Longacres Blog

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)

With love in the air as we approach Valentine's Day, we thought we'd put together this helpful little guide to let that special person know exactly what you're trying to say with your roses. Red is a passionate colour; the colour of love, respect & courage Pale pink is a sign of grace, admiration & elegance Deep pink is a sign of gratitude, refinement & appreciation Orange is for fascination, passion, desire & pride Peach says "believe me", modesty & sweetness Yellow shows joy, happiness, caring & true friendship White is the colour of innocence, purity & loyalty Burgundy shows undying love & unconscious beauty Lavender is love at first sight & enchantment Now you're armed with all of the information you need to tell someone exactly how you feel, it is time to start taking a look and finding the perfect bouquet for your significant other. We have a huge range of Valentine's Day flowers and other options to select from, so be sure to take a good long look and pick out the ideal bouquet. You can also find a helpful video on how to help them make their flowers last a little long by clicking here.  

The floristry team at Longacres have been working hard to create some stunning Christmas bouquets, arrangements and wreaths to help you set the ultimate jovial feel for your home. To help you choose, we've created a little list of our favourite top sellers that would be ideal as a present for a loved one or a treat for yourself! However, if none of these suit your tastes, you can view our full range of beautiful flowers online by clicking here. Carnation & Berry Long & Low Arrangement with Candle - £29.99 Christmas Pudding Festive Arrangement - £35.00 Christmas Luxury Terracotta Pot Candle Arrangement - £22.50 Christmas Luxury Raspberry & Apple Hand Tied - £44.99 Winter Scented Hand Tied Bouquet - £29.99 Wish Upon a Star Hand Tied Bouquet - £25.99 You can order all of our flowers for local delivery or collection, and a large selection can be sent nationwide; perfect for surprising someone far away this Christmas (details for delivery and collection can be found on individual product pages.) A full range of our flowers can be found online here. Alternatively, you can visit your local store, or give us a call on the numbers found in the footer of this message.

Would you like to win the ultimate Christmas bundle for your home this year? We are offering one lucky person the chance to win a door wreath, 6ft Christmas tree, Christmas food hamper and a Christmas table arrangement! All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is head to the Longacres Bybrook Barn Facebook page, Like & Share the competition post (which is pinned to the top of the page) and leave your answer to the following question in the comments section of that post: How many Christmas door wreaths did Longacres sell last year? It's as simple as that! Make sure you hit us up and give us a Like & follow on the page to find out if you are our winner. Be sure to take a look in store or on our website to view our stunning range of wreaths, Christmas trees and festive flowers. All our festive flowers and wreaths are lovingly made in store by our new team of talented florists. Terms & conditions - Competition ends on the 11/12/16 at 23:59. For an entry to count you must Like & Share our competition post. Answers to the question must be left in the comments section of the pinned post at the top of the Bybrook Barn Facebook page. In the event of two winning answers, the first to post will be winner. Competition prizes cannot be exchanged and have no cash alternative. Winner must collect items from store and be happy for a promotional photo to be taken of them with their prizes. And finally, good luck everyone!

It’s definitely starting to feel like proper winter weather now and here are Longacres we’re getting excited as it’s almost that time of year – Christmas! There is something special about getting Santa’s Grotto ready and seeing all the decorations, advent calendars and cards around store. If you’re looking for a real Christmas tree this year, we can help. Our trees are now in and we have a huge range to choose from. Need something special to fit that space? No problem! We have trees from 1ft through to 12ft high starting at just £12. Adding a Wicker Tree Skirt makes your tree look even smarter Our Christmas trees can come in the pre-cut or potted variety, ready for you to dress in your favourite colours and styles. You can order your tree online and pop along to our dedicated collection point to pick it up at a time to suit you. If you are after a bigger tree this year but can’t fit it into your car or on the roof rack, worry not! We provide a delivery service within the local area to get your tree to you for just £5. Ho, ho, ho!

Whatever you style, tastes or budget, for most people the focal point of any home this year is the Christmas tree with its sparkling lights. A question we get asked a lot every year is how many lights do I need for my tree?

Enjoy 10% off Christmas online this Cyber Monday with your discount code - CM2016 We have a massive 10% off Christmas Trees, Lights, Decorations, Advent Calendars, Cards, Lemax Village, Tree skirts, Tree Stands and so much more on Monday 28th November with our very special discount code! This offer is only available online, so make sure to have a browse and remember that you can order online for delivery or collection at our Bagshot, Bybrook Barn or Shepperton stores!  

