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Before we go gardening this month, I could do with using this column to dispel a few myths and rumours that we seem to have created recently. I originally thought it quite fun to hear some of the stories and how creative people can be with a bit of information, but unfortunately some of our staff are getting a bit fed up of being stopped in the supermarket, so it is time to act!

In December 2012, we put in a planning application which would see the Garden Centre flattened and 30 houses put in its place, the same process happened in 1988 and permission was granted to develop our site and the two sites to the north and south of us. As you can see when you visit, the other two sites have now been developed, leaving our site effectively surrounded by housing.

It is our view that at some point in the next two to fi ve years our car park will not be able to cope with the increased business that we are generating, this will be especially true if we were to further develop our Coffee Shop, something we really want to do. So we are beginning to put in place the fi rst steps to relocating our business to a new site, we have not as yet found anywhere to go, considered buying another business or made any commitments, despite what the rumour mill is saying! We do know that we need to stay close to our existing site, that we need to retain our atmosphere, ambience and levels of customer service, and we know that we want to continue growing plants, as these are our strengths. So, in short, we are not closing down, we may move one day, but we do not know when or where to just yet.

So, on to some gardening, which is far more important! I am desperate to get some vegetables growing this year, as like for a lot of people, rain stopped play for the whole of 2012. Although we have more ground than most, we will still grow vegetables in the same area, and this can cause a few problems. These problems can be overcome by using crop rotation, which is a common sense approach to vegetable growing. Most vegetables will fi t into one of four groups, and these groups should be rotated around your plot to keep the ground productive and your plants healthy.

The first group consists of the Solanum family: potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes, marrows, peppers. After growing these, if you have space, then you should rotate the ground onto the Legumes: peas and beans. These plants are able to take nitrogen from the air and ‘fi x’ it in their root nodules so that it can be used in the soil. This makes sense when the next rotation should see Brassicas using the space; these use lots of nitrogen, so it is important for them to follow the peas and beans. Brassicas include cabbage, Brussels, caulifl ower, kale and turnip. The fi nal group to use the space would be the Onions root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, beetroot and leeks.

This rotation does not necessarily take four seasons, as some crops can follow on in the same season, but remember some vegetables like asparagus, artichoke and fennel need to stay in the same place for two to three years. Some of the quick salad crops such as lettuce and radish can be grown in between some of these rotations and, if you do not have a lot of space, cropping different vegetables can help to prevent soil becoming stale.

So, plan ahead, divide your plot into four areas and keep records (phone cameras are great for this) to help with your rotation.

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

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NOT JUST A GARDEN CENTRE