Longacres Blog

May is a wonderful month to let your imagination run riot and make your garden look fabulous, with annuals, perennials and trees and shrubs. Our garden centres are full of inspirational ideas and products to ensure you have all you need for the peak gardening season.

Your orchid will only need repotting at least every 2 years, and only to the next pot size up (or even reuse the same pot, because too large a pot will mean the compost and roots stay wet and can kill the plant)

Select a pot that is large enough for the rootball of your plant with extra room for growth, and one that will keep the plant stable in windy conditions. Make sure the container has plenty of drainage holes, and use crocks (broken terracotta pot pieces) in the base so that the compost doesn’t get washed out of the holes. Raise the pot on feet or pieces of wood to allow excess water to drain away and prevent waterlogging.

There’s so much to do in the garden in April – it’s hard to know where to start! Now is the peak time to plant perennials and shrubs, and our plant centres are fully stocked with some fabulous plants to make your garden look amazing this season.

Careful preparation of the planting area is crucial for a plant to grow vigorously and healthily. Incorporate well-rotted organic matter (such as Country Natural manure) with your garden soil to get the plants off to a good start.

Spring is the time to repot your houseplants if they are “pot-bound” (in too-small a pot with roots showing through the drainage hole). Buy a pot one or two sizes up – if you plant in too-big a pot the roots can rot if compost is kept too wet.

Sow seeds in seed compost in a seed tray or in modules. Place in a heated propagator and keep around 15-20°C unless the seed packet instructions differ. Once germinated, remove cover to increase ventilation. When large enough to handle, carefully transplant seedlings into modules or small pots and grow on in the greenhouse or on a well-lit windowsill. Keep compost just moist, and six weeks from sowing, feed fortnightly with a liquid fertiliser, such as tomato food, Phostrogen or Miracle-Gro. If seedlings become leggy, pinch out shoot tips to encourage branching. Harden off (acclimatise to outdoor conditions – see March blog for further details) and plant outdoors once risk of frost has passed.

Spring is here at last and now is the time everything is “full steam ahead” in the garden. We have so much to see in store and online so come in and get inspired. Here’s a reminder of what you can do in the garden right now: Plan and plant a colourful herbaceous border with our amazing 9cm pot perennials at a ridiculously low price of only £1.49 each or 6 for £7.99 (promo in store only). There’s plenty to choose from- lupins to lavender, delphiniums to dianthus. Plants in groups of 3 or 5 of each variety for maximum impact at minimum cost! Dahlias – with colours to suit every taste, dahlia’s have come back into fashion and are fantastic for late summer colour in your borders or containers. They make great cut flowers and varieties with single flowers are excellent for pollinating insects. Plant in a sunny position. Baby bedding plants- basket and container plants for spectacular summer colour – our Perfect Choice 7cm pot range is now in store! Over a hundred varieties to choose from. Priced at only 79p each, get a head start on growing on your summer bedding. Please note: these plants are tender (i.e not frost hardy) and will need to be grown in a greenhouse or bright frost free place and gradually potted on to larger sized pots. Once the summer comes you’ll be able to place outdoors for a dazzling display. Click here to find out more. Window boxes and container plants for spring colour: potted spring bulbs – many varieties available for instant impact. Narcissi, tulips, iris plus many more. Bedding packs of spring flowering plants such as viola, pansy, polyanthus (primula) Add to your borders or containers for a pop of spring colour. Spruce up your rockery: we have a range of 1 litre pot alpines – a snip at 4 for only £10! Aubrieta, Saxifrages and Dianthus are looking superb. These perennial plants are also useful for ground cover in sunny, well drained borders, or filling an empty space in a container. Heathers are also in – in bud and flower – 9cm pot £1.49 or 11cm £2.49. Available throughout the year, there’s a heather variety for every month, and early spring flowering heathers are nectar rich so a magnet to bees. Best planted in groups of 3 or 5 to make a good show of colour. Most prefer acidic soil (ericaceous) but Erica carnea types are lime tolerant (can be planted in alkaline or chalky soils). Spring- flowering shrubs: we have so many to choose from it’s hard to know where to start but here are a few favourites: Camellia -fabulous plants full of bud from small to large pot size, spring -flowering fragrant Viburnums such as Viburnum ‘Anne Russell’, V. carcephalum ‘Juddii’ or Viburnum carlesii. Early spring favourites such as forsythia and flowering currant -Ribes ‘King Edward VII’. Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ has the most delicious fragrance with the added bonus of evergreen foliage. Magnolia’s – some good-sized plants with plenty of flower buds. Now’s the time to grow early seed potatoes – we have a large range in stock. Start them off (sprout or chit them) in a seed tray in a brightly lit frost-free place spot. Find out more on our guide by clicking here. Plant onion sets- as soon as the ground is “workable”, to have a crop ready in late summer to early autumn. Plant 5-10cm (2-4in) apart with the rows 25-30cm (10in-1ft) apart. Depth of planting 2cm (¾ in). Only the tips of the onion sets should be showing. You may need to net the crop or cover with fleece to stop birds damaging the onions, until they are established. Protect young shoots of perennial plants from slug or snail damage – we have a vast range of products to help you win the battle! From organic remedies like slug traps, physical barriers such as copper tape, or Growing Success Slug Stop granules, to a Slug Bell in which to put pellets out of harm’s way. The latest showerproof slug pellets from Westland Eraza, to Growing Success Slug Killer (organic) -we have all bases covered. Lily bulbs are now in stock! There’s no finer fragrance on a warm summers’ evening, than lilies growing in your garden. If your soil is too wet and heavy, why not grow in containers and plunge into the border - better still in pots on the patio so you can enjoy them close-up. Click the image below for our guide on getting the best from planting lily bulbs in pots:

