Longacres Blog

Birds are a beautiful and exciting addition to any garden. It’s heart warming to see these creatures picking your garden to feed or make its temporary home. Bird watching may not sound exciting, but there is something very fulfilling about spotting an especially beautiful or rare bird. This explains why so many people choose bird watching as a hobby. As a matter of fact, we love birds so much we have compiled a list of the best feathered friends to look out for in the garden, along with how to attract them. Golden Opportunity The first bird on the must-see list is the goldfinch. They are a very common bird, visiting over half of the gardens in the UK every week. Nothing brings these birds to the yard faster than sunflower hearts and nyger seeds. Bird watchers love spotting goldfinches because of the combination of their golden brown bodies and red faces. House Guests The next bird on the list is the house sparrow. These are a noisy bunch, and fly all over the country in small flocks. They make their homes in – well, homes. There is nothing particularly special about their diet, and will eat virtually anything made for birds. Romantic Bands Pushing the difficulty up a tick, the next bird is the collared dove. These birds are distinct because of the black collar on their necks. The only thing that makes this bird partially hard to spot is that they do not fly in flocks. Being romantic birds, collared doves only travel in pairs. When a bird watcher spots this bird, its partner is not far off. Loud and Colourful The chaffinch is one of the most colourful bird you can spot in a garden. They sport a shock of blue-grey plumage on their heads. Still, that is not their defining feature. Chaffinches have a distinctly loud chirp that lets people know they are coming. Look Down Watchers will need to do a bit of work to spot a dunnock. This bird’s favourite foods are worms and spiders. This is why they like spending time under bushes and around flowerbeds. This is the only bird that bird watchers look for staring down instead of up. If you have any questions about birds and the best feed to attract certain types, contact us today. Our teams deal in bird feed all the time, and know a thing or two about the birds flying over British skies.

During the last remaining sunny days of the season, no activity is as perfect as a barbecue gathering. There is an unmatched kind of joy when you and your friends gather round, laugh together, and enjoy great quality food and drinks. But, whilst most people see the fun in this activity, some find barbecue gatherings environmentally unfriendly. Piles of paper plates, plastic cups, and disposable utensils abound, not to mention the bucketful of food scraps you have to deal with after. Fortunately, there is more than one way around this, and with a little thought you can make your barbecue gatherings eco-friendly. Here are some ways that can help you green up your grill party: Replace your grill Although the good old charcoal grill gets things done, it’s not so green. You might want to replace that with a first-rate propane barbecue grill instead, as gas-fuelled ones still let you cook that marinated meat nicely without the harmful substances that coal emits. Discard your disposables Let go of the paper plates and plastic utensils the next time you organise a BBQ. Outdoor dishes and utensils are good investments, as their use goes beyond barbecues – you can take them to camping trips and picnics too. Pack some linens instead of paper towels. If ever you go with the disposable route, try to choose biodegradable items. Sort out the rubbish Lastly, separate the party waste. Before the guests arrive, place some labelled bins where they can put their beer cans, wine bottles, plastic containers, and other types of waste for easy recycling and disposal post-party. For food scraps, you can instruct everyone to chuck their waste into a compost bin. Going green in your next barbecue is not so hard. What’s even better is that we can help you achieve your objective of an eco-friendly BBQ. Here at Longacres Garden Centre, we’ll help you find everything you need to make your barbecue eco-friendly. Browse our website or contact us for more information on the products we have.

** It's competition time! ** All you have to do is click like & share on this post and guess how many balls are in this pool to win the pictured pool and its content! (Staff excluded – sorry!) How it works: The closest or exact answer will be the winner and in the event of more than one person guessing the correct answer, the person to guess first will win. You can only guess once and your guess must be left in the comment section below the post on the Longacres Facebook page. The closing date is Sunday 17th August and we will announce the lucky winner on Monday 18th August! You can click here to view our full range of pools. Good luck everyone and happy guessing!

