Van Hage Blog

Van Hage Peterborough Breakfast Offer

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

From 1st February our fantastic Peterborough store will be doing a 5 item breakfast with Tea or Filter Coffee for only £1.99! Served until 11am 7 days a week.

Carrot Competition Judging

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000


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Carrot Growing Competition Judging with Chas Hodges of 'Chas & Dave'. Sunday 28th August, 2011 \| from 2.30pm
After five months of planting, growing and caring for your carrots, we're inviting you back to our Great Amwell store for an afternoon of judging and music, courtesy of Chas Hodges of 'Chas & Dave'! Join us from 2.30pm on Sunday 28th August to show off your attempts at growing the longest, heaviest and funniest carrots, and discover if you've won £50 of Van Hage Gift Vouchers and a signed copy of Chas' great new gardening book, 'Chas & his Rock N Roll Allotment'. Sunday 28th August \| Van Hage Gt. Amwell . 2.30pm - Music from Chas Hodges. 3.00pm - Introduction & judging. 3.15pm - Winners annouced & prizes awarded. 3.30pm - 'Chas & his Rock N Roll Allotment' Book Signing. 3.45pm - Music from Chas Hodges. . We look forward to seeing you soon. GOOD LUCK! .

Garden Succulents

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Garden Succulents

Suc-cu-lent adj. 1. Juicy. 2. Having thick fleshy water storing leaves or stems. 3. A plant that can exist in arid conditions by using water stored in its fleshy tissues. 4. Highly interesting or enjoyable; delectable.

Sexy Succulents...

‘Sexy' may be the current euphemism for ‘Hot'... well how appropriate, as ‘Hot Plants' they certainly are! Succulents are the quickest way from novice gardener to hip garden; with trendy designer-looks that'll give talent-spotters a thirst for more!

Plants with ‘X' Factor...

Succulents have unashamed ‘X' factor - collectively known as ‘Xerophytes', they will survive with very little water, including many arid and desert-loving species.

‘Xerophytes' have adapted by altering their physical structure - characterised by their funky cacti and succulent shapes - and are cut out for life in dry or physically demanding habitats e.g. salt marshes, saline soils or acid bogs; where pure water is very scarce.

However, heat is not a necessity. Amazingly plants still qualify as ‘Xerophitic' living in the arctic, so don't be misled into thinking that all succulents are tender - some are not! - and have thoughtfully been christened "Live Forever"(Sedum or "Stonecrop", hardy to minus 26˚C.) Frozen ground often means water is unavailable for uptake, hence the name ‘Xero' meaning dry, and ‘phyte' meaning plant.

Claim to Fame...

The most famous Succulents of all are Cacti. Virtually ALL Cacti are Succulents, though NOT ALL Succulents are Cacti!

Cacti are known for their spines, while Succulents are not, however, a stunning exception to the rule is the awesome Agave. Native to Mexico, the Southern and Western United States, the ‘Maguey' as it's known to Mexicans, is world-famous for ‘Tequila', distilled from the fermented sweet ‘aguamiel' sap of its flower spikes.

Sometimes called ‘Century Plant', for their reputed age ‘til blooming, Agave are known to grow at different rates according to their growing conditions, forming towering spikes of edible flower buds when mature. Being spectacularly monocarpic, the succulent, central crown finally dies, leaving abundant suckers at the base.

In the UK, Agaves make striking pot plants, revelling in sunshine. As with all tender plants, move into frost protection for the winter, or plunge marginally tender Succulents to the rim in a gravel garden, with ample protection from this country's biggest killer - winter wet.

Dizzy Heights...

Easy to care for and even easier to propagate, succulents have many ardent admirers, seduced by their sensational good looks and heroic stoicism. Many exotic succulents come from dry areas of the tropics or subtropics, with certain species even qualifying as ‘epiphytes' or "Air Plants" - with limited or no contact with the ground, and totally dependent on their ability to store water.

In the UK, clinging to planting media, succulents make the perfect environmentally-sound ‘living-roof' material. Carpets of Sedum acre, S. album, S. kamtschaticum, S. middendorffianum ‘Diffusum' and S. Spurium, in all their attractive coloured leaf guises, intermingle to create the perfect roof-top ecosystem.

From an environmental point of view, ‘green-‘and ‘living-roofs' are especially important, helping us reduce the ‘Urban Heat Island' (our summers are predicted to get much hotter); and filtering the impact of flash summer storms.

Garden sheds, stores and outhouses can be given the ‘Succulent Treatment' at home, simply fitted with an impervious membrane and edging boards to provide depth of soil. Fortunately succulents are relatively shallow-rooted, successfully clinging to just a few centimetres of gritty compost.

Luscious Good Looks...

Currently the "It Girls", Echeveria and Aeonium are two succulent species with luscious good looks that are close to the hearts of many garden designers.

Aeonium arboretum ‘Zwartkop', meaning black head (pictured right) is the "glamour puss" of the two; dark and smouldering. Partner with Dahlias, Cannas and a wealth of ‘hot' summer bedding, for show-stopping drama in your flower borders.

‘Zwartkop' foliage becomes intensely ‘tanned' by sunlight: rich, purple-black and shiny, retaining a contrasting lime-green centre to each rosette. As plants mature, they develop thick, woody trunks; forming highly desirable architectural ‘parasol' shapes.

Echeverias are altogether more demure. Crisp, icy-sage-green, glaucous-blue or delicately flushed pink (as in ‘Perle von Nurnberg' pictured left) with a characteristic waxy leaf coating.

Perfect to gossip over, a ‘Succulent Garden' in a dish makes a low-maintenance yet stylish table decoration, with precise rosettes of juicy leaves that just beg to be touched! ...And you'll know if anyone has been unable to resist them, as tell-tale fingerprints will remain in the waxy white ‘bloom'!

JOBS IN THE GARDEN THIS WEEK:

• Dead-head rose blooms as they fade.

• Look out for chance seedlings in flower borders, and nooks and crannies in the patio. Learn to differentiate between weed seedlings and chance ornamentals, to avoid weeding-out new garden finds.

• Powdery mildew affects many ornamental and vegetable plants in summer, especially wall-trained climbers and plants in frequently dry soil. Ensure all are kept well-watered to prevent the troublesome fungus taking hold.

Fossils Galore at Peterborough Store

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Fossils Galore at our Peterborough Store

Exciting Exhibition to run throughout August!

Unearth a world of fossilised fun at Van Hage in August, courtesy of Fossils Galore Museum.

From 3rd to 30th August, the Himalaya Coffee Bar at our Peterborough Garden Park store, will be transformed into a gallery of prehistoric treasures and a stage for archaeological action.

View displays from around the world including some remarkable, previously unseen exhibits; take part in an exciting Fossil Hunt throughout the garden centre and dig for remains in a specially-built sand pit!

Philippa McKean, Store Manager at Van Hage spoke of her excitement for the event:

"We are delighted to welcome Fossils Galore to our store in August and provide our customers with an opportunity to see Jamie's brilliant collection, first-hand.

"He will be showcasing a variety of fossils from Peterborough and beyond, and we all look forward to opening a window to the past that adults and children can appreciate and enjoy."

Founded by Jamie Jordan in 2003, Fossils Galore has a collection of over 12 million fossils and works closely the local community, hosting a number of educational talks and organised fossil hunts.

For more information, visit:

www.fossilsgalore.com or www.worldfossilforum.com

Weber Roadshow Rolls Into Van Hage

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Weber Roadshow Rolls Into Van Hage

The UK's only Barbecue Roadshow Experience will be visiting Van Hage next month!

Having travelled the length and breadth of the country, the Weber BBQ Roadshow will be rolling into Van Hage Great Amwell on Sunday 7th August, from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

See Weber Experience Chef, Dan Cooper at the helm of the specially designed Airstream Land Yacht trailer (right), holding barbecue demonstrations guaranteed to tantalise your taste buds.

Learn how to roast, grill and bake on your barbecue and take away recipe cards to recreate the dishes in your own home. Put aside simple sausages and burgers to discover how to barbecue a more exiciting and varied menu to impress all of your friends and family. Plus, you'll also have the chance to taste everything that is cooked on the day!

In addition to cooking demonstrations, we will have a range of fantastic offers on selected Weber barbecues and accessories in-store on 7th August, as well as our delicious Sunday Barbecue available in the Café VH courtyard.

Hens at Home

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Hens at Home

Flight of fancy?

VISIT OUR AQUATICS & POULTRY DEPARTMENT AT GREAT AMWELL!

Ever fancied tasting the ‘Good Life'? Golden-yoked eggs, organic pest control, food disposal and recycling at its very crown - all rich rewards indeed! Not to mention plucky, clucky hens with personalities to melt your heart... well the chance is now yours as poultry keeping has become de rigueur in domesticity!

The Joy of Back Garden Chicken Keeping...

Keeping chickens at home has become opportunely fashionable - egged-on (pardon the pun) by the ‘credit-crunch', food quality issues and a general quest for a more idyllic way of life. However, take stock of all that's involved before you launch into this immensely rewarding, but emotionally-charged ‘hobby'.

The fact is, if you've never tasted fresh, free-range eggs straight from grass-kept hens then you're definitely missing out! And the colour of those yolks... glorious golden-orange and no mistake!

Within days of acquiring your hens, you'll be treating them like pets; clucking conversation in return and watching mesmerically as they scratch and peck your garden, cleaning it of pests.

Chickens are impervious to designer-labels or postcodes; only appreciating the really important things in life - like free-range liberty and a safe environment. An endless supply of fresh food and water goes without saying... as does the odd wholesome ‘table scrap', given in moderation as a treat. Clean bedding and nesting material is a must, as is satisfying the natural urge for birds to ‘perch'. But most of all, pledge to protect them from foxes (and overzealous cats and dogs!); always remembering to shut them up at night, or your venture into poultry-bliss may be short-lived and tragic!

Shop for Your Flock...

It's difficult to generalise, but like most animals, personalities and temperaments vary between different breeds and strains of poultry, making some more suitable than others for the ‘novice' owner. Friendly Sabblepoots and plumptious Pekins make great pets for children; small in the hand and fairly docile, with comically feathered-feet.

Much depends on how birds are handled during their upbringing. However, dominant red combs are a sign that birds are high-up on the ‘pecking order', though this doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be aggressive!

Domestic poultry breeds can be divided loosely into three categories - (1) egg-laying stock (2) meat production, and (3) ‘fancy' or show birds. Serious egg-layers divert their dietary nutrients into egg production, meat-type birds develop size and muscle, whilst ‘fancy foul' produce the finest feathers of the three! Cross breeds or ‘hybrids' can combine the abilities of both parents, with some renowned for their good-looks and egg-laying abilities!

True ‘Bantams' are miniature chickens, weighing-in at half the size, but still full of plucky, poultry personality - It's not unknown for a bantam hen to rule the roost in a mixed flock - however, consideration should be given to your ‘mix' as some of the ‘giant' chicken breeds, such as Orpington's, require an over-sized hen house with ‘pop-hole' to match!

It's always to be advised to buy your hens in one go - or at least within a day or two of each other, as the upset and upheaval caused by re-homing can have a serious impact on health. The agony of decision-making can easily end with you leaving the breeder or dealer with ‘one of each', if not closely supervised! This is fine, as long as birds are evenly matched, and of similar, placid temperaments? Alternatively, research your breed and buy a handsome trio- (two hens and a cockerel), quartet- (three hens and a cockerel), or brood (unnumbered birds of a similar age) - in one go.

21 weeks is the usual age for ‘point-of-lay' or ‘P.O.L', meaning young birds about to- or just beginning to lay; basically having reached breeding maturity. However, this period can vary between 16 and 21 weeks, so always check with your supplier to avoid disappointment.

Healthy, Happy Hens...

