We will be at the Hertfordshire Garden Show next weekend. It’s the first time we have exhibited at Knebworth so we look forward to meeting some new friends and hopefully a few old ones as well. We are in the Marquee. Look forward to seeing you there.
This is a busy time of year producing early Spring Baskets for QVC and the local businesses in Bembridge where I live. It starts at the beginning of February visiting the local nurseries to see what plants are available. This year the cold weather in November/December delayed planting at the nurseries so everything was a couple of weeks late particularly the Violas. Nevertheless we achieved our objectives as the pictures below will testify.
Red & Yellow Feb 2011
Pink & Purple just planted Feb 2011
The standard planting pattern for early spring is 7 ivies, 8 primroses and three small pots of Tete a Tete daffodils. Euonymus silver queen or similar may be substituted for a couple of ivies and two or three violas/pansies for primroses if they carry enough flowers this early in the year. Plant three ivies and two primroses in the bottom layer, two ivies and three primroses in the middle and top layers and the daffodils in the centre. These can be replaced by later flowering varieties when they die off, which will be sooner than the primroses.
With Euonymus Spring 2011
The Green Cafe Spring 2011
We started this season early on QVC with presentations on 23rd February. After the cold weather in December the nurseries were some weeks behind with their plant stock but we still managed to produce some colourful baskets.
Primroses, Tete a Tete Daffs & Ivy, February 2011
February 2011
The Green is a new cake and coffee shop on the lower side of St Helens green. The proprietor saw our hanging baskets outside China China and asked us to provide two for her shop front. The request was for a purple and green colour scheme to match the shop colours. They were planted and displayed on 2nd November. These pictures were taken late afternoon about a week later.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 19TH BOURNEMOUTH IN BLOOM PRIZEGIVING AT THE BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION.
We have been invited to attend and demonstrate our baskets to the 300 ladies of the Bournemouth in Bloom association. We are taking a small display and looking forward to the event although somewhat daunted by the prospect of meeting so many expert gardeners.
These are the display baskets we are taking:
Three baskets for Bournemouth in Bloom meeting.
We were made very welcome by the Bournemouth in Bloom committee at the Pavilion ballroom and set up our display which included 3 autumn baskets planted 10 days before the event, our classic box ball and an extensive slide show. We were quizzed by a number of expert ‘Bloomers’ and surprised many with the quality of our autumn displays which were very much a new idea for most people. We are looking forward to continuing our contacts with the Bournemouth in Bloom association and hope that the seeds we have planted will bear fruit and that our baskets and containers will feature in future award ceremonies by contributing to winning displays as we have already managed elsewhere.
Autumn Baskets at Bournemouth Pavilion 19th Oct 2010
Our stand at Bournemouth in Bloom awards 2010
Yesterday October 13th we hung 5 new Autumn baskets outside China China in Bembridge.
It took us about a week to get all the plants we wanted and get the baskets planted up. We have used Heucheras Obsidian, Peach Flambe, Mahogany, Fire Chief, & Sweet Tea, hardy cyclamen, pansies, violas, ornamental grasses, Euonymus Silver Queen and ivies.
Autumn 2010 China China baskets awaiting delivery
Autumn 2010 China China Baskets ready to go.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaThe baskets in situ very early on a sunny October 14th
Mrs Frances Beeton won the silver medal in the Bury in Bloom competition. Her prize winning garden featured our hanging baskets trailing into two of our two tier planters either side of her front door. She sent us this picture and very modestly said she thought they looked’quite good’.
Mrs Frances Beeton's Silver Medal display, Bury St Edmunds in Bloom
WOODFORDS THE BUTCHERS ARE THE WINNERS OF THE BEMBRIDGE IN BLOOM(SMALL BUSINESS) CATEGORY FOR 2009 &2010. For both these years we have supplied our hanging baskets and did the planting for Woodfords. In fact we also provide Woodfords with hanging baskets throughout the year, even outside the competition period and pictures of some of these baskets can be seen in other sections of the website. Mr Pang of China China was inspired by the winter baskets outside Woodfords and although a complete novice decided to plant up the outside of his restaurant. Mr Pang asked us to provide his hanging baskets but as he had already bought some from a garden centre we suggested he wait until the Autumn. Nevertheless Mr Pang made such a good job of his planting China China won the prize for the large business centre.
The pictures below show one of the baskets we did for Woodfords for summer 2010 themed in the colours of his staff uniforms. We put the baskets out at the beginning of May for the village fete. Because of the cold spring plants were backward and this picture was taken only a couple of days after planting. It filled out and got much better as the summer wore on . The other picture is of Tricias hair salon for whom we also supply the planted baskets.
May 2nd 2010 Woodfords Butchers, winners Bembridge in Bloom
May 2010, Tricias Hair Salon, late afternoon
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Autumn Baskets at Woodfords of Bembridge our local butchers shop.
Autumn Leaves theme October 12th 2010
Cyclamen & pansies October 12th 2010
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
This picture of Bembridge village hall taken in the mid October sunshine features two of our wall baskets. They were planted out by the village in time for the fete at the beginning of May 2010. What is remarkable about these baskets is firstly their enormous size but more especially the fact that they are the only flower baskets planted out in May that are still blooming. All the ordinary baskets planted out at the same time have long since died off and been taken down.
Dr Foster's wall baskets at Bembridge village hall October 12th 2010. Planted out May 2nd and still going strong
Just had a great couple of days at the Wolverton Manor show at Shorwell on the Isle of Wight. A beautiful setting, with a wonderful Elizabethan manor house. Unfortunately it rained a bit today, but luckily we were under cover. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the stall, and especially those who bought baskets. The next show we will be at is Harrogate on the 17th September. Hope to see you there!
Dr Fosters PPC at Wolverton Manor, IOW
Dr Fosters PPC will be at two shows in September.
The Wolverton Show, Sat 4th and Sun 5th
The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show, 17th September
Hope to see you there!