PUMPKINS

St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres have some lovely BIG pumpkins for sale. I reckon that you could definitely feed a family for days using the contents and of course then use the pumpkin as a Jack'o'Lantern this Friday for Halloween!

In the office we started to think of all the meals you could make with pumpkin, the favourites being pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake but then we started to look around the Internet at recipes and our mouths started to water when we read about...

pumpkin pickle, pumpkin curry, roasted pumpkin seeds, baked pumpkin with apples, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake even pumpkin bread! With all these ideas one pumpkin will definitely give you a starter, main course and dessert!

Giant pumpkins are £4.99 at St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres, Exeter. Call 01392 873672 or 01392 876281 for further details.

GET FRUITY!

Soft fruit plants are now in stock at St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres Exeter. Visit either Old Rydon Lane or Sidmouth Rd, Clyst St Mary, Exeter for a great range of raspberries, blackberries, currants, loganberries plus strawberries, gooseberries and blueberries!

Feeling the cold?

Have you put your heating on at home, found you're wearing extra layers? Well the likelihood is if you're feeling cold so are some of your more tender plants. Frosts are likely from this month onwards and so it is a good idea to bring in your tender plants to prevent them from being damaged or being killed. A frostfree shed or garage or conservatory are usually fine.

For plants you can't bring in like palms you can cover them with horticultural fleece or bubble wrap. For particularly tender plants you could even pack some straw inside the fleece.

Both the fleece and bubble wrap are available to purchase from St Bridget Nurseries garden centres.

Leaf Tidying

Picking up leaves may sound tedious but it's very important to your garden. Firstly clear leaves from paths and patios as when the get wet they get very slippery and may cause an accident.

Rake up leaves from your lawn as they block light from reaching your grass which can cause the grass to die off if left covered for too long.

Once you have collected your leaves either place in your composter or bag up in black sacks with a few holes in for air. The leaves will then decompose and create a really beneficial leaf mould which should be added to your soil as an improver next year.

The only place you should not tidy up leaves from are garden borders as the plants tend to trap the leaves there and it acts as a blanket for roots during winter and provides shelter for overwintering creatures.

10% OFF TUESDAYS

Every Tuesday in October (7th, 14th, 21st and 28th) St Bridget Nurseries will give you 10% off all your purchases. The offer is only valid on these October dates and excludes gift tokens, postage stamps, delivery fees and existing orders. Offer is also available at Haven Conservatories (Old Rydon Lane) and at The Coffee House (Clyst St Mary). The offer can not be used in conjunction with any other promotion or price reduction and is only valid on cane furniture from Haven Conservatories.

Indoor Azaleas & Cyclamen

Indoor azaleas and cyclamen are hard to beat for providing colour and a warm, cheery sight on a miserable autumn or winter’s day – but they do need to be cared for if you want the best flowers and a long flowering period. They need a cool position in the house – and certainly well away from radiators and other sources of heat. They also need good light, but not in direct sunlight. Another important success factor is to keep the compost moist at all times – don’t let it become dry or waterlogged. Watering little and often is usually the best way to get good results. When watering cyclamen it’s important that the tuber doesn’t become too wet so we always water from below by standing the pot in a saucer and topping up the water until the top of the compost becomes moist and remember to use lime-free water (rainwater) for azaleas. St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter grow all the cyclamen they sell in their garden centres.

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.

NURSERY PLANT SALE

With new season stock nearly ready for sale the nursery department at St Bridget's has some older stock that they would like to offer you at greatly reduced prices! A limited section of the nursery (in Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, Devon, UK) will be opened to the public on Saturday 30th August between 9am and 1pm only. Follow signs to the gate at the top of the garden centre plant area. Get there early as plants are expected to sell fast at this very special event!

JAPANESE ACER WEEK - Monday 25th to Sunday 31st August 2008.

During this special week celebrating the beauty of Japanese Acers with their vibrant colour and amazing textures, St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter have two special offers in place.Buy any £15 Japanese Acer (one in a 3 litre container) and purchase a decorative pot to plant it in and you will receive £2.50 off the pot. Receive £2.50 off for every £15 Acer and pot combination you buy.

If you spend over £75 on Japanese Acers you will receive FREE delivery! Offer applies to a spend of £75 or more on Japanese Acers only. Free delivery is to zones A and B (normally charged at £4.50 and £8.75 respectively). Delivery will be made on a day set by St Bridget Nurseries. Delivery prices to other delivery zones are discounted under this offer.

