Longacres Blog

Summer is right around the corner and the weather is warming up. Nothing defines the summer season better than beach escapades, cold drinks and a barbecue with friends. Barbecue parties are one of the best ways to welcome summer bliss. After all, the delectable scent of grilled meat completes the essence of the season. You get to enjoy delicious barbecue while you chatter with your buds or play some outdoor games. Barbecues are a great way to celebrate the season. Proper planning plays a pivotal role in successful parties. To enjoy an ace of a party, make sure you have the following essentials: The right equipment How can you cook the barbecue without the necessary equipment? You can spend as much as you want on grillers and charcoal, but one should restrain oneself from spending hundreds of quid for your first party. Cheaper models work just as well as the expensive ones. Decide which equipment suits your need. Will you be holding another party or is this your first and last barbecue? Will you need a deluxe multi burner or kettle barbecues? Make sure you have the right equipment before throwing your bash. The right accessories A griller is not enough; you’ll need other accessories to complete your grilling party. Complete your barbecue inventory with the following: Charcoal Gas canisters Cooking tools (tongs, grill brushes, skewers, spatulas, branding irons) Plates and other flatware Matches The right food Your shopping list should be complete with the food essentials. Barbecues are not always about spare ribs, burgers and sausages. Other options are available, especially for your health-conscious guests. Fish, chicken and vegetables make delicious barbecues; just experiment with different coatings and marinades. Also, shop for salad, corn on the cob and dips. The right decoration Emphasise the summer season by decorating your home for the party. Select a theme for your party; go Hawaiian or use popular culture for your themes. Search your local party shop for cheap and fun decorations. Welcome the summer heat with a party. Barbecue parties are one of the best ways to enjoy summer bliss. Longacres offers the essentials for a successful barbecue party with your mates. Browse through our selection and call us now.

Most people will agree that cheese is great, but not all cheeses are good for everything. There will be some cheeses that excel with certain foods where others fail, and it is in the best interest of any cook to find which cheese works best for what. In this case, we will look at the cheeses that taste the best with food cooking on the grill. Dairy Heat This is actually a difficult subject to discuss since cheese does not normally do well in high temperatures, the variety best suited to the grill should be able to taste good as it melts. Fortunately, there are cheeses that do exactly that, though it may take a bit of exploring beyond the local store to find them. Just to be clear, any kind of cheese will work well on a grill as long as it is melting on top of something. Bread is the best mattress for normal cheese to lie on when grilling, since it transfers heat easily without burning to a blackened husk. Meat is also acceptable in this regard, but the griller/chef should pay close attention to the food and ensure nothing goes black under the yellow and white. Hot Cheese The cheeses discussed here are the ones grillers will have no fear of placing directly on top of the fire for a unique culinary experience. The first of these cheeses is the Haloumi, a salt-brined goat and sheep cheese variety from Cyprus whose curds are heated before processing. This cheese tastes best when lightly grilled and brushed with olive oil, and then served as an appetizer with tomatoes, ripe onions, and cucumbers. Another goat and sheep cheese variety that does not mind taking the heat is the Grecian Kefalotyri. The same recipes of the Haloumi can apply to this cheese; the only notable difference is that the Kefalotyri becomes firmer as it ages. This may change the rate it cooks on the grill, but it should not greatly affect the taste of the final product. We should all remember that the art of the barbecue and grill is not exclusive to cooking and serving meat. There are other ways to grill a special meal, just as long as there is enough imagination and knowledge to do so. If you are looking for quality equipment that can cook a wide variety of food, contact us today. You can also browse through the rest of our website for other products and services that we have on offer.

