Wiggly Wigglers

Terry Walton writes about Bokashi.

2013-08-09T19:10:00.000+01:00

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What a strange name for a bucket sized composter that in my case sits outsides my kitchen door. I tried to convince my wife that it would look good on the work surface in the kitchen, and it would, but to no avail it sits outside. When I first received one of these units I thought why have I done this when most of my kitchen waste is handled rather nicely by my wormeries? But like all adventurous gardeners who will try anything for great compost and love recycling everything it was in for a penny in for a pound.

The great advantage of this air tight unit is that kitchen waste such as meat, bread and fish ‘bits’ can be composted into useful ingredients for the compost heap with no smell and free from those nasty rodents who would soon find a well fed home on your compost heap if this foodstuff was added to the main heap.

So kitchen scraps are added to this bin regularly and then covered by this magical ingredient, the bran, which sets free millions of micro organisms that quickly convert this useless waste into a gardeners dream! Yes, I used to buy, yes buy, an accelerator to add to my Dalek type compost bins but after a few weeks the contents of the Bokashi are added to my compost bins and do this super job for free. A thrifty gardener’s delight!

But not only do I get this great compost accelerator but in the reservoir at the bottom of this ‘modified bin’ there is this pale yellow liquid that is rich in nutrients. A table spoon of this liquid added to a gallon of water gives me a free plant food which perks up my vegetables. These constant free by products makes my pocket feel much happier.

So good was my supply of these materials that I have a two bin system now that means as one completes its composting cycle the other one is still producing.

During the winter months I still add the contents of the Bokashi to my compost bins but the yellow liquid flowing freely from the reservoir is no longer required to feed my dormant plants. So this product does not go to waste but is poured down my drains and these millions of little bacteria clean my plumbing by munching on the ‘nasty’ waste that builds up in the pipes.

What a system! Not only do I have the best compost, the best fed vegetables during the growing season but my wife is happy we have the cleanest drains in the locality! All from two plastic bins and also that magical bran!

Wiggly Wedding Flowers

2013-07-25T17:11:00.004+01:00

Thanks so much for your letter both - looks like a lovely doooo

Hi all at Wiggly Wigglers!
I have only just had the chance to send you a HUGE thank you for our wedding flowers! We ordered a number of boxes of cut flowers for our relaxed wedding as we loved the idea of not knowing what we were going to get and trusted the Wigglers team to send the freshest most seasonal available – you certainly did not disappoint.
I ordered a ‘baby posy’ for my bouquet, but crikey….baby??? It was a brilliant size with the most beautiful flowers, wrapped with hessian and lace and pinned delicately with a pearly stud – PERFECT.

Thanks you so so much for delivering exactly as requested and making that part of our wedding planning so simple.

Attached are a few photographs of us setting up the flowers, the barn in its floral glory and my bouquet.

Thanks go to you all, keep up the good work!

Helen and Graham

Guest Blogger - Mr Terry Walton - talking about his wormery :0)

2013-04-21T09:58:00.001+01:00

THE WORMERY

As every gardener knows the worm is their unseen, hard working ally. They beaver away below ground aerating the soil and taking nutrients from the surface to nourish the plant roots beneath the soil. A good, nutrient rich soil has a flourishing population of worms and is a great barometer to a gardener that their soil is in good condition.

Imagine my delight when I was to take possession of a Wiggly Wigglers wormery. I naively thought this was a place where I would breed worms and release them to my soil. Then one wet morning on my welsh hillside allotment came Richie baring this special piece of ‘kit’ for my plot. ‘What is he doing with a black plastic dustbin on legs ‘I pondered? He quickly assembled it and explained how it functioned. There was a reservoir at the base which collected all the juices from the worms released when they munched through my kitchen waste. He then put on the first tray and showed me a compressed material he was going to use to start off the process. ‘No’ I said ‘let’s use some of the good material from my compost heap and give them a happy home. ‘Whilst putting a couple of big handfuls of this good material into the tray I spotted one of my own worms amongst this material. Richie then was about to introduce about a thousand new worms into this compost when I said ‘stop there could be trouble if my worm spots these intruders in his compost.’ I had visions of the film Zulu in my mind as this lone welsh worm singing the strains of ‘Men of Harlech’ tried to repel these invaders. But no, fortunately he accepted them as friends and soon I swear as I passed the bin each day I could hear the strains of Cwm Rhondda!

I then asked ‘how do I keep them well fed?’All that is required he explained was to collect my kitchen waste in a large caddy and anything such as tea bags , fruit off cuts, peeling of vegetables and top up the wormer as required without over doing the fresh ‘stuff’ until they had consumed most of it. Please avoid citrus fruits and onion parts as they are not fond of these acidic things. When the first chamber is full, place the next chamber on top and continue filling that one and the worms will evacuate gradually the lower one in search of new pastures .Then finally when number two chamber is full add the third one. By then all the inhabitants of chamber one will have gone and I am left with a pan of super compost.

I use this early in the season as a 25% mixture with multipurpose compost to fill my pots to grow on my vegetable plants and they thrive in this super mixture and many of my fellow allotmenteers look on in envy at these healthy young transplants! Then during the summer months this rich compost is used as mulch around my beans and for a bumper crop putting other bean growers to shame! Word of caution , wash that cup thoroughly before going to the shed for a brew of coffee, it does not add to the taste!

The rich liquid is used weekly as a feed for all my crops and half a tea cup full in my watering can acts a great stimulant to all my crops and is a free by product saving me spending my hard earned cash on proprietary feeds!

