Rhs investment news

We're in the money
The RHS's annus horribilis is almost over with the news that the gardening charity has signed up fund manager M&G (a Pru subsidiary), as its new Chelsea Flower Show sponsor. After making 80 staff redundant, seeing a one third drop in sponsorship of gardens at Chelsea in May 2009 and the surprise departure of director general Inga Grimsey, the RHS has been in disarray.
To top it off, the society had to start recruiting again as soon as redundancies were completed because more staff left than anticipated, many upset about a breakdown in communciations between management and gardeners.
Suddenly, it's all different. There's an estimated £3m from the sponsorship, big names such as Diarmuid Gavin, Andy Sturgeon (with the Telegraph garden), Tom Stuart-Smith and James Wong are designing show gardens for Chelsea 2010, and numbers of big show gardens have recovered from 14 to about 20 as sponsors emerge. And, perhaps most importantly, the media ran the Chelsea credit crunch downturn story last year. So this year, to make a story, we need a new one. So a successful Chelsea it will be.


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Location:Uk

Untidy Gardens make the best homes for wildlife

Article posted in the Independent Online:

A detailed study of biodiversity in town and city gardens has found that they offer a vital refuge for animals and plants ? provided that those responsible for their upkeep are not too fastidious as gardeners.

It has also found that many of the preconceptions about wildlife gardening are not true. Small gardens are just as good as big gardens at attracting wildlife, suburban gardens are not always better than city gardens and non-native plants are not always harmful to native insects and birds.

Britain's 16 million gardens are a haven for hundreds of species of animals and plants that would find it impossible to survive on intensively farmed land, said Ken Thompson of Sheffield University.

"Gardens are amazingly diverse even compared to natural habitats that are good for wildlife. Gardens are more interesting on a small scale because they are so variable. All the wildlife responds to these variables," Dr Thompson said.

"Compared with an equivalent area of modern intensive farming, gardens are much, much better in terms of everything you measure, whether it is spiders, bugs or birds," he said.

"It sounds heretical, but from a biodiversity perspective most farmland would be improved by having a housing estate built on it," he told the British Science Festival.

Dr Thompson was involved in the first detailed study of the wildlife inhabiting British gardens when he and his colleagues surveyed 61 gardens in Sheffield between 1999 and 2002. They found an "astonishingly diverse" array of flora and fauna.

They also identified a range of simple measures that improved a garden's habitability for wildlife. "The top thing is to grow more big shrubs, trees and hedges," Dr Thompson said.

"These massively increase the volume of vegetation in your garden and a lot of vegetation means a lot of places to live and a lot of stuff to eat," he said.

"Don't be too tidy: don't be in a hurry to clear up everything when the garden stops flowering. Just leave a bit of stuff lying around.

"There's a mistaken belief that wildlife gardening is something special, something different, something odd and that a wildlife garden needs to be untidy, messy and not something you'd be proud of, but that's not true," Dr Thompson said.

The best gardens for wildlife needn't cost lots of money, and many of the "wildlife" products sold in garden centres are unnecessary, he said.

"Decking is a disaster. One of the findings of the Sheffield study was the very clear relationship between hard surfaces of any sort and less wildlife. It doesn't matter what it is ? as long as it's hard, it's bad," he added.

How to get a more natural garden

*Plant large shrubs and let them grow big. Shrubs and trees produce more vegetation where wildlife can live and eat.

*Allow at least some flowers to turn to seed and the lawn to grow tall. Don't be in a hurry to clear up fallen leaves.

*Create a pond for insects, frogs and toads. Think before stocking it with fish which will eat insect eggs and larvae.

*Don't illuminate your garden at night with bright lights. This will disturb many nocturnal creatures, such as moths.

*Create a compost heap ? they are miniature nature reserves in themselves. Compost also enriches the soil

UK Grandmother ordered to remove garden

Although this isnt a gardening tip as such, it is interesting to read that we are now told to disregard our gardens in such a hopeless manner by those we trust the most. Our council leaders and those who we pay our taxes to dont seem to quite grasp the importance of gardens or gardening in general.

In one of the most bizarre policies in modern history a UK grandmother has been ordered to clear some of her shrubbery in order to make way for three council waste bins.

The article from the Mail Online reports that Mrs St John was given the waste bins as part of a council edict enforcing all residents to now house them. While many of us already possess one or two of these wheelie bins most of us also have space to hide them. Not so for Mrs St John who has a frontage of only a few metres.

