This issue of Village Connect is focused on the festive season, as we are in the Garden Centre, but as I like to point out we try to remain a ‘Gardeners’ Garden Centre so it is only right that we look at Gardening first. Not that I will win any Brownie points at home saying that, as Tania and her team are putting together another fantastic Christmas display!

Jobs in the Garden in late Autumn tend to be based around housekeeping type work. Leaf clearing is like painting the forth road bridge, as soon as you have finished you need to start again, but it is essential to clear lawns and particularly ponds very regularly. Leaves sitting on lawns will soon cause grass to die off and will encourage the spread of fungal diseases. Leaves that are allowed to sink to the bottom of a pond will soon cause a build up of noxious gasses and chemicals so they really do need removing regularly. Don’t forget that leaves will make a great organic compost next year if they are composted down in a compost area, so don’t just throw them away if you can help it. Remember that oak leaves are very slow to break down and will compost down more quickly when placed in a black bin liner with a bit of soil. Soil should also be added to the compost heap in layers as it introduces bacteria and microbes in to the heap to help decomposition.

Other jobs for this time of year include raising pots and containers off the ground slightly using pot feet to aid drainage and, therefore, prevent water logging; these pots can also benefit from being wrapped in bubble polythene to prevent the roots from freezing and to help protect the pot. Grease bands should be applied to fruit trees to help prevent winter moth damage and, once all the leaves have fallen from deciduous trees and shrubs, winter pruning can take place. Lawnmowers should be cleaned down, serviced and sharpened so you are ready for the spring, garden furniture should be covered/protected where necessary and outside taps should be covered with insulation. I am afraid the list of jobs at this time of year is just as long as the spring - and there is less daylight to do it all in!

As usual at this time of year there has been a (mainly good natured) fight for space within
the shop. As already mentioned, gardening has carried on late into the year so bulbs and gardening equipment have wanted to hold onto their space for longer, our great Halloween
Castle landed for the first time this year and construction of our Christmas displays has
been ongoing for a few weeks now. It always seems like half our customers cannot wait to
see ‘Christmas’ whilst the other half don’t want to see it until December so we are in a no win situation!

The team have once again sourced some fantastic products, I am intrigued to see how the three large white Toadstools that arrived this week are going to be used, the variety of scented candles, diffusers and oil burners that we have is astounding, and some of the new models of artificial Christmas tree that we have on show are so realistic you have to touch them to believe they are not real. Personally, I do draw the line at the Christmas jumpers and ‘Onesies’ that we have in, although I guess like many of the things I am not taken with, they will sell like hot cakes! We also now have an alcohol licence at the Garden Centre, so we are able to sell wine in the Coffee Shop and we are putting together a great range of bottled beers for sale in the shop. Merry Christmas!

BOSWORTH’S Nurseries & Garden Centre
01536 722635
Only minutes from J10 off the A14 and midway between Kettering and Wellingborough

OPEN: Mon-Sat: 9am - 6pm
Sun: 10am - 5pm • Disabled Access

All Credit Cards Accepted

NOT JUST A GARDEN CENTRE