All these wormeries need from time to time is the addition of some lime correcting pellets it control acidity and as a special treat I give these hard working worms a few pellets of worm treat.

During the winter months the wormeries are housed in my greenhouse and the production of the rich compost goes uninterrupted for twelve months of the year. During the spring and summer they are housed at the bottom of my plot and get the morning sun to ensure they are up early and working and then they are in the shade by some distant trees from the heat of the noon sun.

Look after your worms and they thrive and bring rich rewards. You know it makes sense!

What a week we've had!!!

2013-03-17T08:44:00.003+00:00

Dear All
This weeks news!

New Website - FREE DELIVERY
A big welcome from all of us here to our brand new lovely websitewww.wigglywigglers.co.uk

Built by I-Resources http://www.i-resources.co.uk/ with branding from Brand Tonic http://www.brandtonic.co.uk/ , I hope you will not only like the look of it, but also enjoy the benefits. Subscribe and Save means you can benefit from a discount on a regular delivery of a product like mealworms or flowers, but at the same time not have to pay up front (proper cool). The feature we think you will really really like though (because you have asked us for it time and time again), is FREE DELIVERY.
Yep, free delivery even if you choose a day, or order for next day (before 3pm).
Of course a new website takes a little getting used to so please give it a go and allow a little more time as you get used to it. It's performing really really well, but if you need any help just call us 01981 500391
www.wigglywigglers.co.uk
And of course thank you for your orders - they are much appreciated.

MEALWORMS for COMIC RELIEF
As one of the UK largest suppliers of worms - and having a name like Wiggly Wigglers you do get some odd requests...
None more quirky than last week, when Radio 1 phoned up to ask for a bath-ful of mealworms to put their breakfast DJ - Nick Grimshaw into to raise lots of money doing something funny for Red Nose Day! We were pleased to help and took about 2 million of them up to BBC Broadcasting House where we met up with all sorts of celebs - Lenny Henry, Jesse J etc etc (you can see the full list and lots of photos on our facebook page Our mealworm delivery seriously helped them raise £145k directly and San and I - the "mealworm carers" had a proper giggle!

Anyway, always keen to do our bit - once we had extracted all the Mealworms from Young Mr Grimshaws vest and shorts (that was my job....), we brought them back to Wiggly HQ, cooled them down after all the excitement, and they are ready to sell! These recycled mealworms will be just as tasty for your birds (maybe more so!) and for every 3 tubs you buy we will donate £1 to comic relief at our page.

You can of course sponsor directly if you enjoy the Wiggly Mealworm Adventure Story - we will leave that to you.

BRITISH BRANDS and BRITISH FLOWERS
Can you help? We are looking for companies and especially British Brands who may find our services useful in terms of British Flowers.... We have already supplied the BBC, The House of Lords, and Jigsaw, and now we have just signed up our local Mini dealership.... whohooo! The advantage to the Brand is that if they are supplying a British product it makes sense to complement it with British Flowers. So, for example all the Jigsaw shops just use British Flowers, the Mini dealership will have a card in with their flowers explaining their commitment to British Flower Farmers. Apart from this, the flowers are fresher, they are scented and they are seasonal. We are not expensive and very keen to give good service through our specialist florist brand The Great British Florist If you think this might be of interest to your company, or shop, or brand please drop me an email; wiggly@wigglywigglers.co.uk and we will see what we can do. (no pressure, no hassle)

And finally
There's no way out of this one - it's Bad Joke Time...

What do worms leave round their baths?
The scum of the earth!

(sorry)

Heather and Team Wiggly
at Wiggly HQ

Free Flowers from Wigglys.... and you

2013-01-13T16:36:00.002+00:00

Every now and again we invite our enews subscribers to nominate someone to receive a free box of cut flowers from Wiggly Wigglers. It's just a nice gesture and I have just spent a few hours reading through the nominations. Wow! There are some really amazing people out there doing really fantastic things.

Here's the email to give you an idea of what we were looking for:

"...and even better it's time for a New Year Wiggly Treat
We have 3 boxes of flowers to send out completely free to deserving recipients next week. (We like doing this every now and again and there are lots of lovely tulips and daffs about at the mo - so its a good time too)
If you have a lovely reason to send somebody who would really appreciate some flowers (for a very special reason) - please let me know and we will pick out the best ones and send them along.
Perhaps its a care home so the flowers would be appreciated by lots of people? or perhaps they are for someone who has done a really good deed?

REALLY IMPORTANT - How to nominate someone.
Email us
with the subject line
Free Flowers.
The name of the person they should go to
and the really good reason why this would be lovely for them and why you want to nominate them.

We'll choose 3 from the nominations - and we'll come back to you for all the details"

We received hundreds of entries and each person was either going through a really hard time or had helped others in amazing ways. Thank you all for entering.
However, we have to choose three this time.
The flowers will go to people chosen by
Helen Ager
Karen Willcocks
and Nikki Robinson

We'll do this again in a couple of months so if you would like to nominate someone sign up to our e-news and look out for the next wiggly free flowers moment.

http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/subscriptions/index.html

Christmas and New Year opening hours.

2012-12-21T13:37:00.002+00:00

Christmas and New Year opening hours.

Office hours
You can phone us on Monday 24th until 1pm and then our office will be open for your calls on 27th and 28th December. We'll be back to normal on 2nd January.

Warehouse Despatches
Our Wiggly SALE starts 22nd December and so we will be despatching on 27th and 28th December.