With the nights drawing darker by the minute and the daytime temperatures slowly decreasing, now is the perfect time to finish off those odd little bits within your garden, with one of the top priorities being to protect your plants by mulching up around them for added protection and warmth. For your more established plants, protection isn't needed as much as it is for your younger plants. With a major drop in temperatures, younger more delicate plants are at a high risk of being damaged or even killed off once the frost penetrates their root systems. The traditional method that has been used for generations to protect these more fragile plants is to use Mulch The best form of Mulch has to be good old stable manure and non is better for this job than our Country Natural Stable Manure. For existing plants that need protection, simply add the stable manure to a little of the existing compost/soil and create a little mound around the base of the plants. Do this individually to create a warmth barrier around the root systems and to add much needed winter protection. Another great use for the Country Natural Stable Manure is for preparing your garden for next year prior to planting plants or veg. Not only does it greatly improve the structure of your soil but it also helps to retain the water that some soils can't hold on to. Its main job is to feed the soil the nutrients from when it breaks down and thus, creating the perfect environment for your fruit and veg next year. Simply scatter generously onto the soil/compost area you wish to use next year and turn it over with a garden folk until it is all mixed in. Over the next months, any frosts will help to kill off any bacteria that is in the soil and with the added bonus of the stable manure, you'll have the perfect start for a wonderful crop of veg or plants in your garden for next year.

The Christmas Grotto will be returning to Longacres Bagshot, Bybrook Barn & Shepperton! Get those thinking caps on and let Santa know what you'd like for Christmas this year. Our ticket prices are still just £5 and include a visit with Santa himself and an extra special early present just for your little ones. Please note that below closing times are for the grotto; actual last admission times are subject to daily change depending on queues. Please allow additional time for this. Longacres Bagshot   Longacres Bybrook Barn     Longacres Shepperton

This year Longacres Bagshot will be holding floristry workshops to show you how to create the perfect Christmas spruce door wreaths, festive table arrangements, jam jar arrangements and cinnamon gifts! We will be holding these workshops between 8th November and the 8th December, with courses being held in both morning and afternoons. These workshops are designed to allow you to use your imagination, creativity and learn new skills. All workshops are suitable for novice flower arrangers or professionals alike who want to get inspired on how to decorate their homes for the festive season. All our workshops last two hours and include refreshments, with attendees taking home their very own stunning creations! You can find our Facebook events and tickets below: Jam Jar Arrangements and Cinnamon Gift - 08/11/16 (10:00 - 12:00) - Facebook & Tickets Christmas Table Arrangements - 15/11/16 (10:00 - 12:00) - Facebook & Tickets Christmas Spruce Door Wreaths - 22/11/16 (10:00 - 12:00) - Facebook & Tickets Christmas Spruce Door Wreaths - 24/11/16 (18:00 - 20:00) - Facebook & Tickets Christmas Table Arrangements - 01/12/16 (18:00 - 20:00) - Facebook & Tickets Jam Jar Arrangements and Cinnamon Gift - 08/12/16 (18:00 - 20:00) - Facebook & Tickets

Time to pack up those plastic fangs and put away those scary masks; with Halloween and bonfire night out of the way, we think it is safe to say that Christmas is most certainly on the way! With that said, it is time to start thinking about some of those import Christmas essentials such as a tree and decorations for your home. When most people think about decorating their home for Christmas they might think lights, baubles, tinsel and maybe even an angel for the top of the tree, but something maybe not a lot of people think about yet is a tree skirt to hide away the usually unsightly base! The tree skirt is an American import that has slowly been becoming more of a Christmas essential than you might have realised! The idea of a tree skirt is to hide away the tree stand and watering tray to make you tree a more inviting and attractive feature in your home. You’ll be happy to hear that we stock two amazing wicker tree skirts in both natural and white wash, so no matter what style of room or tree you have, we have a tree skirt to match! Our tree skirts are amazing value at £11.99 and we’ve already had some amazing feedback about the quality, style and looks of them. Get ahead of the trend and take a look at our range online here. This year you can forget keeping up with the Joneses - this year you are the Joneses!