Longacres Blog

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!

You know what it’s like when it’s windy and raining out and you’ve forgotten to switch your Christmas lights on…and this year you decided to set them up from your garage. Nuisance right? No more trudging outside in your slippers! Zaplites have brought you App Enabled Lights. Hip, hip, hooray! Here at Longacres, they are now in stock, ranging from £19.99 through to £59.99. Zaplites are LED string lights that you can work from your phone. Simply download the App from Google Play or the App Store – or scan the QR code on the side of the box – and you’re all set to go. The lights can be controlled from up to 30m away (providing there isn’t a wall between your phone and them) and can be used indoors or out as the receiver is weatherproof.  You can control the brightness of the lights, along with different lighting effects.  Make sure you do check the specifications on the back of the box to ensure the lights are compatible with your device. Get a few strings and you can have endless fun changing your household displays.  I bet Santa wishes he had some of these too.

It’s nearly Halloween Littleacres and that means only one thing! Time to get your Pumpkins and make some crazy scary faces! Just follow the steps I have put below and hey presto, your completed work of art! I would love to see all of the Pumpkins you make so please could you send me a photo of your completed Pumpkin and I will select a few and place them up on our blog for everyone to see just how talented you all are. We have some awesome Pumpkins in stock here at Longacres so if you get stuck for one, we’ve got plenty. Now, let’s begin to have some fun! Step 1 – Select your Pumpkin and give it a quick wipe over with a damp cloth just to remove surface dirt. Step 2 – Ask an adult to cut the top off of your Pumpkin – Do Not try this on your own as knives are very sharp. Once the top has been cut off, this will be the lid so keep it to hand. Step 3 – This is the messy stage where we are going to remove the contents in the middle of your Pumpkin. For this, you will need a big spoon and a bowl. Simply scoop the insides of the Pumpkin out making sure you place the contents into the bowl. Before you throw this bit away, get the tiny seeds from it and lay them out on a dry cloth in a warm room to dry out. Then, when they’re all dry, place them in a safe place as next year, you can grow your very own Pumpkin! Step 4 – It’s time to carve your scary face! Taking a piece of paper and a pencil, draw a sketch of what your scary face is going to look like. Next, you will need to draw the scary face that you have designed, on to your Pumpkin. By doing this, you will see how it looks before you cut away at your Pumpkin. Step 5 - You will need Adult Supervision for doing this bit as we don’t want any of you fantastic artists getting hurt! Carefully, your Adult helper will now carve out the face on your Pumpkin. I can’t wait to see all of your completed Pumpkins! Step 6 – Take a photograph and sent it in to me please. Just email your picture to plantsonline@longacres.co.uk and mark them for the attention of Gertie the Gardener. I hope that you all enjoy your Halloween. Remember that if you’re going out Trick or Treating, then please take a responsible adult out with you but keep your eye on them, they may try and steal your treats! Best wishes Gertie the Gardener

View all our our Little Longacres blog posts & activities by clicking here. My name is Gertie the Gardener and I am so happy that there are so many of you out there that want to be a part of Little Longacres! Little Longacres was created by Longacres Garden Centre to enable children of every age to become active and to take an interest in gardening; it’s not just for the adults! We have created a special section on our Longacres website especially for you where you will find all kinds of ideas to help you to become a fantastic gardener! Within the Little Longacres section, you will find seeds that you can grow into vegetables, herbs and even some beautiful flowers. There are some gloves that only our Little Longacres can wear, so Mums, Dads, Aunties and Uncles can’t borrow them. Plus, we’ve added some extra special gardening tools to help you around the garden, but make sure you find a special place to keep them as you’ll need to use these on quite a regular basis. We will be adding a lot more products over the next few months so make sure you check regularly to see what’s new! Besides having Little Longacres on our website, we’ll also be posting on the Longacres blog once every few weeks. I will be writing a blog for all of our Little Longacres to read; you will be taught step by step instructions on how to grow different things, facts about gardening, how you can help around the garden and lots of fun filled activities for you to try out at home. So welcome aboard and I hope you are as excited as I am about our very own section on Longacres.co.uk Kind regards Gertie the Gardener

We've teamed up with Camberley Theatre to offer our customers the chance to go see Joe Swift half price on the 07/10/2016! TV presenter Joe Swift will be digging deep to reveal his fascinating story from his Rock n Roll youth to becoming one of the country’s top Garden Designers. Hear what really happens behind the scenes at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Gardeners World and find out what it takes to get a Chelsea Show Gold Medal? His TV credits include Gardeners World, and the RHS Chelsea Flower show and he is a regular columnist for The Times and Gardeners World magazine. Joe will share all this with you, taking questions on his life and career but warns that answering questions on dead plants isn’t going to be top of his list! To get your half price tickets, simply use the code ‘HalfPriceOffer ‘ online, on the phone or by calling in to the box office on 01276 707600. You can find our more about the event and book your tickets online by clicking here. Please note offer is only available on full priced tickets. Longacres is only providing the code. Any complaints or questions about the event must be directed at Camberley Theatre. Tickets can not be booked with Longacres and must be booked via Camberley Theatre.