Floristry Despatches
You can order flowers etc as usual but the only days we can despatch over the Christmas period is 27th for delivery on 28th Dec. (Back to normal 2nd Jan)

Mealworm Despatches
You can order mealworms etc as usual but the only days we can despatch over the Christmas period is 27th for delivery on 28th Dec. (Back to normal 2nd Jan)

Wiggly Customer - John Wilson

2012-11-20T10:45:00.001+00:00

We are most pleased to supply fellow farmer John Wilson with all his birdfeeds and seeds. He feeds the birds at his home and also puts out food for the guests at his fab holiday cottages. If you want a lovely break in Northumberland - check Whitelee Holiday Cottages out... (they even use Bokashi to deal with the kitchen waste)
Thanks John!

Pride Of Herefordshire Awards

2012-10-27T15:52:00.003+01:00

What a lovely evening we had at the Pride of Herefordshire Awards 2012. It was fantastic to be recognised for a environmental award - especially after reading about the previous winners (which included Will Vaughan of Pedi Cabs). Thanks to Sanctury Group for sponsoring the award.

Herefordshire's James Bevis and Josie Pearson were there with their medals and there really was some amazing winners - including on our table Abby Higginbotham who at just 15 raised £914 for the Special Baby Care Unit at Hereford Hospital. It was a great achievement and a proper thank you to the unit which saved her life when she was born at just 25 weeks and weighed 1lb 10oz!

For all the details on the evening and all the fab awards and winners please click here

Wildlife Helpers

2012-09-25T11:16:00.000+01:00

There are many reasons to make your garden into a really good habitat for wildlife.

If you are thinking mmmm… they will chomp their way through my vegetable patch – time to rethink and recognise that many of these creatures are on your side – working for you rather than against you.

Hedgehogs are one of the best garden helpers - ever....

It’s an exaggeration to say that hoggys eat huge quantities of slugs as they make up about 5% of a hedgehog’s diet. But they are a huge help and look so cool… They like all sorts of beasties who damage your crops like beetles and earwigs. You can persuade a hedgehog to call by regularly by putting out food, supplying a hoggy home, a log pile and a bit of long grass. It is really important that your garden has water and access – like a hole in the fence to allow your hoggies to roam freely.

Good time to pop a hoggy home and some food out now so that your hoggy can easily get ready for the winter months.

A Wiggly Update

2012-08-28T13:31:00.001+01:00

To all those of you who filled in our recent customer survey - a huge thanks. It's great to find out where we are doing well, and even better to find out where we need to improve. I have included the results below.

That feedback has been hugely helpful in helping us focus on the future. You see, Wigglys is changing… changing a huge amount – but in a good way for our farm's future…

This year Farmer Phil has planted much more birdseed, and at the same time one of our favourite projects has come to fruition. We’ve added a 2 acre cutting flower patch just outside our farm floristry, which is also about to expand.

All this means our focus will be much more on produce grown on our farm – British Birdfood and BritishFlowers.

This way we can ensure the products you buy are the best possible quality, are absolutely unique, are proper good old fashioned value for money, and are sourced as locally as physically possible.

We believe our future is in mixed farming and these crops help us to ensure our that our fabulous cattle are part of the mix, alongside our seed and flower production, and that our farm is sustainable.

I'm sorry to say though that what it does mean is that several of the products that many of you used to buy from us are not available. For example in particular many of you purchased your ecover through us. Now Ecover is now available in nearly every supermarket there is no way for us to compete. On the other hand we will be expanding our birdfoods, nesters and also we have a fab range of composting and wildlife gardening products.

We’re really looking forward to this coming year and would love to hear any feedback or thoughts that you have about our birdfood and flowers. Contact me at heather@wigglywigglers.co.uk

Here's the results from our latest survey. (this is from 1500 folks who have responded so far)

92.5% of customers find Wigglys very or extremely convenient to buy from.
92% of customers find Wigglys very or extremely professional to deal with. (and very friendly lots of you said - thanking you)
98.4% of customers find our product quality about the same or better than our competitors.
83.5% of customers find our prices as reasonable or more reasonable than our competitors (We're working on this, that's why you have a FREE DELIVERY WEEKEND...)
and 92% of customers like Wigglys and 96% of customers would like to recommend us.

Thanks very much

Heather and Team Wiggly

How to deal with Chafer Grubs - naturally

2012-07-31T19:40:00.000+01:00

Chafer Grubs are not all bad.... They make a tasty snack for all sorts of birds and if you have chickens they will love them. However, when those pesky grubs get out of hand they can really ruin your lawn, so here's how to recognise the problem and advice on what to do about them.

Now August is here, we all love what it brings in terms of sun and holidays, but on the downside it also means that young chafer grub larvae are active too. So now is the time to order your Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer!

What are the signs that I might have chafer grub in my lawn?

If your grass seems to be growing too slowly, not growing at all or is easily pulled up and/or there are yellow patches appearing then it may be grubs attacking the grass roots (see below images)

As I mentioned lots of wildlife enjoy a chafer grub or two so if you see wildlife, such as badgers and foxes digging up your lawn or birds, such as rooks, magpies and crows feeding on it then they be in search of the grubs for food, and this can be the first signs to look out for a potential problem.

When should I apply Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer?

Apply to moist lawns during August and early October, when the young grub larvae are active. Do not wait until too late in the season when a lot of damage has been done as, by this time the grubs may have started to move down deeper in the soil and become inactive until the following spring. They lay dormant until the next year and, if the life cycle is not broken, then re-infestation occurs and the problem gets progressively worse.

What does a chafer grub look like?

Distinguishing between vine weevil larvae and chafer grubs is easy when you know what to look for! Chafer grubs are creamy coloured, about 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) in length and have distinctive legs (figure 1). They are found in the root systems of plants and lawns; whereas vine weevil larvae, which are legless white larvae with a hard, orange head (figure 2), attack the roots of a range of plants, but not normally lawns.

