Tree Top Tips

Seasonal Garden Advice

As the British summer departs for its long winter break, most of us abandon the garden and turn our attention to the great indoors. But autumn and winter is actually a great time to introduce new trees and plants ready for next summer.

During autumn and winter, although they may look dormant, trees and plants are busy growing their root systems. By planting in the Autumn, you give new plants an opportunity to develop their roots so they can absorb the water they need in hot summer months.

Autumn

Autumn produces fabulous gold and orange foliage displays, but it doesn't have to end there for the winter. With a little planning, you can give the garden colour and variety right through the winter months.

Evergreens and firs are an obvious choice, but the more mild winters of recent years mean we can really experiment with European evergreens like Olive trees and even Eucalyptus.

There are loads of flowering shrubs such as Camillia Japonica that have deep glossy leaves and flower month after month.

You could also consider Holly bushes. Not all give berries, only the female plants. You should have some male varieties too as these will pollinate the female plants to produce the fruits. Either way the rich deep green leaves are a splendid sight in the great British garden.

November is a good time to take cuttings from many trees and shrubs and you could even try to grown your own plants from the cuttings you take.

Christmas Trees and Winter Plants

Many Christmas trees are supplied without any roots, or are grown in a field and have their roots damaged when they are potted up for sale. These do not last as long as our pot grown trees. Pot grown trees can be planted in the garden after Christmas.

The cheapest tree on the market is the Norway spruce (Picea abies). Unfortunately, this tree is most liable to needle loss. For 'needlefast' species choose fir (Abies) or pine (Pinus).

Any real Christmas tree will not like the warm, dry atmosphere of a centrally heated home so only bring indoors for a maximum of 12-15 days. Position in a cool room or at least away from direct heat and keep the soil in the pot moist.

There are lots of popular winter plant gift favourites such as Poinsettia, but why not try something that will survive outdoors for years to come, such as a Photinia red robin, or a holly or ivy. You can always take cuttings for flower arranging or decorating indoors - we like to take sprigs of holly to put on top of the picture frames on the wall.

We're always adding new products to add to your home or garden, so if you can't find what your looking for, contact us and we will try to find it for you.

Because all our trees and plants are pot grown, they can be put in the garden or container to give many more years of pleasure.

Here at beechlife, we have been teaming up with other organic retailers to promote the benefits of trees and plants as gifts over cut flowers and imported novelty gifts. As the “carbon footprint” and eco debates gather momentum, we are all being asked to consider how our personal consumerism is affecting the environment. Trees and plants are not only long lasting gifts, but are a mega-green gift too!