[please note - you can click on all images for larger size] We had a brilliant day out to the 'proving grounds' this week - where the existing, new and even experimental spring, summer and autumn bedding plant varieties are tested; and growers, garden centres and other groups come to make buying choices for the next year. Even the entrance was awash with colour - the large beds of Zinnia and Phlox looked brilliant. Zinnia Phlox           Everything is planted in beds stretching far and wide, with a change in variety in every row. They are watered just once, and then left to grow in whatever conditions the UK chooses to throw at them that season. It gives a very good indication of how they will cope with our climate - important as many of the experimental varieties are developed abroad in places such as Spain and the US west coast where conditions are ideal and just a little better than ours. The verbenas were amazing - masses of colours to choose from, including some eye-catching hybrids. These two were favourites: Verbena (experimental) Verbena Quartz Redeye           There were also rows of Salvias and an amazing mix of Zinnia as you can see below. Salvia beds at the proving grounds Mixed Zinnia             We found plenty of new varieties which will be available at Longacres next year (both instore and online, in our bedding plant section), along with some new hanging basket examples. At the proving grounds they also included an interesting 'invisible' water feature in one of their show sections, and areas displaying the all of the plants in a variety of ways - beds, pots, hanging baskets, vertical walls and more. The 'magic tap' water feature Close-up photography Petunia Hybrid             We had a great time - many thanks to Royden, Mel and Wendy at Perfect Choice. This was my first trip up there, but I'm hoping I can make it every year from now on.

There are a few things to do to make sure your plant doesn't languish and unexpectedly die after you've transplanted it. The growing medium in which you bought the plant may easily have become very desiccated. Water may largely drain out round the edges of the pot, giving the plant little opportunity to absorb it. In the garden centre plants are watered every day. At home it may often be left for a few days, there are no water reserves in the soil, so the plant gets nothing to drink and either dies or becomes poorly. When a plant’s roots have pretty much filled the pot it pays to stand the container in a deep saucer, water it thoroughly and let it stand in the water for an hour or two so the compost is thoroughly moist. Then replant it and give it a thorough watering as soon as it is in its new home. It pays to water regularly for a few weeks whilst the plant establishes itself in its new home, every day if the weather is very hot and dry and your garden soil is not retaining moisture around the plant. When planting you should make the hole the right size, the soil line of the plant in the pot should be the same when it is in the ground. Many shrubby plants are grafted onto another rootstock and if they are settled more deeply into the earth the junction of the graft is below the ground and may start to produce another plant entirely. (Roses are a prime example of this issue.) There is always an exception to the rule, Clematis are generally buried more deeply – planting instructions are usually on the label when you buy these plants. In many cases the plant has been in the pot in which you bought it for some time (especially by the end of summer). It may have become ‘pot-bound’. This means that the roots are crammed in and have circled tightly round and round. Even when it has been transplanted the roots can continue to grow in this same circle. They fail to reach out into the soil and therefore get little in the way of nourishment, or even water. The solution is to encourage the roots to move outwards by teasing some of them away from the tight packed root-ball. In all cases it’s worthwhile to spread the roots at the base of the container outwards to encourage them to reach into their new environment. If you put your plant into another container the plant will use up the nutrients that are in the compost within a few weeks. After this time you will need to provide the plant with ‘food’ - a general purpose rose feed is the classic recommendation. There are many others! You can choose between short term and slow release fertilisers (these are more expensive but once having applied them it is job done for the season). Even in the garden plants will flower better if they are provided with extra nutrients from spring till the end of summer. The foliage of plants in nutrient-poor conditions can deteriorate quite rapidly. Some types of plant only flower once a year, lilacs and peonies are examples of this. Other plants will continue to produce flowers if the old ones are promptly removed. This is the case with most modern roses and many popular herbaceous plants. If you regularly ‘deadhead’ by snipping off the bloom as it begins to fade the plant will make more flowers for you. It is much less work than it sounds to keep your new plants alive and happy! Enjoy. This Longacres Blog post contributed by Susan A. Tindall

