Longacres Blog

We at Longacres love the Winter festivities, and now that we are in full Christmas mode we want to see your Xmas pics, festive fun and seasonal shenanigans! Take your photos in store then share on your Instagram and Twitter pages and tag us using #LongacresXmas. Try on some reindeer antlers? Strike a pose by the rocking penguin band? Stand like a giant next to the Lemax village? Try on one of our festive jumpers? Take a photo of whatever you want - so long as it's festive! Whilst you're at it, don't forget to follow @LongacresGC for all our updates and photos! You can also find us on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and YouTube. We can't wait to see what photos you come up with. Merry Christmas from the social media team at Longacres!

We are pleased to announce that our fantastic range of living Christmas trees are now available to pre-order online from Longacres! Why wait until the last minute to purchase your tree when you are rushed off your feet with other Chrismas preparations? Relieve the unnecessary stress by pre-ordering between now and Monday 24th November and enjoy the luxury of deciding what date you receive it. Better yet, if you order a tree between now and midnight on Friday the 28th November, you will receive a 10% discount! We have a beautiful selection of trees in different heights to suit every need and price range: Potted Blue Spruce The blue spruces are well known for their unique silvery-blue tinted needles which are especially beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Suitable to be kept indoors or planted outdoors, these non-drop living trees come already potted and can even be planted outside after Christmas. Available in 7 sizes ranging from 1.5 - 7ft Norway Spruce These living Norway Spruce Cut Christmas Trees are wonderfully charming; perfect for those wanting a traditional Christmas Tree. The dark green needles of Norway Spruces are particularly strong, so are especially ideal for hanging your favourite tree ornaments from. Available in 2 sizes ranging from 6 - 8.5ft Nordmann Fir/Potted Nordmann Fir Nordmann Fir Cut Christmas Trees are amongst the most popular today, the main reason being because of the particularly strong, dark green 'no-drop' needles (provided they are kept well fed). Also well known for their symmetrical shapes, these trees have particularly dense branches to hang your much loved decorations from. Nordmann Fir available in 4 sizes ranging from 4 - 11ft Potted Nordmann Fir available in 2 sizes ranging from 3 - 5ft 

We are thrilled to welcome The Green Olive Firewood Company through our doors this Saturday (1st November) to host a series of demonstrations and tastings to show how their range of Firewoods can add fun and ambience to your Halloween and Bonfire parties. Between 10am and 4:30pm, The Green Olive Firewood Company will be featuring a range of products including: Swedish Torches (see video below) Olive Wood Chunks and Logs (see video below) Seasoned Hardwood Organic Fire Lighters Chimeneas Fire Pits/Bowls Weber Kettle BBQs Using a range of Gardecco Cooking Tools, there will also be demonstrations on how to cook popcorn, roasted chestnuts and waffles on their Chimeneas and Firepits. If that isn't enough to get your taste buds going - they will also be showing how to cook tasty sausages over Olive Wood to achieve a true authentic Mediterranean taste! It's free to attend the demonstrations and there will be offers on all of the products featured; so grab yourself a bargain and we look forward to seeing you here! [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn7F4rQmQv8[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4W-BjbO7wk[/embed]

Whether it's a big office party or a smaller gathering with friends and family, planning a Christmas party can be stressful and nerve-racking for many of us; especially when the competition to host the best party is tough. What better way to set the festive party mood and really wow your guests than to put on a show with a dazzling lighting projector? This year we are offering three of Premier Decorations' projectors ranging from £34.99-£44.99; the LED Snowflake Projector, the Laser Light Projector and the LED Crystal Ball Light Projector, all suitable for small events, stages and parties. Each of the projectors have sound recognition so the lights (and your guests!) can dance around the room in harmony to the party music. Each of the three projectors have different designs and features so you will be sure to find one that will be most suitable for your party/event this Winter: LED Snowflake Projector - £34.99 Possibly the most festive of them all, the LED Snowflake Projector will make a beautiful addition to any party this Winter. Projecting four different snowflake patterns onto walls and ceilings, you control how fast or how gently the snowflakes float around the room with the speed controller. This projector can be mounted onto walls or ceilings using the bracket, or left freestanding on a floor or surface. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsZDAwQsV-s[/embed] Laser Light Projector - £39.99 If you want more of a bright 'strobe' effect for your party, then the Laser Light Projector may be more suitable for your party! This laser-device is super compact and can be mounted to walls or ceilings, or left freestanding on the included tripod. Four different designs can be projected onto the surrounding walls and ceiling; snowflakes, starbursts, dots and stars making it ideal for parties all year round. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ZFNXI4i08#t=29[/embed] LED Crystal Ball Light Projector - £39.99 The LED Crystal Ball is certainly a less conventional design of lighting projector! The compact dome beams flashing or static patterns in a mixture of red green and blue colours. You control the speed - handy for when it's time to turn the party up a notch or two (or down when the party is drawing to a close)! This projector can be connected to a DMX512 controller for larger scale events. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi4dfAHAtso[/embed] All three of these lighting projectors by Premier Decorations can be bought either instore or online from Longacres. To see the full range of Premier Decorations that we offer, click here. Please note that all projectors are suitable for indoor use only.