Learn to recognise unhealthy birds... as this will enable you to spot a potential problem in your flock before it begins.

Happy, healthy hens remain active for most of the day, searching for food when not sunbathing, dust-bathing or preening to keep their plumage in tip-top condition.

A pale, drooping comb (ridge of skin on the birds' head), subdued nature, unwillingness to move or eat, problems swallowing, weight-loss or obvious signs of diarrhoea, are all reasons for suspicion. If no obvious cause can be found, act immediately! Time is of the essence, as birds especially, can deteriorate to the point of no-return within hours.

Find a good ‘Avian' vet locally, or a practice which includes an enthusiastic bird specialist, for best advice and expert diagnostics.

Fancy Food, Fancy Foul...

Not necessarily! While it's important to ensure your hens receive all the daily nutrients they require for plentiful egg production and good plumage, birds allowed ample liberty are often able to fend for themselves to a greater degree, whilst in a safe environment.

Supplement their diet with ‘layers pellets', whole wheat, oyster shell and grit for the mature birds, substituting ‘growers' pellets' for the youngsters and ‘chick crumbs' for the hatchlings. Access to fresh ‘greenery' e.g. grass, vegetable leaves, plus ripe fruit and garden ‘creepy-crawlies' will guarantee the glorious golden-orange yolks promised, and a flavour that's unsurpassed!

WORMING: It's a chicken and egg situation... Don't be afraid, parasitic worms are part of a chickens' natural life - it's how you choose to deal with them and protect your hens that's most important. Parasitic gut worms (not to be confused with harmless garden worms) can infect poultry and reduce egg quality. Traditional treatment ‘Flubenvet' now comes available ready-mixed into Farmyard Layers Pellet feeds, with an easy-to-use 20kg bag sufficient to worm 20 average-sized chickens, when fed for seven days. (This clean and easy solution to the problem, and advice on alternative medicines, should be sought from the medicines' prescriber.)

VISIT OUR AQUATICS & POULTRY DEPARTMENT AT GREAT AMWELL!

JOBS IN THE GARDEN THIS WEEK:

• Keep pots, tubs and hanging baskets in tip-top condition with regular liquid feeding. If you're ‘time-poor', apply a slow-release granular fertiliser to the compost instead and water directly with a hose.

• Prune lush summer growth of Wisteria to roughly five buds from the main stem (brown wood), to encourage better flowering.

• Dead-head rose blooms as they fade.

• Harvest vegetables, such as shallots, onions and garlic as they show signs of maturity.

• Regularly remove ‘blanket weed' (Spirogyra) from pools and ponds. Spin a stick amidst the mass of green thread-like stems, to create an easily removable ‘candy floss' ball of algal growth.

The Summer Sale

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Summer Sale

Now On at All Stores!

Our fantastic Summer Sale is Now On at Van Hage Great Amwell, Peterborough and Chenies.

With up to 50% Off throughout the store including; Furniture, Plants, Gardening, Homewares and Clothing, stock up for summer at Van Hage.

For full details of each store, visit the relevant page below:

Van Hage Great Amwell

Van Hage Peterborough

Van Hage Chenies

Great Gifts for Teachers

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Teacher's Pet

Lasting Gifts for School Teachers

Sometimes it's good to give more than a wave goodbye or handshake to thank a special teacher for all they've given your child.

As summer term ends and our ‘little ones' move on - to a new class or even a new school - let's say "thank you" properly for a job well done!

Special appreciation needn't be expensive, in fact well under a fiver! - while a long-lasting and unique easy-care gift could prove the making of many memorable science lessons, and still be looking as glorious for years to come... long after your offspring have successfully graduated, with honours!

Top of the Class...

Cacti and succulents are the long-suffering ‘camels' of the plant world, with real water reservoirs. Their inner liquid is not simply clear, pure water, but made of sterner stuff - thick and viscous, yet still perfectly drinkable, and life saving for the desperate, stranded in the desert.

With over 2,000 species to choose from, it's easy to become bewildered by the range, in all their punctilious ‘fleshy' shapes and forms. Some look like candelabras or columns; others flattened barrels or balls... some even are shaped unnervingly like Mickey Mouse ‘ears' (Opuntia)! There are ‘starfish' and ‘snakes', wrinkled ‘human faces' and ‘old man's beards', covered with a dense, woolly pile, spun to fascinate and enthral.

Leaves have wizened to spines; and stems have become photosynthesising ‘monuments', full of spongy substance, and coated in resilient plant ‘wax'. With minimal water-loss and a life-giving, moist centre, Cacti and Succulents could potentially fall prey to all manner of birds and mammals, in a parched desert world. However, their armoury of thorns, pin-sharp spines and bristles (some up to 15cm long) - sometimes contrastingly coloured to help reflect light - protects against predators whilst keeping the plants amazingly cool!

But what about blooms I hear you cry? Often considered a bonus for many enthusiasts, cacti and succulents DO in fact flower - often after periods of exceptional hardship (neglect) or drought. Some buds open only at sunset (exuding their heady perfume by night), whilst others unfurl during the day. Some are designed to be pollinated by humming birds, others by insects, having tailored their flower structures to suit.

Collectively, they make up one of the most stalwart and distinctive plant groups in the natural world, and rightly deserve credit for this unique and outstanding achievement!

Home Work...

With an astonishing lifespan of 25 to 300 years, the great news is there's no need to invest vast amounts of time and effort when growing cacti and succulents as pot plants in the home, for outstanding results!

They'll survive in a mixture of soil (compost) and sand; in a well-lit, sunny location with moderately regular watering. Similar to other plants, their growing season lasts from spring to autumn, when the compost should be kept barely moist (but never waterlogged), and not too dry - perhaps watering once a month?

Probably the best way to judge watering is using the classroom ‘Pencil Test': take a wooden pencil and insert deep into the pot, remove it and examine - if there's damp soil clinging to it - DO NOT water.

Only when you find the soil dry, should water be given, thoroughly wetting the compost and replacing the plant into a dry saucer.

Breaking the Rules...

The flowers of cacti and succulents are magically exotic in appearance; often feathery, bright and showy. Most plants bloom each spring for a short period - some for only a few hours - but make up for this irregularity by their brave, audacious air!

The ‘forest' or ‘jungle' Christmas and Easter Cacti are the glorious exception to the rule, reliably flowering during their allotted season, no matter what the weather's threatening outside. Hailing from woodland areas instead of arid desert, and ranging from temperate forests to sub-tropical regions growing as epiphytes (clinging to trees), ‘jungle' cacti make excellent hanging houseplants, blooming in a choice of delicate white, candy pink, vibrant orange or bold vermillion red.

Top Marks...

So for the best appreciation gift, give the best the natural world has to offer! A brilliant teaching aid and ‘Top Pot Plant' rolled-into-one... resilient cacti and succulents every time!

JOBS IN THE GARDEN THIS WEEK:

• Deadhead summer bedding and herbaceous perennials before they set seed. Prevent a reduction in flowering and growth energy wasted on producing unwanted seed, by nipping off spent blooms as the petals fall; diverting all efforts into new buds and fresh blooms.

• Keep greenhouses and cold frames well ventilated, with doors and windows propped open day and night, to prevent ‘heat stressed' plants inside.
• Tip-prune figs to encourage bushier growth and more fruit.

• Refresh garden pools and bird baths daily, ensuring wildlife can always drink and bathe.

• Divide bearded iris after flowering, removing the old flower stalks and reducing foliage by half, to ensure a quick recovery. Re-plant with rhizomes clearly visible on the soils surface.

The Buddleja Story

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Buddleja Story

Have you heard the buzz?

New Buddleja ‘Buzz' is the worlds' first ever patio variety! Frequently known as the ‘butterfly bush', due to its attractiveness to butterflies and bees; a Buddleja or two in a pot on the patio is the perfect way to attract wildlife into your garden!

Winner of Best New Plant Variety...

Smothered in flowers from June to October, ‘Buzz' is an extremely compact and fragrant variety, based on select dwarf forms of universally popular Buddleja davidii.

Developed by plant breeder Charles Valin of Thompson & Morgan, after many years searching for a true dwarf variety, ‘Buzz' is perfect for growing at the front of a small flower border or on a balcony. Available in three delightful colours - lavender, magenta and ivory - and boasting a particularly long flowering season, ‘Buzz' is highly attractive to bees, moths and butterflies, just like its nectar-rich parents.

The result of more than seven years specialist breeding and a WORLD EXCLUSIVE, T&M's Buddleja ‘Buzz' was named the Best New Plant Variety 2010, showing major industry recognition for this ground-breaking new introduction.

Butterfly Magnet...

Now widely available, ‘Buzz' is quite unlike other Buddleja plants, which have the reputation for becoming unruly or turning into garden giants! Literally thousands of plants were grown and discarded on the nursery, before the final compact variety was selected, with perfect manners on a small scale.

Based on Buddleja davidii, ‘Buzz' boasts all the wholesome qualities which have made the traditional ‘butterfly bush' a magnet for wildlife, including huge sprays of pretty, nectar-rich flowers, displayed on manageable branches, just 3ft / 1m high.

A Potted History...

Probably the most popular of all butterfly-attracting shrubs, Buddleja are available in a variety of colours, with the most common species being B. davidii, introduced to Britain in the 1890's from central China.

Named to honour the Reverend Adam Buddle, a botanist and rector in Essex, Buddleja have the tough reputation of being tolerant of most soil types and growing conditions. Having few pests and diseases that will actually limit their growth, uncultivated species of Buddleja left unattended will take over waste ground, factory sites, railway sidings and other undisturbed areas, freely seeding, distributed by wind and rain.

As well as providing a wonderful display of colour and fragrance, Buddleja can feed around 9 different species of butterfly, as well as attracting various bees and moths to drink from their ‘nectar bars'. Commonly known as the ‘butterfly bush' they have become staples of the urban butterfly garden, playing an important role in biodiversity and the design for life.

Pruning for Greater Flowering...

Fortunately, Buddleja are generally hardy shrubs and very forgiving. They collectively benefit from dead-heading during summer, to prolong flowering, and an annual ‘hard prune' each spring.

Cut back all stems by at least two-thirds in March, removing most of the previous years' growth to within two or three buds of the base; encouraging plentiful new shoots, culminating in profuse summer blooms.

Summer Garden Party

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Summer Garden Party

Great Reasons to Get Outdoors...

Imagine the perfect summer garden party and play any style you like! ‘Fire-up the Barbie', host a picnic, serve Champagne and strawberries, or throw a classy tea party - the choice is yours. Why not invite your friends and show off your beautiful flowers, delicious home-grown fruit and stylish garden furniture?

Sports Day...

Summer is the perfect time to make the most of your garden. With school sports days and Wimbledon on the horizon, why not plan a fun games tournament of your very own, with colourful picnic wear and a great range of party games?

Kit yourself out with a vibrant collapsible picnic basket and cool bag, plus eye-catching rainbow acrylic wine glasses, for care-free dining - in fact, the whole family may never want to eat inside again...!

GAME PLAN - With a giant wooden Tumble Tower and traditional favourite Swingball set, you'll have no problem persuading everyone outdoors for a fun games tournament!

A Game of Catch...

Don't let wasps spoil your summer afternoons, lure them into a colouful glass catcher with sticky temptations, such as jam or beer... and there'll be no escape unless you let them out!

Wasps may be vital to our gardens natural ecological balance, devouring pests such as aphids and caterpillars in their droves, but they can cause mayhem in the summer garden.

As their young mature, the adults need to satisfy their sweet craving, and this is when the problems start. Usually coinciding with high summer and alfresco dining, it's surprising just how many people have an aversion to this persistent garden predator.

An array of wasp deterrents and traps are on the market, designed to make life outdoors far less fraught, and a great deal safer for family and friends!