If you have an Instagram account you can follow us for exclusive & behind the scenes photos! Here is one taken last night of Ben in our bedding department with a dragonfly! Don't forget to follow @LongacresGC  

Win a 2,000+500 Loom Band Kit including hook tools, s-clips, charms & more! Plus 5 packs of 300 scented bands - totalling a massive 4,000 loom bands! To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is show us a picture of your Loom Band creation! HOW TO ENTER: Pick yourself up a Loom Band Set from Longacres by clicking here! Then create a fantastic, eye catching and amazing Loom Band creation and either: Post a picture onto the Longacres Facebook page Post on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #LaLoomBand & @LongacresGC Best of luck everyone - we can't wait to see what you come up with!

While the perennials take the spotlight on summer gardens, they also fade away rather quickly. After the first flush of blooms, the then-colourful garden becomes drab once more. In most cases, you would have to wait for a few months before the red hues of autumn take over. Now, there are gardeners who are fine with this midsummer green gap, but when you spend a lot of time at home (the garden, specifically), you want it to be beautiful all year round. Fortunately, there are climbers that bloom during the height of summer. Be it on trees, shrubs, or columns, climbers add some extra colour with their blooms. Here are some plants you can use to add some splash of hues on top of your green backdrop. Chilean glory flower (Eccremocarpus scaber) The Chilean glory flower is a fast-growing climber that blooms during mid to late summer. If you want to have the autumn look a few months earlier, this is the climber you have to get. This plant produces yellow, orange, and red tubular flowers from its wiry stems. Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) Black-eyed Susans can easily reach 6-7 feet in height, especially when trained up an obelisk. This is an easy-to-grow tender climber that commonly produces yellow or orange blooms with black centres. There are variants of pastel-coloured flowers for this too. Do note that this plant needs protection from cold winds. Cup and saucer plant (Cobaea scandens) This is perhaps one of the most attractive summertime climbers out there. A South American native plant, this perennial is best treated as an annual. With a bronze tint and purple-blue flowers, this is truly a charming piece to add to your garden. Skyflower (Plumbago auriculata) Subtle tones are rare in flowers, which is what makes the skyflower attractive. Sporting sky-blue blooms, this one is a truly desirable climber for your garden. You would need to prune this every couple of years, but this is a fast-growing conservatory plant perfect for outdoor gardens in mild areas. Snapdragon vine (Maurandya antirrhiniflora) A touch of yellow is always a welcome sight in a garden, which is why the snapdragon vine is a great option. Add this to your shrub and you can enjoy blooms of yellow hues in just a short time, perfect for that summer look and transition to autumn in a few months. At Longacres, we can help you make these climbers bloom in your garden. We have different supplies that would boost their growth for a better space. We have a vast array of products for your garden from plants and climbers to barbecues. Talk to us to know more about what we offer.