At the age of 23, I can honestly say that I have only a handful of memories of ever seeing a hedgehog. When I was around the age of 6 or 7, me and my family became aware of very timid hedgehog visiting our garden in the evenings for a spot of dinner. Sometimes we'd catch a glimpse of it but not always... and after a week or so it stopped visiting. I vividly remember one evening my mum waking me up and excitedly telling me to go and look at something outside. Confused and sleepily I stepped forwards slowly and could see the hedgehog in the middle of the grass... but it was hunched over and didn't look quite right. For a horrible few moments I worried that it had hurt itself, but on closer inspection we noticed the hedgehog drop something.. it had been holding a baby hedgehog! The mother took a few small steps backwards, allowing me and my mum to really get a closer look of the baby. After a minute or so, the mother stepped forwards, picked up her baby, walked away and we never saw her again. It felt like she had been using our garden as a maternity ward and before leaving wanted us to understand why she had been there. It is a fond memory of mine, especially as I haven't ever seen a hedgehog since. Were you aware that, devastatingly, English hedgehogs are disappearing about as fast as tigers are worldwide? To be more precise - they are in decline by around 97%. Surprisingly, there is also evidence to suggest that they are suffering just as badly in the wider countryside as they are in more built-up areas. This shocking revelation comes as a result of a number of different factors: loss of hedgerows and grassland due to urban development, digestion of pesticides and herbicides, and believe it or not but even tidy and sterile gardens have majorly contributed (fences and roads have been pushing hedgehogs into smaller inhabitable areas). But we can all help to stop this species being lost forever through a number of different ways: Place down some tubing in your garden and fill it with dried mealworms, cat food and water (make sure it's large enough for a hedgehog - you don't want it to get stuck!). This provides a fantastic and cost-effective home or pit-stop for passing hedgehogs. Leave a messy patch in your garden (compost heaps or log piles work too!) and hedgehogs may use these to create a nest for hibernating or rearing babies - messy patches are beneficial to hedgehogs because they attract insects! Hedgehogs won't ever stay in just one garden - they need more space: streets, neighbourhoods and linked gardens. You could help make this possible by cutting one or two small holes in your garden fence (approximately 13cm x 13cm in diameter) to allow them to move easily around from garden-to-garden - then make sure to let all your friends and neighbours know to do the same! Hogilo House from Wildlife World For those of you with a bit more cash to spare, why not consider buying a Wildlife World Hedgehog House (£47.99?) or a Wildlife World Hogilo Hedgehog House (£44.99)? Place these in a shady and peaceful area of your garden - and make sure that you've cut a hole in your fence for them to access it! Both of these homes can be bought online or in store from Longacres Bagshot and Shepperton. Don't litter! Even something as small as an elastic band can kill a hedgehog. Donate to a hedgehog charity and provide funding for research into ways to stop hedgehogs from going into extinction. You could even fundraise for them by holding a charity event! Try to avoid treating your lawn with herbicide and putting down slug pellets.. these can kill hedgehogs if digested in large doses. For many of us, hedgehogs played a part in childhood memories of ours, but at this rate our future generations won't be lucky enough to ever see one.. so let's all get involved and help save the species!

As a change from containers that brim with colourful, generally annual plants, your display could include or indeed consist of, containers with plants that are grown primarily for their foliage interest. These plants generally flower, giving a few weeks of extra beauty, however they are mostly grown for the pleasure of enjoying their long-lasting foliage effects. The following suggestions are all for plants that have large leaves. In containers filled with small-leaved annuals, the foliage masses of these suggestions will provide a pleasing contrast. Hosta 'Silver Spray' The first choice is Hostas. These come in a range of sizes from the tiny to the huge, but the following selections are hostas that are mid-sized. Try something blue with Hosta 'Blue Danube' This serene plant has conical leaves that are coloured blue-green. This would look nice against a ferment of red pelargoniums (often called annual geraniums). For blue and silver elegance try Hosta ‘Silver Spray’ cool and crisp with fat leaves edged in silver, which is good with vibrant blue Lobelia. For subtle chartreuse and gold try the broad leaves of Hosta ‘Guacamole’, matched with lush Petunias. Hostas are prone to attack by slugs and snails. When grown in a container on their own a copper band placed around the container provides an excellent slug deterrent, provided the slugs can’t climb onto the hosta from another plant. The second choice is Heuchera and x Heucherella. These are well-suited to containers where they often seem to do better than in a busy flower border. They often make slightly tiered mounds of foliage and can result in a good block of colour that combines well with annuals. These plants come in a variety of forms, some having very ruffled foliage. The forms with smoother leaves generally look better when placed near busy annuals. For something dark and delicious try Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ dark, shiny and black. Heuchera 'Autumn Leaves' Heuchera 'Autumn Leaves' changes colour through the seasons going from pinkish red through tan to orange. For lime green, and having slightly ruffled edges to otherwise smooth leaves, try Heuchera Key Lime Pie = 'Tnheu042' (Dolce Series). It pays to treat potted Heuchera forms (and indeed all container plants) with a vine weevil killer as vine weevils can completely separate a plant from its roots before one notices. Finally, grey-foliaged plants are always appealing and the light, silver grey oblong leaves of Brachyglottis (Dunedin Group) 'Drysdale' is beautiful with purple and orange flowered annuals. Cut off the yellow flowers for a pure foliage effect. This needs a sunny position to give of its best. All these plants are perennial which means they can be used in future years. Alternately, they can be planted out in the garden so that a whole new series of plant combinations can be tried in your containers next year. Enjoy! This blog post was contributed by Susan A. Tindall