The Winning Combination...

Champagne and strawberries, Pimms and mint... some parings, it seems, were made in heaven, especially for British summer time!

Such flavours have long been thought to complement each other, enhancing the subtle nuances of both. Popular strawberry varieties such as ‘Cambridge Favourite', ‘Elsanta' and ‘Hapil' always crop heavily, famously synchronising with Wimbledon, and a host of other top summer events.

To dine-out for the entire summer on this berry-red favourite, plant a row or two of early, mid- and late fruiting types, covering plants with cloches to further extend the season, and inhale the aroma of your own sweet crop.

Strawberries will florish in a wide range of soils; revelling in humus-rich, well-drained loam, in full sun. Alternatively, try them in hanging baskets, window boxes or space-saving, stackable ‘strawberry towers' on the patio, for fresh fruit in the tiniest of gardens. Plants remain productive for 5 to 6 years and are ludicrously easy to grow; cropping most productively in years two and three, and spreading by means of ‘runners'.

Mint, on the other hand, will make the most of troublesome shade, producing lush, scented groundcover and colonising by rooting stems. Its natural vigour makes it a hardy perennial and a great ‘no-fail' plant for beginners, along with sweet strawberries!

Traditionally it's recommended to restrict the spread of mint, by planting into a bottom-less bucket, or tub, plunged to the rim in the herb garden, to prevent Mentha taking over. However, more ornamental types (such as variegated ‘pineapple mint' or ‘ginger mint') are less vigorous than robust ‘apple mint' and ‘spear mint', the traditional favourites for sharp mint sauce.

For the taste of summer with your new potatoes or freshly shelled peas, add a sprig or two to the pot when cooking; alternatively, mix chopped mint into yoghurt for a super-healthy salad dressing; drop a couple of leaves into drinks for a refreshing bite (first twist the leaves to release the flavour); or preserve as sweet ‘jelly' or tart sauce, as the perfect minty condiment for roast lamb.

Exotic perfumes such as ‘Eau de Cologne mint', bunched under the hot tap, will not only scent your bath water, but also your entire house; while flowering ‘Buddleja mint' is a magnet for butterflies and hoverflies, adding the winning ingredient to summer planting and scented floral bouquets.

Garden Ponds

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Garden Ponds

Just Add Water...

If there's one thing which brings a beautiful garden alive, it's the addition of water! Still or sparkling; pool, pond or lake - the chance to explore a ‘whole new world' of aquatic life - simply swimming with opportunities to create a delightful place of fascination and reflection, in your own garden.

Instant Rewards...

Apart from the pond itself, there are the amphibians, insects and diverse animal life attracted to the water's edge on hot, summer days...

Colourful fish, exotic aquatics; the splash of water from a fountain or waterfall, all conjure a lush and lively picture, brought to life by the glitter and movement of water, in an otherwise static, arid scene.

So if the weather's too dry to garden successfully this summer, why not splash out on a pond, overflowing with luxuriant aquatics and teaming with fish... and yours to enjoy in a matter of days?

Swimming Ponds...

Introduced to the UK by a Hertfordshire based company, swimming ponds, or ‘natural swimming pools' have revolutionised the idea of chlorine-filled baths, offering a garden pool that's entirely chemical free.

So far, ‘Anglo Swimming Ponds' have received 7 coveted RHS ‘gold medals', the first back in 2001 at the concepts launch to the UK market, at the Hampton Court Flower Show, accompanied by the supreme honour of the ‘RHS Tudor Rose', for ‘Best Floral Exhibit in show'.

Far from being a ‘new innovation', (there are estimated to be over 20,000 natural swimming ponds on the continent), the pools clever chemical-free cleaning process is reliant on gently circulating water and the fact that the pond is designed in two parts, combining a swimming area with a regeneration zone, filled with carefully selected aquatic plants.

Amazingly, the balance of ‘natural' planting is such that pure, clear water can be guaranteed...and according to EU testing, it has been proven that swimming ponds can exceed all standards of purity and water clarity, even in public areas.

Design and Construction...

Ponds can be curved or straight, raised or sunken, edged with grass, paving or random boulders. Decking overlapping the waters' edge is a relatively new innovation - perfect for sunbathing, a summer barbecue or even a Jacuzzi - and a weekends' project for the DIY-minded.

However, a ponds design needs to be in scale with the rest of the garden, though it's better to have a singular dominant ‘feature', (fountain, statue, waterfall or series of cascading pools), rather than lots of unrelated ‘clutter'. But whatever shape you opt for, a flexible butyl rubber- or ridged precast liner will contain water in any excavation, without fuss.

Plants vs. Fish...

A keen gardener may want to include a wide variety of plants, while another owner may insist on fish... but the good news is the two can co-exist together! With careful choice, aquatic planting can be unique; brightly coloured, highly decorative, and suitable for a variety of situations, while fish, most importantly, add essential movement and can clean the pool of unwanted rubbish.

Aquatic Planting...

Pond plants can be divided into three categories: marginal, deep water and oxygenating plants. All grow best in planting ‘baskets', limiting their spread and enabling easy removal. The ‘free-movers' are the floating plants; an unusual ‘soilless' fourth group, that can simply be dropped into the pond in summer.

‘Marginals' like their roots submerged, with their decorative flowers and leaves held well above the waters' surface. A ‘planting shelf' or ledge incorporated into the design 6"-8" (15-20cm) below the ponds rim will accommodate a variety of planting ‘baskets', allowing them to be lifted out, thinned and re-planted, curtailing the often over-exuberant aquatic growth.

‘Deep water' aquatics, include water lilies (Nymphaea) and water hawthorn (Aponogeton), a South African native with floating leaves and scented white flowers.

‘Oxygenators' are the ‘lungs' of the pond and provide shelter for spawning fish. As well as increasing the waters oxygen levels in strong sunlight (tiny air bubbles can often be seen rising from the submerged foliage), they also take up mineral salts that would otherwise encourage excessive algal growth.

Amorous Amphibians...

Frogs, toads and newts are welcome visitors to garden ponds, consuming unwanted pests such as troublesome slugs and snails throughout the garden. Young tadpoles are excellent scavengers, clearing up vegetable matter and progressing on to animal foods as they grow. However, they do need easy access and an escape route from the water once they have metamorphosed into adults.

A ‘Frogitat' in the garden will provide year-round protection for adult frogs and toads - and a safe lair from which to hunt a host of garden ‘nasty's'. Cool and safe in summer, the ‘Frogitat' doubles as an overwintering residence, in preparation for their return to the water and the breeding season early next year.

Chelsea Flower Show Highlights

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011

Bigger, Better, Best...

Chelsea was, once again, full of dramatic surprises - from Cleve West's vibrant garden for the Daily Telegraph, which swept Best in Show; to buzzing wildlife meadows and the tallest-ever, edible garden at the show, topped by an Avatar-inspired flying, ‘restaurant in the sky'!

Best in Show...

Cleve's pallet of eclectic planting chosen for the Daily Telegraph was refreshing in both colour and variety, lifting his garden to another realm, and filling the space with great tranquillity.

Eagle-eyed visitors will have spied surprise ingredient, flowering Parsnips, (Pastinaca sativa), a floriferous umbelifera similar to cow parsley, in blooming acid yellow. Yet other self seeders and colonisers were scattered across the sunken gravel-garden, giving the impression that left to its own devises, the planting would evolve and shift from year to year, as seedlings appear in new crevices, amongst the sun-baked cobbles and dry stone walling.

The juxtaposition of old and new materials, such as reclaimed Cotswold stone and yew hedging, gave instant energy to this garden, and similarly many others at the show, as the dominant trend this year, was for ‘reclaimed', ‘recycled' and ‘reused' garden favourites.

Up, Up, and Away...

Vertical gardening has finally taken off! The introduction of the new vertical Polanter with built-in watering system on the entirely edible ‘B&Q Garden' attempted to ensure the nation finally gets to grips with vertical gardening, and using every space to grow their own produce.

Christened ‘the tallest ever garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show', the jaw-dropping displays vertical ‘skyscraper' was designed to encourage individuals and groups to develop new and sustainable food growing spaces - ‘vertical allotments' as it were!

Supported by a potting shed which incorporated rainwater harvesting and storage facilities, a thermal chimney, photovoltaic panels and a wind turbine; the garden was not only full of insects, but also media ‘buzz words'! The design also included ‘insect hotels' and biodiverse habitats, created by schools and youth groups, for bats, birds, bees and worms.

It's in the Sky...!

Inspired by Oscar winning Dublin animator, Richie Baneham, who created the spectacular visual effects for 3-D film ‘Avatar'; the concept of a ‘restaurant in the sky' came to fruition in the ‘Irish Sky Garden'. Diarmuid Gavin finally scooped Gold for his efforts, as a few lucky guests dined, sitting around a table in his flying Eden, hoisted 82ft in the air, dangling from the arm of a crane!

More down-to-earth, show veg displays were everywhere, with a tangible grow-your-own twist. Just as ambitious, and no-less appealing, the ‘Miracle-Gro'wers Learning Journey - Fruit & Vegetables' colourful display of radish in the Great Pavilion, appealed to artists and veg-aficionados alike.

Ravishing Radish...

As part of a larger ‘Generation Gardens' display, children throughout the country have received composts, containers and grow bags, in which to grow a wide variety of fruit, salads and vegetables, to make this Silver-Gilt winning stand possible.

Such a valuable learning journey has given them, first-hand, the skills needed to grow their own food, without an allotment or large vegetable patch, simply by utilising windowsills and hard paved areas, packed with grow-bags and raised beds. And ‘showy' varieties such as the radish, took visitors on a learning journey, from new forms, to traditional cultivars that are bringing fresh colours and shapes to our meals.

Roses - Great Gifts for Father's Day

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Roses - Great Gifts for Father's Day

Special Occasion Roses...

For the perfect Father's Day gift, or a thoughtful present for a friend or relative who enjoys their garden, a special plant can often be the ideal choice!

Fortunately, there are a wide variety sharing popular names, or named to commemorate memorable occasions. This years' ‘Rose of the Year' is no exception - why not give the incomparable gift of ‘Joire de Vivre' (or the ‘Joy of Life') to someone truly special this summer?

Roses for EVERY Occasion...

Introduced in 1982, with the aim to discover, by rigorous assessment, the best new rose(s) available each year, rose breeders across the UK are invited to submit the ‘crème de la crème' of their up and coming new varieties, before the ‘Rose of the Year' panel of judges.

Around 20 varieties are entered annually, with growth trials conducted up and down the country - from as far North as Aberdeen and South to Hampshire; from the West of Northern Ireland across to East Anglia; with plants trailed in different soil conditions and micro-climates, ensuring that award-winning varieties are truly outstanding on every occasion.

Trial by Jury...

The exhaustive field trials last for two years, and are judged by a broad spectrum of amateur and professional growers, with the most outstanding variety being selected for ‘Rose of the Year' status. This years' winner, the aptly named ‘Joire de Vivre' is exceptional - with superb health and compact growth. Nostalgic, cream to pastel-pink floribunda blooms open repeatedly, accompanied by a sweet, gentle fragrance.

Best of the Best...!

Many previous ‘Rose of the Year' winners have demonstrated their unwavering popularity since their accolade, well and truly earning their place on the list of what's considered ‘the best of the best' in the rose-growing world.

Names such as ‘Rhapsody In Blue' (2003), ‘Golden Memories' (2004), ‘Sweet Dream' (1988), and ‘Amber Queen' (1984) have graced the covers of rose catalogues for more than a decade, holding their own for flowering ability and remaining top-sellers despite more recent introductions.

All in a Name...

‘Joire de Vivre', of course, translates from the French as ‘Joy of Life' - cheerful enjoyment of life or exaltation of spirit - all apt affirmations for this exceptional rose, and arguably, Great Britain's most evocative summer flower!

