Plants in the post - The art of gardening by mailorder.

Our Abriachan Nurseries 2011 plant catalogue came out in February, and is now in residence in sitting rooms around the UK; nestled under gardening books on the coffee table, shoved into a teetering pile of garden catalogues, hiding under the yellow pages never to be seen again; or more hopefully sitting well thumbed on the writing desk or perched on a stack of pots in the greenhouse with a multitude of grubby thumb prints to testify that it has been well browsed over a cup of tea and a digestive.

As spring is the time of year when you may be thinking about ordering from a garden catalogue (not just ours, but I will personally vouch for the fact that we are fabulous) I thought I would put together a blog on 'How to get the best out of your mail order', a topic that is hopefully not as dry as you might imagine.

So why buy mail order at all?

•  To find a bargain - yes, this is true, but always think before you buy, a hundred small tender plants early in the season will need careful looking after and therefore cost more in the long term.  Also check the plant you are buying is the same size and variety as the one illustrated ( Fancy pictures may not match the listing) 
• To save time - You would rather spend your spare time out getting grubby in the garden, than getting to and searching through a garden centre.  Moreover, ordering by catalogue can be done in the evening; with Radio 4 and the cat; when the garden is no longer an occupational option. 
• To find a specialist plant that you can’t find elsewhere easily  - Most gardens will have a few speciality ranges and will have developed strong stock and hopefully reliable varieties and cultivars.
• You live in the back of beyond and havn’t much choice, as you even order your underwear by mail order.
• You like receiving parcels (And there is no shame in that)

 So how to go about ordering

• Catalogue type - The choice is now between a hardcopy catalogue or an online store, and many nurseries will have both available so it is down to personal preference.
  You may prefer a hard catalogue as you can keep it handy and go through it, ticking as you go while having a dram, then you find you have spent a small fortune, or it needs to be vetted by the significant other. (We often find that many of our orders are written out by a women, but the cheques are from the husband, read into that what you will) You can then re-choose until your final decision is established and then move online if you wish to make the final purchase. (checking online can also be useful to see if a particular plant is still in stock)
  Hardcopy catalogues are usually produced only once or twice a season, so can age quite quickly especially as regarding choice and the more unusual plants – the early bird gets the worm, so sooner you order after receiving the catalogue, the more likely you are to get your choice.
• Pricing - when choosing your plants, weigh up such considerations as the size of the pot, the rarity of the plant and the ease of growth.  These are all factors that may alter a plants cost.  Watch out for inflated prices due to 'fashions' in the garden.
• Read the ordering instructions at the front of the catalogue and follow them, if possible using the supplied order form, it may seem obvious, but we do get the most convoluted orders on occasion.
• Payment - It is very advisable to either list alternative plants that you would be happy to receive if there are parts of your order that are unavailable, or if you would not like to receive alternatives, then to write a limit cheque (ie: Not to exceed the value of Sixty Pounds)  this will make it easy for the nursery to alter your total and fill in the cheque to a lesser amount if necessary.
• Postage - look at the catalogue to find amount that the postage costs and you will find it is usually set for a certain number of plants, or amount of ordering value. This is because the nursery will have a contract with their delivery service and will be charged the same if it is one plant or five that is being sent.  For this reason it may not be economical to order small numbers of plants and you are best to take advantage of the maximum you can get in the one parcel before you move up to the next postage bracket.
• Delivery - We always send e-mail or first class letter on the same day when parcel is sent to tell you of the imminent arrival of your plants. It is always a good idea to put a note on your order to inform of dates when you may not be at home to receive the parcel, the last thing you want is your plants dying on your doorstep due to lack of water and light. (We tend not sent out parcels in busy holiday periods as too many people are away from home, we also do not send if the weather is very cold, very hot or very dry as they will suffer in transit)
• Seasons - Order with a common sense attitude to the seasons, ie: it may not be best to order galanthus in the middle of summer, however, some companies do send bare roots through winter.
• Handwriting - Okay, so this is more from our perspective, please oh please oh please write your name and address in a readable hand, we spend many a hour squinting at the most beautifully illegible handwriting trying to work out if it says Mr or a Mrs, Claude or Claire, Norfolk or Suffolk, we have even had to call, to confirm an address to prevent it heading off to a non-existent garden, and that is just embarrassing for everyone.

 So you have read the whole catalogue - highlighted your favourites - whittled it down to your final selection - written your limit cheque, allowable alternatives and 'dates not to send' on the order form.

I would recommend making a quick copy of your order for your own records and to prevent yourself double ordering from another catalogue, and congratulations, you are done, now comes that glorious anticipation as you wait for your order and the joy it contains to arrive.

Enjoy yourself, and if you would like to be added to our yearly mail order list please just drop us an email on info@lochnessgarden.com or give us a call on 01463 861 232
Our catalogue is also online at http://www.lochnessgarden.com/

Making a beautiful christmas wreath

Things you will need:

• A wreath base - pre-padded is easiest and best, I find it is easiest if you work with it dry and soak it if you want to once you are finished. I use 12" diameter.
  
• Florist wire - thin enough to twist easily. I cut mine into easy to use pieces about 30cm long. Also some thicker wire for hanging and adding accessories.


• Foliage (Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Fir, Holly, (plain and variegated) Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Bay, Lavender, Tree Heather are all great, but just work with what you have around) think about your colour scheme before you start, silvers, golds, greens, try to stick to it as you go and the finished result is so much nicer
• Ribbon, berries, pine cones ( sprayed gold or silver if you fancy it), cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, flowers etc..


