News - Page 62

There are many reasons to prune shrubs and trees, especially over winter. It can help to promote bigger growth, to train trees as cordons or espaliers plus it helps to encourage flowers, shape and remove dead and diseased wood. It is an important winter task and keeps those green fingers occupied in the colder months of the year. 

With all of the festive trimmings, it is great to add some natural christmas decorations for a special personal touch. It can be great fun to get outside and start picking natural decorations to make in to your own. Not only will you be getting outside in the fresh air but you can then get home and decorate your rooms with pine cones and sprayed twigs while warming up with a tasty hot chocolate.

Conifers are everywhere at this time of year. From blue spruce (Picea pungens) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) to the classic Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana), the festive season wouldn’t be the same without them. But conifers aren’t just for Christmas. They’re easy to grow, add structure all year round, and come in so many shapes, sizes and colours that there’s one for every garden. 

It is that time of year to get decorating the Christmas tree with all the frills and sparkles that you desire! It is a fun part of the festive season and can be a real family event or just a romantic evening with a glass of wine while the fire is on. With so many options to decorate the Christmas tree, it can be really difficult to pick the style, colours and accessorise so we have put together this guide to help you out. 

The Poinsettia is especially popular because of its beautifully coloured leaves. Whilst these are often seen as its flowers, these are actually bracts that are formed in a star shape. At this time of the year, you might be used to seeing the Poinsettia in red mostly. However, this year pastel colours such as pink, apricot, lemon and salmon are trending.