Gardening for all ages

You may have read our previous blogs about why gardening is good for your health, or why children should get into gardening, but can everyone really enjoy gardening?In a word: YES! The passion to garden can come to someone at any time in life and for many reasons. There are numerous ways for you to express your green fingers! Whether you plant flowers, or grow vegetables and fruit bushes – you can let your imagination run wild in your garden.

If you have children, it's never too early to teach them the benefits of gardening. Gardening teaches them to appreciate and have respect for the Earth. They can learn about plant varieties and enjoy being outside for fresh air and exercise.
By the same token, retirement can be a fabulous time to take up gardening. Many people may be highly anticipating their retirement, and welcome at the end of their 9-5, but others can also dread the long periods of time without something worthwhile do to.

Having huge amounts of free time can be liberating for a while, but often it becomes overwhelming for retirees. If you want something meaningful and joyous to fill some of your free time the gardening really is a fantastic option. You may want to become a part-time gardener at home, or join your local horticulture club or community garden.

No matter the type of garden you choose to tend, gardening is wonderful for everyone for anyone who chooses to pursue the hobby. If you love gardening, or want to get into gardening then you have to take a look around our website, and if you have any questions or would like any advice you can call us on – 01509 621300!

The most weird and wonderful plants in the world..

Here at Seagrave Nurseries we’re pretty obsessed with our plants. Our world is covered with plants, and we are surrounded by some of the most beautiful of nature’s creations everywhere we go. Plants have a bad rep for being motionless, basic and uninteresting, but we TOTALLY disagree. Here are some of the coolest, weirdest and most wonderful plants that exist, challenging the boring stereotype that plagues their kingdom!

The Corpse Flower

As its name elegantly suggests, the corpse flower is a smelly beast, happily wafting the stench of rotting flesh. Nice, right?  Not only does it smell strongly like a decaying corpse, it looks like it just hopped out of a sci-fi film.

Coming from the forests of Sumatra, it's not actually one big flower; it’s actually thousands upon thousands of little male and female flowers. As the spathe begins to open up, the spadix becomes a gas chamber, warming its natural oil and emitting noxious fumes for 8 to 12 hours to attract pollinating beetles[1]. What’s most impressive it that a mature one of these monsters can weigh up to 200 pounds!

Venus Flytrap

Not many plants eat things besides sunlight, but this plant is carnivorous! This makes the Venus Flytrap really feel it like it might be from another planet. 

They have trigger hairs which activate the trap when two are touched within 20 seconds of each other. The teeth-like spikes act as interlocking fingers to lock the prey inside and then the rest is done with digestive juices.[2]

Silver Torch Cactus

This it is a very unusual cactus indeed. It's woolly for a start, and it grows pretty unusual flowers. But weirder still, is that this cactus actually prefers cold temperatures!

It can stand frosts up to -10 degrees and it lives in the high mountains of Bolivia and Argentina, were it gets strong sunlight and water in the summer months. So Cacti don’t just belong in the dessert!

Skunk Cabbage

This huge, putrid smelling North American member of the Aurum family leaves little to be desired. Despite looking quite pretty, the aroma from it is often mistaken for an enraged skunk, hence it’s name.  Again this unusual looking plant looks like some kind of alien artefact. Human consumption of the wrong parts of these plants in excessive quantities can cause death from severe calcium oxalate poisoning. The calcium oxalate is an extremely corrosive toxin that burns into the flesh and can shut down organ systems, so we wouldn’t recommend tucking in!