FREE - WHILE STOCKS LAST

Receive a free Leptospermum when you spend £25 or more in a single transaction at either St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres. Offer excludes sales orders. The variety of Leptospermum will be chosen by St Bridget Nurseries and only includes varieties that are in a 3 litre pot and normally sold at £7.50.
Offer is only available while stocks last.
Only one Leptospermum per customer spending £25 or more.

HYACINTHS FOR CHRISTMAS

August and September is the best time to plant hyacinth bulbs to flower for Christmas. Simply purchase prepared hyacinths (bulbs that are specially heat treated) and plant in bulb fibre compost in a suitable pot. The neck of the bulb should just show above the compost. Place the pot somewhere cold and dark for roots to develop before the leaves and flowers, this takes between 8-12 weeks. A shed or an outhouse is ideal to start them off.

In December, move pots to a slightly warmer and lighter place like a porch or spare room until the flower buds are showing. At this time, they can be moved to a full light position like a windowsill. careful not to put pots in a place too warm as the flower stems will grow too fast and flop over, you can always stake the flowers with small split canes though.

St Bridget's Win Best In Show!

St Bridget Nurseries won Best In Show for their floral display at this year's Taunton Show. The display was packed with colour from stunning herbaceous perennials to taller trees and shrubs. All plants used in the display were grown on the nursery in Exeter and are available to buy from both St Bridget Garden Centres.

Time for a trim

Many hedges can be trimmed now. Before you start always check that there are no nesting birds. Use the right tools for the job. For small leafed hedges use shears or a hedge trimmer for large leafed hedges (like laurel and holly) use secateurs so you can neatly cut the stems.

Children's Holiday Project - Decorate and grow!

Buy a terracotta or plastic pot about 25cm in diameter. If you use a terracotta pot, paint it with PVA glue to seal it and prolong the painting. Once dry paint the outside with emulsion or acrylic paint in your child's chosen colour. Let the pot dry in the sun. Let your child decorate the pot by painting a pattern - you could even help make stamps from potatoes or sponges - think of fun shapes like flower heads, hearts and swirls. If you go wrong, paint over with the base colour and try again! To help preserve the painting apply another layer of PVA glue to the dry painted surface then fill the pot with compost. Either sow with seeds or pre-grown plants. You could either have a colourful flower pot or what about a vegetable or salad pot? At St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres you'll find the pots, seeds and compost you need plus a lovely range of gardening tools for children including small trowels, watering cans and gardening gloves.

Flower Power

Summer flowering shrubs such as philadelphus, jasmine and weigela will benefit if you cut back flowering shoots to strong new growth immediately after all the flowers have faded.
Encouraging new growth ensures the plant carries flowers all over the plant instead of just at the top. To give shrubs the energy to produce plenty of flower bearing stems, dress around the roots with a slow release food like Miracle-Gro Slow Release Rose & Shrub food. This contains a controlled release plant food that will supply all the major nutrients over the next six months to ensure good sturdy growth.

This product is available from both St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter.

Production Rose Field Now Open...

Would a garden without a rose smell so sweet? St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres have a wonderful selection of roses in their plant areas for you to buy today or alternatively visit the production rose field while you are visiting the Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary Garden Centre. It's just a short walk from the bottom of the car park. You will be able to stroll through thousands of roses that we the company are growing in Exeter. If you find a rose you like why not order it for the autumn when the roses will be dug from the field? St Bridget Nurseries have a delivery and mail order service. Ask their staff for further information or call 01392 876281.

Tomatoes

It seems like everyone is growing tomatoes these days. What help can we give to ensure bumper crops?

Tomatoes certainly are a favourite home-grown vegetable or rather fruit! You can grow them in a greenhouse, in the veg garden, in pots on the patio or even in hanging baskets! A little care and attention now will ensure bumper crops throughout the summer. First you need to make sure they are kept well and evenly watered – if the soil or compost dries out then the crop is reduced, the fruit may split and even suffer from blossom end rot –that’s when the bottom of the fruit turns black. Crops growing in grow-bags are always the worst affected as the compost dries out so quickly. A drip watering system will help get over this. Tomatoes are also hungry feeders, and need a weekly diet of liquid tomato fertiliser – this not only improves the crop, but it improves the flavour too! Make sure your plants are well supported – so tie them in regularly to their supports, which should be strong and sturdy. Finally, always remove sideshoots from upright cordon varieties – this isn’t necessary, by the way, with the smaller bush varieties – then remove yellowing or dying leaves and watch out for pests and diseases and treat accordingly.