When Mrs St John complained to Harlow Council's recycling officer he suggested that she make way for the bins by removing some of her shrubs and installing paving to house them on!

Now, I don't mean to be alarmist but if every household in the UK were forced to do this wouldn't it mean that they could lose nearly 5% of their gardens overnight? I'm not sure where Harlow Council think they are going with this preposterous policy but it can't be good.

Interestingly, the Mail Online received more than 260 comments on this article and have since closed their comments. While some respondents were as bemused as I am, the odd detractor fielded comments such as;

There is plenty of space for bins in that messy, overgrown plot. They could be stored safely for her and easily hidden by some shrubs. Isn't that what normal people do? Why is she making such a fuss?
and;

Hmmm, not quite the shocker as it would seem when you read on. She doesn't have to pave her garden, and she has alternatives to the 'eyesore' of the wheelie bins in her front garden- she can wheel them through her house for a start. Reading what the council said they actually seem pretty reasonable.
Hmmm....wheeling rubbish bins through the house??? I can see why this guy thought the council was being quite reasonable!

This appears to be one of those issues where the "forest" gets missed for the "trees". On one hand, the Harlow council should be applauded for their efforts in assisting a recycling program but when the only way to achieve that is to remove gardens, one has to ask where the logic is in this?

Continue to support your local garden centres and get out there and prove the importance of gardening to the UK economy and UK culture.

Should all Uk Gardens have a water feature or a fountain?

If you are planning on adding a Garden fountain or water feature to your garden, no matter if it is big or small, you are enhancing the outdoor area by making it a tranquil retreat and an elegant focal point. Certainly, if you don’t have one already, you are probably looking on the web at the wide selection of garden fountains or water features that you could choose. Garden fountains have a long reputation as an Artistic accent as well as a enjoyable experience.

Garden fountains and water features have been used in human habitations for thousands of years. In the architecture of ancient Rome it wasn’t unusual to find garden fountains at the heart of home courtyards. Looking at the hieroglyphs found on Egyptian tombs, garden fountains and water features were also present in the ancient peoples of the Nile. Fountains were located in public squares where people washed themselves, but they also became decorative elements in private gardens. Many countries in the Orient, especially Japan, still honor the traditional formal garden with their ornate garden fountains.

The 21st Century Garden, especially in the UK, generally contains some sort of fountain or running water. That may be in the shape of a pond with a water feature or a grand fountain lit up at night. The ideas all stem back to the previous paragraph. The Romans quickly found that running water was not only a feature of stature and grandure but also a wonderful architectural eye pleaser.

Understandably, the type of UK garden fountains you choose may depend on size or shape of the space . For large gardens, you will probably want large and intricate garden fountains to suite. Smaller gardens usually implies smaller, but no less distinctive fountains. You can choose wall-mounted fountains or those sitting on freestanding bases. It is also important to note that you can purchase garden fountains in various different materials in the UK such as wood, copper, ceramic, stone, fiberglass, resins, and cast iron.
The UK climate can be harsh and that is why 99% of fountain and water feature retailers sell protected materials. The ice and snow of winter can be harsh but should not deter you from your dream as such. Just be aware that once your water feature or fountain is in place in your garden, it is important to protect it from the elements wherever possible. A good water feature or fountain should last 15 to 20 years and withstand everything the winter can throw at it. You tend to get what you pay for from a reputable garden centre in the uk

It may be an option to store a small fountain inside, but with larger or freestanding garden fountains, this option is not possible, nor should you have to. You could go out and purchase a protective cover for your water feature that would slide over your fountain. Remember that if you remove the water pump that you should make sure it is free of water.

Research into fountains has shown a relationship between the running waters of garden fountains or waterfalls and a beneficial impact on your health and well-being. Others would consider the spiritual advantages of fountains to be of importance based on the sense of peace they can induce. It is a scientific fact that running water releases negative ions that purify the air by removing dust particles and other pollutants so breathing is made easier.

If you are serious about getting garden fountains or water features, then you need to ask yourself what your likes and preferences are. Many people who buy garden fountains enjoy the do-it-yourself experience so it makes sense to find fountains that come with detailed installation guides so you’re connecting hoses and pumps correctly and, most importantly, safely. Most garden fountains and water features in the UK are easy to install and most of the modern models require just one person to put them together. Garden fountains can be a peaceful backyard accent or the centerpiece for your elegant garden design.

