|
Only a month ago we were worried about drought and since then we have been inundated with rain. The moisture and mild temperatures have resulted in a burst of fresh green growth. With that in mind, now is the time to prune many late spring and summer flowering shrubs, such as Philadelphus or Weigela. It is also time to trim back hedges and topiary so that the new growth has the chance to ripen before winter.
Whilst pruning, it is important to use the right tool for the job. Make sure that you don’t try to cut anything with a greater diameter than your tool is designed for and always ensure a sharp cutting edge. Otherwise, you risk crushing or tearing the stem, which can allow diseases to penetrate the plant. A wide range of high-quality gardening tools is available within the garden centre and our staff are on hand to advise on which tool would be best suited to your needs.
Here in the garden centre, we have just taken delivery of our spring-flowering bulbs. There is a wide selection available for planting now so that they have time to put down roots ready for a spectacular spring display.
|
August’s Plant of the month is Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivanti ‘Goldsturm’. This explosive border perrenial bears a mass of large, black-centred, yellow, daisy-like flowers from August through to the first frosts. It is fully hardy, tolerant of most soil conditions and, as a shorter variety, doesn’t require staking and seldom needs dividing. The flowers will also be a boon to pollinating insects such as bees or butterflies, which, coupled with its low maintenance nature, make it well worth a place in any border.