Check out our latest garden column in our local newspaper for great autumn planting tips

Four local schools received a bundle of tools from St Bridget Nurseries in Exeter yesterday (20^th November) as part of a recycling project called, “Tools Shed” run by The Conservation Foundation.

Broken and unwanted gardening hand tools were donated by St Bridget Nurseries’ customers at their Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary garden centre. The donated tools were then sent to Dartmoor prison where they were repaired and refurbished by prisoners. The finished tools were given away to Clyst St Mary Primary School, Lady Seaward’s Primary School Clyst St George, WESC Foundation, St Peter’s High School Exeter at a special presentation event held at the garden centre. Further bundles are going to be presented to Topsham School, Sampford Peverell Primary School and Hazeldown Primary School Teignmouth in due course.  

The tools were handed out in ‘starter packs’, a mix of eight different tools including trowels, hand forks, spades, rakes and hand shears, by the Tools Shed South West co-ordinator, Richard Leatherby and St Bridget Nurseries Director, Tammy Falloon. The schools intend to use the smaller tools to help teach the children as well as using the larger tools for grounds maintenance and green scheme projects.

Mel Davis, Garden Centre Manager at St Bridget Nurseries co-ordinated the company’s participation and was delighted from the response customers – recycling at its best. The project is ongoing so if readers have any unwanted hand tools please drop them into the garden centre at Clyst St Mary, Exeter and they will be recycled for further schools to benefit from the scheme.

Since the pilot scheme with HMP Wandsworth in 2006, the project has helped hundreds of schools and community groups create and maintain green spaces and saved many tools from being sent to landfill. The Foundation currently works with HMPs Dartmoor, Wandsworth, High Down, Northumberland and Edinburgh and Morton Hall IRC in Lincolnshire. Cardiff and Parc Prisons join the scheme in November 2013.

Photo: WESC Foundation: Caroline Burkie (Fundraising & PR Manager), students Maurice, Dan, Patrick and Rhys) and staff enabler Pam.

Photo below of St Peter's High School pupils Toby Island and Caleb Bishop both age 11 in year 7 and two of their teachers, plus the Tools Shed co-ordinator Richard Leatherby.

 

National Tree Week

National Tree Week is fast approaching,
St Bridgets can offer a large selection of trees for planting now,
Ornamental and fruit trees can be ordered bare root from our tree fields at either of our garden centres or on the 22nd November we are holding another Tree Field Tour where you can look around and pick your own tree, we can then label it for you and arrange collection or delivery.
Ring our garden centres or office to book a free place.

National Tree Week 23rd November - 1st December
St Bridgets are offering 20% off all trees purchased, either from our garden centres or from our nursery tree fields.
If you can't make the Tree field tour you can ring and arrange a visit at other times by ringing and making an appointment for a more personal tour where you can discuss your requirements and get some advice with Phil our Nursery Manager Tel 01392873672.

Bare Root Roses

Bare root roses grown on our nursery in Exeter can be ordered for collection or delivery now.
We grow a large selection of varieties Hybrid Tea,Floribunda, Climbers, Ramblers and Shrub all in a large selection of colours, a lot of which have good scent.

Visit our websites to view the full list of roses we grow and ring or visit one of our garden centres to order, for a fabulous dispaly of roses next summer.

http://www.stbridgetnurseries.co.uk/index.cfm/plants/roses

Trees looking good in autumn.

Why not plant a Malus (Crab Apple) tree in your garden, they give a fabulous display in spring with flowers and with fruit in the autumn.

A selection of varieties available include

Floribunda

Hupehensis

Profusion Improved

Royalty

Tschonoskii

Dartmouth

Evereste

Golden Hornet

John Downie

Red Sentinal

White Star

These are available in various sizes as bare root trees from November to order and now as containerised  trees in our garden centres.Please contact us for a full list and availability

Plant something a little bit different Leucothe scarletta

Leucothe Scarletta is lovely low growing evergreen shrub,          

                                                         
It has long, slim glossy leaves that in spring are dark maroon, turning greener as they mature and then taking on lovely bronze  tint in the autumn. Although it prefers partial shade, the leaves  forms an attractive dome of dense foliage and if kept low, makes ideal groundcover, it prefers  ericaceous soil but will grow well in a pot as well.Flowers  in spring

Make life easier for yourself, have it delivered by St Bridgets.

When you come to St Bridget's and buy things for your garden getting it home can be hassle free if you have it delivered by us.
Whether its a tree, compost, garden furniture or garden water feature we can deliver it for you.
Delivery to Exeter is £7.50 or free over £100
for other areas please ask when placing your order.

Open ground trees

With the autumn  upon us, the open ground tree season is fast approaching
Why not come and order an ornamental or fruit tree for planting this autumn / winter.
You can order from either of our garden centres or at one of our Tree field tours which will be held over the next couple of months.

Tree Field Tours -

Sat 14th Sept 10.30am

Fri 18th Oct 2pm

Fri 22nd Nov 2pm

To book a place contact our garden centres or office.

Rob Sutton who has been growing trees at St Bridget's for over 40 years.