For more information on choosing the right garden fountain or water feature for you in the UK visit http://www.waterfeatureuk.co.uk/ or purchase from a fantastic range of both indoor and outdoor fountains visit http://www.poplartreegardencentre.co.uk/

The Pogues Shane Macgowan to star in New Gardening Show

In what is set to be one of the most unlikely -- and indeed, original -- reality shows of recent years, the Pogues' very own pickled poet Shane MacGowan and his wife Victoria Mary Clarke are set to be the stars of their own gardening programme.

The documentary, 'Victoria and Shane Grow Their Own,' features the pair's attempts to grow their own vegetables in an effort to emulate the premise of 70s sitcom, 'The Good Life.' Reportedly inspired by America's First Lady Michelle Obama, Victoria tries to grow enough vegetables for her and Shane to live off, as well as planning a summer's end party for friends and family using their own harvest.


The biggest obstacle facing Victoria is the fact that she's no gardening expert and Shane -- gearing up for a summer tour of festivals with the Pogues as well as the usual rock'n'roll distractions -- proves to be of little or no help.

'Victoria and Shane Grow Their Own' is scheduled to be broadcast on Ireland's RTE One on Tuesday Dec. 8. Sadly, there are no plans at present to broadcast the show on outside the Emerald Isle.

UK Gardeners will have to wait for something along the lines of David Beckham and his Gardening show. In the meantime, get down to your local garden centre and support UK Green Gardening.

Leaves keep falling

The winter is still taking it's toll on trees.try not to park your car under one otherwise the sap coming from the leaves will damage the paintwork of your car.leaves will not disintegrate quickly so best to tidy them up and bin them as soon as possible.get a brush and get those leaves moved before the heavy rains come in December and January.gardening doesn't finish when the summer ends.your garden needs care through the winter months also.don't let it ruin your life.enjoy it.


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Lawn Care during the Winter

You shouldn’t have to mow your lawn now as it will have stopped growing for the winter but there is still work to be done to keep your lawn in tip-top condition

Aeration
Aeration is as much a part of looking after your lawn at any time of the year as it is in autumn but with the weather turning more to rain it takes on a whole new dimension. Aerating your lawn is important in the months September through to April as this is when we in the United Kingdom seem to have our biggest rain fall and aeration helps the ground relinquish its hold on some of that excess water it has soaked up. Use a hand fork to aerate those parts of the lawn that look as though they are suffering from excess water.

Worms
There is a common misconception among many would-be gardeners that worms are a pest; this is not the case. Worms help to improve the nutrient content of the soil in which your lawn is growing and as such the worms are best left to their own devices. However should worm casts be visible on the lawn allow them to dry out and sweep them away.

Leaves and Debris
Keep the lawn free from leaves and debris. Falling leaves in the autumn and winter can rot quickly and bring disease to your lawn so it is advisable to rake them away as often as you can - or whenever you see a build up of leaves.

Scarification
Scarification is the procedure of pulling a rake through the grass sward to drag away any dead grass matter, roots or moss that may be festering within your lawn. Doing this one a fortnight - or more often if you can - helps reduce the chances of disease spreading into the grass. If you wait until the moss turns brown or black then it will come away from the lawn with minimal effort and minimal damage to your lawn.

As always, we have the perfect place to buy the cheapest rakes online right here in the UK

Grow your own

Its been a bumper Autumn harvest for apples and blackberries in the garden. All over the country there have been reports of huge crops of lovely ripe fruit . This is the result of lots of lovely sunshine and rain at the right times over the summer. The cold winter also had its part to play as many fruits need low temperatures for maximum yields.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/fruitandvegetables/3349566/Gardening-Growing-fruit-in-Britain.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6788636.ece

As the climate gets hotter how will these fruits survive as we adapt to planting more exotic crops such as olives, kiwi fruit, almonds etc.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/11/climate-change-britain-crops

Gardening Tools for Winter and Spring

Its hard keeping your garden looking great over the winter. One of the major problems is leaves and wind blown mess. There are plenty of tools out there that will make the job of tidying up easier. Why not compost your garden waste. Its a great way to help the environment and get rid of unwanted waste. You can then reuse it in your garden as compost.