Rose Growing Made Simple...

You don't need to be an expert to grow roses - no previous gardening experience is required:

• Simply choose a plant that catches your eye
• Plant it where it will receive at least 6hrs of direct sunshine every day
• And water regularly ....'Voila' - colourful roses!

With the exception of large-growing climbers, roses will also grow happily in containers, providing they are kept well-watered and fed.

Plants destined for pots always benefit from quality compost - preferably loam-based, and a propriety brand, designed specifically for the long-term growth of shrubs. Each spring and again in mid-summer, feed containerised plants and roses in the garden, with a balanced rose fertiliser, to ensure healthy growth and plentiful flowers.

In all, there are about 7 different categories of rose, largely governed by their flower shape, growth habit and size. ‘Special Occasions' roses broadly span the Patio, Floribunda and Hybrid Tea groups, giving maximum flower-power for your money and a lasting floral memory!

Summer in the Garden

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Summer in the Garden

It's Time to Celebrate Summer Outdoors...

The ‘Good News' message about growing your own is resounding loud and clear; delicious, fresh flavours; the simple pleasures of picking produce straight from your own plot; helping to reduce food miles; and the wellbeing gained from gentle, health-giving exercise, has gardeners across the country trying a host of tasty crops at home, regardless of their garden's size or location.

Self-Contained Excitement...

Ornamental and productive; for those with limited space or poor garden soil, growing vegetables in pots or containers is an attractive option. With the advantage they can be moved round to make the most of available sun, staple crops such as carrots, cabbage, beans and potatoes can transform your patio or driveway in to a burgeoning kitchen garden, along with tender tomatoes, sweet peppers and hot chillies, for exciting seasonal flavours.

‘Strip Veg' sold in a mouth-watering array of varieties is the easy way to veg-growing, offering robust young plants ready for planting out immediately. Combine with your favourite herbs in pretty pots and containers, to bring the freshest harvest of salads and aromatics, right to your kitchen door.

Time to Party...

Use your home-grown produce, to create summer barbecues with friends, for mouth-watering meals and convivial conversation. Turk / Russian kebab favourite Shashlik, combines marinated lamb pieces with delicious sweet peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and olive oil; and can be prepared well in advance, leaving you free to entertain when your guests arrive.

You will need: Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 12 mins (cooked over a hot grill)

• 1 lb lamb (trimmed of all fat, and cut into 2" cubes - leg or shoulder of lamb is best)
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to season
• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 onions, cut into eighths
• 1 pint cherry toms
• 2 or 3 sweet peppers, cut into chunks

Preparation:

1. Combine the lamb, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and red pepper in a bowl and leave to marinate (for at least 2-3hrs prior to cooking.)
2. To assemble the kebabs, lightly coat skewers with oil and thread approx 6 cubes of marinated meat onto each.
3. For even cooking (meat takes longer to grill than veg), place vegetables on separate skewers, alternating the different types to produce a colourful medley.
4. Cook lamb Shashlik kebabs over a hot barbecue grill, or under the lid of a barbecue oven, for 10-12 mins, turning regularly for even cooking.
5. Grill the vegetable skewers for just 5 mins, turning to avoid burning; until the veggies are crisp, but tender.

Serve with a fresh herb salad, scattered with the colourful ‘edible flowers' of borage, day lily (Hemerocallis), nasturtiums, and violas.

You simply cannot beat the smell and taste of outdoor cooking on a grill...!

Hot Stuff...

For summer evening warmth, gather family and friends around a patio fire; chimenea, fire-bowl or fire-pit, for a satisfying, cheery glow.

Either traditional or contemporary in design - and with fun styles to suit - new patio fires add a beautiful and sophisticated air to your evening entertainments.

Made from solid cast iron or clay, chimeneas are a Mexican tradition, and effectively a mini-furnace in design. Burning mostly wood (or ‘chim logs'), lighting is simple; radiating warmth for hours after the fire has died and the embers are aglow (especially cast iron models).

Pre-made fire-bowels and fire-pits burn solid fuel or gas - and sometimes incorporate a barbecue grill and sparking guard into the design. Portable models are also available, offering the mystique of a real fire outdoors, on the patio, deck; by the Jacuzzi or on the pool terrace.

Sparkle as the Sun Goes Down...

Extend your evenings further and bring your garden to life with a selection of garden lighting. Tea lights and Tiffany balls, LED's and lantern strings transform night time into a magical place.

Energy conscious solar-powered options don't take their toll on the environment, while LED's - the eco-friendly choice, last longer and use 90% less energy than standard household lights.

Suspend strings of fun solar lanterns from tree branches and pergolas, for a colourful party atmosphere; set jewel-like Tiffany border balls for midnight sparkle; and light hanging candles, lanterns and delicate glass tea light holders, for flickering flames as the sun goes down.

Van Hage at Green Festival Launch

Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Visit Van Hage at Green Festival Launch

2011 Peterborough Green Festival Launches this Saturday, 28th May!

See Van Hage at the Peterborough Green Festival Launch Event this Saturday (28/5), in Cathedral Square from 10am-4pm.

Now in its 20th year, the Green Festival, run by Peterborough Environment City Trust, encompasses an exciting two-week schedule of events across the city, including many with us here at Van Hage - Click Here for our event list.

Visit our stand for expert garden advice, news of fantastic new offers and even a free 'goody bag'! Also, pick up an entry form for our exciting 'Find Your 5 a Day' fruit & veg hunt launching in-store for children on bank holiday Monday.

The theme for this year's Green Festival is 'Sustainable Transport', aiming to encourage the population of the city to leave the car at home and walk, cycle or use public transport instead.

Saturday's launch will feature a range of stalls, stands, activities, entertainment, music, games, competitions, and giveaways; and what's more, it's FREE!.

Garden Projects for Children

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Garden Projects for Children

Four exciting projects for the whole family this half-term

Plan for an action-packed half-term week with your children with the help of Van Hage.

Learn how to grow a giant sunflower and make ‘hairy heads'; sow an edible window box or build a mini pond - and you don't even need a garden to join in the fun, a patio or balcony will do!

For many people, the Spring Bank Holiday is a joyful time, with a break from school or work, but at this flourishing time of year - with its mild temperatures and warm sunshine - it's a great opportunity to get stuck-in to an assortment of ‘fun-to-do' kids educational projects, the whole family can enjoy!

Project 1 - Grow Sunflowers!

Sunflowers are very simple to grow from seed - start them off in pots to keep them safely away from hungry slugs, and plant out when the seedlings are strong. Why not invite your friends to join in too, and have a competition to see whose flower grows the tallest!

You will need: A packet of sunflower seeds (choose dwarf ones if you don't have much space) - 7cm plastic pots - seed compost.

Step 1) Fill each flower pot with seed compost, and press down gently with your fingertips. Water the compost and allow to drain.

Step 2) Plant a sunflower seed 1cm below the surface of the compost into each pot and cover. Leave in a cool, bright place and keep well watered.

Step 3) When the seedlings are 10-15cm tall, remove the pot and plant the seedling into a sunny spot in the garden, pressing down with your fingertips.

Why don't you use the ripe sunflower seed heads to feed birds in your garden this winter?

Project 2 - Make ‘Hairy Egg Heads'

Get creative and make fuzzy cress heads; they will sprout edible ‘hair' within a week - and you can eat the yummy cress in salads or sandwiches.

You will need: Hard-boiled eggs - kitchen paper towels - cotton wool - cress seeds - felt-tip pens.

Step 1) Wash the empty half-egg shells, once the delicious egg has been eaten. Wet a piece of kitchen roll and screw it up in the bottom. Next, wet a thin piece of cotton wool and place on top.

Step 2) Draw a funny face on the egg shell, and scatter a layer of cress seed onto the damp cotton wool. Sprinkle with a little more water.

Step 3) Carefully place the decorated egg in an eggcup and leave in a warm, light place - remember to sprinkle with water every day! After a couple of days, the cress should start to appear.

Step 4) Once the cress ‘hair' is about 5cm tall, give it a ‘haircut' with clean scissors and use it to make a tasty egg and cress sandwich!

Project 3 - Sow an Edible Window Box

Nothing tastes more delicious than vegetables you've grown yourself. Pack a window box with new flavours to try!

You will need: A window box or patio container - multi-purpose compost - mixed leaf salad and Nasturtium seeds - vegetable plant food - bamboo cane.

Step 1) Choose a container with plenty of drainage holes in the bottom and place pieces of broken clay pot into the bottom.

Step 2) Fill the trough with compost, stopping about 3cm below the rim. Press down gently.

Step 3) Water the compost and allow to drain. Gently press the bamboo cane into the compost surface three times to make narrow trenches.

Step 4) Sprinkle the mixed lettuce seeds evenly into the trenches and cover lightly with compost. At each end of the window box press a few Nasturtium seeds 2cm into the compost and cover them.

Project 4 - Build a Mini Pond

You don't need a huge pond to give frogs, water skaters and water snails a good home - a half-barrel, big bucket or urn-like container will attract a host of wildlife. Place in a sunny spot that's in shade for part of the day, and keep clear of trees that'll drop leaves and foul the water.

You will need: A wooden half-barrel, large bucket or plastic container - small water plants - aquatic compost or garden soil - gravel - a few bricks - hose or watering can to fill.

Step 1) Place your container where you want your final pond to be (it'll be too heavy to move once filled with water) and add 15-20cm of water.

Step 2) In a fine mesh aquatic basket, add a layer of aquatic compost or garden soil, place your plants in the basket and fill with more soil, topping-off with a layer of gravel.

Step 3) Position the planting baskets into your pond, raising the plants on a stack of bricks so their gravel-topped roots are just below the surface of the water.

Step 4) Slowly fill your container to the brim, adding oxygenating plants, such a hornwort and water violets. Make sure your pond is always kept full of water.

Step 5) In the spring, ask a friend or neighbour with a pond for some frog or toad spawn to add to your barrel.

Why don't you...keep a record of all the insects and wildlife that's attracted to your mini pond?

No Hard Graft

Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

No Hard Graft

Enjoy up to 70% MORE fruit than standard plants with Grafted Vegetables!

Celebrate tomatoes in all their guises, during British Tomato Week this May 15th - 22nd.

Grafted vegetable plants have been proven to produce up to 70% MORE fruit than standard varieties!*

Last year, our Senior Horticulural Buyer, Jim Teague put this to the test, growing grafted tomatoes in bags of Van Hage Multi-Purpose Compost; the results can be seen on the right.

"In the 70's I used to watch my uncle graft tomatoes for his commercial nursery." Jim explains. "He did this to get more vigour and disease resistance and ultimately a much bigger crop.

"Last year, I jumped at the chance of growing grafted tomatoes and was really pleased with the results, even outdoors.

"I planted Elegance in a bag of Van Hage Multi-purpose with fantastic reward - I'll definitely being growing them again this year!"

Jim planted his grafted veg in 75L bags of Van Hage Multi-Purpose Compost, available on offer in-store at just £12 for 3 bags!

Our range of grafted vegetables include; tomatoes, peppers and aubergine, and start from £3.99.

*Suttons comparitive trials 2009.

Key Youth Theatre to Perform at Garden Park!

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Visit Peterborough Garden Park this Saturday (14th May) and witness brilliant performances of 'Singing in the Rain' by members of the Key Youth Theatre School.

Originally scheduled to perform in the city centre to mark the first anniversary of the Cathedral Square fountains, the dedicated arts group have been forced to relocate at the last minute.

So, after many weeks of rehearsals and hard work, we are delighted to host the event in its place. Performances will take place at 11am and 12noon in front of Le Creuset and Bedeck, just next to Van Hage.