Heathers

New season 9cm Heathers (Winter and Summer flowering) are now in both our garden centres.
We grow them on our nursery in Exeter in a wide choice of varieties and colours.
See our plant list on our website for a full list of varieties available.
http://www.stbridgetnurseries.co.uk/index.cfm/plants/heathers
Winter flowering heathers give a good display of colour throughout the winter and make good long flowering plants for winter tubs and pots

Fuchsia Lady Boothby

Climbing Fuchsia Lady Boothby 
Climbing fuchsia! Lady Boothby has bright two-tone flowers that adorn its red stems. Provide a little support and it will cover a trellis,,wall or a fences in no time at all. Apart from being vigorous it's also  hardy,so you can look forward to repeat performances year after year.

St Bridget's have some in full flower in 2 litre pots priced at £7.25.

We also have a good selection of  other varieites of hardy Fuchsias available including

Alice Hoffman

Blue Wave

Candy Bells

Genii

Lady Thumb

Madame cornellison

Versicolour

Mr West

Mrs Popple

Riccartonii

Tom Thumb

Rudbeckia Goldsturm

Rudbeckia Goldsturm (coneflower)
This is another long flowering perennial which has masses ofyellow flowers on strong upright stems, height approx 75cm,
They flower from late July right through until September and give a mass display of flowers that will really brighten up any perennial or mixed border.

Pansies and Violas

New season Pansies and Violas are now in our Garden Centres, these are ideal for for replanting pots and containers that the summer bedding has past its best.
Just dead head the finished flowers and they will continue flowering right through the autumn and winter and well into next spring..
We have individual colours in 9cm pots and mixed 6 packs available.

Figs

Why not try growing some fresh figs in your garden, picking them during August/ September is much better than packaged ones from the supermarket.
Grow in a  sunny spot best trained against a wall or fence and it is best to restrict the roots to encourage fruiting.
St Bridget's grow the variety Ficus Brown Turkey and have various sizes available.
1 litre - £4.10  / 30-45cm
4 litre - £14.75 / 45-60cm
12 litre - £41.00 / 90-120cm

Encouraging Bees and butterflies

If you want to encourage bees and butterflies to your garden during late August and September, try growing some Sedums, masses of small flowers above thick fleshy leaves and stems in a good selection of foliage colours.
Varieties of Border Perennial varieties grown at St Bridget Nurseries include Brilliant,Autumn Joy Matrona and Ruby Glow.

It's bulb planting time.

With autumn fast approaching, bulb planting time is nearly upon us,

St Bridget's have a good selection of bulbs suitable for nearly all garden conditions,

Both Garden Centres will be stocked up for this weekend 24th August,

Plan ahead for next spring to give a great display of colour early next year.

Tree planting autumn,winter 2013/14

Thinking of planting trees this autumn/winter St Bridgets have a large choice in our tree field on the nursery at Old Rydon Lane.
We have 3 dates where you can now come and have a look around the tree fields and see how they are grown and walk through the trees and pick the tree that is suitable for you.
Fruit and Ornamental trees will be available to order for delivery or collection from November through to early / mid March.

Sat 14th Sept 10.30am

Fri 18th October 2pm

Fri 22nd November 2pm

If you would like to come and see our field grown trees they are at our Nursery at the Old Rydon Lane garden centre.

To book a place just call into either of our garden centres or ring our office and let us know how many will be coming.

Perovskia, Something that little bit different.

If you want something a little bit different in your garden try growing Perovskia,
St Bridget's have 2 varieties available, both grown in 3 litre pots priced at £7.50 each looking great at the moment for instant colour.
Blue Spire and Little Blue Spire so there is one that will be suitable for most gardens.
They have masses of Blue/purple flowers during July /August with attractive grey foliage.
Just prune back to tidy up when it has finished flowering and then hard in spring and this will keep the plant tidy through to flowering the following summer.

Roses New to St Bridget Nurseries

There have been a few new names joining St Bridget Nurseries Rose field over the last few years,here are just a few which will be ready to lift from November this year,

                                                              Bright as a Button
                     Pale pink single flowers with a prominent eye ,glossy disease resistant foliage

                                                          English Rose Tranquility
                              Pure white rounded shaped blooms with a light apple fragrance

                                                           HT    Bloom of Ruth

                                   Fusion of pink pastel shades with a rich perfumes
                                               
You can order now for delivery or collection from November 2013 or come and see the full range in our Rose field tour on Friday 26th 2pm / Saturday 27th July 10.30am.
Ring to book a place on 01392873672

Special offers for July

We have CONTAINERISED ROSES and LAVENDERS on offer in our garden centres at the moment.
The rose offer is 20% off containerised roses and the Lavenders buy 2 get the 3rd one free.
July is one of the best months for both of these plants and all look great in full flower..

Herbaceous Borders

Herbaceous Borders are normally looking their best in July,but there is something normally in flowers for most months of the year, they look spectacular as a stand alone border or as a mixed border with shrubs,

St Bridget's have a good selection available at both the garden centres to give an instant display.