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<p>When <strong>fall vegetable gardening</strong> starts, it's time to wrap up with your hat and scarf to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous colours as the leaves fall to the ground.</p>

<p>When <strong>fall vegetable gardening</strong> starts, it's time to wrap up with your hat and scarf to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous colours as the leaves fall to the ground. Even though the air will be fresh, and you might be wrapped up with your gardening boots on as well, fall gardening is a busy and beautiful time. After summer harvests, it's time to get ready for winter and spring, which means there is a lot to do. But where do you start? We recommend here:&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li>Rake up fallen leaves&nbsp;</li>
<li>Mulch beds and borders</li>
<li>Spruce up containers&nbsp;</li>
<li>Secure structures&nbsp;</li>
<li>Harvesting</li>
</ol>
<h2>Raking leaves is a top fall vegetable gardening task&nbsp;</h2>
<p>When the leaves fall in their numerous autumnal hues, think of them as they hit the ground as natures own way of replenishing the soil. When leaves rot down, they make a perfect leaf mulch for your beds and borders. Rake them up into leaf bags or even plastics sacks, punch some holes in the sides, tie them up and store them in a safe, dry place until the following year. They can be ready in as little as three months up to one year, and you will be able to mulch your borders with it, keeping weeds down and feeding the soil with nutrients.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Fall vegetable garden means mulching time&nbsp;</h2>
<p>One of the most essential and crucial fall jobs is mulch beds and borders with some well-rotted organic matter. This is the best way to keep the weeds down and the soil replenished in spring planting time. Spread a layer of your chosen mulch such as farmyard manure, mushroom compost, a plant-based mix or preferably your homemade compost. Spread a layer of mulch all over your borders and let the nutrients soak into the soil over the winter months. No digging necessary!</p>
<h2>Fall vegetable gardening can include cool containers&nbsp;</h2>
<p>If you have old plants past their best in your containers, remove them and replace them with winter edibles. From kale to winter salads (with protection) and even edible Pansies will provide you with a pot full of things to eat. Plus, it will look pretty as well.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Keep things safe during your time fall vegetable gardening&nbsp;</h2>
<p>As the weather worsens for the months ahead when you are outside in the vegetable garden, make sure you check over all of your structures to ensure they are safe and won't be damaged or blow over - or worse - blown away!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Fall vegetable gardening includes harvests&nbsp;</h2>
<p>You might have some summer vegetables still to harvest, so get on top of them before the frosts hit. You may also already be harvesting</p>
<ul>
<li>cabbages,</li>
<li>kale,</li>
<li>purple sprouting broccoli</li>
<li>other brassicas.</li>
</ul>
<p>Maybe even carrots, celeriac and herbs too. Enjoy the harvests as they come and feel satisfied with your year in the garden.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For tools, winter vegs, and accessories, visit us in the store for fall.&nbsp;</p>

Fall Vegetable Gardening

<p>Decorate your home for the spooky season with our simple <strong>DIY Halloween tips</strong>, guaranteed to give friends and family a fright.</p>

<p>The temperature's dropping, and Halloween is drawing near, so get ready for some thrills and chills! Decorate your home for the spooky season with our simple <strong>DIY Halloween tips</strong>, guaranteed to give friends and family a fright.</p>
<h2>DIY tips for Halloween</h2>
<ol>
<li>
<p>It's not Halloween without a carved pumpkin or two. Get yourself a nice giant pumpkin from the supermarket, cut off the top and scoop out the flesh inside. (You can save this to make a delicious pumpkin pie!) Then use a sharp knife to cut holes in the skin for the eyes and mouth. If you don't fancy hollowing out your pumpkins, you can also use a linoleum cutter to etch a face or a pattern in the pumpkin's outer skin.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Remember making paper snowflakes? Well, you can make paper spiderwebs in just the same way, and they make incredible Halloween decorations hanging from window frames and shelves. (If you can't remember how to do all that folding, don't worry – there are plenty of online tutorials available!) Use thin paper, as it makes it easier to cut through all the layers.&nbsp;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Hang cheesecloth or another sheer material over a window, then attach masses of tiny fake spiders (buy them or cut them out of black paper). For extra effect, cut out a few bigger black spiders and stick them nearby.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>While you're on the spider theme, it's easy to make cute but scary spiders by sticking googly eyes and pipe cleaner legs onto conkers. Hang them from the windows, sit them on a shelf or hide them around the house to make your friends and family jump!</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Make ghost lollipops to hand out to visitors by wrapping white tissue paper over the heads of the lollipops. Stick on some googly eyes or draw them on with a pen to complete the ghoulish effect.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>To make up for scaring your guests, have some Halloween snacks ready to hand out. Add black food colouring to your favourite sponge recipe to make spooky black cupcakes, then decorate them with scary faces. Fondant icing is excellent for this, as you can cut out the shapes you need, and smarties make tasty eyes for your cake faces.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>To make chocolate-covered apples, melt chocolate in a double boiler. Wash the apples, then dunk them quickly into boiling water to get rid of their wax coating. Wipe dry and push a skewer into each apple. Holding them by the skewers, dip the apples in the melted chocolate. Once the chocolate has started to dry, scatter chopped nuts or sprinkles over the apples. Leave to cool and set, then serve.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>If you're after some inspiration for your Halloween decorations this year, visit us. You'll be surprised what you can find in our centres!</p>

