Putting your garden to bed properly for the colder months will often save time and effort in the spring and can lead to a thriving garden that will really flourish next year.

nicenstripy, the leading UK domestic lawn cutting and garden services company, is advising clients that now is the perfect time to start planning ahead for next year.

However, in today’s hectic lifestyle, you may have little or no time to tend to your green-fingered responsibilities.

nicenstripy can help; operating across the UK, it’s teams of fully trained and vetted operators, provide an extensive range of professional gardening services at affordable prices.

Supplies of the very best lawn care feeds and treatments and the latest equipment are used to ensure that your garden is well maintained during the winter months and therefore in great condition for the spring.

nicenstripy’s core grass cutting service continues in the winter; milder weather means lawns continue to grow, but at a slower rate, so their technicians will cut the lawn to a length that is best for winter.

At present the company is offering a special Winter Works package, which includes lawn feeds and treatments, hedge trimming, leaf and general debris clearing, garden tidy ups and gutter clearance.

Web: http://www.nicenstripy.com

Tel: (0845) 230 7676

If fun, friendly and relaxed is how you like it, then visit the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park (18th – 22nd July), which has plenty of treats in store for garden lovers.

The Show gardens will endeavour to inspire you with a plethora of creative and fantastical designs:

Tatton Park’s own flowerbed in conjunction with Cheshire County Council, will be using a gondola as its centrepiece to pay homage to Venice and the estate’s Italian gardens.

This year Tatton is leading the renaissance of the most characteristic of English summer fruits, the gooseberry; the nine gooseberry societies in the UK, will be displaying their champion fruits and heritage varieties in the National Plant Societies Marquee.

Flower power is in vogue this year, as Fiona Hogg will bring a collection of plants ideal for use in floral art in ‘The Flower Arranger’s Garden’, where the featured flowers will be arranged according to the principles of form, texture and the colour wheel.

‘Flower Power’ from Finchale Training College will create a colour surge, using renewable energy to establish a lush and vibrant garden using a solar panel to power the pumps and a lunar pavement providing a feeling of abstract art.

Not forgetting the valuable advice that can be gleaned from the RHS Gardening Advice Desk.

The RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park takes place between 18th and 22nd July (18th July is reserved for RHS members).

To book tickets visit:

Web: http://www.rhs.org.uk/flowershows 

Tel:  (0870) 842 2229

If you are interested in increasing the value of your current home, saving up to 30% on a new home, or simply looking for ideas to get you started, a visit to The Homebuilding & Renovating Show is a must.

The event takes place over two days at the Newbury Showground on 23 and 24 June and there are lots of good reasons to encourage you to visit:

Over 120 exhibitors will attend, providing a real opportuiity to gain expert advice and view all the best products, innovations and the latest services.

Finding a suitable plot of land or a suitable renovation project is usually the first hurdle; so you can consult with Plotfinder and Plotsearch both of whom have databases with thousands of plots and projects for sale.

Smart Homes are becoming more popular as people are now installing state of the art technology to make their living environment as labour-free and safe as possible; therefore home automation will be well represented with systems on show from hi-tech sound to advanced security.

For those keen to get their hands dirty and save more money, there will be a number of useful and interesting demonstrations from exhibitors, including the latest in internal walling systems, paving and home security.

Tickets are £5 in advance or £8 on the door.

For more information and tickets, visit:

Web: http://www.homebuildingshow.co.uk
Tel: (0870) 906 2002.

What do you need to know to create your dream garden?

According to recent research over a third of people in the UK don’t make the most of their garden, due to a lack of confidence and gardening knowledge.

To encourage more people to identify gardening as a creative leisure activity, PlantforLife has teamed up with Blue Peter Gardener Chris Collins to produce The Plant Advice Guide, which is a free easy to use booklet, for anyone who wants a flourishing garden but doesn’t know where to start.

When it comes to beginning in the garden, the sheer choice of plants, shrubs and trees can be overwhelming and once you have chosen the plants, you not only have to know where to plant them but also how to maintain them.

Chris Collins comments, “The Plant Advice Guide should equip any potential gardener with the basics to make a start and see rewarding results this summer.”

The guide contains no gardening geek speak; it’s an easy to use free booklet which includes details of 20 flowering plants and shrubs plus advice on how to plant and maintain them.

It also advises on the kind of soil in your garden, which is essential information to enable you to choose plants that will thrive there.

Gardening can really improve people’s quality of life – from the satisfaction of growing something and keeping it alive, to the enjoyment of colours and scents in the garden.

The Plant Advice Guide is free to download from:

Web:  http://www.plantforlife.info
Tel:  (0118) 930 3132

From the simplest seat to the grandest statuary, there is something in the Haddonstone range for every house and garden… whatever your budget.

All Haddonstone’s designs are manufactured from cast stone and include over 500 designs in traditional, contemporary and classical styles, including fountains, sundials, bird-baths, lawn edging, balustrading, chimney pieces and pavilions.
 
Prices range from a mere £65 for an Obelisk Finial to over £5,400 for an eye-catching Balustraded Temple.

For example, the imposing Raphael Seat featured, incorporates decorative panels, thought to be inspired by Raphael’s decorations in the Vatican, with both Etruscan and early English Renaissance influences. Priced at £3,200.

