Everywhere you look at the moment a dozen different greens are unfolding, painting our world a wonderful, living colour. Think of deciduous trees, shrubs, hedges and the new growth of perennials. Not all leaves are green, however, and mixing in some trees and shrubs with red, purple or yellow leaves can make this time of year even more of a visual feast in the garden.

If you’d like to do this, then Japanese maples or Acer palmatum, are a fantastic way of achieving it. Especially celebrated for their foliage, these plants score on both the wonderful colours of their leaves and the detailed shapes they come in. On the smaller, low growing varieties particularly, the leaves of the Japanese maple are delicate and finely cut – almost lacelike. There’s a range of beautiful colours to choose from, including red, red-purple, grey-green, mid-green, blue green, yellow, and even pink. Many also assume fabulous autumn colours.

This flexible family of trees and shrubs comes in a great range of shapes and sizes. Many are suitable for growing in large ornamental containers, making them a flexible way of bringing living plants to hard areas and achieving immediate impact. They are so charismatic that even one specimen in a suitable container can transform the look and feel of an area of garden.

In standard tree form, Acer palmatum can reach 8m in height, but it is the low growing, more shrubby varieties that tend to be more useful in most normal gardens and that are suitable for growing in ornamental tubs.
Leaves may have between five and nine lobes. In many cases they are deeply and finely cut. They vary in size between 5 and 12cm and many assume beautiful autumn tints as well as great colour during the growing season.
Some pointers to of sure-fire varieties of Acer palmatum get you started:
‘Dissectum’, height and spread 2m and 3m. Fine, deeply cut leaves which assume a beautiful red in autumn. Choose ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ for red-purple leaves in the growing season.
‘Garnet’, a vigorous, mound forming shrub. Height and spread 4m, leaves are red-purple through the growing season and into autumn.
‘Corallinum’ can reach a height and spread of 1.2m and 1m respectively in ideal soil conditions (moist and rich, with well balanced minerals). Normally may be half that size. Leaves are brilliant pink when they first open in spring.
‘Bloodgood’, another mound-forming cultivar, height and spread 5m and dark red-purple leaves.
‘Crimson Queen’ reaches a height and spread of 3m and 4m and has red-purple leaves.


Sometimes all it takes is the right plant in the right place to transform a garden. Only a few plants have the star quality to achieve this, but placing a strong claim for top place on that list would definitely be Acer palmatum.

I keep adding more and more of our stock to the online shop but can't keep up with the huge range of things on the go at the moment, the nursery is packed.
If there is anything you would like to see in our online store then please let me know.

New Season Belgian Strawberries now in the Farm Shop, very tasty.
Our own Rhubarb has started now and also our spring cabbage is in full swing.

All our bedding plants ae out for sale now!
Huge range of summer annuals.
Also don't forget our Melon or Aubergine plants!

Always make sure your plants are watered in the evening as they grow during the night and if there dry it will slow there progress.

Watch for the first white and greenfly on the roses. One tablespoonful of washing up liquid an a gallon of water sprayed onto both sides of the leaves will put an end to them, repeat a week later.

Black spot on roses is caused by stress, make sure they are kept moist, especially climbers and feed them well.

Mildew can be stopped by spraying the affected areas with a mixture of 1 part milk to 8 parts water, spray on a three day rota .

The same mixture watered around brassicas will help to keep off the maggot..

If you are planting a shrub into a tub or pot use a mixture of 1 part soil to two parts compost, this will help to spot the compost drying out.

Keep your new shrubs well watered but do not overfeed after planting as this causes soft new growth which will get damaged in the cold weather. Remember to prune your shrubs as they finish flowering if necessary so that the new growth will be ready for next years flowers. Personally I don’t like to see flowering shrubs pruned into squares, domes etc. Cut out old thick branches to 6-9inches from the ground and this will encourage new growth to come from the bottom and keeps your shrubs young looking with green leaves all the way from the base.

Rhododendrons/Azaleas should have peat forked in around the base and a light feed.

Swellgel added to basket and tubs will help to cut down on your watering, it really does work.

Always make sure tubs & baskets etc have drainage holes.

This month we can get the basket and tubs filled, then placed in a sheltered position for a few days, until they root into there new surroundings, before being placed into there final position.

With 48 different fucshias, 24 different Petunia and 30 different Basket plants , our choice is excellent , not counting our variegated Geraniums, Busy Lizzies, Ivy-leafed Geraniums, Begonias ( non-stop, Illumination & sempervins) and trailing Lobelia.

To-wards the middle of the month we can get on with the bedding out, hopefully that cold wind will have gone by then .

Herbs ready now for planting -
Parsley, Dill, Oregano, Coriander, Fennel, Rosemary, Bay, Sage, Rocket, Fennel, Thyme, more to follow.

Tomato plant varieties available now - Shirley, Cossack, Gardeners Delight, Golden Sunrise and Big Boy.
Cucumber and Courgettes also ready.

Veg. plants ready now - Cabbage, Lettuce, Parsley, Asparagus, Rocket, Spinich plus lots more to follow.
Seed potatoes and onion sets almost sold out!

Spring is here. Lots of new basket plants available now.
Time to fill these hanging baskets!
We have Fuchsias,Geraniums,Trailing Petunias/Serfinias/MillionBells,Bacopa,Lamium,Verbana,Bidens,Helichrysum,Nepeta,Felicia,Diascia,Brachycombe, among others, all ready.
Still slightly cold to leave them out overnight yet though.