Plus, call into Café VH afterwards for lunch and take advantage of our fantastic Chef's Special Panini Offer; including a panini of the day, chunky chips and salad for just £7.99!

The Key Youth Theatre (KYT) currently has over 200 members and is widely regarded as the best of its kind in the local area.

KYT offers young people the chance to develop their performance skills whilst working with it's fully professional and CRB checked team. Click here for more information...

British Tomato Week

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

British Tomato Week

Sunday 15th to Sunday 22nd May, 2011

Celebrate tomatoes in all their guises, during British Tomato Week this May.

Following the success of last year's British Tomato Week, the British Tomato Growers' Association is approaching this year's event with even more gusto!

The Best of British Crop...

Representing British (including the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands') commercial growers, the association Champions home-grown fruits - with their superior flavour and diverse new range. British tomato crops are grown in glasshouses, protected from frost, but have been soaking up the sun for the last few weeks.

Complaints that ‘tomatoes don't taste like they used to...' could well be true, with a staggering three-quarters of today's shop-bought fruits travelling vast distances from overseas. The British Tomato Association is proud of its produce and says that home-grown fruit has never tasted better, with super-sweet cherries, baby plums and buxom beefsteaks available to home shoppers, both on and off the vine.

Super Tomatoes...

Over the past two years, seed merchant Suttons have introduced a new range of grafted tomato plants for amateur gardeners, based on leading commercial varieties, and chosen for their outstanding quality and taste.

Commercial crops have been grown in this way for a number of years, with the benefits of extremely vigorous-growing rootstocks ensuring larger plants with even heavier crops of top quality fruits. Performing well with little or no heat in the greenhouse - saving you MONEY and ENERGY! - Grafted plants start cropping earlier and continue later into the year, giving a much longer picking season.

Plants also perform particularly well in sunny, sheltered positions outside, but are particularly recommended for greenhouse growing, where they can fulfil their amazing potential. Having a greater resistance to pests and diseases (such as nematodes, Fusarium and Verticillium wilts); these vigorous plants also display greater resilience to a variety of nutritional disorders.

It's all in the Roots...!

In comparative trials, grafted tomatoes were found to produce up to 70% more crop - and looking at the extensive root system, it's easy to see why!

Employed by commercial growers since the 1950's, when tomato selections were closely related to their wild relatives, bearing natural resistance to fungal root diseases, and the pest root-knot nematode, ‘wild' varieties coped naturally with the build-up of pest and disease inside glasshouses, due to continual production.

However, grown from seed, these resilient selections produced poor quality fruit, but provided excellent, healthy rootstocks. Onto these, cultivars (scions) chosen for their fabulous fruits and high yields were grafted.

Obviously, grafted plants today make the natural first choice for many ‘Organic' growers, both commercial and amateur alike, who wish to avoid the use of unhealthy and unnecessary chemicals to control their greenhouse problems.

Plants for Gardeners...

This season, gardeners can buy young grafted tomato plants directly from garden centres, for planting straight away. Grafted varieties include cherry, beefsteak, and mini-plum; in orange, yellow, bright red and striped variations. Recently the range has been extended to include grafted aubergines, cucumbers, sweet and chilli peppers, squashes, melons and water-melons.

The benefit is not just resistance to pests and soil-borne diseases, but also extra productivity - up to 70%, lent by the selected rootstock. As can be said for so much in life, ‘you get what you pay for' - the painstaking grafting process is carried out by hand, and as two plants go into every one produced, plants cost more than those simply raised from seed. However, for many, the advantages most definitely outweigh the cost.

If you have been plagued in the past by wilt and disappointing results, or are limited by space and an inability to rotate crops fully - needing to plant the same crops in your greenhouse year after year - grafted plants are most definitely the answer for you.

Tasty Facts...

Interestingly, because of the extra vigour of grafted plants, their roots need plenty of room to give of their best. Suttons suggest using a deep pot, at least 30cm / 12", as most grow-bags are unlikely to give the buxom roots adequate space. And when grown outdoors, allow a capacious 60cm / 2ft between plants grown in border soil.

To make even better use of a small space, choose plants that have been ‘pinched' to produce two main stems, or have two different cultivars grafted onto one rootstock.

British and Best...!

So while you're waiting for your bumper tomato harvest to ripen at home this summer, remember to ALWAYS BUY BRITISH - and support our country's tomato growers this year!

'How to...' Events at Van Hage Peterborough

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Seasonal talks and demonstrations at Van Hage. Enjoy our range of free of charge and paid-for ‘How-to...' events, hosted by our very own horticultural experts.

Royal High Tea at VH Peterborough

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Celebrate the Royal Wedding at Van Hage this bank holiday weekend with our delicious Royal High Tea!

Royal High Tea Includes...

• Tasty finger sandwiches of Coronation Chicken, Salmon & Cucumber and Sliced Egg with Cress & Hollandaise

• White Rose Cupcake

• Mini Butter Scone with a Slice of Fresh Strawberry & Clotted Cream

• Finger of rich fruit Wedding Cake

• Earl Grey, English Tea or Filter Coffee

Only £7.99 per person

Add a Glass of Champagne for £7

Available from 29th April to 2nd May. Van Hage Peterborough only.

Click the menu to the right to enlarge...

Easter Chocolate Hunt

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Saturday 23rd April | 9.30am - 5.00pm

FREE TO ENTER!

Follow the clues to win chocolate at all 3 stores!

Pick up an entry form from Customer Service at any time throughout the day from 9.30am - 5.00pm.

We will be hiding clues across each store and rewarding correct answers with tasty chocolate treats so don't miss this great, FREE opportunity for Easter fun!

Upload your photo's of the day to our Facebook page at facebook.com/vanhage or email them to events@vanhage.co.uk to feature in our online gallery!

Bank Holiday Opening Hours

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Great Amwell

Café VH at Great Amwell will be running a special £1.99 5-Item Breakfast Offer from 8am-10am on April 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 29th & May 2nd. Breakfast includes Egg, Bacon, Sausage, Beans & Tomato.

Fri 22nd Apr (Good Friday)	8.00am - 6.00pm
Sat 23rd Apr (Easter Saturday)	8.00am - 6.00pm
Sun 24th Apr (Easter Sunday)	CLOSED
Mon 25th Apr (Easter Monday)	8.00am - 6.00pm
Tues 26th - Wed 27th Apr	9.00am - 6.00pm
Thur 28th Apr	9.00am - 8.00pm
Fri 29th Apr (Royal Wedding)	8.00am - 6.00pm
Sat 30th Apr	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sun 1st May	9.30am - 4.30pm (See below)
Mon 2nd May (Bank Holiday)	8.00am - 6.00pm
Tues 3rd May onwards	Back to Normal Opening Hours
* Sun 1st May - Café open for breakfast at 9.30am. Store browsing only from 10.00am - 10.30am.
.

Peterborough

Fri 22nd Apr (Good Friday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sat 23rd Apr (Easter Saturday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sun 24th Apr (Easter Sunday)	CLOSED
Mon 25th Apr (Easter Monday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Tues 26th - Wed 27th Apr	9.00am - 6.00pm
Thur 28th Apr	9.00am - 8.00pm
Fri 29th Apr (Royal Wedding)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sat 30th Apr	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sun 1st May	10.00am - 4.30pm (See below)
Mon 2nd May (Bank Holiday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Tues 3rd May onwards	Back to Normal Opening Hours
* Sun 1st May - Browsing-only from 10.00am - 10.30am.
.

Chenies

Fri 22nd Apr (Good Friday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sat 23rd Apr (Easter Saturday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sun 24th Apr (Easter Sunday)	CLOSED
Mon 25th Apr (Easter Monday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Tues 26th - Wed 27th Apr	9.00am - 6.00pm
Thur 28th Apr	9.00am - 6.00pm
Fri 29th Apr (Royal Wedding)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sat 30th Apr	9.00am - 6.00pm
Sun 1st May	10.00am - 4.30pm (See below)
Mon 2nd May (Bank Holiday)	9.00am - 6.00pm
Tues 3rd May onwards	Back to Normal Opening Hours
* Sun 1st May - Browsing-only from 10.00am - 10.30am.

Italian Weekend at Van Hage

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Visit Van Hage this weekend (7th-9th April) for a celebration of everything Italian at all three of our stores; Great Amwell, Peterborough & Chenies.

Take advantage of fantastic themed offers and indulge in the delicious tastes of Italy available in Café VH.

Also at Van Hage Great Amwell on Friday & Saturday, Italian Market, Italia in Piazza, will be at the front of the store.

Plus, at Van Hage Peterborough - don't miss Italian Food & Wine Tastings in the Food Emporium, Herb Growing demonstrations from our expert horticulturalists and a FREE Mini Biscotti with every speciality coffee in Café VH!

** All offers subject to availability ***

Children's Pumpkin Sowing Event at Van Hage Peterborough

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Book Online Now for one of our 'Junior Gardeners' Pumpkin Sowing sessions, taking place at Van Hage Peterborough over half-term.

Chas Hodges Sings & Signs at Van Hage

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Knees were up at Van Hage Great Amwell on Sunday (22/8) as rock & roll legend Chas Hodges popped in to launch his fantastic new gardening book, 'Chas and his Rock 'N' Roll Allotment.'

Singing a selection of his best known songs from his Chas & Dave days as well as solo material, Chas delighted visitors with renditions of 'London Girls', 'Gertcha', 'Snooker Loopy', 'Ain't No Pleasing You', 'Margate' and 'Wallop' among many others.

'Chas and His Rock ‘n' Roll Allotment' is a gardening book full of funny stories and anecdotes interspersed with the author's tips for ‘growing your own'.

The book is aimed at the novice gardener and aims to prove that hoeing and sowing can be an enjoyable way to while away an afternoon and that tending a garden should be fun, rather than a chore.

While at the garden centre on Sunday, Chas kindly signed a limited number of his books for sale exclusively on our website. Click here to buy your copy while stocks last...

Did you see Chas at Van Hage? If so, we would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below or send us your photo's at van.hage@vanhage.co.uk

Van Hage Peterborough Voted Best in Midlands

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce that Van Hage Peterborough has been voted the

Best Garden Centre in the Midlands

by the Garden Centre Association.

Store Manager, Philippa McKean expressed her joy at the result:

"I am delighted that the hard work put in by the team this spring has paid off. Each member of staff has earned part of this award and should rightly feel proud of this fantastic achievement."

Many of the country's leading garden centres belong to the Garden Centre Association and each has to achieve a high level of good business practice before they can be accepted as an Approved Member. To ensure that high standards are maintained, each garden centre is inspected annually.

At GCA member garden centres you can be assured of excellent levels of service, plants of quality and associated products, together with innovative life-style displays, professional advice and information.

Van Hage Peterborough also picked up awards of merit in the following categories:

• Approach & Car Park

• Facilities for the Disabled

• Garden Centre Staff

• Garden Centre Entrance

• Checkout Area

• Customer Service Points

• Food Hall/Farm Shop

• Houseplants

• Outdoor Ornamentation

• Growing Media

• Hardy Plants

• Bedding & Patio Plants

• Indoor Lifestyle

• Garden Care

• Outdoor Living

• Catering

Plus...

Best Destination Centre - Midlands

• Lifestyle Retailer

• Gardening Retailer

• Retailer

Great Cafe Offers at Van Hage Peterborough

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Offers available at Peterborough only and not at either of our Great Amwell or Chenies stores.

Celebrating the Peterborough Green Festival at Van Hage

Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce a series of FREE gardening talks at Van Hage Peterborough next week as part of the Peterborough Green Festival.

The festival, running from Saturday 29th May to Sunday 6th June, is organised by independent charity, Peterborough Environment City Turst (PECT) working for a cleaner, greener and healthier Peterborough.

The twice daily talks at our Peterborough store will be running from Tuesday to Friday and led by our expert horticulturists in the Plant Area.