We are so pleased to see that you have found the Longacres Shelf Elf page! There is quite a lot to read and there are some big words used, so make sure to politely ask your mummy, daddy or guardian to read it out for you.   We've recently received this email from Santa addressed to all of the good boys and girls who have taken home a Longacres Shelf Elf:    Father Christmas Santa's Den The North Pole 1st November 2015   Ho, ho, ho! It's almost Christmas and it's getting very busy for us all up here at the North Pole what with finding out what everybody wants for Christmas, making toys, wrapping presents and getting back in shape ready for the big day (I had an awful lot of mince pies and brandy after Christmas last year which has taken its toll on my tummy!), so to help me and all the busy parents around the world I've decided to send out my team of hard-working elves to join you and your family in your home until Christmas Eve. As soon as you get home, be sure to give your cuddly Elf a name (he is your adopted Elf after all!) and introduce him to your mummy, daddy, guardian, brothers, sisters, dog, cat, goldfish and cuddly toys and don’t forget to give them a guided tour. Remember: your elf is very small compared to you and it would be quite easy for him to get lost in an unfamiliar giant home!   It's not all play though - your Elf has an assigned job to do for me!   Each day your Elf will be taking up a different spot in your home and keeping an eye on everything to make sure all is running smoothly to help your parents. Your Elf will then be borrowing your mummy, daddy or guardian's phone or computer after you’ve gone to sleep to let me know all about his day and what he’s seen which will give me an idea of what to bring you for Christmas. Be careful though - I may from time-to-time ask your Elf if he’s seen any naughty behaviour – so try your very best to be really good at all times!  My team of elves all LOVE to be cuddled, listen to stories, go on adventures and hear your Christmas wishes, so spend some quality time with him each day – but always be sure to take him back to where you first found him that morning or afternoon or I won’t hear about all your good behaviour (if you find him that day at all – they really are experts at their favourite game of hide-and-seek!). Your Elf will then be returning to the North Pole after you’ve gone to sleep on Christmas Eve to help me deliver the presents around the world to all the good boys and girls. You won't be saying goodbye forever though – he is YOUR adopted elf and will be back on duty again next year! Well that's all from me for now – I must dash as it's almost time for the reindeers' afternoon carrots and sugar cubes and they get grumpy if it’s late. Just remember - be good and take care of your Elf! I shall look forward to hearing his daily reports starting tomorrow night.   Lots of love from Santa, Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and ALL of the elves here at the North Pole   xxx   Santa also attached lots of photos of the Longacres Shelf Elves on some of their previous adventures to his email:   Elves just LOVE spending time with other cuddly toys and sharing their stories with each other every night!   You might sometimes find your Elf hidden in your Christmas tree - they get a great view high up there!     Santa might ask your Elf if you've been keeping your bedroom clean and tidy!   Your Elf won't always make it easy for you to find him - he might be in a most unexpected place! Elves spend a lot of time in my den at the North Pole, so make sure to take him on lots of adventures outside too. His scarf and hat will keep him warm!  

Listening to our local radio station yesterday, someone was saying that they start playing their Christmas music in October.   Whilst we’re not quite so early here at Longacres, we thought it worth mentioning – for those of you who like to get into the Christmas spirit early – that we have a range of artificial Christmas trees ready for you to pick up and decorate. Our range starts from just £29 for a 4 foot Green Arctic Spruce, ranging up to £399 for a 7 foot pre-lit Lake Shore Blue Spruce.  Our stock is from Tree Classics and Kaemingk and if you add some ScentSicles hanging ornaments in a range of natural fragrances, we bet your friends will think they are real trees!  Adding a Wicker Tree Skirt makes you artificial tree look even better. Our smallest trees start at just 60cm and are a snip at £4.49.  They are great for a table centrepiece.  We also have pre-lit ones to make your table sparkle that little bit more for your Christmas dinner. Limited space to put a tree and only that one corner of the lounge that it could fit into?  No worries!  Tree Classics present the Green Pencil (needs no sharpening).  This stunning 6ft tree is so slim, we’re sure it would fit into even the tiniest of spaces. There is also a good selection of artificial garlands and wreaths already in store.  Artificial garlands are ideal for decorating a myriad of furniture from bookcases to mirrors without the mess of pine needles ending up stuck in your sofa or embedded in your carpet!  Our artificial wreaths look lovely on their own, but did you know you can also use them as a base to add some real holly too for that extra special look?  Some even have LED lights included! If you want to keep the children occupied for a while, you might like to consider a Lego Advent Calendar.  There is a choice of Lego City, Friends or Star Wars in stock now. We also have a range of house and tree lights and animated figures, as well as the ever popular Lemax Christmas Village collection.  Keep an eye out in store for the full range of Christmas decorations and accessories coming soon. If this is a tad early for you to be thinking about Christmas, don’t forget we have a huge range of Halloween items on offer in store at the moment. Even Santa likes a pumpkin you know!

