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. 

Create your own contemporary garden

If you want a fresh new look for your garden that will look great and be easy to maintain you should go for a contemporary garden design.

Contemporary garden designs increasingly focus on turning an outdoor space into an additional living area. Often coined an ‘outdoor room’, this approach to modern garden design work well for those who want a beautiful space to enjoy, but perhaps don’t have the time to maintain a fruitful garden.

When it comes to planting, a popular approach in contemporary garden design is simplifying the space. Large lawned areas and continuous planted borders are swapped for more strategically placed organic elements, which can create a clutter-free look to your garden and reduce the amount of maintenance needed.

The plants become just one part of the architecture. You can include clipped hedges, specimen trees and uncomplicated sections of planting.

Grasses and bamboos are very easy to care for, grow quickly and can help break up areas. Large planters are useful if you have no planting areas and can be moved around easily.

Crisp, clean lines are an essential part of contemporary garden design, which can be applied to gardens of all shapes and sizes. Equally important is the use of space, geometric layout, simple design, and no clutter!

Here are some of our plants that will fit in beautifully in a contemporary garden design -

Brahea Armata Mexican Blue Palm 
Striking blue/grey colour makes this hardy palm stand out from the crowd.
Likely to reach approximately 12 feet (4 metres) in U.K, the Brahea Armata Mexican Blue Palm is indigenous to Mexico and looks beautiful.










Black Bamboo Phyllostachys Nigra 
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.








Ophiopogon Planiscapus Niger Black Grass
This black grass will grow to 25cm/ 10 inches and they will beautiful produce white flowers tinged with purple in summer.
They are evergreen and frost hardy and perfect for the modern, contemporary garden design.





Contemporary garden design means you can approach the project in the same way you would an interior design project. We have so many more beautiful potted plants, large planters, grasses and bamboos online for your perusal.

Come to us to create your own contemporary garden space!

Plants with Natural remedies and medicinal values!

A lot of plants not only look beautiful, but they can also have natural medicinal value. Natural remedies are not some new age hippy craze; they have actually been around for thousands of years by people all over the world. Plants are actually the basis of so many of the medicines and beauty products we use today.

In fact, it’s even possible to make your own natural remedies, health products and cosmetics from plants, from mouthwashes to insect repellent. Here are a few plants that we found make interesting natural remedies...

GREEN TEA = MOUTHWASH

Green tea is one of the latest fads, claiming to detox and help with weight loss by speeding up metabolism. Tea plants can actually be grown in the UK and used for much more than drinking. People use green tea leaves for making mouthwash! It’s naturally high in fluoride and is anti-inflammatory. This means it can help with all kinds of mouth issues, from bad-breathe to fighting plague.

OLIVE TREE = FACE MASK

Olive trees can also be grown in the UK and they have many benefits besides growing olives. The leaves on olives can be boiled down to extract oil which makes a fantastic, low-cost face mask when mixed with clay powder. Naturally fragrant and packed with anti-oxidants, a natural olive leaf face mask will leave your skin soft, smooth and super fresh!

ALOE PLANT =TREATMENT FOR CUTS AND BURNS

This one is a bit better known as there are a number of products out there that contain aloe in them, such as after sun and moisturiser etc. However you don’t need to buy such products to reap the benefits of the Aloe plant. Simply cracking open one of the leaves will reveal the aloe gel which you can rub straight on to burns or grazes for relief. It naturally cools the skin and acts as an inflammatory, hence its use to soothe sunburn and burns. 

LEMONGRASS PLANT – INSECT REPELLENT

You may have tasted lemongrass countless time in your life in dished such as Thai green curries, but its qualities don’t end in satisfying your taste buds. Lemongrass is actually used across the world for a number of things from toothpaste to perfumes! What many people don’t realise it that it’s a fantastic insect repellent. Rub it on your skin to release the natural oils and not only does it repel insect and bugs, it will actually kill them! An added bonus is that unlike many insect repellents on the market, this natural alternative smells great - like lemon sherbet!

So there you have it, plants are great for pretty much everything! These are just a few examples, please tell us if you have any of your own! Here at Seagrave we are dedicated to supplying hardy architectural specimen plants for people without charging towering garden centre prices. If you have any questions or would like any advice please 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. 

Create your own peaceful Japanese Garden

There is something quite calming and stress relieving about an Asian style garden. Using a combination of plants, colours, ground textures and structures, Japanese gardens are highly stylized and depict a miniature idealized landscape.

There are certain features that are sure to give your garden a taste of the orient.

Water

Water is a natural element and as such it belongs in your garden. Western gardens focus on colours and the visual appearance where as a Japanese garden focus more on nature and the natural flow of outdoors.

Water or something that represents water such as white sand in dry gardens is always represented in a Japanese garden. Any pond included in a garden should be an irregular shape to convey a natural shape.

Rocks and plants can be included in the ponds which will also help the pond look more natural and not man-made.

Trees and Plants

Although a Japanese garden attempts to symbolize nature, there is nothing wild or random in its design. Even the plants are well thought out to create the look, whether it’s for strong greens of conifers to last all year, or the changing of vivid reds in Autumn which make the gardens in Kyoto so famous.  We recommend Acers for creating this lovely bright red in Autumn.

No tree is more synonymous with Japanese culture is that of the Bonsai plant. The trees are pruned and trimmed to retain their unique shape and to not over shroud the rest of your garden.

At Seagrave Nurseries we stock a range of Bonsai trees in a variety of heights and sizes so you can find a perfect fit for your Japanese inspired garden. They’re easy to care for as long as you give them a trim every now and again.

Rocks and Sand

As mentioned, sand represents the flow of water in a dry garden. It often has lines raked into it to create a visual effect of movement and the flow of water.

Rocks are often placed in the sand to represent mountains and the earth.  If they are placed in a formation of three, the tallest represents heaven, the middle size represents humanity and the shortest symbolises the earth.

Stone features

Stone lanterns are a common feature which originally served the purpose of locating the temples they were placed around.

As gardens are often the setting for tea ceremonies, water basins were a common feature. Guests would be encouraged to wash their hands and mouth before entering the tea house.

Remember

Keep the garden simple. Don’t be tempted to include every feature of a Japanese garden all in one.

Browse our full range of trees, topiary and plants in person and see what fits with your garden whatever the theme. Our nursery is situated in Leicestershire. Contact us today for more information on our nursery plants

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.