Talks start at 11.30am and 3.00pm on each day and our team will be available to answer any customer questions throughout.

The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday - Drought Resistant Plants with Stewart

Wednesday - Wildlife Gardening for Kids with Tizzy

Thursday - Growing Organically with Stuart

Friday - Green Up Small Spaces & Improve Your Environment with John

Full details of the Peterborough Green Festival can be found at the PECT website:

http://www.pect.org.uk/

Hanging Baskets - 'The History of Hanging Gardens'

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - the historical inspiration behind our modern day hanging baskets - set a standard for horticultural ingenuity that might only be rivalled by today's creative gardeners.

Despite ubiquity and their often unimaginative use, hanging baskets have an astonishing history, reputedly stretching back over 3,000 years. Towering hundreds of feet in the air, the ‘hanging' and ‘overhanging' gardens of Babylon were more a series of sky-raised terraces than ‘baskets', constructed on soil-filled pillars, featuring balconies and staircases, than cord or chain-‘suspended' planting by our modern-day standards.

Created by King Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. to console his pining wife, Queen Amyitis, the gardens were said to include planting pockets held aloft by towering columns, supporting magnificent trees of the largest size. Desperately homesick after her marriage, for the sake of her nation's political stability, Amyitis missed the steeply terraced slopes and green mountains of her homeland - a sharp contrast to the flat, parched, desert terrain of Babel. Whether the King succeeded in cheering her is not documented, but the gardens, irrigated by a series of slave-driven chain pumps lifting water high into the air from the nearby River Euphrates, brought to life an engineering masterpiece, to the wonderment of generations to come.

Fortunately for us today, it's far easier to care for ‘hanging gardens' of any shape or form. Convenient computer controlled irrigation systems, self-watering containers, water-retaining gels, specialist feeds and composts have lifted the slavish hard work from maintaining beautiful hanging baskets throughout the year.

Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn't until the arrival of the Victorian's and their fascination with moss-lined wirework, that hanging baskets really took off in popularity. From hayrack planters to ornate birdcage designs - even suspended Majolica pottery; the Victorians turned hanging basket style into an aspirational art form. Within years, overflowing flower baskets became the colourful postcard emblems of our capital cities - hung on lampposts and shop fronts in their droves.

The great news today is that instead of simply repeating old-fashioned recipes; inspired gardeners are pushing the boundaries; experimenting with new plant varieties and hitherto untried combinations - with the happy consequence of truly stunning results. And just as for King Nebuchadnezzar and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, no inhospitable climate or barren place need limit the creation of a little piece of paradise.

To create your own ‘hanging garden', first seek out the ideal basket...

Frames for baskets come in a variety of styles - from traditional wire and pre-formed plastic, to natural materials such as coir, wicker or bamboo. Some even have flat bottoms and purpose-made pockets, making planting-up even simpler.

Next, select your compost. Skimping at this stage is a false economy. The addition of swell-gel (water retaining granules), a reservoir and using quality hanging basket compost will make your life, and that of your plants, much easier. The reduced need for watering and smoothed ‘peaks' and ‘troughs' of soil moisture levels, paves the way for healthier plants every time.

If you have chosen a wire basket, firstly thickly line with fresh green moss, before adding a few handfuls of compost. Both wire and woven wicker-type baskets are notoriously free-draining and benefit from the addition of a small handkerchief-sized square of plastic lining the base, to slow the rate at which water passes through the container; creating a small reservoir or pool of moisture. Pre-cut liners are a great boon for those in a hurry, but they can look stark and overpowering at first.

Sunlight or shade, with shelter or out in the open - there are bedding plants to suit every site and situation. Ensure you include a mix of trailing plants, bushy ‘fillers' and upright specimens, for a truly balanced basket arrangement and the longest season of interest.

Moisten your compost or liner and firmly press against the sides of the basket. Poke holes with your fingers, or a pair of secateurs at regular intervals around the sides to accommodate the trailing plants; gently pushing their roots through from the outside, whilst easing their passage from within. Wrapping the roots and stems of larger plants in a sleeve of polythene will help them slide unharmed into position.

Repeat this process for row one, then two, of trailing plants - lining the base of your basket with colour, before planting a row of ‘fillers' around the rim. Top-up the compost, before adding the all-important ‘feature' specimen plant at the centre and surrounding with packing ‘fillers' to complete.

Tamp the soil down gently with your fingers and water - using the fine rose of a can or sprinkler of a hose, settling plants and compost into place.

Ideally, leave your new hanging basket on the ground, in a warm, sheltered position outdoors or frost-free greenhouse, for at least two weeks to establish before moving to its final position.

For future care, keep it simple; water daily and deadhead regularly. For perfect blooms and a pristine appearance, add a little soluble plant food to your watering can once or twice a week, replenishing the small quantity of compost fertilizer, exhausted within 6-weeks.

Alternatively, save time and fuss, with the addition of slow-release fertilizer granules sprinkled evenly onto the compost surface and watered liberally as per-normal.

If you are going away on holiday, soak your basket thoroughly beforehand and move to a shadier position. Daily attention from a friend or neighbour - or an efficient irrigation system, will ensure your hanging basket remains in peak condition, until your return.

In Your Garden This Week...

If time is short, make sure you complete these simple tasks for a more beautiful and productive plot:-

• The newest varieties and unusual colours of summer pot and patio bedding plants always sell out first. If you hanker after something new, beat the crowds and pop along to the garden centre before the weekend. Late night shopping is a boon and plants will be nursery-fresh, having arrived just hours before from the grower.

• Don't limit yourself to flirtatious bedding - veg crops, strawberries and summer herbs all make successful and productive hanging basket additions. Imagine picking ‘Tumbler' tomatoes with basil from your balcony, or thyme, coriander and dill from your doorstep, for a deliciously-different basket show?

• Sow a second crop of salad veg, including lettuce, rocket and beetroot, for sequential harvests that will last throughout the summer.

Van Hage Vixens complete the Harlow 10k Race for Life

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The Van Hage Vixens successfully completed the Harlow 10k Race for Life on Sunday (9/5) alongside hundreds of other female fundraisers!

The Great Amwell based team, led by Craft department Team Leader, Lisa Jaycocks was raising money to support Cancer Research UK's life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer.

“All of us girls have really enjoyed both training and taking part in the race.” Lisa explained. “It’s been the source of much conversation at Van Hage recently and we’re proud to do our bit to support such a worthy cause.”

At the time of writing the Vixens have raised over £1,400 in sponsorship money, with the collective total on course to reach at least £2,000 by the end of next week.

"On behalf of all the girls, I would like to thank everybody that sponsored us from colleagues and customers to friends and family." Lisa said.

"Your generosity is very much appreciated by ourselves and everybody at Van Hage."

You can still sponsor the Vixens online by clicking HERE or view pictures of them in action in our brilliant photo gallery.

The Van Hage Vixens are:

Clare Bolus, Maureen Brett, Amanda Dogan, Alison Etherington, Jackie Fegan, Mary Hall, Lisa Jaycocks, Sophie Lamkin, Vandana Modasia, Janice Morley, Pam Soall, Nadine Stevenson, Alison Tilney, Margaret West, Lauren Woodward

Summer Barbecue Demonstrations at Van Hage Peterborough

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Summer Barbecue Demonstrations at Van Hage Peterborough

Saturday 5th June, 11.30am & 1.00pm

Hot tips, mouth-watering tastings and sizzling serving suggestions from our barbecue experts.

Learn quick & gourmet grilling ideas with wine and food available to purchase in-store.

Check back regularly for more details and be sure to experience our fantastic new Peterborough store this Spring to prepare your home and garden for a summer to remember!

FREE to attend at Cafe VH. In association with Hambletons and St Theresa's Hospice, Peterborough.

Our expert Chef's will be using a Weber gas barbecue for the demo's however will be giving advice on charcoal cooking and offering customer's the chance to taste their

work first-hand!

The full 2010 range of Weber barbecues is available online here with free delivery available throughout the UK on all orders over £100.

Dianthus - 'Garden Pinks'

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Clove-scented, laced and delicately fringed; old-fashioned garden pinks are becoming increasingly popular once again.

Ideal for the front of a sunny garden border - Dianthus, including their larger-growing cousins, Carnations and Sweet William, are one of the most richly illustrated families in the botanical world.

Justifiably enjoying a revival in fortunes, these fringe-edged flowers, ‘pinked' as if by drapers shears have been highly valued for their strong, spicy scent since the Middle Ages when they first arrived from the continent.

Elizabethan fascination with the Gilly-Flower (July Flower) or Carnation (D. caryophyllus) produced many natural hybrids, including striped, bi-coloured and double-flowered forms - ultimately becoming symbols of wealth and emblazoned emblems of the aristocracy.

Derived from D. plumarius, the humble cottage pink is altogether a smaller garden plant; a hardier relative of the modern, American-influenced, blowsy glasshouse Carnation. Easily grown outside, pinks often bloom early - during May and June - providing lacy, colourful edgings to rose beds and perfumed herbaceous borders.

Like so many other old-fashioned flowers, traditional cottage garden pinks have all-but disappeared, leaving just a few of the most tenacious ‘modern' hybrids to continue their name. Dating from the late 1860's, one of the most well-known varieties still surviving today, was named for his wife by the flowers creator.

Holding her place as the best loved of all pinks, ‘Mrs Sinkins' retains true, old-fashioned characteristics; a floriferous double white flower with sweet clove scent and the buxom reputation for being a ‘good doer'. Moving up to date, ‘Cranmere Pool' and ‘Laced Monarch' offer reliable repeat flowering; more rounded petals with familiar delicately ‘pinked' edges - leading the rosy colour way through soft pink to claret and deep wine red.

Equally long-lasting as a cut flower, cheerful Sweet William makes a short-lived perennial, more often treated as a handsome bedding biennial. Freely-produced small blooms crowd tall 30-60cm stems, making lush, bushy plants with a familiar spicy scent.

Well-known for their distinctive Auricular ‘eye', cottage gardens and allotments of the past were seldom without the jollity of Sweet Williams' brightly coloured flowers.

From hummocks of linear, silvery, grey-green leaves, ‘dwarf' rock and alpine pinks cover bare soil with cushions of foliage and flowers. Stout, wiry flower stems - little more than 10-15cm high, carry delicately fringed and feather-edged blooms - perfect miniatures of their larger relatives. Ideal for sink gardens, troughs or tumbling over retaining garden walls, alpine pinks also revel in the open, sunny positions offered by pots, tubs and patio containers.

Benefitting from freely draining alkaline garden soil, (‘heavy' growing conditions are worth improving for the sake of all Dianthus, with the addition of washed alpine grit and light organic compost), traditional Dianthus are perfect for scented borders, path edges or pots on the patio. Maintain their neat and perennial appearance by regular deadheading and the removal of unwanted stalks as flowers fade.

In the Garden this week...

If time is short, make sure you complete these key tasks for a more beautiful and productive plot:-

• Mow the lawn - it may seem obvious, but crisply cut grass can make your garden look 10-times better, setting off beds and borders to perfection. Turn the blades to ‘high' and plan-out your spring lawn care programme.

• Dig over bare soil in the vegetable patch - before seedling weeds take hold. Clean the earth of unwanted leafy growth, roots and debris in preparation for early sowings of beans, peas, carrots and mixed salad leaves, making your garden a truly productive one.

• Re-stock the kitchen garden - there's nothing quite like the taste of fresh herbs with your food. Replace winter losses of coriander, dill, parsley and tarragon - experimenting with a few new varieties for delicious summer cooking.

Alan Titchmarsh Visits Van Hage Peterborough

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Van Hage Peterborough welcomed celebrity gardener and talk-show host, Alan Titchmarsh to the store yesterday (15th April) to the delight of customers.

