Gardeningadvice from Wallaces ofWellingtonbridge
EASTER
BEECHDALE’S Annual Easter Egg Hunt is on this weekend on Easter Sunday for which there is a small Charge of €2 per child. So come and see the Easter Bunny and get a bit of fresh air into the bargain. Make sure to colour in your picture and bring it in before 3pm on Easter Sunday. Pictures are available in store or downloaded from www.beechdale.ie
Beechdale Garden Centre has great offers on their Weber Barbeques for the Easter period. You can get a FREE Griddle worth €64.99 when you purchase a new 57cm Weber Charcoal Mastertouch Kettle BBQ. Many models are cheaper than they were in 2016
Are you thinking about putting some colour into your garden this summer. Now is the time to plant up your hanging baskets and window boxes. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, bring in your empty basket and let the experts do it for you. If you want to learn how to do it yourself, the next Hanging Basket Workshop will be on Saturday 6th May at 11am at Beechdale Garden Centre.
Beechdale has the best range of plants in the South East. Staff at Beechdale are keen to help you pick the right plants, so bring in plans or photos and we will guide you. For more info on events go to www. beechdale.ie and click our blog tab. Or ring us at 053-9244271 . WITH expert advice available don’t be afraid to ask for tips from our Garden Centre Manager, Mairead Jordan and staff when next you visit us in Wellingtonbridge. Here’s a few of helpful tips on flowers.
Flower gardens can turn any ordinary area into a colourful showcase or create a border that pops. Whether you choose an easy to manage perennial or a particularly showy annual, growing flowers is a rewarding addition to any back garden or balcony. Selecting the right plants for your flower garden is often a matter of preference, but with so many species and varieties available it can be mind-boggling.
We have chosen a great flowering bedding plant to sow now in April, the ‘Calendula’, better known as Marigolds. Buy in a tray from €2.99 over the coming weeks (wait until the frost is gone) or purchase a packet of seeds from €2.00.
They attract insects and providing edible flowers. Choose a position in full sun on welldrained soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Sow seeds thinly, at a depth of 1cm (1/2”) in drills spaced 30cm (12”) apart and cover seed with its own depth of soil to exclude light.
Water the ground regularly, especially during dry periods. Germination usually takes 5-10 days. Aftercare is easy Water regularly until plants are fully established. Deadhead faded calendula flowers to encourage more blooms to be produced and prevent them from self-seeding. Sow calendula seeds outdoors where they are to grow from April to May.
You will enjoy flowers in as little 10 weeks from sowing! On a Culinary note, some parts of these flowers are edible. The light peppery taste of the flowers can be added to breads for extra flavour with a touch of colour. Calendula petals can also be used as a substitute for saffron when colouring rice dishes too! See http://wallaces.ie/ garden-centre/ or call in!!