7 top tips for DIY Halloween decorations

<p>Pick the right <strong>perennials for container gardens</strong>, and you can have containers filled with colour and interest all year round.</p>

<p>Planting up your <strong>containers with perennials</strong> instead of annuals has many advantages. Unlike annuals, perennials don’t have to be replaced every year, so although they may cost a little more at the start, they’re better valued for money in the end. They’re also better for the environment, as not replacing plants every year means you use fewer plastic plant pots and less compost. Plus, if your perennials get too big for your pots, you can plant them out in the garden, where they will live for years. Pick the right perennials, and you can have containers filled with colour and interest all year round.</p>
<h2>Tips on container gardening with perennials</h2>
<p>When planting up your containers with perennials, remember these tips:</p>
<ol>
<li>Most perennials need more space than annual bedding plants, so pick an enormous container with enough space for plants to spread their roots.</li>
<li>Ensure the container has suitable drainage holes and put crocks (bits of broken pottery) in the bottom of the pot to stop compost clogging up the holes.</li>
<li>If you’re combining perennials in a container, choose plants that like the same conditions, e.g. all shade-loving plants or all ericaceous plants.</li>
<li>Feed and water container-grown plants regularly.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Perennials for containers in the sun</h2>
<p>These plants will grow happily in a sunny container, giving you years of pleasure.</p>
<ul>
<li>Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane) looks beautiful, spilling over the edge of a pot, producing masses of tiny daisies that start pink and turn white. It flowers for months in summer and autumn.</li>
<li>Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ (Perennial wallflower) flowers from late spring right through to autumn, producing beautiful soft mauve blooms. It will need replacing every 3-4 years, as it tends to grow leggy.</li>
<li>Heucheras are fantastic in pots, with their vibrant foliage providing year-round colour, and the flowers bring in the bees in summer. Treat pots in spring and autumn with nematodes to protect against vine weevils, which attack the plants’ roots.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Perennials for containers in the shade</h2>
<p>Fill shady containers with colour and interest with these easy-to-grow perennials.</p>
<ul>
<li>Hardy fuchsias such as Fuchsia ‘Sunray’ with its variegated foliage and vivid pink flowers in late summer are ideal for adding late summer colour in containers. They die back in winter, so combine them with evergreen and spring-flowering perennials.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Hostas are great for pots, their bold leaves contrasting beautifully with other, more delicate plants. Hostas come in a wide range of sizes, so there’s one to fit any container.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ provides months of interest in a shady container, with its blue forget-me-not spring flowers and fantastic silver-marbled leaves that get bigger as the year progresses.</li>
<li>Hellebores are also suitable for shady containers, with striking winter flowers and evergreen foliage that makes a superb foil for other plants the rest of the year.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p>We have a fantastic range of perennials in the centre, as well as containers, compost and everything else you need for your garden, so come and visit us soon!</p>

Perennials for container gardens

<p>Start <strong>growing mistletoe</strong> with this guide, and you’ll be kissing underneath it in no time at all.</p>

<p>Start <strong>growing mistletoe</strong> with this guide, and you’ll be kissing underneath it in no time at all. There is a great deal of conflicting information about growing mistletoe, and as it is a parasitic plant, it is no wonder why many people think it cannot be grown at all. In fact, mistletoe isn’t that hard to develop, and you can even start collecting your own berries to grow on your host tree. Here’s how:&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li>Collect berries&nbsp;</li>
<li>Store then rehydrate</li>
<li>Sow your seeds&nbsp;</li>
<li>Host tree&nbsp;</li>
<li>Kiss under the mistletoe&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<h2>Start growing mistletoe by first collecting berries&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Collecting berries is best between February to March, but some plants will still have berries in April. Collect as many as you can, leaving plenty for the birds. Please make sure they are clean and discard any rotting or damaged berries, so they are ready to be used. You can also buy them online from a reputable store.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Growing mistletoe starts with good storage&nbsp;</h2>
<p>If you have collected berries over Christmas, they can be stored in a cool, dry place with light. Don’t place them in the dark. Although using them fresh is by far the best way to grow mistletoe.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Sow your seeds and get ready to start growing mistletoe&nbsp;</h2>
<p>This is the exciting bit! If your berries have been stored, pop them into some water to rehydrate them before squishing the seeds out of the berry. The seeds are coated in a gel-like substance, and ideally, if you can clear the seed of as much of that as you can, this will ultimately help germination. The seeds will still be sticky enough to stick to your hands and the host tree.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Growing mistletoe means choosing the host tree&nbsp;</h2>
<p>There are many trees mistletoe can grow on, and you don’t need to put the seeds under a ‘flap’ of bark. It’s even more straightforward than that. All mistletoe needs are healthy tree bark and enough light. Choose young branches and stick about six seeds per branch. You’ll need to do this on a few branches to ensure germination, and then later success as not all will fully grow. Germination will be really quick, but full growth and berries will be in a few years time, so you’ll need some patience! It will be well worth it, though.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Growing mistletoe can only result in kissing underneath it&nbsp;</h2>
<p>It might be some time, but all good things come to those who wait! So once that mistletoe is full of berries at Christmas, be sure to cut a little and hang it right over the door where the person you’d like a festive kiss with is sure to walk on through!&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you need any help with growing mistletoe tips, our friendly staff can advise you in the store.&nbsp;</p>

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