Buckingham Garden Centre

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Garden Centre Magazine for Buckingham Garden Centre,

Inside this edition you can find a plentiful amount of information on what you can find instore, including a section on monthly garden tips. With knowledgeable and friendly staff on hand in store to help with advice or inspiration, complemented by the huge variety of stock available, you will be sure to find what you need for your upcoming garden and/or home projects. This edition also includes many different informative editorials and alongside you will find local businesses whose services may just be what you are looking for.

We have also launched a digital copy of the magazine, available to view on your smart phone instantly. Please scan the QR code, featured at the bottom of this page, and this will bring up the publication for you to view. One of the most exciting features of our digital publication is that you can interact with the garden centre's social media or connect with local business websites with just a quick tap on your device.

As always, we welcome feedback on our magazine, if you have any comments you'd like to add, we would love to hear them. Please email: info@yhgmedia.co.uk

Kind regards and happy reading!

Johnathan Beveridge Magazine Editor

Here at The Garden Centre we spend quite a lot of time answering customers’ queries so I have set out some of the most frequently posed questions with the answers.

Are dogs welcome at the Garden Centre?

Yes, well behaved dogs are welcome at the Garden Centre, obviously on a lead. There are often six resident dogs belonging to staff and four of these may be in the Plant Information Office, but they are all very friendly, so if you are coming into the Plant Office to ask questions, you and your dog may be greeted by the ‘residents’. If you are not a dog-lover, just ask at the reception desk in the shop for them to contact the plant information office so the dogs can be put safely out of your way in the next office.

If you are hoping to visit our restaurant/coffee shop we have three areas where dogs are allowed –either outside on the patio at the same level as the restaurant or the lower area enclosed from the plant selling area by a low wall, or inside in the enclosed area outside the main restaurant. Please just ask one of the restaurant staff if you are not sure.

Dog owners are all too aware that even the best-behaved dogs can sometimes let their owners down by maybe doing a quick ‘wee’ in the shop, or a ‘poo’ in the plants’ selling area. If this should happen, please let a member of our staff know and it can be cleared up.

Dog friendly inside area of our restaurant

Here is a photograph of Kiwi, Lexi and Hugo the dogs who may greet you in the plant information office. Some days there is also Cassie a very lively spaniel. Kiwi and Lexi are retired Medical Detection dogs who have been adopted by the Garden Centre’s founder’s family, as they fostered them during their working lives, Kiwi as a cancer detection dog and Lexi as a malaria then covid detection dog. For more information about Medical Detection Dogs visit www.medicaldetectiondogs. org.uk Hugo the cockerpoo, a much loved little fellow, is our plant buyer’s pet.

To the left is a picture of the inside area of the restaurant where dogs are very welcome. When one spots the visiting dogs in there, they are often looking up longingly at the table, obviously thinking quite rightly, that the food smells delicious. All they have on offer is a doggy bowl full of clean water! The outside areas which are ‘dog friendly’ are not illustrated as this is being written in March when, although the plants in the wall which surrounds the area and seperates it from the plant display area, look attractive, the tables are void of people and parasols so do not look inviting.

Please check our website or telephone for opening hours Address: Tingewick Road, Buckingham, MK18 4AE. Telephone: 01280 822133 - e-mail: enquiries@buckinghamgardencentre.co.uk www.buckinghamgardencentre.co.uk

The Doggy greeting party

What hedge would you recommend for my garden?

The best thing to do is to come in and talk to one of the plant team armed, if possible, with a photograph or photographs of the site where the hedge is wanted to show them. They will also need to know what the soil is like, i.e. heavy, sandy, prone to drying out or getting waterlogged. Also, if the site is sunny, shady or partially shady and what height you want the hedge to attain. Please be aware that many hedging plants are available only when dormant – see next section for details.

With the smaller gardens, often associated with new build houses, there is also the problem of wanting to block out neighbours’ windows overlooking your garden, so the team will need to know where such a window is and how high up it is. This problem can sometimes be solved by planting an ornamental tree in the hedge and letting it grow up to screen the window, or using something like Amelanchier, which forms a medium height deciduous hedge when clipped. One Amelanchier plant can then be allowed to grow and be trained as a specimen tree to block out a window.

