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Gardening Inspiration

Homegrown Plants

The Whitegates Team

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Whitegates Nursery

<p>Baked, boiled, chipped or roasted, potatoes are always a winner. And there’s nothing quite like your own potatoes, dug up from the ground like buried treasure. <strong>Growing your own potatoes</strong> means you can choose from a wide range of different potato types, flavours and even colours. If you’ve never grown potatoes before, now’s the perfect time to start.</p>

<p>Baked, boiled, chipped or roasted, potatoes are always a winner. And there’s nothing quite like your own potatoes, dug up from the ground like buried treasure. <strong>Growing your own potatoes</strong> means you can choose from a wide range of different potato types, flavours and even colours. If you’ve never grown potatoes before, now’s the perfect time to start.</p>
<h2>What are maincrop potatoes?</h2>
<p>Maincrop potato tubers are sown in mid to late April. They produce bigger potatoes than the first and second early varieties and take longer to mature. They are best planted in the ground rather than in containers or bags to give the tubers space to grow. Maincrop potatoes generally store well for several months in the right conditions.</p>
<h2>6 good maincrop potatoes to plant</h2>
<p>There’s a huge range of maincrop potatoes to choose from, so we’ve picked out six of our favourites to get you started.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Desiree’</strong> – red-skinned, waxy potatoes great for mashing or baking</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Maris Piper’</strong> – one of the best-known potatoes, great for baking, roasting and mashing</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Orla’</strong> - a first early potato that can also be left in the ground to mature into a maincrop. It’s both disease and drought-resistant and is ideal for baking and roasting.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘King Edward’</strong> – another trendy variety, fantastic for roasting, with fluffy flesh and delicious crunchy skin.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Sarpo Mira’</strong> – large pink-skinned potatoes with a floury texture, great for mash.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Potato ‘Purple Majesty’</strong> – a striking purple potato packed with anti-oxidants.&nbsp; It keeps its purple colour when cooked, causing a sensation on your dinner table!</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to plant maincrop potatoes</h2>
<p>It’s a good idea to ‘chit’ maincrop potatoes before planting. This means leaving the potatoes somewhere warm and bright indoors for a few weeks to sprout shoots before planting.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Potatoes need a sunny site and well-drained, fertile soil. Dig in lots of compost or well-rotted farmyard manure several weeks before planting. (Ideally, potato beds should be prepared in autumn, ready for planting in spring.)</p>
<p>Plant the potato tubers 12cm (5in) deep, spaced 40cm (16in) apart, in rows spaced 75cm (30in) apart. If you are planting lots of potatoes, it’s easiest to dig a narrow trench rather than individual holes and place them in the trench.</p>
<p>Once the potato seedlings have grown about 25cm (10in) tall, earth them up by mounding up soil around them to cover the stems, leaving the top 10cm (4in) of the plant uncovered. Repeat this process as the plants grow until the mounds are between 20-30cm high. This stops light from reaching the tubers and turning them green and poisonous.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Water your potatoes regularly in dry weather.</p>
<h2>Harvesting maincrop potatoes</h2>
<p>Maincrop potatoes should be ready to harvest from late August to October. When the leaves turn yellow, cut them down and remove them. Leave the potatoes in the ground for 10 days before harvesting.</p>
<p>Whatever you’re growing this year, you’ll find everything you need in our centre. Visit us to see our great ranges of seed potatoes and much more.</p>

How to sow and grow maincrop potatoes

<p>If you dream of a smooth green lawn in your garden this summer, now’s the time to start getting it into shape. As the days warm up and the grass springs back into action, putting in some work on your lawn now will pay dividends over the rest of the year. Here are our top <strong>6 spring lawn care tips</strong>.</p>

<p>If you dream of a smooth green lawn in your garden this summer, now’s the time to start getting it into shape. As the days warm up and the grass springs back into action, putting in some work on your lawn now will pay dividends over the rest of the year. Here are our top <strong>6 spring lawn care tips</strong>.</p>
<h2>Spring lawn care tips</h2>
<ol>
<li>
<p>Aerate your lawn.&nbsp; If your lawn is small, you can use a garden fork to spike holes at regular intervals, focusing especially on any areas of compacted ground. Alternatively, use a hollow tine aerator, which removes small plugs of soil, leaving holes behind. This improves drainage on compacted soils and allows air to get into the soil and reach the roots of the grass, producing stronger growth. If your lawn is too large to be aerated by hand, mechanical aerators are available.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Mow your lawn with your lawnmower blades on their highest setting while the grass is still starting to grow. As growth speeds up over the next few months, gradually lower the blade setting. Don’t mow wet or frosty grass.&nbsp;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Scarify your lawn by raking it firmly with a spring tine rake or using a mechanical scarifier to clear out moss and thatch (dead grass). If moss is a big problem in your lawn, apply moss killer first and wait until the moss turns brown or black, then scarify. As with any chemical product, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Feed your lawn with a spring lawn fertilizer, which is high in nitrogen to promote lush growth. This strengthens the turfgrass, thus reducing the opportunities for weeds and moss to get established.&nbsp; Check the instructions before applying, as lawn fertilizers often need watering in. Ideally, apply lawn fertiliser when rain is expected.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Tackle lawn weeds. Dig up deep-rooted weeds like dandelions with a dandelion grubber with a long thin blade with a notch at the tip. Insert the blade next to the root, twist around to loosen the root from the earth, then use the notch to sever the root at the base. If your lawn has too many weeds to dig up by hand, use a lawn weedkiller, which will target the weeds without killing the grass.&nbsp;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Fix bare patches by sowing seed or use a lawn patch repair kit, which contains seed and fertiliser. Before sowing, lightly dig over the soil's surface with a fork to break it up, then rake it smooth. Scatter the seed and rake over to cover it. Water regularly until the seed has germinated and the grass is well established, and don’t walk on the grass until after it is long enough to be cut.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Spend a little time and effort on your lawn this month – the results will be well worth it! We have a wide range of lawn care products and equipment in the centre, so visit us to get your lawn off to a great start this spring.</p>