Some plants emit their fragrance at night. These fragrances are generally intense, even memorable, in the darkness adding both simplicity and mystery to the experience. In practical terms the main night-pollinators in the UK are moths. These insects are attracted by scent at the ‘sweet’ end of the fragrance spectrum. The ‘night-time plants’ therefore have honey, jasmine or honeysuckle scents. It helps to site these plants in places that are protected from strong winds, so the fragrance can hang in the air. Plants can be positioned by a window that is opened on a warm evening. Where there is a front garden, include a night-scented plant so that late in the evening you are greeted with an exquisite fragrance as you approach your front door. Plants to consider: Nicotiana alata (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=2165) (Jasmine tobacco) and Nicotiana sylvestris (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=5323) (Mountain tobacco) are tall plants that flower from July to September. Just two or three of these inexpensive plants, generally grown as annuals, can provide a heavy, delicious fragrance. There are a number of smaller cultivars, some of which will carry some scent but the species are the best, and their white tubular flowers are also visible in the dark. It is possible to grow them in a container. Oenothera biennis (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=11014) (Common evening primrose) opens its fragrant flowers at dusk and can be allowed to naturalise in a wilder part of the garden. Much more modest in height, Saponaria officinalis (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=1545) (soapwort) has a sweet fragrance, especially noticeable in the evening. It is likely to flower in July. If elegant foliage is required Hosta plantaginea (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=388) (the August lily) is fragrant at night, flowering in August. There are several climbers which are night fragrant and these include the desirable, borderline tender Trachelospermum jasminoides (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=1117) (Star Jasmine) and Wisteria floribunda (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=3861) (Japanese wisteria). Lonicera periclymenum (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=1318) (the common woodbine) is also worth considering. Usually grown for the beauty of their foliage but having flowers in April that have an exceptional honey fragrance, Pittosporum tenuifolium (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=1163) and its many hybrids are excellent. Lonicera syringantha (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=705) (the lilac honeysuckle) is a late spring flowering shrub with a sweet fragrance that is very noticeable in the evening and night. Since the fragrance of these plants is generally carried for several yards, they can easily be incorporated in planting that is grown for its flowers or foliage effect in the daytime. Finally, in order to provide some visual interest after dark, grow a few white flowers that will be attractive at night. These could include white Cosmos (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=12009) and white Phlox (www.longacres.co.uk/home/longacres_garden_centre_surrey_plant_finder.html?plantid=1739), the latter is also fragrant and attracts hawk moths at night. This Longacres Blog post contributed by Susan A. Tindall

This could be of interest to any of the Longacres gardeners out there - the BBC and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are looking for keen amateur gardeners who would like to compete for a chance of going to the RHS Chelsea show and have their own garden design shown on the Main Avenue stand! They are looking for amateur garden designers and garden design students or graduates to take part. Filming for the BBC 2 show will take place in July, August and September. You can see details and apply on the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/beonashow/designs_on_chelsea The competition is open to anyone 18 or over, and it's amateurs only - professional garden designers may NOT apply! Don't delay - the entrance window closes very soon.

We have the talented David Domoney in store this weekend doing talks on how to improve your garden! David is no stranger to the weird and wacky garden (especially not after his chocolate garden in 2010) so it promises to be a very fascinating and interesting talk! The talks will be taking place at the Jacuzzi sheds by our exit at 11.00am & 2.00pm so be sure not to miss out!

For gardening lovers, the approach of summer means a garden full of colour. It is the season when the garden comes to life with colourful bulbs and perennials in full bloom. While summer-flowering bulbs should be planted early in spring when the weather starts to get warm, there are plenty of plants you can grow before the season ends that will give off colourful blooms in late summer. Brighten up your garden with these flamboyant summer-flowering bulbs: Oriental Lilies The family of lilies is a big one, but there’s one particular flower that shines during summer: Oriental lilies. Oriental lilies bear large, star-shaped blooms in shades of yellow, white, pink, and crimson. The flowers give off a sensational fragrance that you can detect from metres away. From tall tree to ground cover lilies, you’ll surely find one that suits your garden. Traditional oriental lilies grow more than six feet, while dwarf varieties grow to become about a foot tall. Fragrant Gladiolus Fragrant gladiolus is somewhat considered an old fashioned bloom, but thanks to modern hybrids, this flamboyant summer bulb has returned to the limelight. Fragrant gladiolus looks great when planted along garden borders, but they also look fabulous in a vase indoors. The plant’s flowers are beautiful, while its grassy foliage is nice, but its best feature is its sweet fragrance. Fragrant gladiolus can grow up to three feet tall and prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Tuberous Begonia Tuberous Begonia is perhaps the most glamorous summer-bulb you’ll ever plant. The plant produces gorgeous rose-like blooms in different shades over an incredibly long period; it can beautify your garden from summer until autumn. Tuberous Begonia grows well in containers, too. They’re best planted in hanging baskets and window boxes. Choose a fragrant variety to hang on your doorway, where you can appreciate the plant’s blooms at their best. It’s not yet late to plant summer-flowering bulbs. Plant the above bulbs before the spring ends and have a colourful, fragrant, and lovely summer. For a wide selection of plants to grow in your garden, contact us. We’ll help make your garden come to life.