We have over 90 varieties of single species hedges listed in our catalogue, plus six hedges made up of collections of plants, these being edible hedging, soft hues hedging, evergreen and ever-interesting hedging, mixed native hedging, horse friendly hedging and tapestry hedging. All of these are listed in our catalogue which you can pick up if you are visiting or we can send one to you for you to look through before visiting. Everything is listed on our website www.hedging.co.uk We do have a mail order service so the plants can be sent to you. However, if you do come to collect plants you will automatically receive a 10% discount on plants listed in the 2023/2024 catalogue.

Another way to find out details of the hedging plants we offer is to visit our specialist plants web site, www.hedging.co.uk where not only the hedging plants are listed but many more items both plants and sundries. For more products, if you go to our online shop, Buckingham Garden Centre Web Shop, you will have access to over 3,000 selected products.

Amelanchier is excellent for attracting pollinators.

Dwarf Box for evergreen edging or low hedges.

Leyland Cypress is a very fast-growing evergreen.

Quickthorn is a fast growing, prickly, deciduous hedge.

Eye-catching Colourful Bedding Plants

Onions, Shallots, Horseradish and Asparagus

Many goods are seasonal so what is the season

Seed potatoes – early January till the end of March, but the best choice is in January as some varieties may sell out quite early. We always have loose seed giving you the ability for most varieties to buy just the quantity you really need. We also have a few varieties in prepacks. In 2024 we had over 45 varieties available, mainly loose.

Bedding plug plants – mid-February through to approximately the end of March. As these are mostly frost-tender they will need protection from any frosts we might have, so if you are using them for a hanging basket bear in mind that you will need somewhere frost free to bring the set basket into should there be a frost warning.

Bedding plants both pot grown and cell-packs – depending on the weather, these are available at the end of March/beginning of April; however, these, like the bedding plug plants, are mostly frost-tender. If you do want to get your bedding planted out before the danger of frost is past, this can be achieved by buying some protective fleece and carefully covering the plants under this on frosty nights.

Onion, Shallot and Garlic sets – a dozen varieties of onion and shallot sets plus asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish and ginger were available in January this year, these all being prepacked. Garlic, which comes into the shop in September, is best planted in late autumn or early winter as it needs some cold weather to develop the bulbs.

Bare Root plants – Bare root plants are field grown then lifted when they are dormant, which is usually between the end of October and the end of March. They are cheaper for nurserymen to produce and, therefore, cheaper to buy. They often have really good root structures as the roots have not been restricted by containers, so they are an excellent way to buy hedging plants, fruit trees, soft fruit and ornamental and forestry trees.

Loose and prepacked seed potatoes

Colourful display of Plug Plants

I’ve only a small garden but would love to grow some fruit and vegetables – what would you recommend?

Most fruit trees are grafted and because of this you can control the eventual size of the tree, so make sure you choose a dwarfing or semidwarfing rootstock. All of the top fruit that we sell has the rootstock noted on the label so you can choose the right one for your situation.

Make use of any walls or fences you have, especially if they are south or west facing, to grow fan, espalier or cordon trees against, as this will take up very little space. These can either be purchased as ready trained specimens, which can be quite costly or, if you purchase a bare root maiden at a far lower price, you can then train this yourself. The price differences at the moment are fan-trained or espalier apple trees are available from £89.99 to £106.99 each, whereas maiden trees are £22.45 each. These are obviously younger so you will have to wait a number of years to get the equivalent crop, but the training is easy and there are plenty of good books on the subject. Maiden trees are available in a wider range of varieties than ready trained trees.

As cordon trained fruit trees are basically a single stem with short side shoots (spurs) which bear leaves, flowers then fruit, they can be planted free standing in a bed and they will take minimal space so several can be planted to ensure cross pollination. Fruit trees can be as attractive as ornamental trees so are an asset to a garden, however small.