VOTE AND WIN!
This weekend is the last chance you can vote for St Bridget Nurseries in the Greatest Awards 2008.
There are three categories that the company is entering:
The Greatest Plant Sales Team,
The Greatest Garden Centre Team
To vote, go to www.thegreatestawards.co.uk or text
PLANT ST BRIDGET to 87023
or GARDEN ST BRIDGET to 87023
Text votes cost 50p plus your normal charges, at least 23p of each vote will go to The Greenfingers Appeal which creates gardens at Children's Hospices.

You can also vote for your favourite restaurant at St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres.
vote for either:
The Plantsmans Cafe at Old Rydon Lane
or The Coffee House at Clyst St Mary

YOUR VOTE COULD WIN YOU A £50 NATIONAL GARDEN GIFT TOKEN
VOTE NOW!

St Bridget Nurseries gets into the Neighbourhood...

On Monday, one of the senior managers at St Bridget Nurseries got out of the office and went to nearby Exeter neighbourhood of Clyst Heath thanks to the Digby Residents' Association.

First stop was Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School where the children have grown Snap Dragons from seed. Each class was judged to see who grew the 'biggest and brightest' Snapdragon as part of the summer gardening competition. There were some fantastic entries and judging a winner was really difficult. some of the classes had even considered their presentation using coloured sand to decorate the top of the soil and tissue paper around the pots. Every child taking part will receive a certificate and the winners are going to be presented with a prize and framed certificate tonight.

After leaving the school, St Bridget Nurseries went for a walk around the houses to see the entries in the 'Best Front Garden' and 'Best planted container' classes. Again judging was really difficult as everyone had clearly put in so much effort. The judges were looking for eye catching designs, that used the space available including the vertical (which is quite often forgotten in gardens) along with good plant health.

The winners will be announced at the Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School fete tonight starting from 5pm. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Paul Smith, will be attending the school fete from 6.00 pm to present certificates and prizes which include vouchers for St Bridget Nurseries.

Plant Bedding!

The risk of a frost has largely gone now so it is safe to start planting out your bedding plants. St Bridget Nurseries grow their own bedding plants on their nursery in Exeter, Devon. The company grows hundreds of varieties from old favourites like fuchsias and geraniums to stunning new verbena and Dahlia varieties. Buying your plants from a local supplier should mean that the plants have been hardened off to conditions correctly. St Bridget Nurseries grow their bedding plants in huge greenhouses and then once they are large enough they get moved to a polytunnel outside and then out to their garden centres.

Get your bedding plants off to a great start by planting them in a moisture control compost. This will help you as you will have to water them less frequently. Don't forget to give them a feed while you water though and also protect plants from slugs and snails while they are settling in.

Finally, if you thought bedding was just to do with sheets you may want to take 'The bedding Plant Expert' by Dr D.G. Hessayon to bed with you! It's a great book that will make sure you become an expert, only £6.99 from St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres.

Pest Watch

Look out for the troublesome Vine Weevil larvae. They are real pests especially if found in containers where they will eat the roots of your plants causing them to wilt and die. Adult beetles will be a sign that eggs could be around. Protect your plants using Provado Vine Weevil Killer 2.

Lovely tasty tomatoes!

If you are busy growing your own tomatoes at home and want to ensure you get a bumper crop of tasty fruit, then make sure you water your plants regularly and give them a feed. Traditional tomato bags are great but they are quite shallow in deoth and so plants dry out quickly. Mix in Tomorite (tomato feed) with your water and you should get great results. A 1 litre bottle of Levington Tomorite is only £3.49 from St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter.

Simplify container care

We all like a simple life and since containers are perfect for small gardens how can you make care of them easy? If you want your containers to work for you the first step is to choose a container that is attractive in its own right and one that can make a feature of itself even if it is unplanted. A large deep colourful container would do the job perfectly.

If you choose a terracotta pot, line it with polythene pierced with a drainage hole. This will help moisture stay in the pot. Another aid to reducing watering is to use a good container compost, many come with added moisture retaining gels and slow release fertilisers which means that your plants will be fed too! For further advice and ideas why not visit your local garden centre like St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter? (Sidmouth Road and Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, Devon, UK).

Companion planting

Everyone needs a companion and plants are no exception!

