The arrival of winter is imminent, and we’re sure much of your attention has turned to decking the halls, frenzied shopping trips and tracking down that elusive turkey. Yes, Christmas is coming, bringing with it colder days, darker nights and a need to consider preparing both your indoor and outdoor spaces for the chillier months ahead.
And, while we sadly can’t help you track down the rare bottle of Scotch your dad’s after, or the limited edition trainers your teen’s requested, we do have plenty of supplies to help you, your house and your garden get ready for winter. Read on to discover our top picks.
Rock Salt
Don’t risk slipping and sliding in treacherous weather - nobody wants to spend Christmas in A&E with a broken ankle when they could be enjoying charades with the family. (Well, for some the former may be preferable…) Our white rock salt is suitable for gritting driveways, pavements or garden paths in icy weather. 20kg bags are just £7.20, and we offer multi-purchase discounts for buying bulk bags. Seeing as it’s the season of goodwill, perhaps stock up on several and help your neighbours avoid an icy peril, too.
Kindling
If you’ve got a fire or wood burning stove, then on those bleak midwinter days you’ll want to cosy up and keep warm beside it. Or, maybe braving an outdoor fire pit is more your style. Either way, our kindling nets will help you get that fire lit in no time. Each net costs £5.50 and contains plenty of wood to give your fires a roaring start. Bulk buy discounts are also available, so make sure you’re well stocked ahead of any cold snaps.
Logs
You may have been fastidious and seasoned your own logs, ahead of winter. But, if the wood or weather wasn’t on your side then perhaps you need some logs to keep your fire well stocked. Our logs are seasoned hardwood FSC certified. We source these from local woodland, and they are mostly ash. On average, they measure 25cm (10inches) long by 12cm (4 inches) wide.
To ensure your logs reach you in the perfect condition, we delivered them in a ventilated landscape bag to stop the wood from sweating. Once they arrive, we suggest storing them off the ground covered with a tarpaulin - this way they’ll stay dry all winter. Use them on open fires, log burners, fire pits and wood burning stoves and enjoy a warm winter! Our logs cost £5.50 per net, or £87.50 per bulk bag.
Tarpaulins
Our tarpaulins are an essential garden item if you’re looking to keep things protected over the winter months. The 4m x 5m waterproof plastic sheeting with eyelets are great for keeping logs dry over winter, shielding your beds or even guarding your garden furniture while it’s not in use. Each sheet is £18.
Autumn Lawn
Even in the colder months, your lawn needs a little TLC, and our autumn lawn fertiliser is best applied over autumn and winter. It’s high in the macro-nutrients Phosphorus and Potassium which aid disease resistance and cold hardiness as well as improving drought tolerance. One 20kg bag will cover 570 sqm, and we recommend applying 35 grams per sqm.
Manure
The growing season might be mostly over, but there’s still ways to get ahead for the spring. Using manure on empty beds to overwinter them will allow plenty of time for it to break down and give your garden the nutrients and goodness it needs. Dig the manure through your empty beds, or leave on top and let the worms do the work!
To place your order, give us a call on 0800 854 663 or visit our website at https://www.gardenscapedirect.co.uk/
..more like water-skiing right now! But who cares - have a really lovely Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year!
All the Group companies close tonight, Friday 20th, but we are back again, refreshed and raring to go, on Thursday 2 January at 8am.
As the evenings draw in and temperatures fall, now is the time to think of - manure!
To give next year's vegetables the best possible start in life, order a load of composted manure. Then, once you have cleared the vegetable bed and the soil temperature has fallen to winter levels (probably in November or so - depends on the weather of course) spread a layer of about 6 inches thickness all over the bed and just leave it over the winter. The manure will slowly settle in to the soil, so that, when it is workable again in spring, you can easily dig it in and then plant your vegetables.
It is important to wait until the temperatures have dropped though, otherwise the nutrients will leach away before they have a chance to get absorbed by the soil.
Apart from the nutrient value of organic matter like manure, it also acts as a mulch and holds down the weeds - at least for a while. But weeding the vegetable patch is a task that will never fully go away!
...But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Actually it's not that easy running a haulage business a day like this - the A21 is closed between Lamberhurst and Tonbridge, the M20 is at a standstill from the M25 to Ashford, the A249 is closed; our Westerham quarry is closed - and still the snow is coming here in Newenden. There is - unusually - hardly any traffic past the office right now (9am).
The forecast is for more of the white stuff this morning, and then quite a lot on Thursday. Might not be a terribly productive week!