You may think that here at Longacres we're all about gardening. We are (of course) but we do enjoy some lovely food as well so we have a large food hall featuring a wide range of products. From butchers to bakers (no candlestick makers - although we stock a great range of scented candles and holders!), fresh fruit and vegetables, biscuits, snacks and speciality foods from America and South Africa. Our bakers provide fresh bread and cakes daily, along with croissants, doughnuts and hot soups. Bevans Butchers offer a wide range of meats, including some very tasty marinated dishes to tickle your taste buds. Not only that, they also offer cheeses from around the world, speciality cooked meats, pies and fish. We also offer seasonal selections ranging from Easter eggs through to Christmas cakes and puddings, and the most delicious Panettone selection. If you're looking for something different or a yummy treat, we look forward to seeing you in the Food Hall at Longacres Bagshot soon.

On Friday the 29th of July 2016 Longacres completed the purchase of a new site - welcome to Longacres Bybrook Barn! Watch out for our grand opening weekend on the 8th and 9th of October, with some very special exclusive offers... (you can view opening times and contact details here, but please be aware that opening times are subject to change very soon!) Based in Ashford, Kent, Bybrook Barn has been running for over 40 years - family-owned, very similar to Longacres. It was one of the country's leading garden centres, and we aim to restore it to this status as quickly as possible! It's important to note that it's very much business as usual while we start the improvement works - we've retained all of the staff and we are still open 7 days a week. What's taking place? We've begun the big task of clearing out the tired fixtures and fittings - ready to improve every department. After that we'll be adding: Cut flowers! Immediately on your right as you enter the centre will be a brand new flower fridge, offering the same range and value as you'll find at all Longacres stores. We'll also be providing floristry services - ready-made hand tied bouquets, along with a make up service and the usual offerings of flowers for events, funerals and more. More ranges and LOTS more products - indoor and outdoor plants, garden sundries, giftware, seasonal ranges like barbecues and furniture, toys, cards, clothing, chemicals, stoneware, food, fencing - everything you would expect from a modern garden centre. Online shopping and Click and Collect - although Bybrook had a website, it was for information only. In the next month or so (once we have products in place) you'll be able to order online for delivery or collection in store. A drive through area - ideal for loading up on bulky gardening essentials like compost, bark, turf and aggregates. This has proved a great success at Longacres in Bagshot. We'll also be improving and re-lining the car park to make it easier for customers. We're very excited about our new site, and look forward to seeing you there! If you're planning a visit you can find us here: Longacres Bybrook Barn, Cemetery Lane, Ashford, Kent, TN24 9JZ Nigel Long and Terry Burch shaking hands on completion

School is out for summer so we here at Longacres want to help you make the most of it! To keep the kids entertained this summer, we’re running a competition to win £100 worth of Summer play products. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize is send us a picture of your outdoors den or play area! Whether it be a tree house, a fairy garden patch, a Wendy house, a pop up tent or even a couple of sofa cushions made in to a fort on the lawn, we want to see you enjoying and making the most of the summer! To enter, simply post your image on the Longacres Facebook page and be sure to show us some love with a ‘Like’ & a ‘Share’ on the pinned post at the top of the page. Good luck everyone and be sure to put on some sun cream before venturing outside to snap a photo! Entries must be submitted by the 07/08/16 at 11:59pm with the winner being announced on the evening of 08/08/16. All images must be your own. Maximum of one entry per child. Parents and guardians can upload multiple pictures if you have more than 1 child. To be in with a chance of winning you must have hit the like and share buttons on the pinned post at the top of the Longacres Facebook page. If any children are included in your picture that are not your own you MUST get consent from their parents or guardians. Longacres does not take responsibility for any pictures that are submitted that break the previous rule - but can remove anything at the request of parents or guardians via a private message to the page. If you do not have a Facebook account but would still like to enter, you can email us a picture to customerservices@longacres.co.uk and we will upload it for you. Winner must be able to pick out and collect prizes from our Bagshot branch (yes you get to choose your own prizes up to £100.00 in value!) We think this is appropriate right now: