Winter Plant Protection

Good morning Gardeners! Are you wrapping up to go outside today? Coat, scarf, gloves, woolly hat perhaps? Well, if so then spare a thought and a few pennies perhaps for your more vulnerable plants that might need something to keep the cold, damp and frostbite at bay. Wrap them up with a Haxnicks Easy Fleece Jacket, an Extra thick Fleece blanket or a Victorian Bell cloche. We often receive questions about looking after container grown plants in the winter (listen in Potty Gardener), one of the most common being cordyline palms. I would suggest gathering all the leaves together and holding them in an upright position with some string or soft-tie, but when it is really cold an Easy Fleece Jacket or even two should help to protect the foliage and stop the frost getting to the growing point of the palm. Do make sure to remove the jackets when the weather is warmer to avoid rotting.

The Royal Horticultural Society  offers some good advice on protecting plants during the winter months and unless I am very much mistaken it looks like they have opted to spend their pennies on a Haxnicks Victorian Bell Cloche.

Many plants bravely push on through the cold without any protection but one in particular never fails to give me a childlike surprise every year. Spotting the first modest blooms of snow drops in my garden always makes me smile, but if they are still hiding in your garden then why not wrap up and warm yourself inside and out by a visit to a snowdrop display in someone else's? The National garden Scheme has a list of snowdrop gardens open in aid of nursing and caring charities in February.

Grandpa Haxnicks

BBC Gardeners World - Original Victorian Bell Cloches

Following the recent features in the 20th Anniversary Edition of Gardener's World Magazine we thought we'd let you know a bit more about the various articles that feature Haxnicks products.

Helen Riches is a garden designer that regularly contributes to Gardener's World magazine and has won awards for her garden writing in the past.  In this edition she chose to use our Victorian Bell Cloche in 'Summer Pots from Seed' and shows readers not only how to grow flowers for some real summer colour, but also how to do it on a Budget.

We're reproducing the article in full below, but you can find out much more on Helen Riches' website.

Haxnicks Victorian Bell Cloches are the original plastic cloche, based on the old fashioned glass type, and having sold well over a million, Haxnicks continue to be the leading manufacturer of these award winning cloches. Versatile, practical, reusable and stackable the Victorian Cloche is a favourite for many modern gardening experts.


If you're looking to buy some (or want to see them for real) try our Stockist section. We list all current stockists and if your local garden centre doesn't have them you can also buy online.

As always - it's your feedback that counts... please feel free to tell us what you think of our Victorian Bell Cloches.

Haxnicks in 20th Anniversary Edition of Gardener's World Magazine

We're very proud to note that Haxnicks products have recieved some fabulous coverage in the 20th Anniversary Edition of Gardener's World magazine. What we want to know is - what do you think?

Helen Riches, Lila Das Gupta and long term friend of Haxnicks Pippa Greenwood can all be seen in the BBC's foremost gardening publication using Haxnicks products.

Helen Riches, award winning garden writer and garden designer, recommended covering with a cloche overnight to give germinating seeds a better chance in her article entitled 'Summer Pots from Seed'.  Lila Das Gupta also wrote an article about sowing Runner Beans and the benefits of using Rootrainers.

Pippa Greenwood meanwhile chose to recommend our Kitchen Garden Cloche for her article on protecting small groups of fruit and vegetables in their early stages and to extend their growing season.  And scattered throughout as always, our Biodegradable Pots Naturally range.

What can we say?  Well, go out and buy Gardeners World Magazine and see for yourselves of course!

Here's the list in full of products featured:

• Pots Naturally
• Victorian Bell Cloches
• Rootrainers
• Kitchen Garden Cloche

And here for your added info is a list of links to Gardeners World Articles and Blogs - enjoy!

• Helen Riches - 'Summer Pots from Seed'
• Lila Das Gupta - 'Step by Step'
• Pippa Greenwood - 'Pippa's Growing Tips'

 Now we want to hear from you... what did you think, have you seen our products in any magazines or TV shows?  Look out for us, we have great links with gardening experts across England and Scotland and even Ireland.  But don't forget we're a company that wants to produce the best quality garden care products we can and that means listening to your feedback.  Please leave us a comment.

Growing Brassicas From Seeds

Cabbages, kale, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel Sprouts are all varieties of the same species of Brassica oleracea which is native to the Mediterranean. Brassicas thrive on transplanting and some gardeners even swear by transplanting them twice.

• For Brussel Sprouts sow the seeds in March early April
• For 'Spring Cabbage' make two sowings 4 weeks apart in February
• For Summer Cabbage sow in March
• For Winter Cabbage sow in May
• For Summer Cauliflower sow in March
• For Broccoli sow in April

Deep Rootrainers make an excellent start when growing from seed, just fill with compost (preferrably peat free) and cover with a clear propagating lid and leave to germinate in a warm place.

Once plants start emerging use as a drip tray under the tray and grow on in a good strong light place, A Haxnicks Hardwood Plant House situated on a sunny wall is an excellent place.

When plants are ready plant out into a deep, rich well composted and moist soil. Make 15cm deep holes with a garden stake and place the seedling into the hole. Don’t close the hole with soil but rather water the plant which will close the hole with the right amount of soil.

Watering of the young plants is vital until they are well established and weeding is just as essential.

If pests are a problem or you want to bring on growth a little quicker then we do recommend our Victorian Cloches, these provide instant weather protection and additional warmth for faster growth.

Tip for this post: I'm very aware we spend time recommending our own products - but we welcome your contributions if you have better or even just different solutions please share them with us. We'll always publish your comments free of 'moderation'.

Finally, a little extra - some light reading for you, enjoy: Vegetable Growing Month-by-month: The Down-to-earth Guide That Takes You Through the Vegetable Year.