Use Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer to deal with a chafer grub infestation, without any of the precautions associated with chemical use, such as excluding children and pets from treated areas until dry or the question of what to do about grazing pets, such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
Apply to moist lawns during August and early October. This is when the young grub larvae are active and the temperature is above 12ºC (54ºF).
Immediately after applying the nematodes, water the grass well so the nematodes are washed into the soil to reach the roots where the chafer grubs will be. Make sure the lawn does not dry out after applying nematodes. Keep the lawn well watered for at least two weeks.
Do not apply too late, since the grubs start to move down deeper in the soil and become inactive until the following spring. However, as this move downwards is temperature dependent, in some years it may still be alright to apply later. As long as the grubs are near the surface and the soil temperature is above 12ºC (54ºF) nematodes can still be applied.
The nematodes (Heterorhabditis sp) seek out the chafer grubs and attack the pest by entering natural body openings. Once inside, they release bacteria that stops the pest from feeding, quickly killing the pest. They do not stop there. The nematodes reproduce inside the dead pest and release a new generation of hungry infective nematodes, which disperse and search for further prey.
To Order Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer it's in stock now so please click here.

Nemaslug - How to get rid of Slugs the Green Way

2012-05-13T10:07:00.000+01:00

Slug populations were suppressed by a dry spring last year; but this year they are back with a vengeance. Wet conditions are perfect for their development and you may have already noticed the uneven feeding damage that they cause along with the slime trails that they leave behind them. New spring growth and young plants are particularly vulnerable to slugs and a single slug can consume twice its body weight per day!!! That could mean that you find considerable damage without very little warning....
The wet weather is set to continue into June so act now to protect your garden, and in your garden it really is best to avoid old style blue slug pellets.! They use chemicals and if the slugs are then eaten by other birds and animals this can cause problems further down the food chain, apart from which if you want organic veggies of course they are a No No! So what are the alternatives? Well, you could spend your nights collecting them outside with a torch but this method is certainly not "The Good Life - made Easy....) Although your birds and your hens may well enjoy the treat... You could go for barriers - Slug Gone is great because it provides a barrier that irritates the slug's foot, and how about SlugX - this was voted best tray in a Daily Telegraph trial - and they will die drinking beer (!) which can't be all bad... BUT our favourite and the one that all the organic farmers use that works fantastically well is Nemaslug which you can water on and will sort those pesky pests out for a good six weeks, and is perfectly safe for children, pets, wildlife and bees.

Luckily, rain also benefits the nematodes in Nemaslug making it a great way to control slugs when they are at their worst. Additionally, as slugs become more active during periods of wet weather they will encounter more nematodes and this will enhance the rates of infection too.

How does Nemaslug (Nematodes) work?

1: You water your Nematodes onto the soil and they seek out the slugs down in the soil.
2: The Nematodes kill the Slugs and become adults inside the dead slugs
3: A new generation of Nematodes are produced.
4: The new Nematodes are released as the pest decays in the soil
SORTED.

Why is it good?

1: Unique, works underground where 95% of slugs are found.
2: Long lasting control (six weeks)
3: Really economical - it protects plants for a few pence a day.
4: It even protects vulnerable potato varieties, germinating seeds and young seedlings.
and even better The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh says it is fab and they are an Official Endorser.
5: Nemaslug works at 5 degrees (pellets require 7 degrees)
6: Works really well in wet weather which can be a problem with other methods.
7: Large slug species can be controlled when Nemaslug is applied early.
8: Can be used safely on food crops.
and lastly it's Safe for children, pets, wildlife, and bees... Nice!

and of course available from Wiggly Wigglers!

Grow your own Raspberries

2012-03-25T14:27:00.016+01:00

Why bother?
A punnet of raspberries from the supermarket is one of the most expensive fruits you can buy, and often whilst they look lovely and red and delicious they are a bit of a let down on the flavour front.
If you grow your own you can not only save money but you can produce the most delicious flavours ever (I know even I have succeeded!)
The key is to pick different varieties so that you have fruit throughout the season instead of one moment of bulk....
To do this you need lots of different types of Raspberry Canes and they will deliver you a proper return on your investment.
10 raspberry canes will produce well over 40 punnets of fruit (imagine the cost!!!) and you will be able to crop for around 6 weeks in the summer and the plants will remain productive for between 8 and 12 years!
Our Raspberry Canes are ready to plant straight outside when they arrive and are probably one of the best ways of saving money and having a tasty treat that you can possibly do in your garden.
Remember there's also the other ways you can preserve them too - puree, jam and of course Raspberry Ripple icecream YUM

They really like a moist soil, though heavy clay is not suitable. Light sandy soils are OK, as long as you are prepared to water weekly in the warmer summer months. For tip-top results with your raspberry plants the soil should be neutral, although raspberries are better than most plants in moderately acidic soils, and are an easy plant for beginners to start with.

How to plant your Summer Fruiting Canes

Step One: Soak thoroughly in the plastic they come in before planting
Step Two: Dig a trench about 30 cm deep by a metre wide and mix in lots of compost or well rotted manure into the soil you've dug out - your Worm Casts will be perfect for this
Step Three: Loosen the soil in the bottom of the trench to help with drainage
Step Four: Raspberries need a bit of support during the growing season so put a couple of poles into the ends of your trench - 2 metres high would be great and then fix a couple of horizontal wires to them so that you can tie your raspberries to them as they grow.
Step Five: Plant each cane about 40cm apart and put the soil back in and firm and water.