The Inspirational Haddonstone gardens and showroom are open to visitors from Monday to Friday - public holidays and Christmas period excepted - between the hours of 9am and 5pm.

See the full range in Haddonstone’s 200-page catalogue or online at:

Web: http://www.haddonstone.co.uk
Tel:  (01604) 770711

How about a gift voucher from nicenstripy for Mother’s Day this year? Mum may find this a most welcome gift, providing her with a head start in getting her garden in shape for Spring.
 
nicenstripy is a leading garden maintenance company operating across the UK, who provide an extensive range of professional gardening services at sensible prices, with teams of fully-trained, reliable and trustworthy staff.

Vouchers come in values to suit the purchaser so whatever your budget, nicenstripy can provide an affordable solution.

The service is tailored to meet the individual needs of each customer - whether it’s an exclusive package or just a one-off job - and prices start from just £10 a cut.

nicenstripy’s core grass cutting service can be booked for regular cuts, or one-off jobs. In addition, the company offers a special discount package; for a set fee each month, your grass is cut at the appropriate frequency, depending on the requirements of the season.

The company also provides seasonal lawn feeds, scarification, aeration, weed and moss control; plus hedge cutting and leaf and gutter clearance; state-of-the-art equipment and only the very best lawn care feeds are used to ensure superb results.

So this Mother’s Day, let your Mum sit back and relax, while nicenstripy takes care of her gardening problems!

Web: http://www.nicenstripy.com
Tel:   (0845) 230 7676

A well-kept garden is a year-round delight and can also increase the price and saleability of your property.

But with today’s hectic lifestyles, there’s little or no time left for the garden and many of us don’t have the skills required for proper maintenance.

nicenstripy - the leading UK garden services company is ready to help!

Operating across the UK, its teams of fully trained, reliable and trustworthy staff provide an extensive range of professional gardening services at affordable prices. 

The company uses state-of-the-art equipment, quality lawn care feeds and wood treatments, to ensure superb results and customer satisfaction.

Employees complete a comprehensive training programme and undergo a strict vetting procedure including police checks, to ensure that clients enjoy the highest levels of workmanship and peace of mind.

The nicenstripy service is tailored to meet the individual needs of each customer, whether it’s one of their exclusive packages, or just a one off job.

As well as its core grass cutting service, nicenstripy also provides lawn treatments, seasonal feeds, pruning, turfing, general tidy-ups and hedge cutting.

So why not sit back and relax while nicenstripy takes good care of your garden?

Prices for nicenstripy garden services start from just £10 a cut.

Web: http://www.nicenstripy.com
Tel:  (0845) 230 7676

You can get lots of good gardening advice from Alan Titchmarsh on the Crocus website.

There are regular articles on the site itself (for example “Alan’s July Choice”), or you can subscribe to his regular care tip emails - you can even specify which sort of plants you are interested in caring for.

Crocus is a gardening website which specialises in selling garden plants - their range is huge - 4,000 plant varieties to choose from compared to around 400 in an average garden centre.

This is one of the reasons that Charlie Dimmock and Alan Titchmarsh decided to be part of Crocus - the fact that the amateur gardener can have the same choice as the professional gardener.

web: http://www.crocus.co.uk
tel: (0870) 787 1413

With water shortages back in the news, hosepipe bans and drought orders already in force in some parts of the UK, and more expected for the summer, what measures can gardeners take to preserve this precious resource?

B&Q have put together some hints and tips for green gardeners who want to save water:

• Choose plants which don’t require much water. B&Q’s range of Oleanders and Bottle Bush Palms require very little watering.
• Watering from a watering can is still permitted during hosepipe bans - so why not invest £3.28 a Standard Watering Can from B&Q?
• Water your garden in early morning or late evening, but not during the day, otherwise much of the water is wasted in evaporation, and you run the risk of scorching the leaves.
• Consider adding mulches or chipped bark to flower beds, to help retain moisture in warm weather. B&Q’s Hardwood Chips are produced from sustainable sources and cost just £4.98 for a 65 litre bag.
• Use a water retaining product like Phostrogen Swell Gel Crystals (£4.98 for a 250g bag at B&Q) to retain water in hanging baskets. This saves water, and watering time too!
• Hosepipe bans mean water could be at a premium this summer, so why not invest in a water butt, which will allow you to save rainwater to keep your garden well watered until Autumn. This slim space-saving water butt costs £17.98 from B&Q.

web: http://www.diy.com
tel: (0845) 850 0175

B&Q’s new Back to the Good Life guide on their web site is full of great hints on growing your own fruit and veg.

The guide provides all the necessary gardening advice and tools that you’ll need to be eating fresh seasonal produce all year long.

These days, it’s good to know the origin of your fruit, vegetables and herbs, and where better than your own garden?

The guide includes: Step by Step Guide to growing your own, Handy Hints from the experts, Shopping List to get you started,
What to Grow When, Seed Glossary and even Delicious Recipes.

It’s easy to obtain the guide - simply follow the web link below and download a free copy.

web: http://www.diy.com/backtothegoodlife
tel: (0845) 850 0175