Great as a gift or to use in your own home, Shot2Go's range of festive 'Create Your Own' decorations mean you can really make your décor unique this Winter! All decorations hold 2 photos that can be cut to size using the included template. Photo Ornament - Star/Heart/Circle - £2.99 Three different shaped baubles to choose from to really jazz up the tree; a star, a heart or a circle. Christmas Photo Bauble - £3.49 Make your tree even more special by placing a photo of a memory, family member, friend or even a pet inside this bauble. Reindeer Photo Snowglobe - £4.99 Give this snowglobe a good shake to really add to the Winter effect! Come and grab these unique decorations instore now at Longacres!

Heading into winter is the time when the Helleborus (also known as 'Christmas Rose') will start to make a show for the garden. These are winter and spring perennials available in many forms and colours; they are almost an essential for any garden during winter months. There are many varieties of Hellebore and they are distributed widely across Europe and to as far as China and Syria. Identified by their leaves, their flowers are displayed in clusters which may be open and airy or tightly grouped. The flowers will show different forms from Anemone and centered to double, spotted or picotee. In the Helleborous flower, the true petals are modified into a ring of nectaries at the centre of the flower to attract pollinating insects, which make these great pollinator plants for your garden. Flowering time is late winter through to spring, and I find the way these delicate flowers withstand the harshest of weather really fascinating. Different varieties offer colours from purist white (Christmas Carol) to deep pink (Party Dress) and some will give a delicate two-tone colour (Helleborus ericsmithii). Most Helleborus will grow well in any reasonably fertile soil, but are happiest in lime and neutral soil and many enjoy a shady area, so for sun starved borders this is a real essential. For more open and sunny situations the more moisture they require. So for a fully hardy, delicate flowering perennial throughout winter, you will not go far wrong with the Christmas Rose. This Longacres blog post was contributed by Jo from our plants department

Due to a long warm summer, many are predicting a symphony of colour in autumn. There are a whole host of trees and shrubs that will compliment your garden and give colour that will not disappoint, you do not have to opt for eventual large giants, and there are some really lovely small compact trees and shrubs that will give just as much during autumn. So here are a few for you to consider if you’re yearning to light up your garden with a spectacular autumn display: Acer palmatum ‘osakazuki’ This is one of the best Japanese maples for autumn colour, it’s an elegant plant with leaves that turn bright scarlet in autumn. It will make an ideal small tree for border planting and will also do well in a container. Its rate of growth is moderate and will do best in a sheltered spot, out of strong winds. This is an ideal specimen for a small garden. Quercus rubra Quercus is a large and vigorous oak tree, giving rich scarlet autumn colour and on acid soil the leaves will turn bright fiery red. It does require full sun and a well-drained soil site, and of course a rather large garden! Your soil pH will determine how good the autumn colour will be, so you will see better results in an acid soil. Liquidamber styraciflua ‘festival’ The Liquidamber will give you one of the finest displays of autumn colour, during spring and summer the leaves are bright green before turning to burgundy red in autumn. Eventually it will grow into a large tree (4-5 metres) and will do full sun to dappled shade. For the best autumn colour results this does better in acid soil or lime free soil. Euonymous alatas This is a compact spreading deciduous small shrub. The leaves turn a magnificent red in autumn. Trust me, the autumn colour that this shrub displays will not disappoint. It shows small green flowers in early spring followed by red, purple fruits. It gives something every season. A real autumn must have. Prunus Amanogara – Japanese flowering cherry This narrow and upright tree works well as an ornamental tree in all gardens, but particularly useful in a small garden. It will reach an eventual height of 5 metres over 20 years. It displays beautiful pale pink flowers over the entire tree in spring and the mid green foliage will turn red to orange in winter. It will do well in any soil condition provided it is free draining. Callicarpa bondineri The bondineri is medium sized deciduous shrub of an upright habit. Its leaves will turn a rosy pink in autumn, but the real beauty with this shrub is its berries, these are lilac, bordering purple on bare wood which is a real eye catcher. This will do full sun to partial shade and is the leaves will turn bright fiery red. It does require full sun and a well-drained soil site, and of course a rather large garden! Your soil pH will determine how good the autumn colour will be, so you will see better results in an acid soil. This Longacres blog post was contributed by Jo from our plants department