Autumn Fruiting Raspberries don't need support so you dont need to plant them in rows. Pop them in (add your worm casts etc) and let them grow as they want. A few sticks will help them but they will manage fine on their own.

Your canes are root wrapped so need to be planted asap - like NOW!

Raspberry Allgold

Scrummy - and YELLOW!

Sweet and squidgy, the fruit is lovely and is similar to cropping to Autumn Bliss so treat the same. Even better this fruit is a great attractant and nectar source for bees and beneficial insects

Harvest from Mid Aug - Oct (Self fertile) Produces fruit in the first year. Needs no supporting canes

Autumn Bliss
Heavy cropper, bright red - needs no support. Loves deep moist soil and lots of sun (but it will stick shade quite well) Great for Jelly and puddings - Yum.

Glen Ample
Brilliant for bees your cropping will start early July and carry on until Mid August. High Yield too.
Glen Cova
An early fruiting variety. High yieldswith firm good sized tasty fruit.
This fruit keeps well and freezes well.

Cropping starts early July and carries through to the end of July.

Octavia
Bridges the gap between Summer and Autumn fruiting, prduces good flavour and thrives in good deep moist soil.
Ready for picking August, and happy in a Northern garden too.

Raspberry Tulameen
Nice long picking season that starts mid July and continues on to mid August - and the highest yields are early August. Excellent flavour and conical shape which look great when picked on the plate.

Raspberries are high in fibre, iron, potassium and Vitamin A and C. For best results choose different varieties for the different parts of the season.

Why plant a native hedge...

2012-03-01T18:12:00.007+00:00

Ooooo.... there's nothing better than a native hedge for your wildlife.... and you. Planting a native hedge for wildlife makes a great habitat but it also delivers in terms of aesthetics and food source for you too! You'll achieve year-round interest with seeds, berries, blossom and flowers as well as lots of different type of foliage (and thorns!). You will see an increase in insects, mammals and birds in your garden who will use your hedge for food and shelter. Butterflies will find it a useful source of nectar and so will moths too who will visit at night and be particularly pleased to find a blackthorn blossom on offer.

Don't worry about planting in a straight line or putting your hedge in around the edge of your garden - we've put a Wiggly Hedge right through the middle of our garden - it helps to section things off and screen different parts of the garden. If you only have a small amount of space you can still go for a few hedging plants - the more diverse the better. What to plant Choose a mixture of hedging trees and shrubs; birch, beech, oak, hazel, dogwoods and hawthorn are ideal. Add an occasional honeysuckle to creep up your hedge - looks fab and great for moths.

The best and cheapest way to create a native hedge is from bare root saplings - whips. Don't be put off by the fact that they look like sticks on arrival - they are dormant and will soon green up once planted and Spring has sprung! Your native hedge will look fabulous and nowhere near as formal as many of the hedges that people have chosen lately.... privet.... or leylandii... Your hedge will make a fabulous barrier, is really hardy and can stand a good pruning without a problem. It will look wonderfully diverse - because it is!

Preparing your soil.
In a perfect world - remove any weeds and large stones, dig the area over and incorporate some organic matter. In an imperfect world stick your spade in the soil and make a good size slit to pop your plant in. Any time from autumn to spring is great for planting. Just make sure the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged.

How to plant
Plant your whips in a staggered double row roughly half a metre apart. Water well in and give your new hedge a thick mulch (Strulch is perfect). This will help to reduce any competition from weeds as the hedge gets going.

Maintenance
A few worm casts will encourage your hedge to grow and best to top up the mulch. If you have really dry periods it will be a good idea to water every now and again during the first couple of years of growth. You can give your hedge a good trim in the Autumn. There wont be any nesting birds then either. Be bold.... Cutting back hard will help your hedge thicken up which will look better and provide a more sheltered habitat for your birds, bugs and butterflies.

Native Hedge Packs and Edible Hedge Packs are available to plant until end of March.

APPLE TREES from Wiggly Wigglers

2012-01-25T14:35:00.004+00:00

If you would like to have your own fruit here is a great selection of apples includes the most popular garden favourites from the early ripening Discovery to the delicious Cox to the world’s best cooking apple the Bramley. Most are self fertile but to ensure pollination choose any 4 trees sorts the job a treat.

We have trees are supplied in pots but bare root is best in terms of cost and they establish quickly and develop a healthy root system.

M9 and M27 rootstocks will produce a dwarf tree of about 8ft high to be planted about 6ft apart; MM106 and MM111 will produce a semi-vigorous tree of about 12ft to be planted about 15ft apart.

The larger the tree the greater the yield of fruit. Trees should be planted as soon as possible – makes sure that the soil is not frozen and the air temperature is above freezing. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour before planting. If you are unable to plant the trees straight away they can be kept for a week in their packaging in a cool dry place such as a garden shed.