One of the chores I was particularly thinking about, was caring for your tools. Tools should always be cleaned, dried, and stored away in an orderly manner. If you have the due diligence, go one step further and wrap clean rags or towels around your tool heads before stowing away. Spring is especially a great time to prep your garden tools and have them ready, for all of your busy gardening needs, so you can “hit the dirt running”.

Take a good look at your tool inventory and their condition. Do you know where your favorite tools are? Are your tools clean, or a bit rusty? If so, deep clean and lubricate them. Do they seem dull when using, or do they still have their sharp edge? Make sure your tools are sharp, it will save you physically. Are your tool handles rough or soft to the touch? If rough, lightly sand your wood handle tools with fine sandpaper, and apply a generous amount of linseed oil with a soft cloth. If the oil absorbs quickly, reapply. Your tool handles will be as soft as velvet and a treat to work with. Properly cared for tools can last generations, and can be handed down from one generation to the next budding generation of gardeners.

It is all the same, whether it is your personal life, your home, or your garden. If you are organized and tidy, you will be much more effective, efficient, and accomplish more effortlessly. You will soon experience the rewards. There is a great quote that reinforces this message. “When you do the things you have to do when you have to do them, the day will come when you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them.”–Zig Ziglar, Author.

Gardening Gloves Review

The creative folks at Ethel Gloves approached me, and asked if I might want to review their gloves, and ultimately share my thoughts with you. Upon accepting their offer, I was sent a complimentary pair of Ethel Gloves. It is my intention to present a fair, unbiased, and informative review for you.

I had never heard of Ethel Gloves before, but in researching their website, they are widely distributed. I like their philosophy of gloves created for women gardeners, which focus on fashion, function, and protection. Their product packaging alone was enough to woo one over, clever and beautifully designed.

My initial reaction when I put my new Ethel Gloves on was similar to wearing my winter leather car-driving gloves…classy. Instantly I felt fashionable in my garden gloves, something I’ve never experienced before. I have a small hand, and received a size small, which fit my hand nicely. The gloves come in S, M, and L. The glove conforms to your hand easily and has reinforced finger tips and palm surface for protection. An elasticized cuff, keeps your gloves comfortably in place. So fashion was good, nice fit, and many styles to choose from.

Putting on my Ethel Gloves, I started my hands-on gardening practices. I was pleasantly surprised at the great hand dexterity in holding tools, clipping plants, and best of all, creating my vintage container designs. In my designs I’m working with chop sticks, tiny spaces, intricate placing of plants, and usually without the aid of my garden gloves, but Ethel Gloves are like a second comfortable skin and worked well throughout my designs. So function, was very good.

I consider myself a bit of a “guerrilla gardener”. In one week I helped move a wood pile, trimmed and mulched over 30 rose bushes, and tended to my black berry bushes, wearing my new Ethel Gloves. For these heavy duty chores where thorns and splinters lurk, I could have used a little more protection from my Ethel Gloves. So protection was only fair. Please note, Ethel Gloves does have a specific “rose glove” available. However, we all have a wardrobe of clothes and shoes for specific activities and functions. If you are an avid gardener, why not have a wardrobe of garden gloves to choose from as well.

I would recommend this pair as my all time favourite. Easy to clean, great protection and reasonably cheap.

Plants That stop climate change

Air pollution is an issue that few are ready to tackle. In Japan, however, Toyota is researching horticultural solutions to address this matter. They believe that certain enhanced species of plant life may contribute to improving the environment.

The Biotechnology and Afforestation division of Toyota is responsible for developing flowers that absorb air pollution. One such plant is the Kirsch Pink Shrub, related to the Cherry Sage, Salvia lamiacea, a semi-evergreen shrub with a long flowering period.

Together with Gardenia, Salvia now grows in the area surrounding the Prius car factory in Tokyo City. Both are utilized to absorb emissions from that building. By doing so, they also remove heat from the atmosphere. This lowers the surface temperature surrounding the factory, which in turn cuts down on energy requirements for cooling. In addition to Gardenia and Salvia, other plants included in the program to improve atmospheric conditions are Asteraceae chameomelum Cruz, and Heterophylla, aka Lamium lavandula Argent.

It is hoped that the plants will prove helpful in combating the “heat island effect”. This condition causes increased temperatures in cities due to buildings and infrastructure deflecting sunlight and heat. The expectation is that pollution-eating plants in city parks and streets will absorb both emissions and heat. This should result in improved atmospheric conditions for congested urban areas.

Salvia Kirsch pink is not available anywhere but in Japan and I have been unable to find data relating to its hardiness zone or growing conditions. Furthermore, there have been no other press releases about this project since October 2005. I think it’s time for Toyota to give us an update on this project.

Get pollution eating plant seeds here. Plant the seeds, water them and watch them change the world.

Grow Vegetables all year round

Do you wish you could extend the “fresh vegetable concept” of summer throughout the year by growing your vegetables year-round. Well, you can, and it is much easier than you think. It is an age-old concept borrowed from the French, called the “potager” or literally translated “soup garden”.

In France, a potager may be very formal and considered a jewel on an estate or situated on the succinctly elaborate grounds of a chateau. A potager may also be very humble, next to a small farmhouse in the countryside, by railroad tacks in the suburbs, or in urban plots outside a nearby town. Wherever they are located or however they are designed, they have been a foundation for French food culture, and the French tradition of eating seasonal fresh foods.

A potager is a French-style kitchen garden composed mainly of seasonal vegetables and herbs. A potager may also include a few fruit trees, and even seasonal flowers. The sole purpose of a potager is to provide a year-round supply of fresh daily produce for a family or a small group of people. It is usually a small and manageable plot of 10′ x 10′, or 9′ x 12′ in size.

A potager is divided up into plots that are individually managed and rotated as the seasons unfold each year. It requires some planning, management, knowledge of your specific growing seasons, and knowledge of what you are growing, on your part to be successful with a potager.

In the UK, generally speaking, our traditional backyard vegetable garden consists of planting the garden in the spring, reaping fresh produce over the summer, and sometimes utilizing the abundance of the harvest by freezing or preserving for use over the winter, or for another time.

English, unlike the French and other Europeans, do not normally have a vegetable garden year-round. This might be changing now. One of the hottest food trends today is “growing your own vegetables”. Gardeners such as yourself, want to keep the “fresh produce concept” alive after the summer has waned. We all know that fresh strawberries out of a morning garden for breakfast, or fresh green beans harvested still warm from the sun, are a delight to the senses and incomparable.

We are also being influenced by active local organic farms supplying restaurants and farmer’s markets with new and exciting types of produce to explore and enjoy. Their underlying message is “eat locally”.

This is an introduction to the concept of the “potager”. Follow along as I discuss further the elements of the potager, how to implement a potager, how to manage, and what you might want to plant throughout the four seasons in your potager. For a related post on vegetable gardening basics at VintageGardenGal see, 7 Basic Steps of Successful Vegetable Gardening.

Do you have a potager now? You can get a great one here. This is the cheapest one I have seen and I have the exact same one. Where did you first see a potager? What is your motivation for vegetable gardening year-round?

Vote for Brambles

You can register your vote for brambles at this years retailer of the year awards here www.cityofdurhamretailawards.co.uk/coffee.htm
By registering your vote you enter the chance of winning a Christmas tree courtesy of Poplar Tree Garden Centre.
We are giving brambles coffee shop Durham our full support.it's a great coffee shop with great food and wonderful staff that attract people from all over the North East.
Good luck Brambles Coffee Shop Durham


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10 Ways to get more twitter followers

This guest post is written by Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg and the cofounder of Revision3 and Pownce. Kevin, who has over 88,000 followers on Twitter (making him the second most followed after President Obama), also “bloggs” at kevinrose.com. He is an investor in Twitter.

Ten Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers:

