Why children should consider gardening as a career?

Do you ever wonder why children these days don’t really consider being a gardener when they grow up? It’s not exactly on the top of youngsters list of dream careers it is? Maybe it’s because they’re not taught anything about it, or because they think it’s boring, or because they think it’s something their parents and grandparents do at the weekends? Whatever the reason, we think it’s a real shame that more school leavers aren’t interested in horticulture.

But how do you persuade school leavers that horticulture is a career worth getting out of bed for? The Horticulture Matters campaign revealed that is 2012, 70 per cent of 18-year-olds regarded horticulture as only for dummies, i.e. those who ‘failed academically’.

So why should youngsters consider gardening as a career? For a start, there are loads of different jobs in gardening! Such as -

• Gardener
• Garden designer
• Florist
• Environmental scientist
• Horticultural journalist
• Greenkeeper
• Aboriculturist
• Vegetable grower
• Garden centre manager
• Landscape contractor
• Landscape architect
• Park ranger
• Plant breeder
• Soil scientist

There is a big demand for skilled gardeners! Horticulture contributes £9 billion to the UK economy every year, and employs around 300,000 people across a variety of disciplines. However, 70% of businesses say that they struggle to find the skilled workers they require and put this down to the poor perception of horticulture in schools!

In our last blog we discussed how gardening is good for your health – so why wouldn’t someone want at make a career out of it!? Gardening can help you keep fit, lower your blood pressure strengthen your immune system, relieve stress and make you happy – how many other jobs can offer these benefits?

There is a reason people take up gardening as a hobby – it’s enjoyable! Children should be encouraged to consider gardening as a career if for no other reason – they will probably enjoy it!

If you love gardening then you have to take a look around our website, and if you have any questions or would like any advice please call us on – 01509 621300

Rain Gardens: What are they?

A rain garden is a brilliant way to add beauty and eco-friendly benefits to your garden. The concept is simple - strategically placed plants help to absorb excess rainwater before it can flow off and dirty our rivers and streams as storm water run-off.

In its simplest form, a rain garden is a shallow ‘basin’, with absorbent and free draining soil and vegetation that can withstand occasional temporary flooding. Rain gardens are designed to imitate the natural water retention of undeveloped land and to reduce the volume of rainwater running off into drains from impervious areas and treat low level pollution.

Everyone can help address the impact of climate change without making major lifestyle changes, and one simple and easy way is by changing the way you manage your outside space. A rain garden can help to reduce localised flooding whilst still providing an enjoyable area for the benefit of both wildlife and you and your friends and family.

 Providing rain gardens is part of a growing desire to have more sustainable drainage systems. Water is a vital resource for people and wildlife. In the UK we expect to have enough water to meet our needs - having water readily available is something we often take for granted.

Just one rain garden can make a small but positive difference in addressing localised flooding and the quality of the local water environment. Alongside other sustainable drainage systems and actions to tackle diffuse pollution, rain gardens can be an effective part of a bigger solution.

First developed in the USA in the 1990s, Rain gardens have become increasingly popular. Rain gardens aim to absorb all the rainwater that flows into them. If you are interested in transforming your outdoor space into a rain garden, you can find a very useful guide here.

Here at Seagrave we supply hardy architectural specimen plants for people who do not want to pay garden centre prices. Make sure you come to us for all your garden needs. 

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.

Autumn gardening tips

Sadly for some, summer is almost over, but there is still plenty of jobs that that you can do to keep your garden looking beautiful and your plants flourishing – in fact contrary to popular belief the autumn and winter months should not be wasted and utilised as times to get the most out of your garden ready for next Summer.

The upcoming months of September and October provide the perfect time to get outside while temperatures are moderate and evenings are still light.

Here are some of our top tips to get the most out of your garden before winter sets in.

One last feed

Consider Autumn as preparation for your garden to go into hibernation over the winter months. Just like animals, your gardens will need to store food in order to survive.

Clear the moss and weeds from any areas of the grass to enable moisture and sunlight to get to it so that it doesn’t wilt. Consider purchasing lawn feed to balance out the nutrients of the soil and help your grass stay alive and looking a healthy shade of green throughout winter.

Expand your garden
If you are looking to expand your garden or completely renovate your current plants, shrubs and hedges then believe it or not, autumn is in fact the best time to do this, as new plants can make a strong start and have plenty of time to bed in before the colder weather appears.

The dormant season of late autumn is the best time to plant hedges purchased with bare-rooted whips from specialist nurseries like ours. These younger hedges are much cheaper than buying traditional pot-grown hedges from garden centres, planting them now will mean quicker growth in spring.

If you’re looking for an autumn flowering hedge, consider Fagus Sylvatica (Beech) which can brighten even the dullest of days with leaves that change to a copper colour but don’t fall until winter is over to be replaced by new leaves.

This applies with lawns too; seeds should be given the opportunity to take root before winter.

Take cuttings

Do you want to make new plants from the ones that you already have in your garden? If so, autumn is the time to make plant and create new growths, particularly if you own a greenhouse. Cuttings should be around 10cm tall and any lower leaves should be removed before planting in small pots of premium grade soil.

It is vital to keep them moist and watered, protecting them from strong winds and direct sunlight which can cause them to wilt.

Hardwood herbs such as rosemary or native banksias work particularly well at this time. 

Prepare your soil

Protecting your soil by keeping vital nutrients, which are needed for it to remain fertile, will ensure that your garden has a great head start at the beginning of the year to last all year long. Introducing wood chippings or mulch on top of your soil will protect your soil, particularly between plants and shrubs were nutrients are key for the winter months.

Earthworms cultivate the soil, so you will want to ensure that you have a healthy amount of earthworms in your soil. Adding organic matter like manure and leaves will improve the quality of your soil and attract worms.

For any questions or advice on preparing your garden for autumn, or plans you can grow over the course of the next season please contact Seagrave Nurseries.