Tree planting in Summer

Just because it is Spring/Summer it does not mean that you cannot plant trees - either native trees or ornamental trees.
You can get a range of either of the above from 6ft-8ft high in 10lt pots right through to 20ft-30ft high trees.  As long as they are watered in a dry time they are fine to plant. A few varieties are:
Native Trees
Betula pendula - Silver birch
Alnus glutinosa - Common alder
Acer campestre - Field maple
Fagus sylvatica - Beech
Fraxinus excelsior - Ash
Quercus robur - English oak
Tilia cordata - Lime

Ornamental Trees
Betula jacquemontii - White stemmed Birch
Sorbus  - Rowan (Varieties: Sheerwater Seedling/Joseph Rock)
Cercis siliquastrum - Judas tree
Malus - Crab apple (Varieties: Golden Hornet/John Downie)
Acer's - Maples (Varieties: Royal Red/Emerald Queen)
Prunus - Cherry (Varieties: Pink Perfection/Shirofugen/Umineko)

Ornamental Bark Trees
Prunus serrula Tibetica - mahogany brown bark
Betula jacquemontii - pure white bark
Acer griseum - paper bark maple, peeling cinnamon coloured under bark
Betula ermanii - Birch type with peeling creamy bark with pink tinge
Betula nigra - Birch variety with shaggy, flaking cinnamon orange bark

Most of the above benefit by being planted in groups of 3's to bring out their individual beauty. 
These trees are just a small range of trees that are available through our website.

Garden visits......

I know, from experience in my own garden, that at this time of year the weeding, pruning, trimming, lawn cutting, etc. can begin to seem like mammoth tasks and can begin to take over all your valuable free time. Just as the sun begins to shine and you feel like enjoying a sit in the garden to read your newspaper, or drink a glass of wine and relax, all of a sudden instead of the garden being a pleasure to sit in and walk around it begins to look and feel like a jungle and all around you see jobs that need to be done, spoiling the valuable free time that you have. 
Indeed alot of people who enjoy their gardens do not know how to properly look after them and they can feel overwhelmed by it.  They do not realise that pruditious pruning at the right time of year can save them considerable time and will keep their garden looking fresh all year.  Weeding can be a nightmare to keep on top of, but what about using bark mulch?  This not only suppresses the weeds but also looks decorative and it also has the advantage of locking moisture into the soil - very useful in these drought ridden times. 
I already have clients that I visit on a regular basis to advise on what to do in their gardens at certain times of the year and I think the service that I offer is very much appreciated.  It is not expensive and the benefits far outway this small cost.  It can save the costs on hiring  a freelance gardener to correct mistakes that need not have happened in the first place.  If you would like any more information on this service please give me a call, leave a comment here or email me.

Leylandii and bad press reports

From time to time leylandii seem to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, so I thought it was time I spoke in their favour.
The problem is that leylandii have not received the care and attention they should in the garden.  They need a yearly light prune to keep them in shape and good order.  If this is not done then that is when they romp away and get out of hand.  This can cause problems with lack of  light at adjoining properties and restricting views.  But if good husbandry is maintained they make a perfect  hedge, an evergreen screen and a good sound barrier.  If left unattended they can grown up to 1m a year and will reach a height of up to 50m.  This is not what leylandii were grown for and not what the average gardener wants at his property, so a trim once a year will keep them in check and achieve what they were designed to do.
Anyone who buys leylandii from us will be given suitable advice on the upkeep and care of these plants.

Planting and Care of Leylandii

We sell alot of leylandii in all sizes and one of the things we get asked about alot is how to plant them and how to care for them so I have put together a Care Guide that can be used for reference.  I hope you will find it informative and if you have any questions please get in touch, or leave a question on the Blog.  PLANTING AND AFTERCARE OF LEYLANDII 1. Unless you are going to plant your Leylandii immediately, unpack them and stand them upright outside where they won’t get knocked or blown over. If the compost feels dry give them a watering. Provided you water them when needed they can be left in their pots for several months before being planted out. 2. A few hours before you plant them give them a good watering. 3. If they are to be planted in a straight line use a taut string as a guide line, it’s easier than trying to do it by eye and avoids uneven lines of trees which don’t look very attractive. 4. Dig holes at the desired spacings, we would recommend every 2 feet (60cm) unless you want a hedge of 15 feet (5 metres) or higher in which case plant them every 3 feet (90cm). The holes should be slightly wider and deeper than the rootball. 5. Mix some of the soil that you have dug out with organic  compost.  Put a layer of the soil/compost mix in the bottom of each of the holes. 6. Remove the pot, gently squeezing the sides of the pot a few times can make this easier. If the roots are very dense and matted around the outside of rootball tease them loose with your fingers or lightly slash down each side with a sharp knife (a Stanley knife is ideal). This will encourage the roots to grow out into the surrounding soil and establish quicker. 7. Place the tree in the hole, the top of the rootball should be roughly level with the surrounding soil. If it isn’t add or remove some of the soil/compost mix until it is. 8. Fill the gap around the rootball with more soil/compost, firming it down well as you go. 9. If your Leylandii are not already caned, insert a cane vertically next to the stem of the tree and tie the stem to the cane using plastic coated wire twists. You may find some of your Leylandii have more than one main stem, if so choose the tallest, straightest one and tie that to the cane. Caning is especially important with green Leylandii as they tend to grow at an angle or bend over if they are not caned. 10. Once you have finished the planting give them all a good watering to moisten the compost and settle them in. AFTERCARE Leylandii are relatively tough and self-reliant but will need a bit of care from you in their first year if they are to flourish. In dry spells they will need to be watered regularly especially if you have planted them in Spring/Summer. It’s not just the hot weather that can dry them out, strong winds can have the same effect so keep a check on them in winter too. Keep the planted area free from weeds. As soon as they reach the desired height or width you can start trimming them, this will encourage them to bush out and the hedge to fill in more quickly. Hand shears or powered hedge trimmers will both make easy work of the job. Contrary to popular belief Leylandii are not difficult to keep under control, a light trimming a couple of times a year is all that is needed to keep them looking good.