1.Explain to your followers what retweeting is and encourage them to retweet your links. Retweeting pushes your @username into foreign social graphs, resulting in clicks back to your profile. Track your retweets using retweetist.
2.Fill out your bio. Your latest tweets and @replies don’t mean much to someone that doesn’t know you. Your bio is the only place you have to tell people who you are. Also, your bio is displayed on Twitter’s Suggested Users page. Leaving it blank or non-descriptive doesn’t encourage people to add you.
3.As @garyvee says, “link it up.” Put links to your Twitter profile everywhere. Link it on your Digg, LinkedIn, Facebook, blog, email signature, and everywhere else you live online. Also, check out the great feedburner-like badges from TwitterCounter for your blog.
4.Tweet about your passions in life and #hash tag them. Quality content coupled with an easy way to find it never fails. If others enjoy your content, they’ll add you. Learn more about #hash tagging here.
5.Bring your twitter account into the physical world. Every time I give a talk, speak on a panel, shoot a podcast, present slides, or hand out business cards, I figure out a way to broadcast or display my twitter account.
6.Take pictures. Pictures are heavily retweeted/spread around. This one from US Airways Flight 1549 has been viewed 350,000+ times. For mobile pics use iPhone apps such as Tweetie or Twitterific, both which support on the go uploading.
7.Start a contest. @GardenCentres offered a free macbook air if he reached the #1 most followed spot. That never happened, but Jason added thousands of followers…brilliant.
8.Follow the top twitter users and watch what they tweet. Pay attention to the type of content they sent out and how they address their audiences.
9.Reply to/get involved in #hash tag memes. search.twitter.com lists the hot ‘trending topics. Look for the #hash topics and jump in on the conversation (see #4 for links to #hash instructions).
10.Track your results. TwitterCounter will show you how many new users you’re adding per day and Qwitter will email you when someone unfollows you after a tweet.

England 2018 world cup bid

The promise of a fantastic football celebration-published on the fa website

England is already home to many top players from all over the world. The chance to see the world’s best international sides compete on English soil would create a wonderful celebration of football in a country which cares passionately about the game.


Great stadiums

Wembley Stadium is a legendary football arena – and the arch of the rebuilt venue is a famous landmark on the capital’s skyline. It is the home of football in England.

WHAT ENGLAND OFFERS



The promise of a fantastic football celebration

England is already home to many top players from all over the world. The chance to see the world’s best international sides compete on English soil would create a wonderful celebration of football in a country which cares passionately about the game.


Great stadiums

Wembley Stadium is a legendary football arena – and the arch of the rebuilt venue is a famous landmark on the capital’s skyline. It is the home of football in England.







Alongside Wembley stand other famous stadiums like The Stadium of Light, Old Trafford, St James’s Park, the Emirates and the City of Manchester Stadium, all with their own unique atmosphere. Each provides top-quality facilities and the experience of hosting big matches every week. You can help pick which cities host matches by choosing here .


Excellent national infrastructure

The nation’s infrastructure of road, rail and air travel complements a unique blend of accommodation, from boutique hotels to country pubs.

Air services directly connect England to 185 airports in World Cup qualifying countries.


A warm welcome – for everyone

The warmth of the welcome is guaranteed, as is the chance to explore England, with historical and cultural attractions throughout the land.

The diversity of England’s communities means that overseas visitors will have a home-from-home, with the tournament providing the chance for extended families to re-unite.

Each of the 31 visiting teams is assured of noisy support from fellow countrymen who have settled in England, backed by a football-hungry public drawn to the greatest tournament on earth.


A spectacular experience for FIFA, broadcasters and sponsors

Based on the worldwide appetite for English football, whether at domestic or international levels, we already understand the needs of commercial partners.

It means FIFA would be plugging into football infrastructure which is among the best in the world. Grounds and training facilities such as the Sunderland stadium of light – meaning England can confidently focus on taking the World Cup experience to a new level.

The FA Cup and Premier League testify to English football’s worldwide scope. The FA Cup Final is currently shown in 287 territories and the Premier League in 211.


A boost for global football development

Football in England already has an established reputation for assisting the development of football around the world. Both The FA and the Premier League have extensive international relations programmes, offering training in all aspects of football to nations in every continent.

A World Cup held in England will boost this work and widen its scope says the fa website.we just hope for the sake of the entire country that the fa look outside of London for host stadia.places like the stadium of light in Sunderland must be at the forefront of their plans. A world cup bid must share the wealth,prosperity and job opportunities to all four corners of the uk in 2018 and not follow in the footsteps of englands doomed 2012 Olympic budget nightmare and stripping of lottery funding in northern cities and towns.




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Pond cleaning pelets-Market Tablets brands

Ponds are back on fashion-fact.ponds can be expensive to clean-fact. Pond food can cost a fortune-fact.not any more according to leading experts at nikishoi,one of the worlds best selling pond suppliment and food suppliers. The only trouble is, finding where to get your hands on the best pond cleaning tablets in town.