Red Falstaff ®
The select red sport of ‘Falstaff ’.Fruity, well balanced flavour, crisp and juicy.Frost resistant and self fertile.One of the heaviest yielding varieties.Can be stored easily and eaten throughout the winter.Highly recommended for every garden. (Norfolk 1983)

Bramley's SeedlingThe finest cooker in the world!Green to greenishyellow with a strong acid flavour. (Nottingham 19th Century)

James Grieve Red flush stripes over pale green.Crisp and juicy.Excellent flavour and reliable cropper – deservedly popular. (Edinburgh 1893)

Sunset
Similar to Cox but more disease resistant and slightly earlier.Red stripes and orange flush over gold.Sharp intense flavour.Heavy cropper.Excellent garden apple. (Ightham, Kent 1918)

Fiesta ®Syn : Red PippinCox’s Orange Pippin x Idared.Rich, aromatic and sweet with a crisp texture.Excellent garden tree with Cox-like characteristics.Very heavy crops.Ideal for northern areas. (Kent 1972)

LimelightDiscovery x Greensleeves.This improved Greensleeves type is abundant in cropping.The apple has a clean, smooth finish and seems to glow when ripe with the occasional attractive pink blush.It is crisp, refreshing, and very disease resistant.Makes a neat, compact tree.Bred by Hugh Ermen. (Kent 2000)

Newton Wonder Very late keeping, large yellow and scarlet.Cooks to a juicy, mild purée.Later in season makes fruity eating apple.Good in salads, stuffing and mincemeat. (Melbourne, Derbyshire 19th Century)

Blenheim Orange
Yellow-gold fruit has orange flush and a few red stripes.Nutty taste, sweet crumbly texture.An old favourite – cooks, eats and keeps well.When baked it keeps its shape and will produce a thick purée. (Oxford 1740)

Worcester Pearmain
Reliable crop of delicious orange-red fruit.Firm, juicy flesh is very sweet with strong strawberry flavour.A seedling of Devonshire Quarrenden.At its best when ripened on the tree and just before it falls off. (Worcester 19th Century)

Discovery
Worcester Pearmain x Beauty of Bath.Bright red flush.Crisp and juicy with a hint of strawberry.An excellent early dessert apple with good disease resistance. (Langham, Essex 1949)

Kidd`s Orange Red
Cox’s Orange Pippin and Delicious (direction uncertain).Sweet, crisp and aromatic, with a good balance of sugar and acidity.A good Cox alternative. (New Zealand 1924)

Golden Delicious
Well known crisp eater.Greenish-yellow turning gold.Sweet, honey flavour.Flavour is superior to imported fruit when grown in the UK. (USA 19th Century)

Egremont Russet
The flesh is cream, tinged yellow, sweet and firm with a rich nutty flavour.The usual russet to be found in shops. (Sussex 19th Century)

Cox Self Fertile
A self fertile form of Cox’s Orange Pippin highly recommended for less than ideal Cox areas.Heavy crops of the best eating apple in the world. (Bristol 1975)

Laxton`s Superb
Wyken Pippin x Cox’s Orange Pippin.Sweet and aromatic possessing certain similarities to Cox.Can become biennial bearing.A good substitute for Cox’s Orange Pippin in colder exposed areas.Purple flush and red stripes give this an old fashioned attractive appearance. (Bedford, 1897)

Saturn ®
Falstaff x Cox’s Orange Pippin.Very resistant to scab.Heavy crops of attractive, red blushed, conical fruit.Juicy, crisp and refreshing.Not particularly aromatic. (HRI, East Malling, Kent 1980)

Grenadier
Easy to grow, large early fruit which cooks to a sharp purée.The tree is compact making it ideal for the garden.A very good pollinator for Bramley. (Bucks. 19th Century)

Pixie
Good crops of small apples ideal for children, yellow with attractive red stripes and orange-red flush.Finely flavoured, rich with plenty of sugar.Keeps well.The picture shows ‘Red Pixie’, a sport with more attractive colour. (RHS Wisley, 1947)

Our farm is in The Sunday Telegraph

2011-11-13T15:40:00.001+00:00

Great article about British Farming in The Sunday Telegraph today includes Farmer Phil and our farm here at Blakemere

How to help underweight Hedgehogs

2011-11-08T16:22:00.004+00:00

HOGGY HELP

We've just had this note in from Carole E in Rotherham
"I've just ordered 3 x40g tubs of live meal worms for an orphaned hedgehog that we are hand rearing, as it is only a couple of months old and weighs 340g .
I just wondered if you could add something to your page to ask people to help underweight hedgehogs...
We rang our local Wildlife Trust and they are literally full so they asked us to raise 'Prickles' and release her back into the wild next summer . It would be nice if people ordered more of your live meal worms to leave out for hedgehogs... I know people feed birds regularly - we have ordered live grubs from yourselves last spring and we were lucky enough to have nest boxes full of babies... due to the live food available on our garden . We found Prickles rummaging around in the daytime bless her...so now she's in a suitable house with warmth, food and clean fresh water...and she is so content lol x"

From about middle of October until the spring ANY hedgehog weighing less than about 450g should be picked up and advise got from from a local rescue centre or hedgehog carer.

You can tell from the way a Hoggy looks if he or she is likely to have a problem. If the hoggy is healthy when turned onto its back he or she will be almost round. So that means that the distance between the head and the tail and from side to side should be near enough equal.
If the head to tail is much longer than side to side, then it is very underweight & thin.
There's lots more advice from The British Hedgehog Society and of course you'll know that Hoggies love our Hedgehog food and they really like a Live Mealworm Treat, and if you need a house for hibernation and shelter I know the very company...

whoohoooo, you can now buy Wiggly at Webbs.... almost

2011-10-23T18:55:00.007+01:00

Webbs and Wigglys are teaming up to offer "MILES BETTER" Birdseed....

Here is the News Release from Webbs at Wychbold....

Webbs News Release

Worcestershire gardeners are being encouraged to ‘Buy British’ to celebrate National Feed the Birds Day on Saturday, 29^th October at Webbs Garden Centre in Wychbold.

Customers to the award-winning garden centre will be welcomed by Herefordshire’s Farmer Phil and the team from Wiggly Wigglers natural garden products firm with his massive Combine Harvester. They will be urging people to think about feeding the birds this winter and giving customers the chance to win a year’s worth of their British birdseed.

