LOVE YOUR LAWN

Lawns should be treated with the same kindness you over beds, borders and container plants. It's a remarkable plant and getting it to look lovely all year round is not as hard as you might think. April is the start of the growing season and what better time than to give your lawn a feed. Wait for a mild spell and to save you time why not use a combined weedkiller and fertiliser dressing?

April is also a great time to lay turf rolls or sow lawn seed on bare patches.

If you feel daunted by your lawn and live in the South West, why don't you visit St Bridget Nurseries in Old Rydon Lane, Exeter as they are having a lawn advice day. Dennis Lane, Grounds Inspector, of the Institute of Groundsmanship, will be on hand at St. Bridget's Garden Centre, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter on Sunday 1st April to give expert help and advice on all aspects of lawns and turf management. Dennis will be happy to identify weed problems in your lawn or explain why you have bare patches so please bring in samples of the weeds or diseases on your grass.

It's easy to get the lawn of your dreams - just visit St Bridget Nurseries Garden Centres!

Now is an ideal time to divide herbaceous perennials. Not only will you get more plants but you'll get healthier ones too. If you took cuttings of tender perennials last summer now is a good time to start potting them. Cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials. It is best to remove older, dead and damaged leaves from around them too as this reduces disease risk. Deadhead your daffodils while you are at it but leave the leaves to die down naturally as this gives the bulbs lots of nutrients to re-shoot next year. Now is also a good time to start feeding other plants in your beds and borders. A general purpose fertiliser is ideal.

Sit back and relax...

The garden is a place for entertainment and enjoyment, think of it as an outside room that you decorate! With the weather warming up now is a great time to get a new piece of garden furniture ready for the beauty of spring and summer. St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centre in Old Rydon Lane has one of the best selections of garden furniture in Devon and some fantastic offers. This beautiful Nova Aluminium Chatsworth suite is finished in matt black and includes:
1 x Chatsworth 155 x 92cm Rectangular Table
6 x Chatsworth Armchairs
6 x Spice mid range seat pads
The usual price for this set is £ 1071.99 but St Bridget's are offering a £270 saving and selling it for £ 799.99!

St Bridget Nurseries also sells wooden and resin garden furniture including benches, sunloungers, parassols and seat pads. PLUS a new and exciting range of garden games!

You can visit the garden furniture shrowroom at Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7JY 01392 873672.

Helping your garden wildlife...

Don't be too tidy in your garden as undisturbed areas are great for wildlife. These places provide safe daytime hiding places for small creatures and by allowing insects to gather gives a restaurant for birds! Try to minimise the amount of spraying you do as nature will do a lot of pest control for you - hedgehogs eat slugs, birds eat many insects like greenfly and ladybirds eat aphids.

Help provide a little extra food for birds while they are nesting by using a range of feeders including those that hang, bird tables and food on the ground.

Encourage mason bees with specially designed bee boxes available from good garden centres like St Bridget's. Mason bees help pollinate the garden and work harder than honey bees in poorer weather!

Get further advice...this weekend at St Bridget Nurseries' garden centre, Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1AE; the Devon Wildlife Trust will be there to tell you more about wildlife and the amazing work of the trust. St Bridget Nurseries was one of the first and few garden centres in Devon to be approved by the Devon Wildlife Trust in recognition of the wildlife focus the company offers. The garden centre is open 8am-5.30pm on Saturday and 10.30 to 4.30pm on Sunday.

Things to do in the Greenhouse...
Greenhouses can get very hot very quickly in Spring sunshine and so you may want to think about putting up some shading.
Give pots of amaryllis a high potash fertiliser like Tomorite and start to prick out seddlings that have germinated.
If you brought fuchsias and pelargoniums in over the winter now is a good time to start watering them again to start growth.

WANT BLUE HYDRANGEAS AND GOT PINK?

Most hydrangea varieties are capable of growing flowers in shades of pink or blue it is just the white ones that are always white. It is the amount of aluminium present in the plants sap that gives it its colour. Aluminium is most easily absorbed from acid soils and so you will find it hard to get really blue hydrangeas on limey or chalky alkaline soils. If you have pink hydrangeas in an acidic soil you need to add more aluminium and so buy some hydrangea colourant from your gaden centre like St Bridget Nurseries. Apply it weekly throughout the growing season every year and you should get blue blooms!

DID YOU KNOW?
If you sow poached-egg plants, Candytuft or Californian Poppies among your vegetable plants they will attract hoverflies whose larvae feed on pesty aphids!

BORDERLINE!

If you try and ensure your garden borders are tidy and well weeded now, before the growth surge in April, you'll avoid playing catch up in summer.

