Trees Direct specialise in sending trees as gifts and offer an attractive choice providing a beautiful, balanced and useful collection.

All are chosen for their colour, blossom, shape and size, to suit all types of garden and patios and are also helpful to wildlife and the environment.

The idea for Trees Direct was started around the family dining table in 1999, when they decided they could create a business and also help the environment.

Starting out in Christmas 1999 with only their knowledge of horticulture and a love of trees they succeeded and 10 years later the business is thriving.

All of the plants are potted and dressed in hessian sacks, with ribbons, a hand written gift card and planting instructions.

Why send trees as gifts?….There are many reasons why you might choose to send trees rather than conventional gifts:

• Trees are alive, not made of ‘dead’ resources – they regenerate life instead of being the end product of industrial processing.
• Trees can be a long lasting remembrance of an event, person or occasion – instead of being used up, worn out, lost, or sitting gathering dust.
• Trees and plants benefit ecology and wildlife, air and water cycles, landscape and ‘spirit’.
• Green and growing things provide us with a means to connect to nature - especially important for people living in cities.
• Planting native trees helps maintain the natural heritage of the land.
• Sending living rather than material things helps to reduce landfill waste.

Trees Direct also provide a popular Tree Search service for customers, to find a particular tree not listed on the website.

Visit the Trees Direct website to view their wide-ranging collection of trees as gifts.

Tel: (01588) 680 280

Summer is upon us, which means gardeners are struggling to strike the fine balance between under-watering and over-watering and wondering who they should get to provide holiday watering cover.

Help is at hand as a company has set up a helpline to provide free watering advice and developed a range of innovative holiday-proof watering products.

Lancashire-based gardening products retailer and manufacturer, Greenhouse Sensation has set up a free ‘Gardening Angel’ phone and email advice service, to answer watering related questions.
According to Gardening Angels, most people know that it is important to ensure plants are not under-watered, because they need water in order to transport nutrients to all parts of a plant, but most people don’t realise that it is just as damaging to over-water.

Over-watering forces air out of the root area. It is the most common cause of plant fungal infections, proliferation of pests, root rot, yellow leaves and ultimately, plant death.

The most common result of erratic watering is blossom end rot; the tell tale sign is tomatoes, peppers and aubergines with brown/black bottoms. Finding the correct middle path for specific plants in a specific garden or greenhouse is a difficult task.

For those who want a bit more certainty about their plants, the Quadgrow from Greenhouse Sensation is a set of 4 pots that keeps plants perfectly watered for two weeks at a time, banishing overwatering, underwatering and holiday plant care rotas - forever.

Plants can be taken out of their standard pots and growbags and put into a Quadgrow.

SmartMats link the Quadgrow’s massive 34litre reserve of water with the compost in the pots, delivering water to the compost when it’s needed.

The automated watering is more responsive to a plant’s needs than manual watering; it’s like standing over their plant all day adding teaspoons of water; the plants receive exactly what they need, when they need it, so that they grow stronger and healthier, producing bigger harvests.
Quadgrow.
Size: L55cm x W55cm.
Price: £52.90.
For further information on Quadgrow planters and stockists visit the Greenhouse Sensation website.

Haddonstone, the leading UK manufacturer of fine cast stone garden and landscape ornaments, is opening its acclaimed show gardens as part of the National Garden Scheme’s Yellow Book for the first time ever.

The show gardens, located in the picturesque village of East Haddon, near Northampton, will be open on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September, giving visitors a rare opportunity to view the gardens at a weekend; they are usually only open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm (except Christmas and Bank Holidays).

Visitors to the show gardens will be able to see Haddonstone’s impressive collection of planters, fountains, statuary, bird baths, sundials and follies ~ all in a fabulous setting.

Featured here is the Hadrian Vase. This elegant vase combines a half-gadrooned bowl with egg-and-dart rim, two scroll and foliate carved handles, a circular socle and square base. Priced at £566. It is also available without handles at £440.

Width at top: 97cm.
Width at base: 35cm.
Height: 84cm.

Haddonstone’s two-acre show gardens have developed as the company has expanded. The Jubilee garden was opened in 1998 and includes a pavilion, temple and gothic grotto.
An Orangery was constructed in 2002 and is a prominent feature on the main lawn.
A contemporary garden – showcasing the new Robert A.M. Stern Collection of planters – is currently being constructed.

The stunning show gardens attract visitors from around the world and have been featured on television programmes including BBC Gardeners’ World and BBC Wild About Your Garden.

For more information, or to request a copy of their inspirational 208 page catalogue,visit the Haddonstone website.

Tel:  (01604) 770711

Darlac always aims to offer the best for your garden and now their new range of micro irrigation products offers the best for your pots and baskets too.

With a micro irrigation kit you can water between one and five pots or hanging baskets from an individual outlet.

Each of the five sprinklers can be adjusted to suit the various requirements of different plants, and combined with one of Darlac’s electronic timers you can save yourself the daily chore of hand watering.

Darlac offers the option of buying additional micro irrigation manifolds, which easily expand the kit providing a further five outlets. They can also be attached directly to a standard garden tap or hose, or even to an additional manifold to expand the system.