Nishikoi pond cleaner. Goodbye Blanket Weed Bulk Pack from Nishikoi is both effective for your pond and your pocket! The 100% natural way to clear your pond. Clear blanket weed from your garden pond, Goodbye blanket weed pond cleaner involves no mess and no measuring - you simply drop one water-soluble sachet into your pond or filter once a week.
Nishikoi pond cleaner Blanket weed is the biggest problem faced by most pond keepers. It will quickly cover your pond in a green slime, not only spoiling the look of your pond but also blocking your filter or pump.
How Goodbye Blanket Weed pond cleaner works - a unique, patented bio-product that contains friendly bacteria and enzymes which eat the food that blanket weed lives on.
Includes activated barley straw - a traditional way of treating blanket weed, by including activated barley straw within Goodbye Blanket Weed the speed at which the blanket week clears is increased.
Contains 32 sachets, each holding 25g of treatment. Each sachet will treat up to 1000 gallons.
From time to time your pond or water feature can become dirty or grimy. Nishikoi Pond Cleaning products are the best on the market, and will ensure that your pond or water feature will look cleaner than ever.


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Expert gardening advice

Poplar tree garden centre are offering free lifetime subscription to their gardening e-magazine.The magazine consists of expert gardening advice from gardening experts in the uk and incudes up to date information, articles, helpful tips, money saving ideas and ways to make your garden look amazing without spending a fortune.The magazine signup box is located in the top right hand corner of this page http://www.poplartreegardencentre.co.uk/ and is emailed to you periodically throughout the year. What better free way to ensure your garden looks fabulous all year round.

Also,if you subscribe online before the end of 2009 to poplar tree garden centre uk newsletter and free gardening advice magazine,they will offer everyone special discount codes for online purchases to stores in the uk worth upto %50 off chosen products.


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Choosing the right Christmas or birthday gift

Is it Christmas time, or a different holiday, and you are having trouble thinking of a good gift to give to your boss? Maybe it's for another employee or just someone you don't know well enough to know what they like. Here's some help to find that perfect gift.

Think about what you know about your boss. Do they enjoy any particular activities, like sports cars, certain activities, are they a geek, a true fan of certain shows or movies? Hopefully you've had enough water-cooler conversations with them to know the answer to some of those questions. This will help you form even the smallest personality profile on them and then you can start brainstorming on what types of things they will like.
Decide how much you want to spend. If it's not much (£10 or less), ask some of your co-workers if they want to chip in.
Gather up store ads in the newspaper or a generic website and browse through them to get ideas. With their interests in mind and a set budget, you should find something that they will enjoy.

You can buy one of those pre-made gift baskets or even better, cheaper and much more thoughtful is to gather items separately and create your own custom gift-basket. This way you can truly personalize the basket and buy items you know they will not only like, but truly love (i.e. their favorite candy/beverage/snack).
If you absolutely can't think of a gift, write a meaningful card, don't just sign it. Say something you truly mean (i.e. I really enjoy our meetings, you make me smile when you talk about your children, or thank you for your understanding when I was out sick for 4 days).
Consumable or disposable items work well since the person wont feel like the gift is 'just taking up space.'
Buying every day items with a little twist will brighten his day (a personalized mug, those neon post-it notes instead of the boring yellow ones, etc.).
If you are still uncertain as to what to buy, ask a more sensitive worker or one closer to your boss. He or she will be more attuned as to what your boss would enjoy.
Find out what store they really like spending money at and buy them a gift card. Again, if your budget is not impressive, ask your co-workers to join.

Article taken from Wikihow

-- Posted from my iPhone

5 portions of fruit and veg a day keeps colds away

Please don't forget over the Christmas period how important it is to maintain your five portions of fruit and veg each day.Experts agree that 5 portions of fruit or veg,along with regular excercise and a healthy diet,can go a long way to preventing diseases and provides the body with essential nutrients to help prevent common colds and maintains a healthy immune system.

They also taste great!


-- Posted from my iPhone

Christmas lights

Seeing Christmas lights hanging up in windows in october and november is a little scary but becoming a common theme as we head into the new decade.

As a christmas lover, Why does everyone want static Christmas lights this year rather than multiple functional coloured Christmas lights? Icicle Christmas lights are this years best selling Christmas lights of 2009.so here's how to get them on the cheap.
http://www.poplartreegardencentre.co.uk/christmas-lights/

Ways to survive in 2010

Today we’re going to look at five ways you can engage your customers in 2010. One of the real benefits for brands of using social media or of building an online community, is that it can build sustainable engagement with your customers. Here are five ways to get this engagement.

