Focus Spring 2015
Page 67
Trucketts Hall, Boxted
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk IP29 4LJ
Open by appointment only
Call: 01440 820425 or 01787 281817
enquiries@thesuffolkflowerfarm.com
www.thesuffolkflowerfarm.com
Beautiful, fresh, scented blooms
grown in the Suffolk countryside
Handpicked and arranged for
bouquets, weddings, funerals,
celebrations and corporate events
Lavenham
Sunday 22nd
March & every month
until the end of Oct (4
th
Sunday of every month)
Long Melford
Sat 21st
March & Sat 18th April
Hartest
April 14th
See us at these Farmers
Markets in 2015
ADAM ROBINSON
GARDENING SERVICES
Grass Cutting,
Fencing, Hedge cutting
Tree Felling
01787 279006
07890 507568
Established 1995
Top tips to prepare your garden for Spring…
Order summer-flowering bulbs and seeds
This is the perfect task for a wet and windy day! Summer-flower-
ing bulbs such as Lilies and Gladiolus can be planted in early spring
for a colourful summer display. Browse our catalogue or website
for inspirational new varieties of seeds and bulbs to plant and
grow this year.
Clear up flower beds and borders
Have a general tidy up and remove leaves and other debris from
your flower borders, lawns and ponds. You can cut back the old
dead growth of deciduous grasses and herbaceous perennials
now. If the soil is workable you can dig a layer of organic matter
such as well-rotted manure, compost or recycled green waste into
empty garden borders.
Clean your greenhouse
Take time out to clean the greenhouse or poly-tunnel. Before long
your greenhouse will be home to trays of seedlings and cuttings.
Sweep out any plant debris on the floor and benches and if you are
feeling really keen disinfect with a hot solution of garden disinfect-
ant. Whilst you’re there, wash pots and seed trays to help prevent
diseases such as ‘damping off’ infecting your young plants.
Install water butts
Install water butts in your garden now to collect seasonal rainfall.
Not only does this help the environment but rain water is good for
watering ericaceous plants such as Camellias, Rhododendrons and
Blueberries (tap water is often slightly alkaline). When installing a
water butt make sure it’s positioned below a down pipe to make
the most of the rainfall.
Fix fences, gates and trellis
Now is a good time to fix any broken structures or tools so you
have more time to spend in the garden during spring and summer.
Treat your wooden garden structures with a wood preservative
during dry periods.
Create a composting area
Try setting up a compost area in your garden. This could simply be
a ready-made compost bin or you could build a compost bin
yourself using spare bits of wood. Not only will you have some-
where to put your garden waste but your plants will benefit from
the rich compost created when it all breaks down!
Clean gardening tools
Give your tools a clean and a sharpen! Caring for your garden tools
not only helps preserve them, it saves you money in the long run
and helps prevent the spread of disease. Dirty secateurs may
introduce bacteria and fungi to fresh pruning wounds. Sharpening
your tools will also improve their performance; they’ll be easier to
work with and will give cleaner pruning cuts.
The Spring Garden
Now that Winter is over its time to get out in the garden and prepare for the growing season ahead.
There is plenty to do and you’ll soon be caught up in the frenzy of seed-sowing, growing, and
nurturing your garden as it comes to life! So before it is too late here are some top tips for the
Spring gardener to get you off to a flying start.