Gardeners Delight Nursery, Barnstaple, North Devon

Gardenering Hints from

Gardeners Delight Nursery Barnstaple Devon

Gardeners Delight Nursery is situated on the outskirts of Barnstaple, North Devon, on a beautiful 5 acre plot.
We have been growing for over 25 years, and have helped our local towns and businesses gain both gold national and international awards with our stunning flower displays for Britain in Bloom.
Awarded the Curators award for our show garden display at the RHS Rosemoor Garden show 2023

Winter Hints and Tips

December

Plant fruit and ornamental trees
Plant spring flower bulbs
Keep off grass areas to avoid waterlogging
Fork waterlogged areas to help them drain
Resist clearing perennial plants as the dead growth will insulate the plant should it go cold
Plan new garden areas for next year, booking landscapers if required before the spring when they will be busy
Cut hedges
Purchase a British grown Christmas tree from your local nursery

January

If the weather is cold and dry then rough dig new borders and vegetable plants.
1 Order seed for the seasons ahead
2 Spike lawns in waterlogged areas
3 Plan out new areas and ideas
4 Visit gardens that are open to see plants that thrive in the dark dull days of winter
5.Chit new potatoes towards the end of the month 6.

Feburary

Sow broad beans if the ground is not frozen
Rough dig any ground ready for the season ahead
Fork through borders as this will bring slugs towards the surface so the birds can clean them up for you
Sow tomatoes in a heated propagator
Clean the greenhouse
Clean and sterilise pots
The birds will soon be nesting so finish cutting hedges and bushes
As new growth starts prune old growth from perennials
Enjoy the beauty of spring flowering bulbs and identify areas to plant more in the Autumn

Spring Hints and Tips

March

Buy seed potatoes and chit in trays
Sow early peas & beans
Plant summer flowering bulbs
Plant Gladioli
Plant fruit & ornamental trees
Check that newly planted trees are well staked
Prune roses if not done in February
Spike wet areas on lawns
Dig over and prepare the vegetable garden
Brighten up containers with violas & pansy

April

Plant trees, shrubs and perennials provided the ground is not frozen.
Mulch borders
Sow bedding plant seeds in a heated propagator.
You can also sow Tomatoes.
Dead head winter Pansies and Primroses.
Firm back into the soil any Alpines that have been lifted by frost
Sow Broad Beans, Carrots , Parsnips under cloches. Sow Onions & Leeks in a propagator.
Parsley can be sown in a seed tray.
Cut off summer fruiting raspberries to a bud above the top wire.
Continue to prune established fruit trees.

May

Dead head pansy and violas to stop seeding and extend the flower period
Plant out new borders with summer and autumn flowering perennials
Any young bedding plants can start to be hardened off outside but cover at night with horticultural fleece or bring back into a frost free building at night.
As the month warms up, towards the end of May, summer bedding plants can be planted out
Fill and make up hanging baskets inside ready to put out in early June
Plant young vegetable plants into vegetable garden, raised planters etc
Sow runner beans in trays to plant out in June
Put up the runner bean frame work ready for the beans
Sow a window box with salad leaves and do this every 4 weeks

Spring Products

Alstroemeria Indian Summer

Unique bronzed foliage with sunset coloured blooms, perfect for borders, containers and cut flower.

Geum Totally Tangerine

Noted for its long flowering season. Peachy orange flowers.

Iris Bearded Benton Susan

A buff yellow flowering Iris, with golden veining and orange beards. Flowering in Spring.

Iris Sibirica Silver Edge

Pot size 2 ltr Iris Silver Edge has elegant, mid-blue flowers are finely rimmed with white and gently ruffled.

Summer Hints/tips

June

General

As the weather warms up keep on top of weeding as they will appear & grow in a couple of days. Hoeing on dry days works wonders as it also allows air into the top surface and keeps it open for watering.
Apply a good thick layer of mulch around plants to reduce the weeds but preserve the moisture in the soil
Acer bushes will have some dead ends, prune these back to a good leaf joint.
Plant up hanging baskets & planters with a splash of colourful summer bedding plants. My favourites are tuberous upright & trailing begonias as they dead head themselves. Vegetable Garden
Sow or plant runner beans early in the month, they will soon overtake those planted when it was too cold.
Sow salad leaves, this can be in a large pot or trough and repeat every 2 to 3 weeks.
Plant out courgettes and sow some winter squash
Sow a row of peas and repeat in 2 weeks
Towards the end of June plant Leeks, this helps to stop them from bolting
Dig the first early potatoes

Lawns

Cut on high settings as to short and the weeds will come in
Apply a lawn feed but water in if it doesn’t rain
Fork any areas that are constantly used as path ways or were always wet in winter to reduce compaction
Re seed areas that have died off
Visit and support your local independent nursery as their knowledgeable staff will always give advice freely and the plants that they grow are the ones that will grow in your area the best.

