Bare Root Hedging

With the feel of Autumn upon us it is now time to start thinking about getting that new hedgerow planted.  We can offer a full range of bare root hedging in a range of sizes to suit all budgets. 

If you wish to create a hedge which is really dense and bushy from the ground upwards it is advisable to plant young, small plants, typically 40-60cm high. Many people look at the small bare rooted seedlings and imagine it will take years before they will achieve anything that looks like a hedge, but this is not the case and if larger plants are chosen the result can often be that the hedge is rather sparse at the base. Also larger plants are more expensive and are more likely to fail than small ones.  If you have a rabbit problem then it is also advisable to put a guard around the plant during the first few years.  Ideally some of the seedlings should be allowed to grow into trees along the hedgerow as this will encourage birds and other wildlife.

If possible, get the preparation done before the winter planting season - while the weather and soil is still warm. If you need to improve the structure of the soil, incorporate generous quantities of compost, such as well-rotted garden compost or well-rotted farmyard manure if the situation allows this. If the soil has poor drainage you could add sharp sand or coarse grit (make sure it is lime-free). If this preparation is done in advance of planting the soil can then settle and will be workable when you come to put the plants in during the winter. Even if the soil is cold and frosty on the surface, it will be relatively easy to turn over if it has been correctly prepared.  If the plants arrive and the weather is too bad to plant them they can be kept in a small trench for a few weeks until the weather improves (all packaging to be removed first!)

When planting and caring for a new hedge it is very important to follow the correct pruning and planting instructions and Steve can offer advice on this if needed.

A typical English hedgerow is made up of:

40% Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn)

20% Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn)

10% Acer campestre (Field maple)

10% Viburnum opulus (Guelder rose)

10% Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam)

10% Rosa canina (Dogrose)

July Special Offer for Herbaceous Plants

Everything is about herbaceous borders at this time of year and so we thought we would put together an assortment of plants to make an instant border of approximately 4m x 2m.  It is suitable for a sunny position and will flower all season.  £130 (including delivery) plus vat.

Achillea Martina x 3
This has fantastic pale yellow flowers, on strong stems which will flower all summer long, followed by good seedheads for the winter.

Anthemis tinctoria Susan Mitchell x 4
Beautiful large creamy yellow flowers with silver foliage

Campanula Kent Belle x 5
Is an herbaceous perennial that bears vivid violet-blue, nodding, bell-shaped flowers on leafy stems

Geranium oxonianum Rosenlicht x 3
Clumps of mid green leaves studded with lots of medium sized bright deep pink flowers

Iris germanica Blue Rhythm x 4
Luscious, lemon-scented, cornflower blue flowers with ruffled petals and sword-shaped grey-green leaves.  This stately bearded Iris looks lovely towards the front of a border

Sisyrinchium E L Balls x 3
A clump forming, semi-evergreen perennial with upright stems bearing star-shaped mauve flowers with yellow eyes and erect bright green leaves.

Verbena bonariensis x 5
Tall, narrow, sparsely-leafed stems bearing flat tened heads of bright lavender-purple flowers that provide useful height in the herbaceous border.   The RHS have given it the Award of Garden Merit.

If you require any further information, or wish to place an order then please either email or ring us.  This special offer is available while stocks last.

An alternative to Box hedging

With Box Blight becoming ever more widespread, and taking out a lot of Box hedging, it may be a good idea to look into an alternative and one such plant is the evergreen Euonymus japonicas Microphyllus.

With deep green, dense foliage this compact plant gives a beautiful, formal appearance with minimal trimming. It is tolerant of many conditions including heat, poor soils and salt spray. A good container specimen it is perfect for a low hedge, parterre or border.

Care Information

It is easily grown in well-drained soils and is best with full sun in humid areas. Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Apply a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Shear annually for a neat appearance. Pruning time: Spring after flowering.

It can also be clipped and trained into cone shapes or spheres just like Buxus sempervirens.

New Website

We are currently undertaking a total re-vamp of our website.  The new one will be much brighter, user-friendly and modern-looking.  One of the changes will be a link to our brand new Facebook page and this will take the place of our existing blog.  You will also be able to follow us on Twitter.
On our Facebook page you will find details of any special offers that we currently have, together with Steve's usual tips and advice. If you are a facebook user then please search for "R, E & L Thurlow Limited" and you will find us.  To help us get going we would love it if you could press the "like" button as this will help us to build a following and we will be able to keep a check on how many people are finding it useful.  Thank you!

Bare Root Season

The bare root season starts every year in late October, early November, subject to weather conditions.  This is the perfect time to plant a new native hedgerow or plant native trees at reasonable, affordable prices.
Native hedgerows are usually planted as a double row, 5 per metre stagggered, with the introduction of a native tree every 5 metres.
It is also a great time to plant up any screening that might need to be done to hide unsightly views, buildings, etc.  Again this can be achieved by planting up bare root whips and standard trees.
The difference between a bare root tree and a container grown tree is that the bare root tree is lifted directly from the ground whilst dormant and delivered immediately.  The root is placed in a black protection bag for delivery to protect the roots.  Whereas a container grown tree has spent all its life in a pot, potted on as it grows into larger containers.  These can be planted all year round but are a more expensive option.
The Autumn and Winter time is also a good time to plant rootball hedging such as Taxus baccata (Yew), Prunus rotundifolia (Laurel).  Rootballed means that the roots are lifted with the soil attached direct from the field and wrapped in biodegradeable sacking and wire basket.  You drop the whole lot into the ground - you must not remove the sacking or wire.  Again these are a cheaper option that container grown hedging.

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.