For watering on a larger scale, opt for the DW750 Maxi Automatic Drip System,  in our picture, which irrigates up to twenty plants, pots, baskets or tubs.

Each dripper will deliver half a gallon of water an hour and with twenty metres of tubing, which can be extended if needed, the Maxi System offers a comprehensive watering solution at a great price.

Darlac’s range of irrigation products also includes: sprinklers, misters, spikes, tripods, manifolds and spray guns.

Darlac products are available from garden centres nationwide, prices from around:

Micro Irrigation Kit : £10.00.
Micro Irrigation Manifold : £2.50.
Maxi Automatic Drip System: £45.00.
Electronic Timer : £25..
Solar Timer : £40.00.For more information visit the Darlac website.

Tel: 01753 547790.

Create a garden hideaway for summer with Forest’s latest collection of decorative timber arches and arbours – and watch the sun set whilst sipping champagne with your loved one.

Forest, the leading UK garden timber manufacturer – based in the leafy county of Worcestershire, has created a distinctive range of arches and arbours that will help turn any garden into a romantic retreat; and with a few simple touches you’ll feel like a world away from everyday life – well we can all dream can’t we!

It’s all about the Arch.

• With a traditional pergola, classic curved and rustic timber arches available in a variety of sizes, Forest offers an arch for every taste and garden.

• Simply plant your favourite flowers at the base of the structure, to grow up and over the arch (clematis, honeysuckle or climbing or rambling roses work well) and watch your ‘garden of love’ bloom into life.

• For an immediate effect, why not intertwine a string of outdoor garden lights to create an inviting atmosphere.

Cosy up in your Arbour Haven.

• With a variety of design styles, shapes and sizes, Forest’s collection of timber arbours are another perfect addition to your garden retreat.

• With just a few simple touches, like scatter cushions, candle lanterns and a cosy throw, you can finish off your romantic hideaway – perfect for reading a book, or enjoying that all-important glass of wine.

• A corner structure is the ultimate in cosiness. And the ‘Monaco Arbour Seat’ pictured here, is no exception –comfortably seating up to 4 people for a sociable afternoon. (RRP £499.99, 202 x 199 x 199cm)

Where to buy.
Forest’s products can be purchased in more than 1,000 garden centres and builder’s merchants up and down the country. Home delivery is also available on a wide range of products.

To view the ranges, plus details of stockist locations, visit the Forest Garden website. 

Tel: (0844) 248 9801

Made from powder-coated steel, Darlac’s Lawn Scarifier has 11 replaceable, galvanised steel blades for fast effective removal of moss, thatch and matted grass:

• The telescopic handles incorporate a simple twist and lock mechanism and extend from 97cm – 1.5m making it easy to adjust for optimum comfort in use.

• It operates much like a normal rake except the wheels take virtually all the weight.

• The blade depth is governed by the angle at which the handle is held; the lower the handle the deeper the cut.

• Raise the handle as the rake is pushed forward and then lower it to make contact with the ground, allowing the thatch to be removed.

In tests, Darlac’s Lawn Scarifier has been particularly well received, achieving a 5* rating in the UK national gardening press. Priced from around £29.99.

For complete lawn care combine the Scarifier with Darlac’s Hollow Tine Aerator, which stimulates root growth, helps drainage in winter and can also prevent soil drying out during the summer. Priced from around £17.95.

Darlac is a third generation family business, offering a range of excellent horticultural equipment for almost half a century and are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of quality, value for money garden tools.

The company specialises in unusual and lightweight tools for easy gardening, as many of their products are super lightweight and incorporate extending handles for greater reach.

Darlac products are available from garden centres nationwide, for details on all products visit  the Darlac website.

Tel: (01753) 547790.

Delicious, fresh vegetables from your own garden on your dinner table every day – what a luxury!

It needn’t be a worry if you think your garden is too small, or if you only have a few hours to spare.

Complete kits for instant edible gardens have arrived!:

Small Vegetable Garden Plant Pack - The plant pack contains all the plants and seeds you’ll need for ONE GROWING YEAR. It doesn’t matter when you buy the pack, as you will receive deliveries through the post for a whole 12 months.

• The young plants are only sent out when they are ready for planting, so there’s no need to ‘harden’ them off or pot them up.

• With each plant pack you will be sent a Planting Plan.

• How many plants you’ll need to fill your beds, has been carefully worked out; how far apart each plant should be and depending on the weather, the best time to plant. It’s a bit like ‘planting by numbers’.

• Great for one to two people - It will fill two raised beds 1.2m x 2.4m, or a plot 4m x 4.5m. Price: £92.50 Including delivery.

The Mini Kitchen Garden Plant Pack – New from The Travelling Souk.

• Its small size means that it will fit into all gardens, raised beds or pots.

• There is something very satisfying about growing your own and with the instant edible garden kits you are helped every step of the way.

• Ready-to-plant organic young plants are delivered to you by post and a planting by numbers plan means that you get it right – an excellent way of engaging your children too.

• The mini-kitchen-garden pack is packed with veggies, salad, herbs and strawberries – just dig in!

