About Country Gardens

STOP PRESS – OUR SUMMER SALE IS NOW ON WITH FANTASTIC SAVINGS IN ALL DEPARTMENTS FROM PLANTS TO BBQS, GIFTWARE TO FURNITURE, GARDEN SUNDRIES TO TERRACOTTA. DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY!

Well – ‘flaming June’ certainly lived up to expectations, with containers, beds and borders exploding into a fragrant riot of colour. With equally flamboyant weather to match (must be something to do with that vast investment in a rain cover over centre court!), gardens all over the country are looking at their vibrant, glorious best.

The downside of this flirtation with a Mediterranean climate is the critical issue of watering. And with summer holidays looming, the prospect of your garden wilting and dying in your absence if the sun keeps shining as ferociously as it has been is a dispiriting one indeed. I know I keep banging on about automatic watering systems, but they really will save you time, money, water and – crucially - your plants, salads and vegetables! No need to spend hours standing around with a hose (and how the novelty value of that wears off almost instantly), nor pay someone else to do it when you are away......

So, whether by hand or not, watering is high on the agenda this month. Containers and hanging baskets need daily attention as they can dry out catastrophically quickly in the heat, especially on breezy days.

Another Sisyphean task for July is deadheading – remove the spent flowers from containers, hanging baskets, beds and borders and feed everything occasionally with liquid feed. Deadheading is more than a cosmetic trick – it diverts the plant’s energy from producing seed into producing new flowers and is essential for prolonging your floral displays.

Along with all the intentional flourish and splendour, weeds are still irritatingly rampant, so hoe on warm days and leave your unwelcome visitors on the surface to die in the sun. In fact, why not step up your anti-weed campaign with our great value heavy duty weed control fabric, which allows air, water and nutrients through to the soil below but forms an effective weed barrier. It’s guaranteed for 10 years and worth every penny!

For those of you who are not already members, our Gardening Club is free to join and will give you a huge range of benefits, including regular and exclusive special offers. Our current offers include herbaceous, bedding and container plants, shrubs (including David Austin roses), compost, terracotta pots, tools and young vegetable plants. In fact just about everything you need to enjoy your garden!

And finally – it’s the summer and the sun should be out, so relax, get out the deckchairs and enjoy your garden........