April lawn care tips

<p><strong>Growing plants from seed</strong> is one of the joys of gardening. It’s great for gardeners on a tight budget, giving you masses of plants for minimal cost, and there’s no beating the sense of triumph that comes from seeing those first seedlings poke their green heads above the soil. Sow a few seeds now in spring, and they’ll give you a spectacular show in summer.</p>

<p><strong>Growing plants from seed</strong> is one of the joys of gardening. It’s great for gardeners on a tight budget, giving you masses of plants for minimal cost, and there’s no beating the sense of triumph that comes from seeing those first seedlings poke their green heads above the soil. Sow a few seeds now in spring, and they’ll give you a spectacular show in summer.</p>
<h2>Tips on sowing seeds</h2>
<p>Seeds are not all the same, and what works for one won’t necessarily work for all. Some need light to germinate, while others won’t start growing below a certain temperature.&nbsp; Before sowing, check your seed packet for the seeds’ requirements. Although seeds can sometimes germinate in the most surprising circumstances, you’ll have much more success if you give your seeds the environment they prefer.</p>
<h2>Sowing seeds outdoors</h2>
<p>To prepare the ground for sowing seeds, dig it over to get rid of any weeds and large stones, then tread over it lightly to firm it. Finally, rake it so that the surface is smooth and level, with a crumbly texture (generally referred to as ‘a fine tilth’).</p>
<p>You’ll see several terms used to describe methods of sowing seeds on seed packets and in gardening books. Broadcast sowing is one of the simplest, often used for wildflowers that would normally self-seed. It involves simply taking a handful of seeds and scattering them evenly across the ground, then lightly raking them over to cover them.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Sowing in drills is a method often used for sowing vegetable seeds, as it gives you a neat row of plants that can be easily distinguished from any surrounding weeds. Use a stick or the edge of a trowel to draw a narrow channel in the soil where your row of plants will grow, then sow your seeds in this channel and rake the soil back over it.</p>
<h2>Sowing seeds indoors</h2>
<p>Plants with a long growing period, like tomatoes and chillies, and tender annuals like cosmos, are sown indoors in early spring to protect them from frosts and planted out when the weather is warmer. Heated greenhouses and propagators are ideal for this, providing a constant, controlled temperature for young seedlings. Still, many seeds will also germinate quite happily in pots on a sunny windowsill from mid-spring onwards.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Seeds to sow indoors in spring</h2>
<p>These seeds can be sown indoors in spring and planted out once the frosts are over.</p>
<ul>
<li>Nasturtiums&nbsp;</li>
<li>Salvia</li>
<li>Marigolds</li>
<li>Tomatoes</li>
<li>Aubergines</li>
<li>Squash&nbsp;</li>
<li>Courgettes</li>
<li>French and runner beans</li>
</ul>
<h2>Seeds to sow outdoors in spring</h2>
<p>These seeds can be sown directly outside in spring for beautiful summer flowers and delicious harvests.</p>
<ul>
<li>Sunflowers&nbsp;</li>
<li>Beetroot</li>
<li>Wildflowers</li>
<li>Hardy annuals</li>
<li>Carrots and parsnips</li>
<li>Kale</li>
<li>Spinach</li>
<li>Coriander</li>
<li>Chard</li>
</ul>
<p>Spring is the perfect time to start sowing seeds for a sensational summer garden, and you’ll find everything you need in our centres. Visit us today and start sowing!</p>