Start by cutting down the stems of all hardy perennials that you left over the winter, and provided soil is not saturated clean up any weeds.

Sprinkle a general fertiliser such as organic blood, fish and bone around the roots of border plants and hedging plants. Top dress borders with a thick mulch of peat-free soil conditioner or shredded bark to help retain mositure in the summer and inhibit the growth of weeds.

Got a gap? There's some great new plants arriving in garden centres like St bridget Nurseries at the moment so why not enjoy the sunshine, stroll around the centre have a tea break and then buy a few new plants for those gaps?

MAKE A KITCHEN GARDEN...

It's March and the time of year when our gardens start to wake up. The sun has finally arrived so why not begin to enjoy the garden a bit more? One of the best features of a garden and definitely an allotment is growing things you can eat! The following are just some of the things you can do now to get rewards later!

1. PLANT - Plant potatoes, shallots, garlic and onion sets.

2. SOW - Many vegetable crops can be sown in March especially in mild areas like Devon. Just look at the back of the packets to see what you can plant but sweet peppers and tomatoes are an example plus herbs like parsley and chives.

3. PRUNE - If you have gooseberry or blueberry bushes remove a few older stems from the base.

4. POLLINATE - hand pollinate flowers of apricots and peaches using a fine brush! Don't forget to protect them from the frost either.

Pond care...

With things starting to warm up now is a good time to remove your pond heaters and clean filters. Check your pumps are working and that your UV bulbs are OK. If you have a blown bulb your local aquatics centre, like St Bridget Nurseries on Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, Exeter; will have lots of spares.

The rise in temperature will also cause weed to grow. Apply barley straw to stop algae and for blanketweed it's a simple net and bucket job, although there are several blanketweed liquid controls available on the market.

If you have pond plants, now is also a good time to divide marginal and bog plants before they come into growth.

Get the best containers...

After deciding you want to spice up your patio, balcony, door way, window sills or garden with a planted container you have two choices - plant it yourself or get your local garden centre to do it for you!

DIY

If making a container yourself start with a good container compost. If you are planting a pot think about the material. Terracotta pots tend to loose more water as they are porous than say plastic or glazed pots which will mean you will have to water them less often! If planting a hanging basket choose a hanging basket liner that will retain water while allowing excess to drain away. The bigger the basket - the better it retains moisture.

You may wish to mix in some moisture retaining gels too.

Investing in a drip irrigation system will allow you to water several baskets or containers in one go simply by turning the tap, you can also fit a timer so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the pretty view!

Plant a nice colourful selection of plants in your container or hanging basket. It is usually nice to put a more upright plant in the middle and then surround with colourful bedding plants and trailing plants toward the edges.

As the season goes on, cut off dead flowers to encourage re-growth and check for signs of nutrient deficiency like straggly growth. If you spot this give your containers a feed.

DONE FOR YOU!
Simply call your local garden centre, like St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter (01392 873672 or 01392 876281), say what colours you want, they'll give you a bargain price and then once you've ordered they'll do the planting for you. All you have to do is the occasional water and feed!

All equipment listed above is available from St Bridget Nurseries, Old Rydon Lane and Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, Exeter.

Rain rain go away....
Most of us don't like the rain and are longing for summer but think ahead for your plants who generally love rain!
2006 was officially the UK's warmest year on record and many counties had restrictions on water use. With climate change it is no doubt that we are going to have to be more water wise and the garden is a great place to start. Here are some things YOU can do...
- collect rainfall in water butts while there's plenty of it. Water butts can be purchased at local garden centres.
- Add bulky organic matter like a garden compost, bark or well-rotted manure to soil as this retains mositure in the soil.
- Choose drought-tolerant plants for your borders and containers.
- Use seep irrigation and drip hoses in the summer as they use water more efficiently.
- When things start to heat up water plants ealy in the morning or later in the evening so the moisture seeps into the soil and does not evaporate.

Water butts, irrigation equipment, mulches and drought tolerant plants are all available at St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres in Exeter.

Hello...Hellebores!

The Hellebores frost defying flowers enthral us at this time of year. They give a little bit zest at low levels and come in a variety of colours. This beauty is the variety orientalis.

Helleborus Orientalis is the botanical name but it is also known as the Lenten Rose even though they are from the Buttercup family! Hellebores are perennial plants so will come back every year. Their flowers bloom during the Easter celebration of Lent. When they are not in bloom they remain as lush ground cover throughout the year. A must for a small space! At St Bridget Nurseries they have a range of perennials at only £5.25 each plus there are some great bargain ones in 9cm pots for only £1.25 each!

