Garden Furniture at Whitehall...

Our garden furniture range 2010 is now in full swing! Come and visit our showrooms at Lacock and Whitchurch to see what we have to offer.
We have many introductory promotions on summer BBQ’s, bistro sets, cast iron sets, weave sets and wooden garden furniture sets.

We have a large range of our garden furniture on our online store, click here to visit >>>

If you would like to give us a call for more information on all of our garden furniture, please give us a call on 01249 730 204.

Easter Whitehall Garden Centre

Mothers day at Whitehall

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th March 10:00am - 4:00pm

Come along and make a spring planted arrangement for your mother this weekend. Each child leaves with the arrangement they have personally made especially for their ‘mum’. Everyone is welcome to join our workshops throughout the day where we will supply all equipment and materials for a fee of £4.99.

Fore more information on our talks & events, please visit > http://www.whitehallgardencentre.co.uk/talks-demos.php

January Checklist

January at a glance

Around the garden:
-Ensure that birds have plenty of high energy food and water
-Continue with digging when soil conditions allow
-Cover the ground to keep out the wet
-Protect the plants that are vulnerable to wind and cold
-Aerate lawns to improve drainage
-Keep a small area of the pond free from ice to help keep the pond oxygenated
-Don’t let winter germinating plants take over

Trees, Shrubs & Climbers:
-Refirm newly planted trees and shrubs if raised by the frost
-Brush snow off trees and shrubs so that the branches do not break
-Check the supports of trees and shrubs
-Plant deciduous hedging
-Prune trees and shrubs to shape
-Prune wisteria and other vigorous climbers

Flowering plants:
-Clear damp leaves from the crown of plants
-Check forced bulbs for growth
-Sow sweet peas under cover

Kitchen garden:
-Chit early potatoes
-Protect fruit trees from bird damage
-Continue planting and winter-pruning of fruit
-Force rhubarb

*Last chance to…… Protect container plants from freezing

*Get ahead….. Send the lawnmower off for servicing

Happy New Year!

At Whitehall Garden Centre we trust that you had a wonderful year and Christmas. We would also like to take this opportunity wish you all the best in 2010!

Father Christmas!!

Father Christmas is in his Whitehall grotto right up until 24th December! Come along and visit him and his Reindeer's Snowflake and Moonbeam.

Decembers Gardening Tips

-Feed birds in the cold weather and do not allow ponds to freeze over.
-Shake snow off of trees if required
-Bring Bay trees under cover to shield them from the cold.
-Shred prunings from plants, fruit trees and bushes.
-Protect plants and pots from frost damage.
-Insulate garden taps and exposed pipes
-Bring in Christmas bulbs for flowering.

Christmas is coming!

Its that time of year again and at Whitehall we now have a fantastic selection of Scottish grown Christmas trees, Holly, Wreaths and Mistletoe. All of these festive plants can bring a christmassy feeling to your home and garden. We also stock Christmas trees with roots that can be planted in the garden and enjoyed year after year.
Our top 5 tips for planting a Christmas tree are...
1. Make sure your tree is planted away from the house as the roots grow to a large size and will uproot patio slabs and other parts of your garden and home.
2.Try and buy one that is no more that 3 feet tall as you want to get the most years out of it and the root will be better and easier to transplant.
3.Protect from pests such as Rabbits, Insects (Aphids in particular)and in extreme cases Deer.
4.When plating the tree make sure it is protected from wind and make sure the planting hole is the right depth.
5.Once planted try to shape and shear your tree to make it healthier.

October Gardening Tips

-Rake up any fallen leaves
-Tidy ponds and remove pond pumps for the winter
-Plant evergreen shrubs
-Plants new climbers and perennials
-Dig over any empty area of soil
-Divide Rhubarb
-Plant tulip and lily bulbs

Feeding Wild Birds in the Winter

As the winter draws closer, it is time to start thinking about feeding birds during the cold winter months. As natural food sources are low in the winter, birds benefit greatly from you putting food out in the garden. Foods with a high fat content will help to give the birds extra energy. Sunflower seeds, peanuts, dried fruit and suet are all fat rich foods and will give the wild birds that extra energy boost. If you have a fruit tree in your garden try and leave some of the ripe fruit under the tree so that thrushes, blackbirds and starlings can enjoy a high energy treat! Don`t forget that birds still like to bathe and drink during the winter, so if possible top up water areas.

Planting Spring Bulbs

You will need to plant Daffodils and Narcissi before the end of September. Daffodils will look good planted in layers. Use a bulb planter or trowel to make a hole in the soil for your bulb to go in. Once the soil is removed, put your bulbs in. Cover these over and wait for the spring! You can plant some bulbs lower down, then cover over with soil and plant more onto and finally cover with soil. This will give a layered effect and make the area look fuller. There are many bulbs to choose from such as Alliums, Tulips and Hyacinths. Daffodils are popular and some of our favourites are Broadway Star, Ambergate and Tahiti.