With Halloween and Christmas just around the corner, home-owners will soon be using their gardens to show off their flair for decoration around these key events in the year. Here are some essential tips for lawn decoration to help you keep in the spirit of these occasions: Lighting Whether it is in the form of bright, fancy lights flashing all over the house or if it is creepy carved-out pumpkin lanterns, proper lighting can make sure your home keeps the festive spirit alive. Make it a point, though, to examine all your electrical outlets before setting up your lights to avoid electrical problems. Music As well as creating a visual showcase, sound can also be added into a seasonal display. Christmas carols and sleigh bells could enhance a Christmas garden. For Halloween haunted house sound effects and doorbells can create an eerie atmosphere. Decorated Entrances It is all about creating a warm or spooky welcome. Inject a festive atmosphere to your home by making your entrance a grand statement. Inject some atmosphere and a Christmas spirit with reindeer and a Father Christmas. Or for Halloween spiders, ghosts and ghouls can create a frightful night. And why stop at doorways when there are so may ways to decorate plants and trees in your garden? Christmas Village What better way to create your own festive atmosphere than by setting up your own Christmas village? Create your Christmas centre piece with attractive buildings and figures from the renowned Lemax Village Collection.  At Longacres we offer some of the finest decorations to ensure a creative and fun Christmas. Longacres Garden Centre is the one-stop shop for all of your gardening supply needs. We offer these items at reasonable prices. Contact us today and let our specialists answer all your queries.

**This weekend (Sat 29th/Sun 30th November) The ScentSicles lumberjack is on a special mission at Longacres to ask our customers to take the "Can you tell the difference?" blindfolded sniff test!** Artificial Christmas Trees make a delightful addition to homes at Christmas time; the way they look, the way they feel, the fact that they don’t make a mess and some even come with added berries/snow/pine cones for more authenticity. The only thing they lack is that wonderful natural scent of that real Christmas trees emit, and this is where ScentSicles have revolutionized Artificial Christmas Trees. What are they? ScentSicles are scented hanging ornaments that come in a variety of four different scents: Christmas Time Spruce, White Winter Fir, Snow Berry Wreath and Two Dashes of Cinnamon. Easy to hide within trees, garlands, wreaths or other décor, ScentSicles provide a discreet way of infusing a festive fragrance throughout homes. Perfect for you're own home or even as party gifts or stocking fillers! How do they work? ScentSicles are sticks that have been made from tightly rolled (all-natural) biodegradable paper. Layer by layer, the scent slowly climbs to the surface, constantly exuding the fragrance until there is no more (after roughly 30 days). Each tube comes with 6 sticks. It is recommended that 3 or 4 are put on a Christmas tree at a time, but it would certainly be worth starting with one and adding more as necessary. Which variety should I get? You might be looking for a truly genuine smell of a Christmas tree, in which case White Winter Fir or Christmas Time Spruce will be the scents for you. Alternatively, Two Dashes of Cinnamon or Snow Berry Wreath will be more up your street for those of you wanting a sweeter scent that still radiates those classic festive aromas. [embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jkdbxOahB4[/embed] Whether you take our word for it or need to smell it to believe it, at a great price of just £5.99 per tube ScentSicles are sure to sell quickly - so be sure to not miss out! Available both in store and online at Longacres.