Some fast-growing vegetables can be grown amongst flowers in borders as many have interesting and colourful leaves. For example, some varieties of beetroot with purple foliage, Lollo Rossa lettuce with its frilly green and purple leaves, Mustard Red Frills with deeply cut purple leaves, spinach beet with its colourful stems and crinkly green leaves, and sweet or hot peppers.

Seeds to produce colourful vegetables for the flower borders

Also herbs such as rosemary and sage make very attractive small shrubs so your small garden can be colourful and productive. Also, chives with upright grass-like foliage take up very little room, and when it comes into flower, with its pompom purple heads, it will be an asset to any flower bed. There are many other herbs which make attractive small shrubs and can be planted in flower beds but do not plant mint as it spreads too fast. Come and look at the wide range which we have available.

A good choice of herbs available

Another possibility is to have a strawberry pot on your patio, or to grow a fig in a pot as they need their roots restricted to encourage good fruiting. A small garden really can be productive as well as colourful and attractive.

Beautiful blue flowers on weeping Rosemary

Tactile flowers of chives

Do we stock Gift Cards/ Vouchers for sale and do we redeem them?

Yes, we do, both National ones and ones specifically for our Garden Centre. The National ones are issued by the Horticultural Trades Association and they can be redeemed at any garden centre which is a member of the Horticultural Trades Association, of which there are about 1,400. They are available from £5.00 to £500. They can also be redeemed at florists who are members of Interflora, but we cannot accept Interflora vouchers.

We also sell from our shop or by mail order Buckingham Garden Centre gift vouchers in denominations of £5.00, £10.00 and £20, and also Afternoon Tea for Two vouchers and in the near future Garden Centre gift cards. These can only be redeemed at our garden centre or for goods to be sent by our mail order service.

HTA Gift Cards & Buckingham Garden Centre Gift Vouchers

Do we have a delivery service?

Yes, we can either deliver goods locally on our own vehicle, or we can send goods by carrier to most locations in the country.

For local deliveries we have a standard delivery price for each village or town so please ask a member of staff for the charge to your specified address. However, for most orders over the value of £150 and ordered through our web site delivery is free. For any goods listed in our annual catalogue and ordered via the web-site the delivery charge would be £9.95 to most locations.

Garden Centre delivery van

Does our restaurant serve gluten-free food or have vegetarian dishes?

Yes, every day there will be gluten-free and vegetarian dishes available and as the specials menu varies on a daily basis this will give a wide choice. Gluten-free and vegetarian dishes are clearly marked on the menu.

Please make sure that the waiters are made aware of any food allergies so ingredients can be checked.

Do we stock fresh cut flowers?

No, we do not have fresh cut flowers but we do have a good choice of silk and other artificial flowers which are displayed on the wall on the way to the restaurant. We also have a wide range of houseplants some of which are flowering and these are suitable for many different positions.

Colourful flowers on display in the shop A

Tea for Two – a real treat

Could you recommend suitable plants to grow in a bathroom?

Most bathrooms tend to be warm and at times very humid and in some the level of light can be low, but most would benefit by the introduction of one or more houseplants but these need to be chosen with care so they cope with the conditions and thrive. Below are a few suggestions from the many that would be suitable for a bathroom:-

Epipremnum pinnatum (Pothos or Devil’s Ivy)

A very easy plant which will thrive in virtually any light levels, even very shady. It can either be trained up, say a moss pole, or allowed to trail downwards. The variety ‘Marble Queen’ has large, shiny, variegated green and white leaves. There are many varieties.

Adiantum (Maidenhair Fern)

This dainty and neat fern will thrive in a humid atmosphere if its soil is kept constantly moist but not sodden, and its foliage is in light shade or bright soft light but never in direct sunlight as it would burn.

Asplenium nidus Osaka (Bird’s Nest Fern)

An attractive fern with long, sword like, shiny green leaves. Place in indirect light or partial shade and keep the soil moist but not sodden.

Nephrolepsis exaltata (Boston Fern)

A fern with graceful, arching fronds which have a ruffled appearance but should not be handled if possible, as they will bruise and turn brown. It loves moist soil, partial shade and humidity.