• Secateurs


• Gloves to protect your fingers - thin enough to give you flexibility, but thick enough to stop the worst of the prickles, I use gloves that they use on the oil rigs and they are awesome.


• A large cup of tea and a radio ( Although the tea will soon be full of pine needles)

Start by building up a small bunch of foliage in your hand, As you can see in the photos below, I lay down the pine or spruce first, this gives a lovely spray that will cover the base. On top lay down some holly, lining up the spine of the holly with the spine of the underlying spruce, then build up from there with more colour, texture and bulk until you are holding a lovely little bunch in your hand.

If you are adding berries, do so last as they will be hidden by leaves.

Hold off on adding cones or flowers or ribbon until the end.

Take your small bunch and lay it along the curve of the wreath, don't worry if the excess stems lay off one side, they are easily cut off once you have tied the bunch on, but what you don't want is too much of the foliage hanging over, try and keep the majority of the bunch along the line of the wreath base.

Take a piece of wire and lay it over a point where it will tightly hold all the stems together, bend it round both sides of the wreath, trying to tuck it behind leaves so it is as invisible as possible. Turn the wreath over and twist the wire tightly together on the back. Cut off the ends or just bend them in out off the way.

Trim off the excess stems and then start on your second bunch.

In this example, I have continued the same foliage all the way round, but sometimes I alternate what i put in the first and second bunches, IE : berries on one, juniper on the next, Or eucalyptus on one, pytsphorum on the next. Yet I suggest you keep your base and your holly selection similar all the way round for a nice overall effect. Once you have you second bunch ready, place it carefully down so it covers the stems and the wire of the first bunch and continues round the curve of the wreath.

Continue the same process all the way round the wreath, it takes me 8-10 little bunch to cover the whole circle. You can do it in less if you are going for a more loose and sprayed out wreath, but i like mine tight and neat.

When you are adding the final bunch, trim the ends before you slot it in, then lift up the flap of foliage from the first bunch you laid down and carefully slide in the last bunch so the whole wreath is complete and there is no distinguishable gaps, stems or wire.

Observe your wreath from a critical arms length, trim any little bits that need tidied, then decide if you want to add more accessories.

To add pine cones, I use a thicker piece of wire, wind it around under the spines of the cone and then spike the remaining wire through the base to pull the cone tight into the spot you have chosen.

Remember that any extras you add will look more pleasing to the eye in 3's or 5's.

If you have plastic berries that you want to add, it is simple to make a 'pick' - lay a few berries out on their wires, twist the wires together and then attach the whole with a piece of thicker wire and spike it through the base. Plastic flowers and ribbons are simple to add in the same manner.

Be inventive, use tiny Xmas decorations, wrap thin ribbon all the way around the wreath, hang a star in the centre, spray the whole thing with sparkles ..........

To make a simple hook to hang your wreath up, choose where you want the top to be, and at this point on the back, thread a piece of the thicker wire through the wreath to make a loop, twist the ends tightly and it should be ready for you to show off and hang on your door.

You could try a few other shapes made with chicken wire filled with moss, such as the hearts above and the crescent bough below, made on the frame of a coathanger which makes a great alternative decoration for your door over christmas.

Good Luck - Merry Christmas :o)

Love your Leaves

With the deluge of rain and the hurricane like winds that Scotland has been bestowed this weekend, the leaves are all well and truely down.

For some with small gardens or few trees, leaves are no issue and they are free to enjoy the beautiful colours and fantabulous crunching sounds, but for us and for many others, picking up the leaves is a necessary and slightly tedious autumn task.

For ourselves this is not garden vanity, on the many woodland paths that we have, the layer of wet leaves can get rather slushy, slippery and dangerous for our customers, and on the borders they can form such a dense layer that it can hinder growth of plants. A further side benefit of clearing up your leaves; other than the excellent leaf-mold it creates; is the removal of a means of possible transfer of disease.
- Remember that compost from leaves can be very weed free, but you can sometimes get birch, ash or elder seedlings coming up.


Here are a few guidelines that may help you in your own garden gathering.


* In a small garden, add leaves in layers to your compost heap, with your other autumn gatherings, big clumps will not break down well.

* In a big garden, gather your soft leaves (Elder, Birch, Hazel, Ash..) in their own bin for 12 months, then use as a soil improver or in your own compost mixes. Harder leaves (Oak, Beech, Alder, Holly)will take two years to break down sufficiantly.


*Be careful when raking or hoeing in Autumn, as snowdrops and narcissus are just below the surface and can be damaged.


*Those who had a little autumn forethought can haul in the nets they spread earlier over ponds and add the contents to the compost heap, it is a good idea to re-net, as the wind blow can bring more leaves back in. The rest of us must either drain and clean the pond or get busy with the waders and the rake.
- And while we are on the subject of ponds, plants in established ponds can get lifted and divided, give away the excess, or pot some up and protect them from frost and they will go down a charm at the spring charity sales.


*While clearing up leaves it can be a good time to clean up dead stems, I tend to prefer to do this in late Feb, early March as it gives some winter protection if the weather is hard, but many people prefer now to get it over with.

* With only XX amount of days to Christmas, the fine holly berries may well be a temptation to birds before you are ready for them, so protect some bunches with fleece or net bags.