When growing vegetables there are a number of companion plants that are a sound way to improve soil quality, reduce pests and diseases and complement their partners.

Simply intersperse rows of vegetables with helpful herbs.

For example...

Peppers grow well with basil (they taste nice together too)!

Celery grows well wioth tomatoes

Brassicas grow well with nasturtiums, onions, garlic and potatoes.

Tomatoes grow well with asparagus, basil, carrots and brassicas.

Runner beans grow well with sweetcorn!

Be aware that there are also some bad matches such as, broad beans do badly with onions and garlic, potatoes do badly near tomatoes and runner beans and beetroot aren't friends either!

For vegetable plants and seeds to grow in your garden, go to a garden centre like St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum Touring Exhibition: Global Gardeners
This fascinating exhibition charts the adventures of intrepid plant hunters of the Exeter and Chelsea firm of Veitch & Sons
Date: 24 May to 29 June
Time: Mon-Sat 8-5.30, Sundays 10.30 -4.30, Bank Holidays 9-5
Venue: St Bridget Nurseries, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, UK, EX2 7JY

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Veitch & Sons sent fearless plant hunters all over the world to collect new species of plants. As well as the plants they collected the travellers also brought back objects as souvenirs from the countries they visited. The Veitch family donated many of these items to The Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in the 1880s and they now form part of the Museum's World Cultures collection. These items provide a fascinating link between plants, collecting and empire.
Visit the touring exhibition to gain a better understanding of the influence of Veitch & Sons plant collectors on our planted environment.
St Bridget Nurseries acquired the famous Exeter nursery of Robert Veitch & Son in 1969 when failing health obliged the late Mildred Veitch to sell the business. For many years the nursery was run separately but it is now a subsidiary of St. Bridget Nurseries. A family firm with its third and fourth generations in the business, St Bridget Nurseries will always strive to ensure that the wonderful contribution made to horticulture by the firm of Veitch & Sons will never be forgotten.

Preview the exhibition at St Bridget Nurseries, Old Rydon Lane, before it opens to the public.
Join Veitch specialist and horticulturalist, Caradoc Doy, in a walk around our Nursery and see some of the plant varieties introduced by Veitch & Sons.
After a finger buffet in the Plantsman's café hear Tony Eccles, RAMM's Curator of Ethnography, talk about Victorian souvenir collecting featuring the souvenirs collected by the Veitch plant hunters.
Date: Friday 23rd May, 6pm
Tickets: £5 (inc buffet), must be purchased in advance.
Call 01392 873672 for tickets.

Indoor Plants

As outdoor temperatures rise, now is a good time to move conservatory plants, such as Cymbidium, Ficus and Citrus plants outdoors but bring back inside if cold nights are expected.

While you are tending to your indoor plants, clean shiny leaved plants. Many garden centres like St Bridget Nurseries sell leaf shine wipes, they help clear the leaf surface of dust and therefore allow the plants to 'breathe'!

In the conservatory, continue to prick out and pot on new seedlings and cuttings you have grown. May is a busy month for gardening!

Pest and Diseases

Now is a good time to get on top of Pests and Diseases that will start to flourish in the warmer weather.

Pinch out the tips of broad beans once they start to flower. This helps to discourage blackfly, which otherwise can decimate tender new growth. Also keep an eye on brassicas and other vegetables, which pigeons love to destroy! Cloches, frames of netting or fleece and similar covers will help to keep them away from vulnerable crops. Finally check roses for signs of blackspot, aphids (shown above on an Aquielgia leaf) and leaf-rolling sawfly damage.

Be supportive!

Now is the best time to put plant supports in place for herbaceous perennial plants before they are too tall or laden with heavy blooms.

Adding supports now will look more attractive too. This is because as the plants grow their leaves will help cover up the frames.

Criss-crossing strings from hidden ior decorative posts also works well as stems are allowed to grow upwards.

You can buy some really nice supports these days or alteratively there is always the traditional bamboo cane! For loads of ideas why not visit St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres in Exeter?

School Visit

St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter has been working closely with the children of Lady Seaward's School in Clyst St George. The school's garden has been unused and neglected for years but thanks to one inspired parent, Cheryl McGauley, that is all set to change. Cheryl has started a garden project involving the children and the local community. In February a garden working party involving many of the parents helped clear the area while the children were tasked with designing the garden. The winning design involves a new pagoda to act as an outdoor classroom, a sensory garden, a wildlife garden, a vegetable patch and a recycling area.

