At Dunscar we recognise that few people these days have greenfingers but most people appreciate a nice garden. Indeed whilst we and our staff would like to think of ourselves as experts in the field, we are still learning. If you need help and advice on your garden then please call in to see one of our trained plant advisors. We look forward to helping you gain the most from your garden. In the meantime we hope the following pages will give you a head start.
General Gardening tips
If you haven’t pruned your roses yet and have a visiting cat problem, try using the trimmings as temporary mulch; this should persuade the offenders to visit elsewhere instead!
If you’re buying Oregano this year, why not adopt the continental habit of harvesting the flowers in the autumn to use through the winter?
If you develop a toadstool problem in your lawn (not a fairy ring), try to pull them out before spores can develop and disperse. Once the organic matter they feed on has been used up, the problem will disappear.
If your citrus tree bears flowers, but no fruit, this might be because it is not being pollinated. Ensure that pollinating insects can reach the trees, by leaving conservatory and greenhouse doors open occasionally on fine days and moving trees outside once summer has arrived.
Do not use collected rainwater from water butts on fragile seedlings. They are more prone to becoming infected with water that has been left to stand.
Use summer lawn food on topiary box or bay if you want to discourage flowering during the growing season and normal lawn food at other times to provide rich green growth.
Container grown trees and shrubs can be planted anytime of the year, providing the ground is not waterlogged or frozen. Be sure to loosen out some of the roots gently and plant firmly in a suitable compost.
Unless you water your outdoor plants thoroughly, you will be doing more harm than good. A light surface spray evaporates quickly, encouraging further evaporation and wasting water. Some plants can actually be scorched if they receive a surface spray on a hot day.