• The kit contains 40 young organic plants and retails at £45.

Also available from The Travelling Souk are Raised Beds and Mini Green Houses.

Visit the Travelling Souk website to view more gardening delights.

Following months of extensive research, Crown Pavilions has developed the ultimate long-life timber preservation treatment for their 2009 flagship range: pure, unadulterated Cedar.

Up to now, garden pavilions have mainly been made from pine and treated with chemical preservatives, which need to be re-applied yearly.

Rain, sun, snow, ice, storms… customers want their investment to last for many years without the timber rotting, splitting, warping or being eaten away by insects.

“Pavilion manufacturers have been using cedar for their roof tiles for years,” explains Damion Merry, Sales Director of Crown Pavilions. “It’s well known for its naturally occurring preservatives, which make it highly resistant to moisture, decay and insect damage - so it’s much less likely to crack, warp or rot over time.”

And because cedar doesn’t need chemicals, it’s more environmentally friendly. So we decided to use it for the main structure as well and this is exactly what we’ve done with our new 2009 range.”

“So for the very first time we have produced a British-manufactured cedar pavilion to the same exacting spec as our pine pavilions.

So customers get the best of both worlds: chunky, robust components such as, thick 6 inch by 6 inch posts and 4 inch by 3 inch hand rails - but in a more durable, aesthetically pleasing and more environmentally friendly timber than pine.”

But what about the high price tag associated with cedar?
“Because we’re well aware of the pressure on customers’ purse strings, we’ve made the decision to minimise our margins, without compromising on quality or moving our manufacturing abroad.

This means that some of our cedar pavilions actually cost less than many competitor’s pine pavilions– and ours are hand-crafted in the UK.”
Another great thing about cedar is that because it doesn’t need treating it smells divine. “Something you definitely don’t get with chemicals!”

Featured here is an example of the Crown Seymour within a garden landscaped by the company.

• The new cedar Seymour has been specifically designed to fit snugly into corner spots or compact rectangular plots.

• Yet it manages to accommodate 9-12 people very comfortably, without dominating your outdoor space or looking out of proportion.

• Priced at £9140 for 8-10 people.

• Prices include Crown Table and benches.

Web: www.crownpavilions.com

Tel: (0149) 1612820 / 07828986035

Following in the footsteps of the Obamas, the Queen and the Prime Minister, planting a kitchen garden is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to start the New Year.

More and more people are including fruit and vegetables in their gardens as they experience the superior taste and health benefits of home-grown food.

However, growing vegetables has traditionally needed more experience than picking out plants from a garden centre; many crops need to be grown from seed, spaced correctly and ‘rotated’ in groups, to prevent the build-up of pests or loss of soil nutrients.

The brilliant GrowVeg.com simplifies the planning of a vegetable garden or allotment, by making it easy to work out what to plant, where to plant it and when to do so.

The website enables the gardener to build a personalised interactive plan of their garden using the unique online Garden Planner software:

• Gardeners simply sketch out their growing space and then add vegetables to it by clicking and dropping them onto the area.

• An intuitive colour-coded circle around each plant, shows how much space it requires and which crops to keep together.

• Plants can easily be rearranged by dragging them into another location until the perfect layout is achieved.

• Once the vegetable patch is planned GrowVeg.com will send email reminders twice a month listing which vegetables need sowing or planting out. (Only if opted in for contact).

• A complete list of plants and their spacing can quickly be printed out, giving a useful summary of what to buy, when to plant and when to harvest.

• Plenty of information on the likes and dislikes of each vegetable is built in, including which plants to sow together and how much water, feeding and maintenance they require.

In addition to the interactive Garden Planning software, the site has a number of expert GrowGuide articles, on everything from keeping your plants pest-free to gardening with children.

GrowVeg.com is also offering a free 30-day trial of the Garden Planning software, including all the features of the site; new features are continually being added, such as the ability to add garden notes and vegetable varieties.

To view the smart Garden Planning software and arrange your free trial, visit

the GrowVeg website.

Gap Garden Products is a family run business that has been manufacturering their own high quality hand made garden products for over 25 years; the company is well known within the industry for their quality, expertise, customer services and value for money:

All of their products are made in their factory in Kettering using the best quality materials.

Gap offers a wonderful range of quality products from tables and chairs to plant supports, which have received the stamp of approval from The British Clematis Society, yet more proof of the quality guaranteed in every item.

Each exclusive range of high quality garden plant support accessories is designed to enhance any size or shape of garden and to bring order and definition to outdoor spaces.

Products include Arches, Tunnels, Obelisks, Hanging Baskets, Troughs, Planters, Plant Supports and Garden Furniture.

Featured here is Gap Garden Products AR06 + AR23:

• Description: Buckingham Arch with 1ft Extension Panel.

• H2180mm, W1670mm, D300mm.

• Price: Arch - £135.00 + £25.00 for 1ft Extender.

Gap also works closely with David Austin Roses, who use many of Gap’s products to display their roses at their best.
Products can be bought online, or from one of the many shows and exhibitions they attend.

Their newly designed website has just been launched, making it easier than ever to get your garden looking great!

Web: http://www.gapgardenproducts.com