Anthurium (Flamingo Flower)

This plant with shiny green leaves or variegated leaves, produces attractive coloured spathes which vary from very pale pink to strong reds depending on variety. It needs moist but not sodden compost, and bright light but no direct sunlight.

Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)

This is not a true lily but is in the same family as Anthurium. It has shiny green leaves and produces white spathes with pointed white surrounds. In order to encourage the production of the spathes, it needs the compost kept constantly moist, and be in good light but not direct sunlight.

Chlorophytum Bonnie (Curly Spider Plant or Variegated Spider Plant)

This is an attractive version of the traditional green Spider Plant, which is also suitable for bathrooms. It has variegated green and gold curly leaves, likes any light level but no direct sunlight, and the soil should be allowed to dry before re-watering. It is a good air purifying plant helping to clear harmful gas particles and give out fresh oxygen.

Dracaena (Dragon Plant)

A good choice for a narrow space. There are many different varieties but all have ribbon-like foliage. Place in bright but indirect light – sunlight will scorch the leaves. Needs well drained compost which should be allowed to dry out a little before re-watering.

Colocasia esculenta (Elephant’s Ears)

This is a plant for a large bathroom with its fantastic, lush leaves, mainly emerald green but some varieties have nearly black leaves and others coloured veins. The leaves can grow up to 60cm in length. Prefers moist compost and bright but indirect light.

Dracaena softens the clinical white of the cloak room

I have a plum tree, an apple tree and a pear tree in my garden all of which need pruning so when should I do this?

Plum trees, as well as apricots, nectarines, cherries and peaches, all members of the prunus family, are best pruned between June and late August. Both apple and pear trees are best pruned when dormant in the winter but not when frost is forecast.

In all cases make sure the secateurs are clean and sharp before use and cut out any overlapping branches. Also, cut back any new growth from last season’s growth, pruning to just beyond a bud pointing in the direction you want new growth. Aim to produce an open crown to the tree so plenty of sunlight can reach the fruit to ripen it.

Make sure of a clean cut above a bud

What plants would you recommend for our new garden?

We are all aware of the extremes of weather we are now experiencing and may continue to experience. High rainfall or drought, extreme winds, and spikes of severe cold provide us with some daunting challenges. We are seeing changes to the plants offered. Good doers for establishing for flower include roses, hardy geraniums, euphorbia, hydrangeas, and sedums.

Many gardens need a hedge, either to divide off an area or to act as a screen. It is important to choose a fast-growing variety if a tall screen is needed but you need to bear in mind future maintenance. Native varieties, which are marked in our catalogue, do seem to be incredibly resilient to the extremes of weather. Spend time looking at all aspects of the garden, which areas get the sun and at what time of the day, which areas are shady, then choose plants accordingly. We do have leaflets in the plant information office which give guidance, so please take these to help you choose, or ask members of the plant team.

Tree wise, according to The Woodland Trust, the Garden Centre’s Charity of the Year 2024 – Crab Apples, Hazel, Willows and the varieties of Silver Birch all fare well.

The most important consideration when planting anything new in the garden is to give it the best possible start – improve the soil with organic matter along with some Bonemeal fertiliser, add a generous amount of alpine grit if your soil is sticky, apply some friendly fungi (RootGrow) onto the roots and make sure the plants don’t go short of water in the first couple of springs and summers. Keep the area around the tree free of weeds for at least one year, and mulch the area to supress weeds and help retain moisture.

6 pack of assorted sedum

Mixed Native Hedge

Autumn colours on Silver Birch

What are the best fun plants for my young children to grow?

Most children love growing things and it is this connection with the soil which we should be encouraging from an early age. Year round you can grow a whole range of so-called micro-greens (Johnsons Seeds) on the windowsill, including the popular mustard and cress, basil, coriander, sprouting seeds and rocket – all good to use in sandwiches and in salads. If you have a seed sprouter, it would be an ideal thing to use with children as the results are remarkably fast, some just a few days from planting to eating. If you do not have a seed sprouter you can improvise by using a flat shallow dish or saucer and lining this with kitchen paper folded over at least a couple of times and kept evenly moist.