Webbs is the launch venue for Wiggly Wigglers new ‘greener’ initiative for feeding birds with a mix of British only seeds – thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Heather Gorringe from the Wiggly Wigglers farm in Blakemere, near Hereford explained, “Our birdseed is locally sourced – sown, grown, cleaned and bagged by British farmers. We have 17 acres of sunflowers - the only commercial crop in Herefordshire - and we grow all the wheat for the mix .This enables us to have traceable seed with consistent quality and a unique and genuine story of how the product is produced and farmed, as well as the birds and wildlife which are supported on our farm before the product even gets to the customer.”

She added, “People often think of buying local when it comes to their food and yet with bird food we are shipping product that could be grown here from all over the globe. It's time to think about whether we can source locally. That way we reduce transportation (and therefore carbon), the birds get the benefit in the field (as they always get a feed before it is harvested) the farmer and the countryside end up with diverse crops which is of benefit to them and the environment. “

Ed Webb, Executive Chairman of Webbs said, “ We have a huge amount of interest from our customers on wildlife and feeding the birds particularly, so I’m sure they will be very keen to find out much more about this new ‘buy British’ idea from Wiggly Wigglers.”

Farmer Phil will at Webbs, Wychbold with Team Wiggly on Saturday 29^thand Sunday, 30^th October 2011 to answer questions and explain their bird feeding concept.

Note to News Editors:

1. For more information please contact Webbs Marketing Dept on 01527 860000 or Helen Griffee, PR, helen.griffee@webbsofwychbold.co.uk

2. Find Webbs on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Webbs-Garden-Centres/257930830892801?sk=wall and Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/WebbsGC for regular news and updates

3. For more information about Wiggly Wigglers, please contact Heather Gorringe Tel: 01981 500391 www.wigglywigglers.co.uk

PS: EVEN BETTER: We have made a Hopper for dispensing Birdseed which means that customers can fill and Re PHIL (!) their bucket at Webbs.

Latest Wormery review.

2011-10-22T16:09:00.003+01:00

Latest Review on the Wiggly Website - Thank you Sonia.

"I have had various versions of wormery from Wigglys over the years but for last few years have had a Worm Factory which is (I think)very similar to worm cafe. This is the easiest. Once I mastered putting in enough paper and cardboard I have never looked back and the compost and the worm tea are an essential part of my gardening. I put kitchen towel that has not touched meat or chemicals in the peely bin and also empty loo rolls. I start each new tray with a few torn strips of newspaper, and then I will also add any brown paper bags that come from veg on the market. During the winter I collect the worm tea in empty Ecover 5 litre bottles because in the spring and summer I will have plenty of use for it in my hanging baskets, strawberry tower and tomatoes. I do not buy food for any of those things, just use diluted worm-tea. I do buy the acid-lime balance stuff (for occasional use if the bedding starts to look a bit slimy), the worm treat and moisture mats but less than once a year. Once the system is up and running the outlay is pretty minimal. In all I have had a wormery or wormeries for 8 or 9 years and can't imagine being without one."

Sometimes people are put off having a wormery in case it's hard work or difficult. Worm Cafe (or Can-O-Worms) change all that because of two main reasons:

1: They are really easy to keep aerated as the air flows throughout the tray system naturally (unlike the solid bin type)
2: You can harvest the compost from the bottom tray without disturbing the trays above (much better for faster composting.

Review on Wiggly Flowers

2011-10-19T15:11:00.001+01:00

The latest review on Wiggly Flowers - Thanks very much Welly Woman

HALF TERM FREEBIE through the Sunday Telegraph

2011-10-03T15:44:00.004+01:00

Watch the Birdy!

Building a feeder makes everyone happy. The birds get extra food just as their usual sources disappear - so they'll stay and helpfully munch garden pests next spring. Parents feel a warm eco-glow for recycling a two litre pop bottle. And kids proud of their handiwork spend hours glued to the feathered feeding frenzy outside (much better than Hollyoaks.) We have a free how-to leaflet to download here.

The first 50 Sunday Telegraph Readers will also receive a free bag of 1kg of WigglySeed here. Claim yours by pressing "buy" on the free one :0)

New delivery charges for Postcodes BT, IM, GY, and JE

2011-10-03T14:38:00.001+01:00

New information on Wiggly Deliveries

Delivery in the UK (excluding postcodes BT, IM, GY and JE)

Delivery Services

All goods are sent on a next day delivery service. You do not have to wait in for the delivery to arrive, the carrier does not require a signature. Please note: even though we always use a next day delivery service, deliveries to remote areas of the country, especially the Highlands and Islands, will, most likely, take longer to arrive.

Delivery Costs

Deliveries containing only LIVE! Birdfood, Fresh Flowers and/or Gift Vouchers qualify for FREE delivery.

All other deliveries cost £3.50 per order, no matter how large or bulky your order.
Priority Delivery Surcharges
We also offer a Priority Despatch service at a supplement of £2.45 and a Saturday Delivery service at a supplement of £6.45. You can choose your preferred delivery date when you checkout.
Delivery Overseas (including UK postcodes BT, IM, GY and JE)
All overseas deliveries are charged at cost. Please checkout as normal, where you will be advised of the costs for delivery to the UK. We will then contact you shortly after we receive your order to advise you of the expected delivery date and delivery cost surcharge. You will be able to confirm or cancel your order at that time.
Please call us on +44 1981 500391 if you need further information.

Join us at Labels for Tea, Cake and a lot more!

