Homes & Property

Garden news

Exotic plants available by mail

Hill House Nursery, breeder of the 10m Nemesia ‘Blue Bird’ is preparing to launch a mail order service for the first time. The nursery holds a collection of more than 3,000 different plants but mail order will start with the more exotic of their stock. The idea behind the project is to make such plants more easily accessible to all, by marketing them at fair prices from September to March. BBC’s Countryfile Summer Diaries remarked on the nursery as having the largest collection of plants in the country.

Homes & Property is offering the Nemesia at 80p a pot rather than the usual £1, with a minimum order of five. Postage is £4.75 for any quantity. See www.hillhousenursery.co.uk or call 01803 762 273 quoting Evening Standard Homes & Property offer. Offer closes: 31 May.

Giveaway: eight copies of Mr Marshal’s Flower Book

The Royal Collection is offering eight copies of the new Mr Marshal’s Flower Book (worth £9.99 each), which celebrates the only 17th century English flower record of its type in existence. There are 140 colour illustrations in the book by horticulturist Marshal (1620-82). Closes: 31 May. (Usual promotion rules).

Enter now

Marshal’s work features in the Amazing Rare Things exhibition at Buckingham Palace until 28 September. See www.the-royal-collection.com/royaltickets/default.asp for tickets, which are £8.50 for adults. Call 020 7766 7300 to order tickets.

Save £12.99 on Wilkinson Sword PowerGear Pruners

Wilkinson Sword is giving Homes & Property readers who are visiting Chelsea Flower Show (May 20-24) the chance to buy a Medium PowerGear Bypass or Anvil Pruner for a special price of £10.00 (normal retail price £22.99). The PowerGear range of pruners have been specifically designed to ease pruning because the cutting power has been multiplied by three. The handles have been awarded the Ease-of-Use commendation from the Arthritis Foundation.

By buying a pruner, you will also receive the booklet entitled ‘Getting to grips with pruning – your complete guide’. This provides a step-by-step guide on how, when and where to prune and trim, focusing on roses, trees, shrubs, hedges and lawns. Please bring this article to the Wilkinson Sword stand EA 81 to receive this special discount while stocks last. Call 01332 372196 for offer details. See www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk.

Alan’s new gardening tools

Alan Titchmarsh, television gardener and presenter of Gardeners’ World, Ground Force and How to be a Gardener has joined forces with Bulldog Tools to produce two new Garden Tool ranges. They will be launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on 22 May at Stand No EA69.

The ‘Traditional Forged Garden’ and ‘English Style Stainless’ ranges are designed to meet the needs of both experienced and enthusiast gardeners. The ranges will include spades, forks, rakes, hoes, lawn edgers, trowels and cutting tools.

See www.bulldogtools.co.uk or call 01279 401570.

A taste of the Med

Homes & Property readers can admire and enjoy these Mediterranean fruits from Thompson & Morgan at home. This olive will tolerate most English winters, producing fruit each year. See www.thompson-morgan.com.

Buy one olive bush for £9.99 or buy two plants for just £14.98 and save £5. Send orders to: Evening Standard Offers, Dept.MRES15, PO Box 99, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2SN. Cheques should be made out to TMYP Ltd, or call 0844 573 2020 (quoting MRES15), online at www.plantoffers.com/MRES15. Offer closes: 31 May.

Giveaway: garden aroma candles

Midnight Garden is a new scent from florist Kenneth Turner. The cologne and candle collection is inspired by the aromas of his own gardens at dusk – in particular the beautiful Nicotiana flower that gives off a rich, luxurious fragrance just as the sun sets.

The scent consists of fresh violet leaf, thyme and black pepper top notes with jasmine and sweet pea at the heart with dark undertones of moss and patchouli round off this summer scent. The Midnight Garden range features a scented candle with a 20 hour burn time.

See www.kennethturner.com or call 01442 838181.

Homes & Property has 10 Midnight Garden Candles in Glass with Lid, worth £24 each to giveaway. Closes: 31 May. (Usual promotion rules).

Enter now

Events

Visit High Beeches Gardens to see the spectacular new Rhododendron ‘Tiger’s Nest’. Found in Bhutan, the plant has recently been named. High Beeches Gardens covers 11 hectares and is in Handcross, West Sussex. Admission is £5.50 for adults, with accompanied children 14 and under free. Open 1-5pm everyday except Wednesdays. Call 01444 400589 or see www.highbeeches.com.

National Gardens Scheme, which raises money through garden lovers paying to visit private gardens, has four one-day garden tours from 20 to 23 May during the Chelsea Flower Show. Tickets cost £78 and include transport, refreshments, lunch with wine and admission to the gardens. There is a 10 per cent discount for groups of four or more. Email: pennysnellflowers@btinternet.com or call 01932 864532 for details; or call NGS direct on 01483 211795. See www.ngs.org.uk.

What to do this week...

* Sow wallflowers outside
* Sow chard, leaf beet and runner and French beans
* Plant leek seedlings and courgettes
* Mow and feed your lawn
* Watch for pests and diseases - spray on a still day or late in the evening, or squash pests with your fingers



Published: 14 May 2008
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