There’s no denying that we all love an outdoor barbecue: skewers, potato salad, burgers, fried onions, paper plates, hotdogs – all the good stuff that we picture on a typical BBQ table spread. What certainly doesn’t come to mind are pizzas, cookies and breads; and those are exactly what the BakerStone Pizza Oven Box brings to the patio table! [embed]http://youtu.be/K1lBy2apN2Q[/embed] We absolutely love this innovative pizza oven box and we want to share with you the reasons why: It’s ideal for parties and gatherings What better way to host an alternative party than with a ‘create-your-own’ pizza night? Buy in the pizza dough, tomato sauce and a selection of toppings (go as crazy as you like – anchovies, pineapple, spinach, olives, bananas?!) and leave everyone to their own pizza creating devices. It creates a fantastic way to interact with your guests, children and adults alike, whilst having great fun. With each pizza taking less than 5 minutes to cook, you will have a steady flow of pizzas being churned out of the oven box ready to devour. Quick and easy to use Not only is the Oven Box easy to assemble in the first instance, it then doesn't require any cables, plugging in, batteries or charging in order to be used. You just pop it straight on top your grill, switch on the grill and monitor the temperature range indicator until it’s at the desired temperature. Cleaning the product after cooking is also easy – keep the burners on for an extra fifteen minutes, the residue will burn off and can be pushed to the back of the oven – simple! Comes complete with added recipes From a classic Margherita to Banana and Nutella Dessert Pizza, BakerStone comes with added inspiration for your cooking – ideal for homemade pizza novices or for changing the perception of regular pizza makers! It doesn’t just have to be pizzas… Despite its name, the pizza oven box is perfect for cooking fish, vegetables, breads, and casseroles – in fact, virtually anything you’d normally put in an oven, but wouldn’t necessarily think to cook outside. Cue the techy part… Want to know how all this is made possible? The Pizza Oven Box design boosts the temperature of outdoor grills to that of a real wood burning pizza oven. Creating a unique air flow system which enhances the convective, conductive and radiant heat in and around the cooking chamber is achieved by the combination of the stone baking chamber with the enamelled steel housing, all of which amounts to incomparable cooking performance. We have absolutely no doubt that you will love the BakerStone Pizza oven Box just as much as we do. The BakerStone Pizza Oven Box is at a fantastic price of £129.99, and would make a perfect gift for virtually any occasion - especially for dads this Christmas!

A touch of colour in the garden during winter can enliven both the garden and the spirits of the viewer, even if you are just peering out of the window. Hint – position your bright plant where it can be clearly seen from the house. There are a number of shrubs that are evergreen with gold variegated foliage and these provide consistent bright colour throughout the cold months of the year. The obvious choice is a holly and amongst the brightest is Ilex altaclerensis ‘Golden King’. This has dark green glossy leaves, gold-edged. Despite the name it is a female holly and will have some berries if there is a male holly in its vicinity. This could be the male holly, confusingly called Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden Queen’, with regularly shaped green and golden foliage.  Hollies are prickly and the leaves can hurt small hands when the tree sheds them and they lie on the ground, so be warned. There are other gold-variegated hollies available including the near thornless Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden van Tol’, another female variety. If you want something big and beautiful but without thorns try an Elaeagnus. The most handsome of them all is perhaps Elaeagnus x ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’, where the green and gold leaves have a crisp and vibrant quality that is more intense in its effect than hollies. There are other forms with golden variegation. On a smaller scale are a range of bright and cheery Euonymus japonicum forms that include Euonymus japonicas ‘Golden Maiden’, which has gold leaves with a green edge and stands around a metre high. You could try planting these in a group of three to provide an interesting and unusual feature. Finally, there is an evergreen honeysuckle, grown for its lively foliage. This is . The leaves are small and pale gold during the winter months. It can be grown so that its foliage cascades down, particularly effective against a house wall or a fence. All these plants are easy to grow in any normal garden. Wishing you winter cheer! This Longacres Blog post contributed by Susan A. Tindall

Autumn brings the arrival of the late flowering perennial schizostylis. I always look forward to the blooms form this elegant plant, it gives a wonderful splash of colour after earlier perennials have finished for the year. One species can be found growing wild in the mountainous regions of Africa, where it will grow in moist places, often by riverbanks. This plant will spread slowly into clumps and is more or less evergreen. It displays upright leaves, sheath flowering stems carrying flat bright red or pink flowers that will lift your garden in late autumn to early winter. It really is an autumn must have. There are many varieties to choose from, the most popular being Schizostylis coccinea. This plant will perform at its best in a moist area, but with some sun and you will find after a few seasons it would do best to divide it into other area of your garden. So if you are looking for some satisfying autumn perennials in the form of delicate flowers and cottage garden colours, Schizostaylis will deliver in all areas. Elegant Schizostylis