St Bridget Nurseries first helped the project back in March when the first new additions went into the garden. St Bridget Nurseries donated a Yew Hedge. Yew is actually quite poisonous and not a usual choice for a school garden but the children have learnt that it also has some benefits! Not only is the hedge a great evergreen screen for privacy and a shelter for birds but it is also going to be used in medicine. Once a year the yews will be cut by professionals and taken away to be used in cancer research as a cancer fighting medicine.

Today, Friday 25th April 2008, the project continued with year 2 and 3 visiting St Bridget Nurseries in Old Rydon Lane, Exeter. The group of 7-9 year olds were taken through the garden centre and into the production nursery greenhouses and poly-tunnels. Nursery Manager, Jason Moore then showed them all the young bedding plants and taught them what plants need to grow well. They then all had a go themselves and planted some sunflower seeds which they are going to grow at school and see who can grow the tallest. The tour ended in St Bridget Nurseries' Wildlife Garden where the children where fascinated by the 'Bug Hotel' a structure that has been built using waste materials like broken pots, straw, bamboo canes, wood, twigs and bricks to attract and protect wildlife like bees, hedgehogs, butterflies and ladybirds!

If you would like to see the bug hotel for yourself, visit St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centre in Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7JY as it is just outside the garden centre shop entrance.

More ideas on long term weed control...

Without doubt the easiest way to enjoy weed free beds is to add a thick layer of mulch or organic material, such as composted bark, bark chippings, gravel or cocoa shell.

Before putting the mulch in place, make sure the soil is free of weeds – as these will grow through the mulch – and that the soil is moist. For best results the mulch needs to be between 2 and 3 inches thick, although cocoa shell, gravel and stone mulches only need to be about an inch thick. Remember that mulches do more than just keep the weeds at bay, they also help keep the soil moist in summer, reducing that need to water, and they insulate the soil in winter. All in all protecting roots by preventing them from getting too cold or too hot and therefore helpsing to encourage good strong plant growth!

St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter sell J Arthur Bowyers Bark Chips in 100 litre bags. Each bag is just £6.49 or you can buy 5 bags for just £27.50. Think of the amount of time you'll save from less watering and weeding!

Seed Sowing

You can tell when your soil is warm enough for seeds to grow when you start seeing weeds grow! Get rid of the weeds first and while they are young to save time and energy.

Hardy annuals can be sown outside where you want them to flower. Indoors you can sow a selection of annual climbers and sow tender vegetables indoors ready for planting out next month. Cucumber, basil, tomatoes, peppers and chillies can be sown indoors in seed trays or you could sow courgettes, marrows and pumpkins in individual pots.

When you visit your garden centre to buy your seeds don’t forget you may need seed trays, cell trays, small pots, a propagator, compost and labels. St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter are brimming with all the right equipment you need to grow a bumper crop!

Off with their heads!

Having just read another great Tudor history novel it made me think of deadheading flowers!

Most flowers benefit from having their flowerheads removed as soon as they have stopped flowering. Plants like Osteospermums and Senetti particularly like this as they produce further flowers. Plants like hydrangeas and sedums often benefit from leaving their flower heads on that little bit longer. Hydrangea flower heads kept on over winter protect new softer growth in the spring from frosts. April is a good time to cut them off though - simply shorten thin or old shoots of the mophead and lacecap varieties (e.g. macrophylla) back to their lowest bud. Hydrangea paniculata varieties should be cut back to within two buds of their base.

If like me you get addicted to chopping once you've started, cut back any lavatera you may have. They like to be cut back hard - go right back to the base of the plant on all of last year's shoots, they'll soon grow again this summer!

MIRACLE-GRO LIQUAFEED

Miracle-Gro liquafeed hose end is an all purpose feed for the whole garden. Simply feed while you water. A starter kit including the hose end and one bottle of feed is just £9.99 at St Bridget Nurseries’ Garden Centres, Exeter.

PONDS
If you have a pond divide overgrown pond plants this weekend. Simply replant them in aquatic baskets filled with aquatic compost and top up with gravel. Irises, water lilies, rushes and reeds will all benefit from division.
If you have blanketweed on your pond, get a net and scoop as much as you can as it will prevent oxygen getting in if it stays there. You may also want to scoop out any remaining leaves from the autumn as they will clog the bottom of your pond if they are allowed to rot and this will ultimately affect the nutrient balance of your water.
For any of the above products of further advice call St Bridget Nurseries Aquatic Team today on 01392 876281.