2011-09-12T15:33:00.005+01:00

Good afternoon fellow Wigglers

Richard (Manning) here, I’m ony here for a week so don’t fear you wont have to put up with me for long. I’m a student at the University of Exeter lucky enough to be allowed into the deepest darkest depths of Lower Blakemere Farm. Here goes..

With the wind sweeping in form the aftermath of Hurricane Irena, here on the farm we are preparing for a storm of FREE giveaways this Friday16th at Labels at Ross, just off Junction 4 on the M50.

Many of us haven’t the foggiest about how to make a wildflower meadow, or start worm composting, that’s why we are coming to Ross Vegas this week, to spread the good ‘Wiggly’ word and help you achieve the good life easy!

I’m not sure about you, but the idea of FREE tea and cake, the chance of winning a gorgeous Bouquet of flowers made by our own Wiggly florists, a FREE sample of orgasmic EasiYo Yogurt and a FREE Wiggly goody bag (come quick, only first 50 will get one)

To receive your free Victoria Sponge/Chocolate Cake and either Earl Grey, normal tea or coffee you must print this email off and bring it along!

Just make sure you get here between 12 noon and 4pm, with demonstrations of Yogurt making at 12 noon and 2pm and a lesson by our own florists on how to hand tie a bouquet and make your very own seasonal wheatsheaf!

To finish the day in style we will be giving away to one lucky Wigglet a free bouquet of flowers worth £40.

In the meantime of you do need any bits and bobs go to our website

Yours Wiggly,

Richard (Manning).

Interested in Bees, Honey, Beer, Orchids, Compost, Worms and all things Wiggly?

2011-09-02T21:41:00.000+01:00

Looking for something to do over the weekend? Interested in Bees, Honey, Beer, Orchids, Compost, Worms and all things Wiggly?

Come and say hi to Gwen - Master Composter and Worm Charmer - at the Bristol Botanic Gardens, where she will be manning the Wiggly Wigglers Stand this weekend:

THERE’S A BIG BUZZ COMING TO THE BOTANIC GARDEN

JOIN OUR CELEBRATION OF BEES AND POLLINATION

VISIT THE ANNUAL BRISTOL HONEY FESTIVAL AND THE NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME CHARITY OPEN DAY

Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th September

10am – 4.30pm

This year’s festival is brighter, bigger and better than ever with plenty for everyone to enjoy. On Sunday the event will be combined with the National Gardens Scheme Open Day to make for an enjoyable and interesting weekend highlighting the importance of bees and other pollinators for food production and the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. Butcombe Brewery will be offering tastings of nature’s bounty for the first time in the Garden. The event will highlight research by the University’s School of Biological Sciences into the current alarming decline in bee and pollinator numbers and what is being done to better understand the reasons for the decline and how it can be reversed. Exhibits by local cider apple producers and the Gloucestershire Orchard Group will highlight the importance of bees in production of fruit crops.

The Avon Bee Keeping Association will stage their annual Bristol Honey Festival displaying the very finest honey and bee products. A live hive will give visitors an insight into the workings of the honey bee, meanwhile talks and displays will introduce visitors to the importance and pleasure of keeping bees.

Orchid enthusiasts, including Writhlington School Orchid Project, will highlight the relationship between pollinators and flowers in a display of orchids. Local nurseries will be selling a wide range of plants aimed at providing nectar for bees and habitats for wildlife.

A display of work by a local stitched textile group will demonstrate work by students, some of which has been inspired by the Garden.

Free tours will be offered throughout the weekend giving visitors the chance to see and learn something new about the Garden which will be ablaze with September colour, including many autumn flowering salvias, anemones, grasses, toad lilies and hardy bromeliads.

Fairtrade tea and coffee with locally made refreshments will be available throughout the weekend.

Entrance to the Garden and the exhibition is £4.50 including tours. Children free.

Other Exhibitors will include:

Cleeve Nursery selling a range of bee friendly plants
Pennard Plants selling a range of late summer early autumn interest plants
Derry Watkins Special Plants specialist plants carefully chosen by this well known local nursery
Butcombe Brewery offering tastings of their range of beers
Wiggly Wigglers will demonstrate their passion for worm composting and show you how to make your very own British flower bouquet
Bees for Development will highlight their global work in support of bee keepers
Bee Guardian Foundation including talks by Dr Adam Hart who will highlight what gardeners can do to improve habitats for bees
Kelvin Bush Orchids will show case arrange of beautiful tropical orchids
Bristol Naturalists will highlight their work of recording, monitoring and promoting local biodiversity
Willa Ashworth sculpture will display her creative, original, garden metalwork, including plant supports, fire dishes and bird feeders
Alice Shields bee themed ceramics
Display of stitched textiles by local groups organised by Lynne Quinn displaying quilts

University of Bristol Botanic Garden,

The Holmes, Stoke Park Road, Bristol BS9 1JG

Tel: 0117 331 4906

Green Manures...

2011-08-29T07:05:00.005+01:00

If you have empty veggie beds after your harvest it's a good idea to pop in a green manure.
Green Manures do what they say on the tin. They are a green crop that is not designed to eat or to admire, it is designed to protect and add nutrients to your soil. Even better the cost is a packet of seeds.

Weed and rake your empty beds then sow the seeds. The plants will grow quite quickly.
If some get killed off by frost not to worry, just leave them in the ground and they will continue to give soil protection.

About two or three weeks before you replant your crops, cut and dig in the manure. This will allow the plant material to breakdown into humus, releasing nutrients slowly over the next growing period.

Easy peasy.

Mustard
Alfalfa
and more