Sowing seeds for summer

<p>Knowing <strong>what to sow in the kitchen garden in April</strong> is pretty easy because it is the month where everything really gets going in the garden. The temperature warms up quite quickly, and there will be more daylight, making it a great time to sow many seeds and get them off to a good start for the season ahead. It is an exciting time for gardeners, so get your seed packets ready, seed trays, compost and plant labels ready so you are prepared to get sowing seeds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Knowing <strong>what to sow in the kitchen garden in April</strong> is pretty easy because it is the month where everything really gets going in the garden. The temperature warms up quite quickly, and there will be more daylight, making it a great time to sow many seeds and get them off to a good start for the season ahead. It is an exciting time for gardeners, so get your seed packets ready, seed trays, compost and plant labels ready so you are prepared to get sowing seeds.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>1. Outdoor sowing</h2>
<p>Many seed choices can be sown directly outside where they will grow, particularly if you don’t have a greenhouse or much indoor space. Delicious and easy to grow crops such as beetroot and Swiss chard can be sown in a well-prepared seedbed during April. If you would like to grow carrots, add a little sand to your compost and sow lines on carrots ready to thin out at a later date as they grow. You can also sow many different varieties of salads, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>lettuce,</li>
<li>radish,</li>
<li>turnips,</li>
<li>spring onions,</li>
<li>spinach.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h2>2. It is time for squashes&nbsp;</h2>
<p>The joy of growing pumpkins and odd-looking squash is so much fun, and April is the time to sow</p>
<ul>
<li>courgettes,</li>
<li>pumpkins,</li>
<li>all different kinds of squash,</li>
<li>marrows.</li>
</ul>
<p>Take a look at the many varieties so you can grow squash that you will really enjoy eating, from the newer ‘mashed potato’ squash to finding a gorgeous looking blue squash as well. Make sure you have plenty of room as the vines take up a lot of space and need plenty of water and light.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>3. In the greenhouse&nbsp;</h2>
<p>If you have a greenhouse or an indoor area where your seeds can be warm and with good light, you can sow some sweet peppers, cucumbers, aubergine and tomatoes. If you haven’t got room, wait a little longer before sowing outside undercover. Don’t forget to make sure that if you are growing in a greenhouse, it is clean to keep away pests and diseases and well ventilated on warm days, so your seedlings don’t struggle.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>4. The ones that take a long time&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Leeks are delicious when homegrown and actually don’t take up that much space because they can be grown in lines in a garden, raised bed or on an allotment. Sow them in April at two weekly intervals until mid-June, and they can then be harvested from August all the way through the winter. So you can have your own homegrown leeks for a festive feast as well.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There are a lot of seeds to sow in April, so we hope you enjoy the process.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Please choose from our seed range in store along with seed trays, compost and everything you need.&nbsp;</p>

What to sow in the kitchen garden in April

<p>Have fun <strong>Easter Monday egg hunting</strong> with these top 5 fun ideas. From outside to inside and even organised events, there is something for each of you to enjoy this easter. We hope the Easter bunny visits you!</p>

<p>Have fun <strong>Easter Monday egg hunting</strong> with these top 5 fun ideas. From outside to inside and even organised events, there is something for each of you to enjoy this easter. We hope the Easter bunny visits you!</p>
<h2>1. Go big outside with Easter Monday egg hunting</h2>
<p>It’s been quite a year, and it is great to have something to look forward to. So if the weather is looking good where you are, why not put on a party in your garden? Easter egg hunting in the garden can be so much fun. You could paint some eggs, buy some delicious chocolate eggs or anything resembling an egg and hide them all around your garden. Then sit back in the garden with a tasty drink and a chunk of a chocolate egg. Don’t forget easter decorations, including bunting!</p>
<h2>2. Easter Monday egg hunting can be just as fun inside</h2>
<p>Especially if the weather isn’t looking great outside, why not hide your eggs all-around your house then leave clues for finding them in fun places like the washing machine! When the fun of the egg hunting has finished, sit down for a family dinner and even play some music for an after-party.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>3. Find an organised Easter Monday egg hunting venue</h2>
<p>Some egg hunts are already organised around the country where you can safely go to gander the grounds and find eggs at the same time. It is. Nice idea to get outside in the fresh air and see a new garden and landscape, so have a look at what’s going on near you to see if there is something you like the look of.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>4. Go to the park for your Easter Monday egg hunting</h2>
<p>If you haven’t got much room at home or just want to get out and about, why not take a picnic and hide your eggs in the park? Send the kids off hunting while you put your feet up with a cup of tea! If you don’t want actually to go about egg hunting at all, an easter Monday picnic in the park will be just as nice!</p>
<h2>5. Easter Monday egg hunting for rewards</h2>
<p>If you don’t want to hide chocolate eggs, why not put a ‘reward’ in each egg that is found. So whoever finds it doesn’t get chocolate, but they do get a nice reward. Just fun vouchers for the finders favourite dinner or stay up 30 minutes later than usual. Of course, if you would like the rewards to be big, you could always choose a new house plant or make a mini pond. The options are endless to enjoy easter egg hunting.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Find some fun plant rewards for your easter egg hunt in store.</p>

Gardening Inspiration

Cafe

Homegrown Plants

The Whitegates Team

Family friendly

Whitegates Nursery

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