WILDLIFE GARDENING

Birds will have started to pair up so while you are gardening make sure to avoid disturbing nesting birds. Keep birdbaths topped up with fresh water and regularly clean table tops and feeders as germs will spread as more and more birds use them.

Sow or plant a wildflower patch in your garden to attract and feed wildlife. St Bridget Nurseries' garden centres stocks a huge selection of wildflower seeds, plants and grass seed mixes that would be ideal plus as a Devon Wildlife Trust, Silver Level Approved Garden Centre their staff are extremely knowledgeable on wildlife gardening.

ORDER YOUR HANGING BASKETS NOW!
Its time to order your summer hanging baskets. St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres have a wide selection of baskets and tubs. Either plant now and keep in a greenhouse or conservatory or let st Bridget Nurseries quote to fill your own baskets (for collection later in the season) and they'll do the planting work for you.

Prices are: 10” basket from £23.00, 12” from £26.25, 14” from £30.00 and 16” from £33.50

If you re-use your baskets from last year prices are: 10” from £20.99, 12” from £24.25, 14” from £27.25 and 16” from £29.50

Call 01392 873672 (Exeter, Devon, UK) to order or e-mail Hanging baskets can ony be delivered in Devon, England. Delivery charge not included in the above prices.

LAST FEW APPOINTMENTS REMAINING
This weekend on Saturday 29th March St bridget Nurseries' Old Rydon Lane Garden Centre is holding a GARDEN DESIGN ADVICE DAY. Book your FREE 20 minute appointment with garden designer Rebecca Wells (http://www.rebeccawells.co.uk/) now as there are only a few appointments left.
A well designed garden adds so much to your enjoyment and quality of life as well as to the value of your property. Call Tammy on 01392 873672 or e-mail marketing@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk
St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centre is just off J30 of the M5 in Devon.

SMITHY TUB

St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres sell hundreds of different containers - from terracotta and glazed pots to plastic window boxes and troughs. These Smithy Tubs made by Stewarts plastics are great for patios. They 35cm size pots retail at £4.99 each but St Bridget Nurseries are currently selling 2 for just £5.99! Bargain.

FLOWER POWER!

As plants are flowering there's lots we can do to help them...

1. If you want to, deadhead your daffodils as they fade but do not remove leaves, these dye back and provide the nutrients that the bulbs need to flower again next year.

2. Apply a general purpose fertiliser and mulches to beds and borders. Mulches are great as they help to keep the soil warm in winter and help suppress weeds in summer.

3. Give last year's containers a nice fresh top layer of compost.

4. Complete your pruning of summer flowering shrubs and late-summer flowering clematis but don't prune any spring flowering shrubs until after they have flowered.

5. Sow your summer bedding seeds in a heated propagator or under grass.

If you feel your garden is lacking colour at the moment, why not visit your local garden centre? By visiting monthly you'll see what is in flower and can ensure that your garden has year long colour and appeal. St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter grow nearly all their plants and all hardy plants come with a one year guarantee.

Easter Bunny!

St Bridget Nurseries Clyst St Mary garden centre (Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, Exeter), doesn't just stock everything for your garden but it stocks a wonderful range of gifts too. We fell in love with the range of cuddly toys made by Jellycat. They are so soft and each face just says, "please take me home"! There are lots of cuddly friends to buy including some great gift ideas for Easter - this Bashful Bunny is just £9.99. Have a look for yourself - the garden centre is just opposite the Westpoint Exhibition Centre on the Sidmouth Road near junction 30 of the M5.

Cheap cheap!

This gorgeous planter is available from St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres (unplanted) for only £10.99! It's a great tweat for someone!

Garden Furniture

If you are buying wooden garden furniture this year look out for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)logo as it identifies products which contain wood from well managed forest and other controlled sources certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC. St Bridget Nurseries' Old Rydon Lane Garden Centre in Exeter sells many FSC furniture pieces from benches, picnic tables to tables and chair sets. The new FSC teak Richmond Tea for Two set is a perfect set for small balconies or patios and a romantic couple. The set comprises 2 chairs, 2 seat pads and a table and is only £399.99.

Coming soon...

From Mid March St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres will be stocking varieties from the Scent First Dianthus range. This range compact beautiful plants that are extremely attractive to butterflies and bees. Each Scent First Dianthus is only £3 at St Bridget Nurseries while stocks last.