"At any given time, somewhere in the world, someone is barbecuing. Let us take you on a journey to some of the most delicious barbecues around." These are the powerful opening words of BBQ Cultures; Weber's brand new cinematic and interactive campaign that allows us to watch a series of short films whilst interacting and learning about Weber products, recipes, tips and tricks along the way. Click here to view the BBQ Cultures Interactive Campaign Five distinct BBQ cultures are focussed on, starting with a men's fishing trip in tranquil Scandinavia and ending at a warm and beautiful wedding in France. The campaign reinforces the fact that there is a barbecue cooking food, at any given time, somewhere in the world - and we at Longacres couldn't agree more! Longacres are now incredibly proud to be an official Premium Weber Certified Store, meaning that we are fully authorised to offer the entire Weber product range to you. It also means that our seasonal team have been trained by the Weber experts themselves - so you can fully trust us to ensure that we sell only the barbecue(s) and accessories that are right for you. Come and visit us at our Bagshot store where you can see the full range on display. Weber display at Longacres Bagshot Did you know that Weber are hosting their much anticipated Grill Academy - On Tour event at our Bagshot store on Thursday the 25th June? The Weber Grill Academy is a live and exciting 2-hour cooking demonstration designed to inspire and excite you, whether you be a barbecuing pro or a total novice! The Grill Academy will begin at 6:30pm and will last for approximately 2 hours. Tickets cost just £10 and include entry to the event, refreshments, nibbles and samples. To find out more about the event and to view a video of what to expect click here, or if you've already been persuaded enough to buy tickets click here! Don't forget that our seasonal department also has a vast range of barbecues, accessories, furniture and more, with new additions to our BBQ range from the likes of The Big Green Egg and Landmann, as well as new additions to our furniture range including Alexander Rose, the Jamie Oliver range and Bramblecrest. Take a few minutes to watch the video below to find our more from our seasonal manager, John Connel, and have a glimpse at what we have in store this year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho89Ak6K7fw[/embed]

Brits are not doing enough gardening; at least that is the sentiment of renowned English television presenter, gardener, writer and speaker Montagu Denis Wyatt "Monty" Don. More Green Opportunities Monty Don, the current host of the BBC television series Gardeners' World, said that many young people are being turned off by gardening because they can no longer pay for homes with green spaces. Don said it is a “tragedy” that not enough young people are learning gardening skills. He is concerned that spiralling house prices and lack of space could mean people do not have opportunities to get green fingered. “My generation grew up expecting some sort of ownership and access to gardens. I had my first home aged 26 and started growing things then. My three kids are in their 20's and none of them rent or own homes with gardens,” the BBC host told Radio Times magazine, as quoted in a report in mirror.co.uk— the online edition of The Daily Mirror.  “A generation is growing up with no access to green space. There’s an increased remoteness about it all. Gardens can reach into life in a way that’s beyond horticulture. It’s about how we choose to live our lives and how younger people engage with them.”  He added, "We've lost so many of our allotments and it's a tragedy. They're increasingly important as young people have less access to gardens. Don, who is returning as the host of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, explained gardens are “part of our way of life and we can't keep building on them. Councils are selling them off and say they'll find allotment space somewhere else but this is missing the point.” Gardening the Easy Way We stand behind Don on this issue. Gardening should be something that everyone does. Experts are even saying gardening is key to longer life. We've always encouraged everyone to have some sort of green patch in their home, even if it’s just a few potted plants by the windowsill or by the front garden. We have a range of plants and other products that make gardening easy. You can get the seed, the pots, and the feeds to give your plant a boost all in one convenient centre. Longacres Garden Centre is one with horticulturists and gardeners in encouraging everyone to grab a shovel, dig in, and start planting. Get in touch with us today and we’ll be happy to provide you with any gardening products you need.

