Winter Wonderland

Brighten up your garden this winter with three new, colourful, designer-print Fleece Jackets from plant protection specialist, Haxnicks. They come in three eye-catching prints, ‘Autumn Leaf’, ‘Snowflake’ and ‘Green Leaf’, in two sizes, to provide instant frost protection for semi-hardy plants in patio containers or borders, for hanging baskets and large exotic plants.

Have a bit of fun and swap them around to keep up with the seasons: start with ‘Autumn Leaf’, then change to ‘Snowflake”, for winter, and back into spring with ‘Green Leaf’. Instead of struggling with lengths of horticultural fleece, you can quickly slip a Haxnicks Fleece Jacket over your plant and the job is done. They are easily secured with the integral, rot-proof drawstring and provide immediate protection from frost and other harsh weather. If you have very tender plants, the jackets can be stuffed with straw for added insulation.

The designer-print Fleece Jackets are made from a high-grade, winter-weight 50gsm, polypropylene fleece which is heavy enough to provide effective winter frost protection, but light enough to allow sunlight and moisture to filter through to maintain healthy growth.

Priced at £7.99 per pack, they will accommodate most sizes of plant. The large size (one per pack) measures 1.8m (6ft) high by 1.2m (4ft) wide and the standard size (two per pack) is 1m (3ft 3in) high by 0.8m (2ft 8in).

Haxnicks Fleece Jackets are available from good garden centres from late October 2008. For stockists or more information, call Haxnicks on 0845 241 1555 or go online at www.haxnicks.co.uk.

New Soft-Tie – woody brown and extra, extra long

Plant protection specialists, Haxnicks, have added a new ‘woody-brown’ colour option and larger pack sizes to their award-winning* plant tie range. Haxnicks’ new Woody Soft-Tie, like the innovative pale green version, is available in two widths, Slim or Original, so you can choose the right amount of cushioning to fit the job and protect your plant stems from damage.

Original Soft-Tie (RRP £4.99 for 5m), with a 7mm diameter, provides superior cushioning and strength and is the perfect choice for tying up plants that are heavily-laden with growing crops, or for tying up the thicker stems of trees, shrubs, roses, large climbers and fruit bushes. It’s also a good choice for securing plants susceptible to wind damage.

Slim Soft-Tie (RRP £4.99 for 8m), 3.5mm in diameter, is designed for use with the thinner, more delicate stems of climbing annuals, young vegetables and shrubs, tall perennials and houseplants. Both are now available in the new ‘woody-brown’ colour.

Haxnicks Woody Soft-Tie is the discreet choice for tying up woody stems, for training climbers, and for securing cane and willow structures.

Soft-Tie has an inner core of galvanised steel wire, which gives it its strength, and an outer coating of a unique, UV-stabilised rubber compound, which gently cushions and protects plant stems. It’s easy to secure with just a twist (no need for fiddly knots) and can be cut with a sturdy pair of scissors. With a couple of quick twists, the tie may be quickly and easily adjusted to accommodate growing stems. Put a twist between the support and the stem and you have a ready-made spacer to prevent damage from chafing. Soft-Tie is long-lasting, does not rot, and can be washed and re-used.

All four types – Original, Slim, Woody Original, Woody Slim – are available in new Soft-Tie Maxi Reels (RRP £19.99), offering extra value to gardeners with five times the length for four times the price – a saving of 20%. Original is available in 25 metre Maxi Reels and Slim in 40 metre Maxi Reels.