Veggie jobs for the weekend!

Towards the end of the month early potatoes that have start to sprout (chitting) like Red Duke of York and Accent can be planted out in the garden. Wait until April if you live in a really cold area. If you haven't purchased your seed potatoes yet then St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres have lots of certified varieties in stock. If you don't have a garden or allotment you can grow them in a large tub. Simply plant at the bottom and keep adding compost as they grow so you keep the potatoes in the dark and prevent them from going green. If the stub feels light give them a water.

Don't forget also to keep your early vegetable sowings safe from cold and animals by using protective fleece or clear polythene. Garden Centres like St Bridget Nurseries sell these by the running metre from a roll or in pre-formed structures like mini-tunnels.

Garden Tools

As buds start to open it's a sign that spring is here and it's the usual time when most of us start to venture out in the garden again. Start to attack weeds now before they go to seed and create even more, use a good hoe and get them out from their roots. To fork over soil and dig holes for new plants you'll need a good quality spade and fork. St Bridget Nurseries' garden centres in Exeter have a special offer on this month where you can buy either a Compass Digging Set or Border Set for just £20. Each set comprises a carbon steel spade and fork. The spades and forks are also sold individually for just £14.99. This offer is only available in St Bridget Nurseries garden centres (Old Rydon Lane and Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, Exeter) and not online.

Peat Free Compost

St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter have a special offer on Arthur Bowyers New Horizon Multi-Purpose Compost. The compost is made from recycled and renewable materials with resources of UK origin. A 60 litre bag is £4.99 or you can buy 2 and get a third free! The offer is valid at either of the garden centres in Exeter but not available online.

ROSE OFFER - BUY 2 get 3rd FREE!
St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter grow their own roses in their production rose field at Clyst St Mary Exeter. They have been growing plants for over 83 years and grow the highest quality roses around. For the month of March only you can buy ANY 2 roses and get a third rose free (the cheapest rose is the free one). This is a great offer and if you plant now you will have a glorious floral display in the summer. If you would like St Bridget Nurseries rose price list click here

GREAT VALUE - NEW RANGE

St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter has been busy on its nursery growing lots of new ranges for this spring and summer. Today its new Home Grown Cottage Garden Starter Plants are released for sale in their garden centres. The range comes in 9cm pots and includes a number of cottage garden favourites along with lots that are perfect for starting a butterfly and bee border. There are over 35 herbaceous perennials in the range and if you buy 10 you save money. Each plants is £1.30 or ten plants are just £11.50.

NATIONAL FINALISTS!

St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter has been short-listed for the Grower of the Year Awards 2008. The company is a finalist in the Nursery Stock Grower of the Year category and will find out if they have won at the Grower of the Year Awards 2008 taking place in London on 28 February.

The finalists were chosen from numerous entrants from the UK’s growing community and judging took place before Christmas at Haymarket Media Group, publisher of Horticulture Week and Grower. Eleven experts from across the horticultural industry took part in this year’s independent judging panel and reported a record 60 per cent increase in entries from the growing community.

St Bridget Nurseries combines over 83 years of plant growing history and heritage with modern business practices. The nursery is divided into six departments – propagation, micro-propagation (one of the first to propagate hardy nursery stock), herbaceous, greenhouse, container grown nursery stock and open ground nursery stock. Production largely supplies St Bridget’s two garden centres on the outskirts of Exeter, though it also fulfils trade, mail and e-mail orders. The garden centres are also on the Silver Level of Devon Wildlife Trust’s approval scheme promoting and educating customers on products that are wildlife friendly.


You can visit St Bridget Nurseries’ Garden Centres in Old Rydon Lane, Exeter and Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, Exeter. The garden centres are open seven days a week Monday – Saturday 8am to 5pm and Sundays 10.30am to 4.30pm.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's 2008 and the start of another exciting gardening year! There's always something to do in the garden so we'll continue to put seasonal top tips and news on this blog all from St bridget Nurseries and Garden Centres in Exeter, Devon.

Today's top tip is to check plants growing in containers. If they have become potbound and the roots completely fill the pot, it may be time to repot them or plant them in the garden. Those that can remain in their pots for at least another year will benefit from top dressing. Remove the top inch or so of compost and replace it with fresh compost and add a controlled-release fertiliser for perfect results. St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centre stocks a full range of suitable composts and fertilisers and their helpful staff will be pleased to offer you advice.