It’s not too late for planting lilies in pots (although you may have already done this in autumn). Many lily varieties are suitable such as the ever popular and richly fragranced Lilium regale, ‘Stargazer’ or the pollen-free but scented bloom types like ‘Polar Star’ or ‘Broken Heart’. Choose a large, deep pot at least 25cm (10in) in diameter for three to four bulbs and make sure there is a layer of drainage at the base, for example crocks or gravel. Use a mixture of 60 percent loam-based potting mix (John Innes No 3) with about 20 percent added horticultural grit to improve drainage, plus 20 percent leaf mould or ericaceous peat free compost. Incorporate controlled-release fertiliser granules in the mixture to ensure plants are fed through the growing season. Bulbs should be planted with the pointed tip facing upwards and the basal plate with hairy roots dangling down. Plant stem rooting lily bulbs – those that root from the base and also the stem just above the base (Lilium longiflorum for instance) at a depth of 2-3 times the bulb height, and those that are basal rooting lilies such as the Asiatic hybrids for example Lilium maculatum, (although they are not normally scented) at a depth the same as the height of the bulb. Position in sun or part shade and water regularly. Taller plants may need staking. NB lilies are potentially harmful to cats: see RSPCA website: www.rspca.org.uk or the feline advisory bureau: https://icatcare.org You can find a range of bulbs online or in store right now.

First and second early potatoes are sprouted (chitted) before planting. This helps reduce the time the tubers spend in the ground and may lead to increased yields. Put the seed potatoes in a single layer on a seed tray (or an egg box) with the end with the most ‘eyes’ or buds facing upwards. Keep in a cool, light, frost free place (an unheated room is ideal, but avoid direct sunlight). Dark shoots should grow to about 5cm (2in) within around 6 weeks. If conditions are too dark and warm – shoots will be pale and leggy. Choose four strong shoots and rub off all weaker shoots. The tubers are now ready to plant in the ground, as long as soil conditions are suitable – around March in sheltered areas; April in colder places. You can find a range of seed potatoes online or in store now.

These are great value for money costing only a fraction of fully grown plants with the added bonus of being past the tricky germination stage. The best place to grow them on is a greenhouse or conservatory (temperature 16-18°C is ideal). Alternatively, grow on a well-lit windowsill. Carefully water the pots (using a watering can fitted with a fine rose) and allow them to drain. Gently remove the plants from their pots and replant into 9cm pots using a multi-purpose compost. Water in and feed fortnightly with a liquid fertiliser ( such as tomato fertiliser, Phostrogen or Miracle-Gro all-purpose plant food). Alternatively incorporate continuous release fertiliser granules into the compost (such as Miracle-Gro or Gro-Sure). Make sure the plants have good ventilation and are spaced apart and not over watered; to avoid diseases like grey mould, damping off and mildews. Harden off plants (acclimatise to outdoor conditions) once weather conditions are much warmer (around mid-May) by putting outdoors in a sheltered position during the day, but covering with fleece to prevent leaf damage. Take plants indoors at night. In the second week, remove the fleece during the day but bring in at night. Once night temperatures are above 7°C, plants can be left uncovered unless frosts are forecast. You can find a range of bedding plants online and our full range in stores.

The Restaurant at Longacres Bybrook will be closing for refurbishment from lunchtime on Sunday 26th February and will reopen on Saturday 11th March. The New Restaurant will be renamed as The Gardeners Restaurant. The interior will be light and airy with tones of grey and green to give a fresh new look. The restaurant boasts an outdoor seating area overlooking the gorgeous lake. The menu will have a wide selection of freshly prepared hot food serving some wonderful dishes such as Beer Battered Fish & Chips, daily hot dishes , omelettes freshly prepared by our chefs and a range of freshly made sandwiches & panini. One of the key features of the restaurant will be the new bakery display, filled with delicious treats such as freshly made scones, handmade cakes and pastries. The Restaurant can seat up to 120 customers and is particularly perfect for families with its fabulous new kids play area and children’s menu, with a pick n mix and hot food offer. Come along and stop off for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon treat with your friends or family, we are sure it will be your new favourite eating destination. Please note that the rest of the centre is open as usual whilst this work is happening. If you are in store between now and the 26th of February then be sure to pick up a voucher for a free hot drink when the restaurant re opens (T&C's apply)