Florist News

OK ladies and gents!
I started you off lightly last week, hope you finished all those little jobs because there is alot to do this week.
Here Goes-

Tidy up piles of flowerpots and debris that could harbour snails.
Raise patio containers on feet or bricks, to ensure their compost drains properly.
Avoid walking on lawns covered with heavy frost, as you'll kill the grass.
Provide birds with fresh water and food.
Sprinkle an all-purpose fertiliser along the base of hedges.
Move patio pots to sheltered sites during extremely cold periods.
Order bulbs, corms and tubers for summer flowers, including dahlias, canna lilies, gladioli and lilies
Cut back ornamental miscanthus grass before new shoots start developing.
Trim back ivy and Virginia creeper from around windows and guttering.
Clear away dead foliage from perennials, chop it up and add to the compost heap.
Remove weeds from borders, and dig deeply to sieve out roots of perennial weeds, such as bindweed, ground elder and couch grass.
Fork over compacted areas of soil and mix in extra compost. Take care not to walk on or dig up spring bulbs.
Take root cuttings from phlox and oriental poppies.
Pot up containers with spring bedding displays.

Happy Gardening!
Bryan.

In this weather Bryan - you having a larf The only bedding I will be sorting out is the one on me kingsize cos it's too damn wet and cold for the other sort.

ooh spring goodies...i think some of the spring plants from the shop will be finding their way home with me hehe

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Sarah Creating Bespoke Wedding Flowers Cheshire

My daffs narcicus and hyacinths mascari are all coming thruand my jasmins is a mass of dark pink buds oohh cant wait

I hope too much doesn't come up though in case we get another really cold spell (there's feb yet!)

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Rainbow

Quote of the day : To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.
Amos Bronson Alcott

Question: Customer has a hazelnut and a mapletree in garden which needs pruning/thinning, they have already started to show teeny leaves/buds, can I still cut or is it too late in season for this? (Don't want to ruin them!)

Anyone (maybe Phal's Bryan!) advice!?

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~success is a lousy teacher...it seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose~

Hi Maple, DO NOT prune the maple tree! all Acers will bleed profusely if pruned in spring. wait until late summer or even early autumn, and even then only on young trees.
Hazelnut trees are not so specific and can stand a good prune, but it will affect the crop. you need to keep the "scaffold" branches, and take out the stronger competing limbs. It is quite a complex tree and I could go on for hours about them, but i won't. Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anymore advice.
Bryan.

A gardening/plants section would be really useful - we students have to do a lot with plants and also I would like to know what can be successfully grown in your garden to be used in flower arrangements - I have eucalyptus and pittisporum but would like some more foliage - any info gratefully received!

good point raven i too would like to plant some