Planting New Perennials

This is a good time of year to start planting new perennials. The soil will be moist and still warm enough for roots to establish before the cold of winter. Our garden centre has a wide variety of flowering and foliage herbaceous perennials to choose from.
Planting Step by Step
1.Dig a hole for the new plant and add bone meal to the bottom of the hole for root growth.
2.Soak the plants about an hour or so before you want to plant it.
3.Take the plant out of the pot, it may have become quite tight in there so you may need to tease it out.
4.Put the plant into the hole and fill the gap around it with soil and then firm the soil with your fingers.
5.Water the plant thoroghly again (half a watering can if the weather has been dry)
6.You may also put mulch, chipped bark or leaf mould around the plant to reduce evaporation from the soil.

Septembers Gardening Tips

- Start clearing up Autumn debris to prevent pests and disease over winter
- Aerate established lawns
- Net ponds to keep out autumn leaves
- Start feeding new trees, shrubs and containers
- Start to plant new perennials
- Give support to tall, late-flowering perennials
- Plant spring flowering bulbs
- Plant up containers with autumn bedding plants
- Plant spring cabbages
- Sow winter lettuce
- Continue to harvest apples, pears and autumn fruiting raspberries.

Osteospermum

Osteospermum are a popular perennial and look good in rustic or modern gardens. They love the sun and are evergreen. They flower from late spring to autumn and bear mauve-pink or magenta daisy looking flower heads. They have a dense mat of leaves which make good ground coverage. They grow to around 4-20 inches high and 20-36 inches wide. Grow in a sunny position in any well drained soil. Deadhead regularly to encourage new flowers and prolong flowering. If it is a particularly cold and wet winter they may not survive, to keep your cost down you can take cuttings from them at the end of summer and keep in a glass house or conservatory.

Around the Garden in August

There are many things that can be done around the garden in August. You should be aware of pests and diseases as the warm dry weather can encourage diseases such as mildew. Make sure plants are watered frequently especially if the weather is hot and dry. To try and keep slug damage to plants and flowers to a minimum, deter them by scattering slug pellets. Continue to weed the borders to keep them tidy and weed free. Continue mowing your lawns regularly applying a lawn feed that is phosphate based. Rambling Roses can now be pruned and deadheads can be removed from Roses.

Whitehalls Plant of the Month- Hydrangea

The Hydrangea is a fast growing deciduous shrub. It produces large flower heads during the summer and early autumn. It has dark green foliage. They are hardy plants and can also be cut to be used in a floral arrangment. They can be planted in pots or in containers and are a great way to add colour to your summer garden. They grow to about 3-7m in height and 2.5 in width. They need to be grown in fertile, moisture retentive soil. The plant requires minimal pruning, however all sideshoots must be cut back in late winter.

Gardening Tips for August

-Make sure wild birds and other wildlife have access to fresh water, as in the hot weather fresh water can be hard to find. Also keep ponds topped up.
-If the weather is hot and dry you can mow your lawn less frequently.
-Prune rambling roses after they have flowered.
-Trim Lavender after their flowers have faded.
-Water plant regularly in hot weather.
-Take cuttings from perennials such as Fuchsias and Pelagoniums.
-In your vegetable garden you can lift and dry Onions, cut and dry herbs for use in winter and Plant new strawberry plants.

Pick and Prune Raspberries

Summer fruiting Raspberries should be ready to harvest around now. If you have plenty of Raspberries they are suitable to freeze or to cook gently and make a puree .Old canes will be easily identifiable as they will be a darker brown and the remains of fruit clusters and leaves will most likely look a bit tatty. Younger canes will still have fresh summer foliage on and the stems will be green. You can start by untying the old canes from their wire supports and cut them to ground level. You can them tie in new canes, with spacing of around 10cm apart. Make sure you only tie in strong and healthy canes. The old canes which have been pruned out can be shredded and used as mulch.

Managing Pest and Disease

In the warm summer months, pests and disease can multiply rapidly. Greenfly and Blackfly can reproduce quite rapidly and it can be hard to control them. It is important to have a wide range of plants in your garden that will attract an array of other insects and other wildlife that can help to keep pests and disease at bay. There are many biological controls now available to help control pests. Many of these can be bought in our Garden Centre .

Planning your Holiday Garden

July and August are normally popular months for people to take holidays and with this in mind we have thought of a few pointers to help you prepare your garden for your absence.
- Try to ask a neighbour, friend or family to call into your garden and make sure your plants are watered and fed.
-Mow the lawn before you go and hopefully it wont need another cut until you get back. However do not cut it too close as it will encourage it to grow faster.
- Houseplants can be moved outside while you are on a summer break.
- You can use automatic irrigation systems as they are inexpensive and easy to install.
- Following these simple instructions should ensure that you come back to a healthy, thriving garden and not a jungle!