Alan, star of BBC's Ground Force and ITV's, 'The Alan Titchmarsh Show', signed copies of his new 'How to Garden' books from 12.30pm, working his way through the large crowd that had gathered to meet their horticultural hero!

Before picking up his pen, Alan was given a tour of our stunning new Peterborough centre visiting all departments from the Food Emporium to the Plant Area.

Speaking to the Peterborough Evening Telegraph, Alan said:

"There are so many opportunities in this area to use locally grown produce. And it is important because it cuts down on food miles - the distance food travels from where it is grown to the shops - but also because it tastes better and fresher.

"For garden centres like this, the way to take gardening forward is making sure the quality and information that is provided is good, and that the choice is varied."

Pictures of Alan's visit can be seen below...

Italian Market at Van Hage, Great Amwell

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Van Hage, Great Amwell will again be host to the fantastic Italia in Piazza, Real Italian Food Market this Sunday 25th April.

Indulge and enjoy the many delights of classic Italian cuisine from 10am to 4pm, with a number of dedicated stalls supplying a variety of delicious produce.

Click here for contact and location details of our Great Amwell store.

Van Hage Vixens enter the Harlow 10k Race for Life

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Sixteen of Van Hage's fittest females have joined forces as the Van Hage Vixens to run the Harlow 10k Race for Life next month.

The Great Amwell based team is currently in training for the big race on Sunday 9th May, raising money to support Cancer Research UK's life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer.

Sponsor the Vixens online by clicking the box below and follow their progress right here at www.VanHage.co.uk.

Thank you for your generosity.

The Van Hage Vixens are:

Clare Bolus
Maureen Brett
Amanda Dogan
Alison Etherington
Jackie Fegan
Mary Hall
Lisa Jaycocks
Sophie Lamkin
Alison Mackay
Vandana Modasia
Janice Morley
Pam Soall
Nadine Stevenson

Alison Tilney
Margaret West
Lauren Woodward

Follow the Vixens online at www.VanHage.co.uk/blog

Gift Aid it!

If you are a UK taxpayer, please remember to tick the Gift Aid box when donating so that an extra 25%, plus a 3% supplement, can be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Every pound you donate really does make a difference - so please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support - Together we will beat cancer.

2010 Neptune Garden Furniture Range Now Online!

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The brilliant 2010 Neptune Garden Furniture Range is now available online at VanHage.co.uk.

An exciting combination of contemporary styles and complimentary design ensures that there is a timeless suite of Neptune outdoor furniture to suit all tastes.

Every item; whether woven, wooden, granite or glass is constructed to guarantee many summers of al fresco enjoyment for years after purchase and comes complete with standard FREE DELIVERY throughout the UK.

All of our Neptune Garden Furniture sets are fully customisable to your requirements with our unique variant selection feature, exclusive to Van Hage.

Click HERE to view the brilliant Neptune range in full or narrow your search to one of our dedicated style categories below.

	Neptune Albany & Antibes Garden Furniture The stunning Antibes range from the 2010 Neptune Garden Furniture Collection perfectly captures the chic of the French Riviera to ensure years of stylish enjoyment and comfort.
	Neptune Barcelona Garden Furniture Bringing Spanish chic in the 21st century, the Neptune Barcelona dining range is virtually indestructable, ensuring the same contemporary look year after year.
	Neptune Bordeaux Garden Furniture Crafted from traditional oak, the Neptune Bordeaux range offers a great strength, durability and sophisticated comfort for all guests.
	Neptune Cadiz Garden Furniture Inspired by the great Spanish city itself, the brilliant Neptune Cadiz range is a popular choice for those looking for stylish all-weather weave furniture this summer.
	Neptune Cannes Garden Furniture Perfectly capturing the ambience of the Mediterranean, the stunning Neptune Cannes range uses brushed 304 grade stainless steel for ultimate visual appeal.
	Neptune Monaco Garden Furniture A fusion of classic Italian style and traditional French Panache, the elegant Neptune Monaco range has a powder-coated finish rendering it perfect for any climate.
	Neptune Montpellier Garden Furniture Classically styled to reflect the famous sun-drenched city in the South of France, the Neptune Montpellier range compliments and contrasts perfectly against lush green surroundings.
	Neptune Murano Garden Furniture Designed to reflect the relaxed tranquility and peace of Venice, the beautiful Neptune Murano willow weave furniture blends effortlessly into any garden or conservatory.
	Neptune Panama Garden Furniture Drawing inspiration from the majesty of the Pacific Ocean and the rich flavours of the Caribbean, the Neptune Panama range provides the best of both wood and weave furniture.
	Neptune Pesaro Garden Furniture Reflective of the continental atmosphere of Adriatic coast, the Neptune Pesaro range has been beautifully constructed from luxurious all-weather weave with eye-catching results.
	Neptune Provence Garden Furniture Similar to the Monaco range, the Neptune Provence collection is a marraige of classic French styling and genuine stone to create stylish and comfortable sets of the finest quality.
	Neptune Teak Garden Furniture Expertly crafted from the finest quality timber, the wonderful Neptune Teak range is offered in FSC - a natural choice in today's environmentally conscious world.

Our website sales team is on hand to assist you through every stage of your order, giving you the same confidence online that our customer's have come to expect in each of our award-winning stores. Please do not hesitate to contact us at van.hage@vanhage.co.uk or on 01920 870 811 should you require any further assistance or information.

Alan Titchmarsh at Van Hage Peterborough!

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce that television gardener and best-selling author, Alan Titchmarsh will be visiting our Peterborough store for a book signing on Thursday 15th April from 12.30pm.

Alan sprung to fame as the host of BBC One's 'Ground Force' in 1997, travelling far and wide with fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh to tranform the gardens of lucky families across the country.

Since 1983, Alan has also presented coverage of the annual Chelsea Flower Show for the BBC, as well as other popular shows including; Songs of Praise, Breakfast Time, British Isles - A Natural History and 20th Century Roadshow.

Currently, Alan is the host of his own daily chatshow on ITV, 'The Alan Titchmarsh Show', providing the British public with a celebration of all the country has to offer from well-known celebrities to unsung heroes.

Off-screen, Alan has written around 40 gardening books in addition to two autobiographies and numerous novels, and even fins time to present his own show on BBC Radio 2.

In his new 'How to Garden' books, Alan imparts a lifetime of expertise in definitive, practical guides for both beginners and experienced gardeners alike. Filled with step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, the brilliant 'How to Garden' range provides a comprehensive gardening library.

Join Alan at Van Hage Peterborough on Thursday 15th April where copies of the new 'How-to-Garden' range will be available for just £6.99 each!

Daphne - 'A divine addition to your garden"

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Delve below the surface and you will find that Daphnes have so much more to give. Why else would such a beautiful flower, with an intoxicating scent, bear a woman's name? Under the alluring banner of ‘Romance Plant', this choosy British native has the power to cause gasps of admiration and despair.

Shrouded in storytelling mystery, Daphnes are little more than shrubby members of the Thyme (Thymelaeaceae) family; also found across much of Asia, Europe, Siberia and northern Africa. With scented flowers and poisonous berries, fanciful writers have found the opportunity to discover something sinister about their colour and scent, but neither the pink nor the creamy white varieties (with albino-yellow berries instead usual of red-black) deserve hostility on this account.

Noted for a lack of petals, bearing instead four (rarely five) refined waxy sepals, and the most pungent, hypnotic fragrance, many Daphnes are at their best in the depths of winter. Part of a family of 50 or more delightful species; made up of deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen types, their homeland habitats range from lowland woods to mountainsides. Typically, plants originating from higher altitudes are deciduous or barely foliated during winter, while those from lower slopes and woodland tend to be lushly evergreen, and a little less hardy.

Nevertheless, it is their often-stinging price tag that leaves admirers reeling; years of nurture and nursery care, not to mention the surgically accurate ‘grafting' process, generates a tab that takes some explaining. Grafting is one of the horticultural world's greatest assets - the ability to unite healthy, vigorous roots with selected, floriferous top growth, is the recipe for establishing success and vigour every time. Daphnes benefit too; the majority are in fact grafted, onto extensive, easily grown D. tangutica or D. mezereum rootstocks - resulting in strong plants, that grow away quickly, and thrive in a variety of garden situations.

Alluding to her romantic past, Daphne takes her name from ancient Greek mythology. Struck by one of Eros's ‘love arrows', infatuated Olympian god Apollo pursued the innocent nymph Daphne, mercilessly. Often depicted in paintings sprouting branches during her transformation into a leafy laurel bush in escape, Daphne foliage is indeed reminiscent of this sombre evergreen. However, there are just as many deciduous or semi-evergreen forms, flowering early in the year, including D. mezereum (the ‘February Daphne') and May flowering D.x burkwoodii ‘Somerset', which are equally alluring semi-naked. Studded with sweetly scented, rigid waxy sepals, star-shaped and in shades of pink to white, their versatility of habitat makes it possible to have near-continual blooming and heady scent for most of the year.

Though for sheer power of perfume, the name Daphne odora says it all! Perhaps one of the most sort-after and deliciously scented of all shrubs - a heady fruity, lemony mix begs to be inhaled deeply time and again. This ‘winter Daphne' is tolerably hardy and thrives in any sheltered, sunny border, ideally close to pathways or patio doors. Neatly domed to a height of 1.5m (4ft), gold-edged form D.o. ‘Aureomarginata' remains attractive throughout the year; prized for its variegated foliage and deliciously scented flowers. A favourite at RHS garden Hyde Hall, Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill' forms a sizable shrub, reaching some 2.5m (8ft) by 4m (13 1/2ft) spread. Intensely fragrant, 2cm flowers are purple on the outside with a white or pale pink centre. Originating from the Himalayas, the species is part of the group known as the ‘paper Daphnes' - when once both rope and paper were made from its sinewy bark.

Sadly, Daphnes have a reputation for being difficult. In general, they prefer a cool, well-drained sandy loam and a sunny position - though some will happily tolerate shade. At least a few forms, notably D. bholua, D. x burkwoodii, D. laureola , D. mezereum, D. odora, and D. tangutica thrive in alkaline conditions, preferring plenty of moisture during the growing season, but avoiding waterlogging in winter. Unusual for shrubs, Daphnes have the habit of rooting ‘straight down', rarely going sideways, so everything that lies beneath their feet, including compacted clay or sub-soil, is of paramount importance. However, once they have developed a good, probing root system, they are able to survive the vagaries of the average British summer unscathed.

Nurserymen recommend steering clear of organic mulches for sun-loving types, in favour of gravel, to prevent wetness around the stems and the risk of damping-off during winter. Many varieties are also surprisingly tolerant of atmospheric pollution, growing well in London and benefitting from the added protection of tall buildings and walls. Though Daphnes can be persuaded to grow in pots, be wary of ‘slump', when the compost becomes stale and looses airspaces between the particles, leading once again, to deadly waterlogging. The simple answer would be to pot-on, but as Daphnes are contrarily resentful of root disturbance, tackle this with caution, in favour of finding a permanent planting position, in deeply prepared garden soil.

By considering their natural habitat, or choosing more robust, grafted, garden-worthy plants, it is possible to find a Daphne tolerant of just about every garden position. From D. cneorum (the ‘Rock Daphne' or ‘Garland flower') perfect for poor, stony ground and alpine planting; to tough beginners-favourite D. tangutica (the ‘Sweet Daphne'), or woodland native D. laureola (the ‘Spurge Laurel') for shade - Daphnes can indeed bring romance and seductive scent to your garden. However, always remember you are dealing with a lady and never comment on the price!

Join us on Facebook!

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Join us on Facebook!

Join Van Hage on Facebook and receive details of our latest online and in-store offers, our brilliant seasonal events and details of all that's happening at each of our three centres.