Victoria Amazonica

Commonly known as giant waterlillies and famous for having leaves so large and sturdy that you could place a child or even a petite woman upon one without the risk of sinking, these beauties are pretty incredible. The ends fold up to avoid overlapping with their pals and the bottom of them are covered in thorns to protect from being eaten. Their flowers are enormous, beautiful, and change colour over the course of the lily's lifetime. [3]

We hope you’ve enjoyed our blog. We at Seagrave are dedicated to supplying hardy architectural specimen plants for people who do not want to pay garden centre prices. If you have any questions or would like any advice please call us on – 01509 621300


[1] http://www.chron.com/news/bizarre/article/Hold-your-nose-Corpse-flower-to-bloom-at-1597222.php

[2] http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2100.html

[3] http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-giant-amazon-water-lily.html

Give your loved one a TREEMENDOUS Valentines gift

With Valentines just a few days away many of you will be scrambling around for ideas to surprise your loved ones. Candle-lit dinners are being planned, reservations being made and heart-clad cards are being purchased in preparation for the special day. 

So if you’re looking for a unique and unparalleled gift for the special person in your life, look no further!

Here at Seagrave Nurseries we stock a wide range of plants and trees for under £50 that would make for the ideal Valentines surprise! Here are a few reasons why -

• Trees and plants are symbolic! With a little bit of tender loving care and attention, plants and trees flourish and grow – just like the love between two people in a relationship.
•  They’re suitable for both sexes
• They make a unique gift for the person who has everything
• They are suitable for indoor and outdoor use
• They are top-quality – a special gift for your special person

So if you’re after a meaningful, one of a kind present, why not head to Seagrave Nurseries?

Chocolates and roses are a thing of the past; surprise your Valentine with an Olivetree or a Lavender Hidcote instead.

Order online before 12 noon and there’s a very good chance you will receive your plant the very next day – in time for the big day! Alternatively you can visit us and pick up you present in person. 

Winter gardening tips

The temperature is really dropping now. We've had a relatively mild November but now that our cars need de-icing in the morning, it’s clear that December is bringing in the wintry weather.
It’s going to require a lot more motivation and determination to pick yourself up from the cosy sofa but just a small amount of time treating your garden will prepare it for optimal spring planting.

If you’re having an outdoor Christmas tree make sure it is cared for. Place the cut trunk in water to allow the tree to drink naturally and like other trees keep it out of harsh winds and keep it sheltered. After the festive season it can be re-potted.

To protect your trees and shrubs from frost make sure to wrap them in fleece or protective wrapping such as straw. It might also be necessary to provide a wind break for plants in order to protect them from cold harsh winds. Though most trees will have long lost their leaves by now, dogwoods have beautifully coloured barks and are showcased well during the winter.

A white Christmas may be on everyone’s wish list this winter but snow may damage your trees. Make sure excess snow is brushed off branches and leaves as it can ruin the shape of your tree by breaking limbs. Herbs may need to be brought inside or wrapped up to protect from frost as well, especially if they are going to be used for your festive dinners.

Holly is the most iconic Christmas plant and if you want yours to remain full of fruits to use for decoration on the big day, you should keep it netted to prevent birds and other animals from leaving it fruitless.

If wildlife is a keen focus of yours and for your garden, make sure you have plenty of bird feeders that are well stocked during the colder months. Natural sources of food are sparse and an array of helpful bird feeders will attract plenty of red breasted Robins to your garden.

For any questions or advice on preparing your garden for winter, or ideas on what to try for your garden next year, then please contact Seagrave Nurseries.

Plan & Prep your garden hedge

Hedges have been an important part of the British landscape and wildlife attraction for many centuries. Whether you’re an amateur or veteran gardener, knowing when to plant one and how to prepare your hedge for the cooler and more brisk temperatures is key to a beautiful and thriving display for your gardens.

Hedges are typically planted for varied purposes to usual plants and shrubs found in the gardens, whether for protection, as an alternative to a fence or to prevent windbreak, they are a diverse form of plant life and therefore should be planted and maintained differently to other garden plants.

As the mists, darker evenings and winter chill appears in the air, believe it or not, now is the time to start planning your hedge planting.

Here are a few Seagrave Nursery tips to help you on your way to hedging heaven:

What hedge?

There are many types of hedging plants out there, but depending on how quickly you want results you will need to decide between the smaller hedging plants (whips) which are usually cheaper and easier to establish or larger plants which will provide boundaries a lot quicker. 