A garden classic!

Heathers are sometimes overlooked for use in the garden as they've been around for years. But you shouldn't dismiss them just because they are not new and trendy. The old faithful Heather gives colour and interest to the front of borders when everything else is dormant! It could also be lucky to have some Heather in your garden...

Lucky for us St Bridget's are going to be offering 3 heathers for the price of 2 in their garden centres. The offer applies to 23 varieties in 2 litre pots. All plants look best when planted in groups of three so this is a beneficial bargain. Plus Heathers are so easy to look after. Go on put a classic in your garden.

1 potato. 2 potato...

Potatoes are so easy to grow and you don't need a big garden or an allotment.

Get your seed potatoes from a good garden centre like St Bridget Nurseries who stock over 35 certified varieties. Put them in a cool place to sprout as this will give them a head start when planted.

Take a pot of at least 25cm diameter, a big black plastic one is not only a cheap option but a good choice for good growth.

Half fill the pot with a multi-purpose compost and then bury a seed potato just below the surface. As shoots grow cover with more compost and repeat until the pot is full. If keeping the pot outdoors keep an eye on frosts and cover young plants with garden fleece if there is a risk of frost.

Keep the compost moist but not wet, if leaves go yellow feed regularly with a tomato feed like Tomorite. By late June/early July you'll have potatoes ready to cook! Push your hand in and feel for them (or tip contents out). Pick the ones of eating size out and put the rest back in so they continue to grow - yummy! You can pick up everything you need at St Bridget Nurseries so give them a call!

FRUIT!

Cut autumn-fruiting raspberry canes back now to ground level for a bumper crop later in the year. Also don't forget to bring pot-grown strawberries into the greenhouse or coldframe for an earlier crop. For strawberries in the ground cover some with cloches to promote early fruiting while leaving some uncovered to prolong the harvest season.

Things to do in the garden this weekend

• The mild winter we have had means that many more pests will have over wintered and stayed alive but many more predators should survive also. Pay particular attention to pest control in conservatories, glasshouses, cold frames and tunnels as aphid and other pest populations will boom.
• If soil is not too wet, start weeding and digging over borders and any new areas ready for planting.
• Dead head winter pansies to prolong their display.
• Hippeastrums, also known as amaryllis, growing indoors will require watering once or twice a week. Do not over water as the roots may rot. You should see some beautiful flowers very soon.
• Plan a new project for the garden – think about adding something new to your garden, maybe a pond, a new border, planting shrubs that birds will appreciate as well as adding nesting boxes and feeding stations for the birds.
• Cut hedges before birds start nesting.
• How about learning how to propagate? It's easy. Now is the time to take hardwood cuttings of willow and root cuttings of perennials. Pick up all your propagating material along with other gardening bargains at your local garden centre, like St Bridget Nurseries.

NATIONAL NEST BOX WEEK

Give a bird a home and put up a nest box for birds in your garden. The aim of National Nest Box Week is to encourage everyone to put up nest boxes to help our breeding birds and other wildlife. The natural nest sites on which many of our bird species depend, such as holes in trees and buildings, are fast disappearing as gardens and woods are ‘tidied’ and old houses are repaired. So, whether you’re a family with space for a box in your garden, or you’re a teacher, a member of a local wildlife group or you belong to a bird club and could organise a work party, National Nest Box Week gives you the chance to give a brood a home. Not only will you be helping the conservation effort in the UK, but you will also have the pleasure of observing any breeding birds that you attract to your garden as they work to raise their young.

There are lots of nest boxes for birds and other wildlife such as hedgehogs, lace wings and ladybirds at St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

In the dog house because you've forgotten? Don't worry as there is still time to pop into one of St Bridget's garden centres in Exeter and pick up a beautiful houseplant or for the ultimate romantic how about an outdoor rose that will grow with your love? Failing that at the Old Rydon Lane garden centre there is a florist who'll wrap you a beautiful bouquet.

Make someone feel special today.

BABY PLANTS

Spring is definitely on its way and so it's time to start thinking about summer bedding. For a head start you can start growing seedlings now or baby plug plants to grow on in a propagator or glasshouse. Seed trays, compost, seeds, plug plants and pots are all available from your St Bridget's garden centre now.

Alternatively, if you like having things done for you why not order your seasonal containers and hanging baskets and then collect them when they are ready later in the year? St Bridget's in Exeter has just released its planting up prices and you can either have a brand new hanging bascket planted up to your colour and/or plant specifications or you can bring back your old hanging basket for them to do the planting. With prices starting from £19.99 its a bargain way of adding colour to your house and garden.