Browse our many photo galleries, interact with fellow fans, learn about exclusive Facebook-only competititons and let us know what you would like to see at Van Hage in the future!

Simply click the image to the right to join!

Van Hage Peterborough NOW OPEN!

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce the opening of our fantastic new Peterborough store earlier today (5th February).

Situated at the heart of the brilliant Peterborough Garden Park development, it is set to become one of the country's premier garden & leisure centres.

With over 130,000sq feet of retail space containing a wealth of inspirational products and attractions, Van Hage Peterborough offers a shopping experience like no other.

Stunning interior design showcases various gardening and lifestyle areas including a vast Food Emporium, stylish clothing ranges and a dedicated floristry department.

Customers can relax and recharge in Cafe VH serving a selection of food and drink sourced from the best local ingredients or simply sit-down and unwind in the atmospheric Himalaya Coffee Bar.

The buildings main feature is a stunning glass atrium, inspired by the beautiful glasshouses of Kew and Wisley, providing a pleasant shopping environment for all visitors to the store.

For over 50 years Van Hage has established itself as a leading name in the garden and leisure industry, winning a number of prestigious awards along the
way including gold medals at Chelsea Flower Show.

With an unrivalled dedication to excellence and a deep-rooted commitment to customer service, a visit to a Van Hage store is a truly inspirational experience for green-fingers both young and old.

Friendly, knowledgeable staff, innovative products and exciting seasonal events, make every Van Hage store an exciting and memorable trip for all the family.

Visited the new store? Leave your comments below...

Van Hage in National Award Success

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce that our Great Amwell store has won the Ruxley Rose award for the Best Plant Area in the UK.

The competition, organised by the Garden Centre Association is designed to reward industry excellence in the display, quality and customer service of plants in stores throughout the country.

Having been initially crowned best in its region (North Thames), Van Hage Great Amwell joined our new Peterborough store (Midlands) in the final national round of judging.

More to follow...

Peterborough Gallery - January 2010

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

With our new Peterborough store due to open in just a couple of weeks time, we are delighted to bring you a selection of photos offering a glimpse of what to expect!

As opening day approaches, we will be developing the Peterborough section of the website to include a wealth of information about the stores various departments, product ranges and contact details.

We warmly welcome your feedback on our blog and look forward to sharing our brilliant new store with customers when it finally opens on Friday 5th February.

Either click here or the picture above to view the latest images!

Autumn Flowering Gentiums

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The element of surprise is a pleasure in early autumn. Since the end of August, blue flowers have been a scarcity, with fading-bedding blues and wishy-washy mauves. But the crisp, cool days of autumn bring the purest pigment of them all - with Gentians, in unfading "true blue".

It's a thrill, in September, to turn a shady corner and be startled by the Willow Gentian (Gentiana asclepiadea) - named for its elegant arching stems and slender willowy leaves. Its colour is breathtaking; a glorious dark blue with veining, opening from long, pointed buds, with or without white-speckled throats.

A woodland native of semi-alpine European slopes, once carefully established in deep leafy soil, sheaves of stems multiply, opening classic "gentian blue" trumpets from every leaf-joint, on the upper part of each tall 60-90cm (24"-36") stem. Perfect partnered with ferns and small, late-flowering bulbs, Willow Gentians thrive in partial shade, surrounded by moss, grasses and the soothing sound of trickling water.

Just one of the 400-strong Gentianaceae genus of hardy annuals, biennials, deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen perennials; mainly alpine, gentians are found scattered across much of Europe, North America and Japanese woodland. Bell, trumpet and urn-shaped flowers open from spring to autumn, depending on variety, predominantly in shades of intense blue, but also rarely in red, white or astringent acid-yellow.

Legend has it that Illyrian King Gent, from whom the plant takes its name, used the flower to heal his wounded soldiers. Found growing in South-Western Montenegro, the King discovered the flower's healing properties in the city of ‘Sac', hidden in a Western corner of today's Balkan Peninsula. Some species are still harvested for their medicinal uses, and more particularly their roots, for a variety of bitter aperitif liqueurs, including ‘Suze' from France and famous Italian Campari.

Spreading herbaceous Gentiana septemfida bears neat, ground-hugging, paired mid-green leaves, covered in late summer, with terminal clusters of intense blue flowers. One for full sun and neutral to acid soil in pots, tubs, window boxes or the front of the rockery border, this little "September Gentian" remains a star amongst ground-coverers spreading up to 30cm (12") on prostrate, trailing stems.

Similar, but remaining semi-evergreen, rosette-forming G. sino-ornata bears deeper green, finely pointed, lance-shaped linear leaves, studded with huge cup-shaped 6cm (2 ½") deep blue trumpet-flowers in autumn. Intense, and one to stop visitors in their tracks, rockery diva G. sino-ornata cuts to the quick in any autumnal arrangement: try it potted in ericaceous compost, amongst seasonal harvest displays of pumpkins, squashes and gourds - or underplanted with shocking pink "naked lady" Colchicums, a fellow native of the high alpine meadows, and freely available to plant from the end of August onwards.

So the next time you wish to take someone aback in wonder and amazement, enlist the support of true-blue gentians, and never lose the element of surprise!

From the Garden Gate...

With the start of the ‘Autumn Term' and a ‘nip' in the air, Nature provides some of the best decorating ideas, with rich, glowing colours of the season.

• The warming "hedgerow" shades of berries and turning foliage offer seasonal inspiration for table settings and decorative wreaths; perfect gift ideas and soft furnishings.

• Single-out leaves of beautiful shapes and tie around chunky church candles with a wisp of twine, and finish with a haw berry garnish.

• Sprigs of hips, haws, nuts and berries, without leaves, dry well and offer colourful mixtures of damson-purple, crimson and orange (Callicarpa, Cotoneaster, hawthorn and Pyracantha) - perfect for simple autumnal wreaths.

• Savour the flavours of the season on a bright, sunny day, with alfresco dining - making the most of harvest fruits, wholesome preserves and hardy vegetables.

• Straight from the Farmers Market, local produce; handmade cakes and cookies, ‘wild' mushrooms, local meats and cheeses offer simple delights and a taste of some of the best things in life.

A Fruitful Pastime

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"Growing our own" has never been more popular, with fruiting plants offering a mouth-watering cornucopia of pears, peaches, figs and nectarines for a sunny wall; or desert apples, cherries, mulberries and damsons for slight shade.

Needlessly regarded as difficult, fruit is often left cautiously "to the experts"; but in reality, it's no more challenging to look after than many attractive ornamentals; often requiring similar pruning, training and feeding to bush roses and clematis.

"Top fruit" (trees), "soft" and "cane" fruit (bushes), and "vine" fruit (grapes or climbers) are woody-stemmed survivors, cropping happily, year-after-year once established, with flavours that surpass anything bought in the shops.

For fruit to succeed, choosing the right aspect and taking advantage of the different microclimates within the garden, is crucial for a bountiful harvest. With some parts of the garden receiving more sun than others and certain fruit species, needing more warmth and shelter to crop well; it's possible to work out the most favourable places within your garden, and plant accordingly, growing the fruit of your choice from the very start.

Make the most of boundary walls and fences, existing mature trees and nearby buildings, to provide shelter - even relatively small gardens experience different microclimates within their four-walls. Knowing which way your garden faces is key, with southern parts receiving most of the sun; the East, the cooler morning light, and the West soaking up the last rays of the day. Even the cold and shady North can benefit from bright, but indirect light and often a little sun in winter.

For a warm southerly aspect, go for tender species that are unlikely to thrive elsewhere. Apricots, figs, kiwi fruit, peaches and grapes; even citrus and olives love to take advantage of sunshine for most of the day. A patio or decking area close to the house may benefit from "radiant heat" (releasing stored energy from sunshine) - and generating ambient warmth throughout the night. Offering an ideal area for growing more tender fruit and those needing a longer ripening season; apricots, figs and peaches relish the warmest parts of the garden.

Take advantage of dwarfing rootstock to grow "miniature" varieties in large pots, perhaps underplanted with soft fruit such as strawberries; and a pergola draped with grapes, planted through a hole in the deck or paving, into a well-prepared bed in the ground.

The cooler East only receives sun in the morning and is largely in shade for the rest of the day. Blackberries, raspberries, tayberries and boysenberries all crop well here, along with blueberries on acid soil; dessert and cooking apples, medlars, currants and plums.

As the second most favourable spot in the garden, the West is ideal for fruit. A pale-coloured wall reflects light back at the ripening crop, with wall-trained versions of familiar favourites offering the distinct advantage of taking up even less space. (Look out for space-saving fan-trained, espalier and cordon varieties.) Even in the lawn, attractive specimen black mulberries, pears, plums and sweet cherries produce fruits that taste just as fine as they look.

Often thought of as cold, dark and dank, a gloomy northern aspect can still produce a respectable crop from the most shade tolerant varieties. Sour morello cherries (add plenty of sugar when stewing), cooking apples, hardy gooseberries and resilient rhubarb (strictly speaking a vegetable), are well-worth trying.

Early fruiting varieties here too are a boon, and although North-aspect fruit may not taste as sweet as sunnier crops - (sugar levels in fruit is directly related to the amount of sun they receive); and the yield may not be quite as high - they can still offer a worthwhile harvest, of delicious, sharper-tasting, fruits and berries.

"Growing our own" offers a mouth-watering array of tempting varieties, far beyond the limited supermarket brands - and just as with home-grown vegetables, "the fresher the crop - the better the taste!" So stand convinced; every garden border around the compass can accommodate at least few trees or a couple of bushes, in pots or the open ground, for a deliciously productive summer harvest and many fruitful years to come.

From the Garden Gate

Though rootstocks are considered the "greatest revolution in home fruit growing", there is often so much confusion surrounding their selection and individual benefits, as to can make the casual shopper feel bemused.

• In simple terms, "rootstocks" restrict the ultimate size of the varieties grafted onto them and encourage cropping from an early age. In effect, this allows gardeners to squeeze more trees into a smaller space and makes them easier and quicker to prune, protect from birds, bad weather and hungry wildlife.

• In reality, when gardening on poor soil, you many need a little extra "oomph!" so choose a slightly more vigorous rootstock, than the tree you wish to produce. (The poor cultural environment will do the rest, limiting the ultimate height.)

• Divided into "most dwarfing", "dwarfing", "semi-dwarfing" and "semi-vigorous" across the spectrum of apples, plums and pears; individual code numbers and names for each variety are unique and well-worth investigating, prior to purchase, to satisfy your cultural requirements and tastes.

Skating Tickets On-Sale NOW!

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BOOK YOUR TICKETS FOR THE 2009 VAN HAGE REAL ICE RINK NOW!

Promising to be even bigger and better than its spectacular debut in 2008, the 600sqm Van Hage Ice Rink is guaranteed to become a festive experience to cherish over the magical Christmas period.

Tickets for all sessions are available to purchase exclusively at vanhage.co.uk, using our brilliant new booking system which includes the following great features:

LIVE TICKET AVAILABILITY

See the number of places free on every session in real time! Avoid disappointment and book your tickets for busy sessions before they sell-out. Take the stress out of internet shopping and relax in the knowledge that your skating is secured.

PRINT YOUR OWN TICKETS

Once your order is complete your ticket/s containing unique reference numbers, will be automatically generated for you to print and store until your time to skate. A copy of your tickets will also be sent to your email address for future printing should the orginals go astray.

Simply present your printed tickets at boot hire when you turn up to skate to redeem your place on our magnificent outdoor ice rink.

NO BOOKING FEE

Unlike other ice rinks and ticketing agencies, we do not charge a fee for booking online - whether you buy one or 100 tickets!

Click HERE to book your place on the ice or to view the full details of our fantastic Outdoor Rink.