Now we’re really on the countdown to Christmas and everyone is in a rush to decorate the house and garden for the holiday season, plus all those gifts to buy for friends and family of course! Come to Longacres where you can find everything in one place – from decorations to food, giftware to garden ornaments. There’s so much to choose from you won’t know where to start! Here are our horticultural highlights from our Bagshot store. …

This is the time of year when we start gearing up for spring, and you can get ahead of the game by stocking up on all your gardening needs from Longacres, where we everything you need to spruce up your garden for spring – both in store and online! …

Now we’re really on the countdown to Christmas and everyone is in a rush to decorate the house and garden for the holiday season, plus all those gifts to buy for friends and family of course! Come to Longacres where you can find everything in one place – from decorations to food, giftware to garden ornaments. There’s so much to choose from you won’t know where to start! Here are our horticultural highlights from our Bagshot store. …

With the clocks going back and the shortening days of late autumn, now’s the time to prepare the garden for winter. After clearing leaves and tidying up beds and borders, now is a good time to think about any gaps you may want to fill with plants or garden features. Longacres has plenty to inspire you over the next month – trees, shrubs, bulbs and bedding plants for winter and early spring colour are still available. …

Now the weather has turned cooler and the nights are drawing in, it’s an ideal time to continue planting trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs, whilst the soil is still warm and we’ve had some rain. We have plenty of inspiration in store and online to help you get your garden in shape before winter! Here are some hints and tips for what to do in your garden in October. …

As summer mellows into autumn, September is a time to reflect on what has done well in your garden this year (make notes of your favourite bedding plants for next year!). Many gardeners will have lost some plants due to the exceptionally dry weather conditions this summer – have a think about replacing plants, or revamp beds and borders with different plants, for a new look. We have plenty to inspire you and revive your garden at Longacres. …

Now the clocks have gone back and the evenings are drawing in, it’s a time of year that we want to get out in the garden as much as possible to clear leaves and tidy up, and prepare for winter. But there’s still plenty to plant in the garden and indoors, and Longacres has plenty to inspire you over the next month. …

October is the ideal time for planting; your garden soil will be warm, and we’ve had some decent rainfall - these growing conditions mean that plant roots can have a head start on getting established and your garden will be ready to spring into action next year! …

Areas in the garden that are shady are often dry as well, due to overhanging tree branches or being next to a wall or fence. Here is a list of our top plants that can be grown in the shade. …

January is a rather somber month. The dull grey days, with wet miserable weather coupled with cold temperatures really dampens the mood of any garden. There is a ray of hope however and you can, believe it or not, inject some January colour and scent into your garden to lift the mood! Witch Hazels (Hamamelis species) Witch Hazels are a deciduous shrub that really come into their own during the deepest winter months. They have unusual, brightly coloured flowers that are highly scented, borne on their bare stems from January through to March and look stunning in the garden. Top Tips for Witch Hazel Plant in a sunny position, avoiding exposed windy areas. Plant in neutral or acid soil. Make sure that the plant doesn't dry out or your witch hazel may not produce any flowers! Skimmia (Skimmia japonica cultivars) Skimmia plants are reliably hardy and beautiful providing clusters of vivid red berries (Female plants) or group spikes of delicately scented red/white flowers (Male plants) from December though to March. You can also get Skimmias that produce both flowers and berries on the same plant without the need for separate male and female plants! Top Tips for Skimmia Skimmias like part or full shade, they will scorch in full sun. They can be planted in just about any soil type as long as it is free draining. Skimmias can also be grown and look great in containers! Christmas Box (Sarcocca species) Christmas box is a lovely, low growing, evergreen shrub that in January and February produce clusters of small white flowers (which are very well hidden underneath the foliage) that have a wonderfully strong scent to them! Plant near a door way or a path to get the best out of the plants unbelievable scent. Top Tips for Christmas Box Christmas box likes to be planted in full or partial shade. An excellent plant for use as unusual ground cover. Prune lightly each year to maintain shape and encourage new growth. So despite the miserable weather and soggy looking gardens, you can inject some well needed colour and wonderful scent into your garden - even in January! Witch Hazel: Skimmia: Christmas Box: …