. Fragrances include Jojoba oil, rosehip oil, avocado oil, shea butter and cocoa butter. Each soap is £3.20(working hands soap is £3.50) or you can buy two for £6.00 (working hands £6.50) plus we've olive wood soap dishes, sea sponges. These items are currently only stocked at the Old Rydon Lane Garden centre.

PUT YOUR GARDEN CLEAR UP TO USE THIS AUTUMN

Leaves fallen in the autumn can become a nuisance to clear up, but they also have their uses,

Make a small compost heap somewhere in your garden and put all the fallen leaves there,cover them lightly to avoid them them blowing around again and undoing your hard work of clearing them up.

As long as they are open to moisture they will rot down to a lovely leafy compost ideal for improving your garden soil and as an aid to improve soil conditions when planting new plants , trees etc.

Make the most of natures waste and use it to improve your garden.

A Quick How To...measure for pond liner

We frequently get asked how to calculate pond liner. Having dug your pond hole, whatever the shape, measure your pond’s…
Maximum length (L)
Maximum width (W)
and Maximum depth (D)

Pond liner required = (L + 2D) x (W +2D)
E.G. L=3m, W=2m, D=75cm (0.75m) Pond liner = (3+1.5)x(2+1.5) = 4.5m x 3.5m

Our Clyst St Mary Garden Centre sells PVC and rubber pond liners both in pre-cut packs and off the roll, plus pond underlay and pre formed ponds. For further help or advice why not visit or call 01392 876281?

One of the best times of year to plant is autumn, as there is generally moisture in the soil and the soil is still warm from the summer.

St Bridgets have a vast range of plants all ready to plant in your garden.

Trees, roses, shrubs, fruit trees and soft fruit and perennials.
Call into one our 2 garden centres at Old Rydon Lane, Exeter or Clyst St Mary to see what you can plant to make the most of your garden next year.

Winter Hanging Baskets.

If your summer hanging baskets are now looking sorry for themselves after the first frosts of the autumn, you can still have some colour through the autumn and winter.

Replant them with PRIMROSES, PANSIES, VIOLAS with some IVIES around the side and plant with some early flowering spring bulbs.

You can also replant your tubs and troughs the same way to give colour in the milder spells though the winter

St Bridgets sell everything you need from wicker baskets, traditional baskets and troughs and tubs and the compost to and a vast range of spring flowering bulbs.

AUTUMN IN THE GARDEN

There is plenty to look out for in the garden in the autumn and winter, lots of trees etc have berries and fruit which attract the birds in the colder months Sorbus, Malus, Crataegus all have various colours from reds to yellow and oranges.
There is also autumn colour from Prunus, Acers and Oaks and plenty more too, and when the trees are bare of leaves there are trees with attractive bark, Betula varieties, Acer Griseum, Prunus Serrula which all have attractive stems with pealing bark to keep the interest in the dull dark winter days.
St Bridgets grow all these trees and have them in the nursery tree fields for lifting from November onwards.

PLANTS BY MAIL ORDER

St Bridgets can send roses, shrubs or perennials by mail order, so if you have a spot in your garden and you want to received a good quality plant straight to your door, why not look through our plant list on our website.

http://www.stbridgetnurseries.co.uk/veitch_garden_centre_news.asp?PK_cats=7

Look through the list and contact us for a delivery quote, we can send mixed parcels with either perennials , roses or shrubs, or if you find something you can't find anywhere else and live to far away to collect yourself we can send just one plant.

Plan your new border from the comfort of your own home on one of the long dark cold nights that we will be getting over the coming months and have it delivered to your front door.

We generally send out on a Tuesday so your orders should reach you just in time for the weekend.

Email sales@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk for more information.

Yummy yum strawberries
Strawberry plants are only at their best for three to four years, so think about starting a new patch. Firstly clear out the old and add good organic matter before planting the new plants. St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres in Exeter sell certified stock at £1.45 each or £13.00 for ten plants. Varieties include Albion, Calypso, Cambridge Favourite (AGM), Elsanta, Florence, Honeoye (AGM), Pegasus and Symphony (AGM). AGM stands for the RHS award of garden merit.Plants can also be sent by mail order. Please cal 01392 873672 for carriage prices.

GIVE A ROSE FOR THAT SPECIAL OCCASION.

St Bridget's grow all their own roses, why not give a rose for that special day. Wedding, Birthday or special Anniversary there is a rose for most occasions.

Climbing Rose Wedding Day
Floribunda Rose Birthday Girl
Floribunda Rose Golden Wedding
Floribunda Rose Many Happy Returns
HT Rose Congratulations
HT Rose Diamond Jubilee
HT Rose Loving Memory
HT Rose Remember Me
HT Rose Ruby Wedding
HT Rose Special Anniversary

We will starting to lift our roses from our rose field later this month so contact our Garden Centres and they can be ordered for collection or delivery from Early November.

St Bridget's grow a wide range of Ornamental and Fruit trees at our Old Rydon Lane Nursery.

If you would like to view the trees and pick your own and collect it or have it delivered later.

Contact

Phil by email sales@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk or Phone 01392873672 to make an appontment..

If you would like a full list ring our office for a price list.

As the summer bedding has now gone past its best, fill your tubs and troughs up with winter/spring bedding primroses, polyanthus, pansies and violas and spring bulbs.

Wall flowers are can also be planted now for spring colour with bulbs all which are currently in stock at St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres.

Plant some small tubs up for that drab corner to brighten things up on a dull winter day or buy one ready planted up, St Bridgets have a good selection ready to take away at prices to fit every ones pocket.