July

General

Water & liquid feed summer bedding plants regularly for long lasting blooms.
Dead head summer bedding plants.
Dead head roses and keep an eye out for green fly, soapy water works well in reducing numbersv
Plant herbaceous perennials for long lasting colour, and mark or plan areas that will need to redesign or plant later in the year. Include in your plans a tree to plant in the autumn a great way of reducing your carbon footprint
Reduce how often you cut the grass as the weather heats up, slightly longer grass will hold moisture closer to the soil surface, or leave an area to grow and set seed for the wild life

Vegetable Garden

Start to crop all those delicious vegetables you have been growing
It was a very cold spring and many seeds did not germinate, make a note for next year and watch your local weather before sowing, later sown vegetables always catch up the early ones.
Take out side shoots on tomatoes and feed regularly
Plant winter squash and kale this month
Summer prune Apple and pear trees
Protect soft fruits from birds
Sit back and enjoy the effort you have put into your garden over the year and be inspired by the wonders of nature that you have helped along the way

August

Look for gaps in planters and beds and replant with late season bedding and summer flowering perennials.
Liquid feed planters and hanging baskets every day with a week strength feed.
Plant summer flowering perennials that are in flower, this will allow you to see the colours.
Keep on top of weeds so that they do not seed for next years weeds
Lift potatoes and use don't store
Pick runner beans, even if you don't want them.
Start to plan autumn and winter displays or improvements to your garden for next year.

Autumn Hints/tips

September

Dead head perennials to keep them flowering
Fill the gaps that appear with late flowering perennials..
Purchase spring flower bulbs, plant some in pots to place in borders if unexpected gaps appear in the spring.
Start to harvest apples and pears storing only fruit that is not bruised.
Tie in new summer fruiting raspberry cane and cut off the canes that fruited this year.
Plant some Charlotte potatoes under black plastic to crop at Christmas.
Raise the mower settings and apply an Autumn feed and weed on lawns, air-ate areas that have compacted such as pathways and children play areas.
Towards the end of the month start to plant winter bedding plants.

October

Plant up winter flowering bedding plants this month to provide some winter colour.
Plant fruit and ornamental trees as well as shrubs this month
Plant bare rooted wallflower.
Dead head perennials to keep them flowering.
Purchase spring flower bulbs , plant some in pots to place in borders if unexpected gaps appear in spring. or create an area for cutting in the Spring.
Harvests apples and pears storing only fruit that is not bruised.
Tie in new summer fruiting raspberry cane and cut off the canes that fruited this year.
Apply an Autumn feed and weed on lawns.
Cut the grass on a higher setting.

Nov

Clear leaves of lawns to prevent them from killing the grass
Plant spring flower bulbs
Make up some planters with violas and pansies to brighten an area
Prune 1/3rd off roses
Taller perennials that have finished flowering and do not have seed heads for wild life can be pruned by 50%
Prune wisteria
Clear areas of the veg patch and roughly dig them over and apply a top dressing of organic matter
Plant fruit and ornamental trees
A perennial boarder should not be cleaned up and ever thing looking neat and tidy, some old growth will act as a blanket when the weather cools down, only tidy up when new growth appears in Spring.

Testimonial

What Our Clients Say!

Plants duly arrived this afternoon. Impressed with quality, really good looking plants : well packed, and next day delivery. !! What more could you ask for from an on-line supplier.

Mr Robinson

Very impressed with the packaging . Very healthy plants and in excellent condition ..

Carol Greaves

I cannot recommand Gardeners Delight too highly. Thoughtfull, knowledgeable And above all professional.

Mr Middleton

With Nicks vision for design & excellent plant knowledge he has transformed over one acre of overgrown wilderness into an ever changing delight.

Dr V.C Marshal

Continuing our commitment to a Greener World, at our barnstaple nursery

Installation of water treatment plant for irrigation purposes.
We have now installed a water treatment plant to allows us to use non mains water supply across the nursery for plant irrigation. This project was 80% funded by a grant received from Rural England Prosperity Fund - North Devon Council