Unique and quirky gifts to suit a wide range of couples We understand that trying to find the perfect wedding gift for loved ones can be tricky and a lot of pressure, especially when you know there are hundreds of other guests that will be hunting for presents too (and there's only so many 'his' and 'hers' towels that one couple can cope with!), which is why Longacres Shepperton are stocking a wide selection of unique and classy range of wedding gifts to suit all budgets. Whether you are wanting to give the newlyweds a keepsake or something more practical for them to use in their home, you're sure to find something that they will treasure for years to come and remind them of their special day. See the full range and visit us at our branch on Nutty Lane, Shepperton, Middlesex, TW17 0RQ. Artificial flowers make long-lasting gifts

We are well into the Spring season and before we know it Summer will be upon us, so make sure that you are well prepared to introduce lots of splashes of colours, scents, butterflies and bees into your garden by buying your bedding from Longacres, where we have hundreds of different varieties to suit every type of gardener and garden! Antirrhinums, Petunias, Geraniums, Fuchsias, Impatiens, Lobelias, Marigolds and Nicotianas are just a small example of the bedding plants available to buy both in store or online from as little as £1.39 in a 9cm pot, £1.99 as a 6 pack of boxed bedding, or just £2.99 as a 12 pack of boxed bedding. Our grower of bedding plants, Perfect Choice, have invested in a stylish, bright and bold new delivery van to transport all of our bedding plants to us ready to offer to you! Perfect Choice is a small family run nursery just 8 miles down the road from us in Locally grown plants have lots of advantages; it means less of a carbon footprint, plants are as fresh and perfect as they come, we save on distribution costs (which means a better price for you, our customer!), and finally we are supporting the local economy and of course another family run business - just like ours. Visit us in store to view the full bedding range, or click here to view the online range. Please note when buying online that you can mix and match all boxed bedding but the total number of boxes must be a minimum of 6.

Are you the type who enjoys hosting parties at home or laid-back alfresco dinners? Then these simple projects are perfect for you. Make the most out of spring by lining up one outdoor party after another. From a grill night to a low-key ladies’ night, you’re sure to have the most fun outside and under the stars. Hang Outdoor Lights Outdoor lights are easy to install. Set up the perfect mood by putting up charming handmade lighting for your next outdoor party. Just screw in some hooks, drape the lights between them and make sure the end plug is near an electrical source. You will have the perfect lighters in no time, and all your guests are sure to gush over it. Build a Mini-Bar Whether it is for keeping your friends hydrated or encouraging them to have fun and have a laugh, an outdoor bar is your easiest bet. Shop around for an inexpensive tiered rolling cart to serve as the foundation for this outdoor mini-bar. Stock the heaviest mixers on the bottom, the plastic glasses or paper cups in the middle, and reserve the top for mixing. Extra points if you get to paint the cart to match your outdoor décor scheme. Create a Cooking Nook The mood is set and the drinks are mixed. All that is missing is the scrumptious meal you will all be sharing. Appoint a cooking and eating nook in a certain corner. If you and your family are into grilling, set up a barbecue grill to satisfy all your cravings. Find one that blends nicely with the rest of the space and secure the area with a simple fence around it. Here at Longacres Garden Centre, we only want to provide your best outdoor entertaining needs. We have a wide selection of barbecue grills that range from charcoal to electric. Rest assured you will find something that fits your needs and suits your party needs. Complete your outdoor party set-up with garden furniture and you are ready to call some friends over. Contact us today so we can help you with all your outdoor entertainment needs.

Peas are one of the more hardier vegetable plants that you can get hold of or grow. You can sow pea seeds in Autumn - overwintering them in a greenhouse till spring, or sow them now (March / April) ready for planting out in a few weeks time. The other alternative is to buy a 6 pack or pot of pre-grown pea seedlings ready to plant out! (available in store) Peas are a great starter crop as they are easy to grow and require little care after initial establishment to grow well. The first thing to make sure you have done is to prepare your site and improve your soil - if you haven't done this already then you can view my previous video and blog post on how to do this. Once you've improved your soil and you know where you want your pea plants to grow you'll need to assemble, create or purchase a frame for them to grow up. Peas climb naturally so this is vital for supporting good healthy growth. You can get great, simple to use kits like we have here at Longacres, or you can assemble your own with just simple string and some bamboo canes. Once the frame is in place you plant out your peas! Dig a small hole about the same size of the current pot they are in. Gently push the root ball up from the bottom of the pot or 6 pack and place gently into the hole you have just dug. Carefully backfill (move back around the plant) the soil that you dug out to create the hole. And that's your peas planted! The next step is to pinch out your pea plant growth tips if you want them to be more busy and compact. Do this by cutting or ‘pinching’ about a third of the growth of the pea away from the plant down to above a node - see my video on peas to find out more about this! You may also need to tie your peas to the canes or supports using jute twine if they are already tall. The final step is to water them in (unless its raining of course!) I added the new Baby Bio Top Defence feed to my water which helps plants with stressful situations such as transplanting, drought and cold. It will be interesting to see how this product works over the season. And that is all you need to know about planting peas! I will have a blog and video update later in the season to show you tips on harvesting and show you how things are getting along during the main growing season! Have any questions about growing your own, plants or houseplants? Send them to us in an email to: plantsonline@longacres.co.uk