Deciduous hedges and evergreen hedges are ideal for planning early- mid autumn so the soil can be worked easily.

When?

The planting season starts when plants are lifted from nurseries like ours so usually October until early March. Make sure that if your soil is light you plant before Christmas and that for heavier clay-type soils you plant after Christmas so that there is less chance of water logging which can cause harm to your hedge particularly as they are more prone to risk after they have first been planted.

Prepare

Wherever you are planting your hedge you will need to ensure that the ground has been prepared enough so plough and cultivate. Kill any weeds with herbicide a long time prior to planting and consider organic mulches. The more preparation that goes into the ground, the more successfully formed your hedge will be.

Preparation is the most important part before planting any type of hedge, whether one or many.

At Seagrave Nurseries we can provide you with the correct guidance and advice to ensure that your hedges fulfil their potential.

At present we are offering customers 25% off the marked price of everything for a limited period only. Please browse our current range of hedging plants which can be brought in bulk or as single pieces.

Why is Spring the best time to start planting?

So you have been waiting all Winter and Spring has finally arrived. Why does that signify the start of the planting season?

Well, during Spring plants get the perfect conditions to grow. The wet/damp weather gives them the water they need in order to develop. In Spring the longer days mean that the plants will have more daylight and warmth from the Sun which raises the temperature of both the air and soil making the plant grow to its full potential.

In addition the warmer weather and longer days also means that we are more inclined to get out and work on the garden too.

When you have planted the plants that you want to grow, after time the plant will begin to grow a root which will anchor it’s self into the soil. If all the conditions are right, the bulb should grow as expected. But remember that when you plant your seeds/bulbs you will need to ensure you have given the seeds enough space to grow into strong, healthy plants. If they are too crowded they won't have enough light, water or food, which mean that the plant may not grow to its full potential and may even die.

So if you want to plant any seeds, Spring is the perfect time to do it. It is the time seeds germinate naturally in woods, fields and gardens.

At Seagrave Nurseries we can provide a full range of Plants ideal for planting in the Spring, including varieties such as the Famous black caned bamboo which fits into any garden either modern or traditional. This bamboo produces canes which go black in their third year, beautifully offset by deep green foliage. We also have vast Palm trees featuring a striking blue/grey colour which makes these hardy palms stand out from the crowd. These plants can reach approximately 12 feet (4 metres) when planted in U.K. Now that Spring has finally come around this year you can now plant these trees with no hesitation.

For more information please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions on 01509 621 300. 

7 Reasons to Consider Bamboo.

We have a wide range of Bamboo available at our Nurseries in Seagrave.

We have both Black and Gold Bamboo in stock and here are seven reasons why you should consider Bamboo:

1. Bamboo is a great plant to consider if you want to add a bit of colour variety to your Garden. Although its shoots start off as green, after a couple of years the shoot will turn to a jet black or golden brown depending upon the variety chosen. A great way to mix up the colours and add a bit of variety.
2. It is a giant grass so it therefore grows relatively quickly in relation to larger tree or foliage options, so it is a good option if you need to fill space in a relatively quick way.
3. Bamboo can be planted all year round and can reside in shade or sunlight. It is therefore a good plant to situate in small gardens that do not get all year round sunlight, or conversely in open space that will get a lot of sunlight.
4. It is a relatively sturdy plant, especially for a Grass, so again it can be situated in areas where other more sensitive foliage will not prosper.
5. Bamboo does not need as much attention as some alternatives when it is planted outside.
6. Bamboo can make a very good house plant that will grow nicely if looked after properly.
7. As Bamboo is a very robust and strong plant it is also ideal for planting for other uses, it can be used for fencing or flooring and is used in Asia in the construction industry.

So if you fancy trying out Bamboo, why not come along to our Nursery and speak to our experienced staff about the best option for you, or alternatively visit our website for more information.