Gardening Tips

Spring

Plan ahead for the best bedding displays – we have plants in stock suitable for containers, baskets and borders. Remember we can get caught out by late frosts so protect tender plants in a heated greenhouse or conservatory. Bedding containers must be kept well watered and well fed; we recommend Osmocote or Tomorite. A moisture retaining gel, such as Swell Gel, will help see them through the scorching summer...we can but hope!

Time to tackle the lawn by starting a proper lawn care regime – as the weather warms, feed your lawn with Aftercut to encourage that perfect green sward. If you have a problem with moss or weeds, choose a lawn feed containing moss/weed killer. Scarifying will remove the dead moss and thatch build-up. Spiking will improve the drainage. Mow on a high setting for the first few cuts, lowering the blades subsequently.

Protect vegetables for bumper summer crops - early sowing will benefit from a cloche, low polythene tunnel or fleece, and we stock a good selection of them all. Tender crops like tomatoes can be sown and kept on a sunny windowsill for planting out after the last frosts. We stock a wide range of vegetable starter plants as well as seeds for the full ‘Grow Your Own’ experience!

Time to take stock of your borders – now’s the time for a spring tidy-up. Cut back perennials, dig over the ground, removing any pernicious weeds and rubble, and lay a thick layer of manure; we stock both well-rotted farmyard manure and soil conditioner. Spring is an excellent time to plant new shrubs, roses, conifers and herbaceous perennials; come and choose from our superb range of hardy shrubs and herbaceous plants.

Early spring is the perfect time to prune your roses and to plant new stock. We have lots of award-winning varieties including the old-fashioned, fragrant David Austin range. Whether planting or pruning, be sure you mulch with well-rotted manure as roses are heavy feeders and love a rich soil. Use sharp secateurs to prune, as roses are easily damaged. We have tools and protective gear to suit all your pruning needs.

Summer

Keep bedding plants looking tip-top all summer long by deadheading regularly in order to promote a succession of beautiful blooms.

Don’t forget to feed your bedding containers and hanging baskets; Tomorite watered in fortnightly is ideal, or use Osmocote -1 application which will last all summer.

In the vegetable garden water tomato plants regularly in order to avoid blossom end rot; harvest courgettes when young for the best flavour; and sow salad crops little and often.

Summer is the season for blackspot, powdery mildew and rust on roses. These three fungal problems can be sorted by using a systemic fungicide. Remember not to spray these in bright sunlight or on a windy day.

If we get a hot dry summer you can conserve water by mulching your plants. Compost from your compost bin (if it’s well rotted), bark or well rotted manure are all ideal.

Now is the time to prune late-spring/early summer flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus, Weigela and some Viburnums.

Autumn

Autumn is the ideal time to tidy up the borders; cutting back herbaceous plants, pulling out summer bedding and finished vegetables. Add all this to the compost bin to ensure lovely, dark, crumbly compost for next year. However, don’t be over-keen with the tidy up; old seed heads are a crucial food source for birds and other wildlife in winter.

Plant bulbs now for a riot of colour next spring. The Mains of Drum stock a superb selection of Snowdrops, Crocus, Daffodils, Iris, Anemones and Tulips. Or, why not try something a little bit unusual such as Alliums, Chinadoxa or Puschkinia?

Plant new season’s roses, trees, fruit, shrubs, and hedging; the soil is still warm and the autumn rains will encourage root establishment before winter sets in. Bare root hedging whips are the most economical way to create a hedge and The Mains of Drum can provide a wide range of durable and hardy species for the job. Please ask a member of our Plant area for advice.

Re-vamp tired bedding containers by tipping out spent summer plants (adding them all to the compost bin...) and replacing them with vibrant winter pansies and violas. Adding bulbs such as the dwarf Daffodil Tete a Tete will give containers an added boost when they flower in the spring.

After the first frost, Dahlias will need to be lifted and stored for the winter in a frost-free place.

Plant seed potatoes now for delicious roast tatties with your Christmas dinner! The Mains of Drum stock several varieties including Red Duke of York, Charlotte, Maris Peer and Pentland Javelin.

New season fruit will be available soon. We have carefully chosen hardy and reliable varieties suitable for the Aberdeen area. All our fruit bushes are Scottish grown.

Lawns require a bit of care and attention this time of year. Aerating the soil by spiking will relieve compaction, aid water penetration and improve drainage. A hollow tine spiker is ideal but a garden fork could also be used. Apply an autumn lawn feed with added moss killer if moss is a problem. Once the moss has turned black, scarify the lawn raking out the dead moss and any thatch that’s built up over the summer.

Don’t forget to drain your water features before the first frosts set in; otherwise you risk them cracking.

Winter

Sweep up leaves; use them to make compost and cover up ponds to prevent leaves lying in the water.

Listen to the weather forecasts, if frost is due cover sensitive plants with sacking or netting and make sure to remove snow from evergreens and shrubs.

Just because it’s winter, it doesn’t mean you can’t make a show of your garden, empty hanging baskets that are past their best and replant with winter flowering pansies, ivy and primulas to create a winter show of flowers.

It’s also the perfect time to plant a hedge; the soil is still warm and a huge variety of plants, such as Hawthorn, Privet and Beech are available.

We have a variety of flowers, winter shrubs and hedging plants at The Mains of Drum to tempt your creative green fingers!