You can watch the accompanying video here: http://youtu.be/gDM9uYFZWN4 Arguably one of the most important parts of gardening and horticulture is looking after your soil. It contains all the vital nutrients that plants need to sustain healthy growth and produce a good crop, if the soil becomes worn down or isn't nurtured you will start to run into problems with your plants and crops! The first task you'll need to do to start improving your soil is to clear it of weeds, heavy clay blocks, debris, stones & anything else which shouldn't be there. It's best to try and tackle weeds at the roots and remove as much of them as possible. Rake the soil over to remove any last obstructions. Next is to begin to till or ‘turn over’ your soil whilst adding organic matter. Using a fork or soil tiller begin to lift & turn over the soil and break up any large clumps that may occur from doing this. As you are undertaking this begin to add your organic matter - this could be compost, manure, leaf litter etc… and continue to work the area until you've added a decent amount of organic matter and the whole site has been turned over. Its always advised to read the label on the product you are using and care should be taken not to over-fertilise the site as this could lead to plant growth problems. Make sure any manure is well rotted before applying to your site! I'm using Westland Organic Vegetable Growing Compost for this new vegetable plot - which is good for improving soil drainage, soil fertility and the texture of the soil. I'm also adding well rotted farmyard manure from Westland which contains a whole host of excellent nutrients required for plant growth and will again help with soil drainage and texture. Thats all there really is to it! Now is the time to work the soil and your new vegetable plot, or existing patch ready for the season. Depending on the crops you are hoping to grow will determine what else you may need to add to the soil or what you may need to fertilise your plants with later on in the season. This simple soil nurturing process can be carried out on a yearly basis and you'll start to see the results of your improved soil in your flowers, vegetables or fruit - almost straight away! Have any questions about growing your own, plants or houseplants? Send them to us here: plantsonline@longacres.co.uk

The population of bees across England is declining, and the government is pushing homeowners, gardeners, and landscapers to help save them by encouraging the buzzing insects into their gardens. Helping the Pollinators In a pronouncement by the government through Environment Secretary Liz Truss, gardeners and other concerned individuals are encouraged to help the struggling bee population by making their gardens more bee-friendly. As part of a National Pollinator Strategy (NPS), the 10-year-plan aims to stop or reduce the decline in bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects by ensuring gardens have more nectar and pollen available all year round. Truss explains this involves more than just planting flowers. This also means letting wild flowers and plants, such as dandelions and nettles, grow on your lawn. Not mowing the lawn is something most people have no problem following, she jokingly adds. In the Home For homeowners who want to be a part of this initiative, it’s about growing your garden in a certain way. This means getting the right plants, decorations, and garden ornaments. The ideal approach is to have as many flowers for as long as possible, which may mean planting so you have blossoms throughout the year. If your garden space permits, group the plants to make it easier for the bees to collect nectar and pollen more efficiently. We have a range of plants and other ornaments perfect for this. We also carry a selection of bug biomes ideal for bees, birds, and insects. De-Bugging the Pollinator Decline Another way to help the pollinators, which the NPS failed to mention, is to stay away from pesticides. You may not know it, but the plants you buy from other garden centres may inadvertently be pesticide-laden, which then harms bees and insects. Neonicotinoids are present in many store-bought plants. This chemical is highly toxic to insects. Even when these do not kill bees outright, it can impair the insect’s sense of navigation and their immune systems. When it comes to nurturing the garden, it’s still best to choose only organic composts and fertilisers, which we have in store. Bees and other pollinating insects are essential for your garden’s success. A little quid pro quo by helping them survive will, in turn, help your garden thrive. Browse through our store to find the right products, tools, and plants for a more bee-friendly garden and yard.