Mung Beans in a sprouter

Another good thing to do is to grow a broad bean in a jam-jar as this will show them how the seed splits, the roots form and grow downwards and the shoot grows upwards and slowly develops green leaves. One can position three seeds at different angles so when they start to grow, they will all grow roots downwards and shoots upwards. If you have some good old fashioned blotting paper use this, if not kitchen paper folded over a couple of times will do. Line a jam jar with the paper and fill the centre with something like cotton wool. Place the seed about half way down the jar, using tweezers if necessary, then get everything nice and damp. Place the jar on a sunny windowsill. Get the child to guess how

long it will take to sprout, and then when it does to measure the amount of growth every day. Finally, when it is large enough carefully take it from the jar and plant it out in a sunny place in the garden. When in the garden keep it evenly watered and feed occasionally with Tomorite.

Broad Bean 7, 10 & 11 days after planting

Tomatoes and strawberries provide a relatively quick tasty return and are fun to grow outside in a sunny spot. At the time of writing a pack of five strawberry plants costs only £3.59 or single pot grown plants £2.24 each. If you wish you could invest in an attractive strawberry planter and get the child to plant it up and be in charge of watering it, feeding it, and then having the pleasure of eating the fruit.

5 pack and pot grown strawberries

Houseplants like spider plants, cacti and succulents are relatively easy to grow, however always bear in mind that Venus Fly Traps – although fun to raise can be quite demanding. They will require rain water, warm conditions and lots of care and they do not like it if they are frequently touched to make their ‘jaws’ close. A good plant to introduce a child to a carnivorous plant but they need to be disciplined when handling it.

Finally, look out for children’s themed seeds on the seed racks – there are plenty to choose from and these can give hours of pleasure for a modest cost! Happy gardening!

BUCKINGHAM GARDEN CENTRE’S CHARITY OF THE YEAR 2024

For our Charity of the Year 2024 we have chosen ‘The Woodland Trust’ as trees are very much part of our business and volunteers from the Trust often come to our Garden Centre to talk to our customers about the work of the Trust. They own and manage several beautiful woods in the area and these are open to the public, free of charge, but obviously take money to maintain.

The Trust was formed in 1972 by Kenneth Watkins and some friends at his Devon home. The ancient Avon Woods in Devon became the Woodland Trust’s first wood and thus was saved from clear felling and replanting with conifers. By 1977 the Trust was the proud owner of 22 woods which covered 189 hectares in six different counties. A year later the Woodland Trust relocated its headquarters to its current home in the market town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, and introduced membership.

In 1980 the Trust acquired its first woods in Wales, Coed Lletywalter which is an ancient wood and is a SSSI (a Site of Special Scientific Interest) and is in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park. By their 10th anniversary they had become a U.K. wide charity with a membership of 20,000 and had 80 woods under their care and protection. This number had grown to 50,000 by 1985 so it is not surprising that their staff numbers had also grown, in fact by 1990 there were 50.

1996 was a sad year for the Trust as their founder died at the age of 86 but the Trust had certainly come a long way. They acquired Glen Finglas in Stirling, a site of over 4,000 ha which was purchased with a grant of £1.4 million from the Lottery Fund. They also set up an office in Northern Ireland. The new millennium was celebrated by 250 millennium woods being created. Their membership had swollen to 200,000 by 2010 and by their 40th anniversary they owned 1,276 woods and had planted 16 million trees. In 2019 they acquired their first mountain, Ben Shieldaig.

The U.K. is one of the least wooded countries in Europe but it is well known how important tree cover is and with the Trust still growing they will do their utmost to save ancient woods and create wild-life friendly new ones. We are fortunate to have some of their woods nearby and hope to raise money for the Trust. There is a wishing well in the entrance so any spare change you have, however small, will be gratefully accepted then well used by the Trust.

College Wood, which is only a few miles from the Garden Centre is a good place to walk in and on this page are a few shots taken this year. Typical of a wood in February, patches of snowdrops appear, these being followed in March by blackthorn then in April the bluebells are starting to show through. I look forward to seeing the bluebells fully out then many other wonderful sights in the Trust’s many woods later in the year.

buckingham@malverngb.co.uk