1. Be active about asking your customers for their opinion
Too often firms don’t ask customers what they think. They may give ways for them to contact the brand, tell them their opinions or call them with compliments or complaints. But this is all very passive. Brands need to be actively asking their customers what they think. You need to go to them, not the other way round. For the customer, being asked what they think makes them feel special, part of our organisation and valued. A simple task such as calling your ten top clients in the first week in January will give you new insights into what you are doing right (and wrong) and will make ten more loyal customers. You then need to think about how you do this long term and on a much larger basis.

2. Make it easy for customers to complain
For an example of a good feedback form, visit www.poplartreegardencentre.co.uk who consider their customers feedback essential in survival and development of their online business and garden centre as a whole.There are many ways that customers can raise their complaints about you and your products. They can tell you directly, post their thoughts on their blog, write to a newspaper, talk to all their friends…the options are endless. As a brand you should be able to feel in control of these complaints. Nobody likes to hear that their customers are unhappy, but it is much better for them to do this in a space where you have right or reply and you can even learn from these complaints. If you don’t provide a way for people to complain they will still do it, except you won’t know where and won’t be able to respond.

3. When you ask your customers something, make sure you respond
There’s nothing worse than being asked for your opinion and then not hearing what people think about it or if they are going to do anything having heard it. When you ask customers questions, or ask them to complain you must respond. Closing the feedback loop will make them feel valued and make them realise that you are actually listening to what they are saying. This will encourage them to continue to engage with you and, by knowing what and how you think, it will make their contributions more focused and productive from your perspective.

4. Deal with customers in public
Only some of your customers are going to want to talk to you and give you their opinions, and an even smaller proportion are going to want to complain. But all of your customers will want to know that you are an organisation that listens and responds. They want to know that if they were to have an idea or some feedback, that you would take it on board; and if they were to have a complaint that you would deal with it. There is a huge benefit to engaging with your customers openly and in public. If they can see you resolving a customers problem they will have greater respect for you as a business that cares about it’s customers. If they see you giving feedback they will know that you’re an organisation that listens to and focuses on the needs of its customers. Respond, and respond publicly; this is where an online community can really pay dividends.

5. Realise that engagement is not a campaign
Unlike other activities, engaging your customers cannot be run as a campaign. It is not about creating a number of advocates for a product launch or about having a conversation with some of your customers for two months. Engagement needs to be ongoing; sustained and sustainable. Once you start to listen to and close the feedback with your customers you must keep doing this. Of course, the benefits you get will be vast and wide-ranging, so most brands won’t want to stop engaging!

Twitter - Using Twitter can increase sales

This week has seen Twitter launch Twitter 101; a guide for businesses of how to use Twitter. We’ve looked before at how organisations can use Twitter, and this guide covers the basics as well as showcasing a few cases studies of what some businesses are doing.

The guide itself is part a how-to guide, part an explanation of what Twitter is and part a set of ideas and examples. The fundamental recommendations from Twitter can be summarised in four simple steps

1.Listen to what people are saying about your brand on Twitter
2.Set up your own presence and be honest about who you are
3.Follow people that are relevant to you
4.Respond to discussions about your brand and business
This approach of listening first is a great way of starting to develop a strategy of how your business should use Twitter. Once you know what people are saying about you, what issues they are discussing and what problems they raise, you will know what kind of responses might be expected of you when you get to stage 4. But I would suggest an additional stage that builds on this information. Getting your strategy right.

There is a strong argument for brands being on Twitter. Experimenting and finding out what works for you. However, you will get most success if you take a step back first and think why you are doing this. What are your business aims and what do you hope to achieve. How will you measure your success and evaluate if you are getting out of your use of Twitter what you hoped?

This needn’t be a lengthy and complex process but it is one worth doing. It helps to focus what you are doing and gives the use of Twitter a real focus and direction. Different businesses will be in different situations, with different business needs and different strategic aims. Think about where you are and where you want to go and then brainstorm how you might use Twitter to help you get there.

Innovation is great and social media is a fantastic medium through which to innovate. But a little bit of focus and strategy will help turn this innovation into something that you can evaluate. Something that you can assess and something that you can improve on.

Only if you think about what you want to achieve will you really be able to measure what you have done and the success it has brought your business. Then you’ll be able to add to the great case studies from the likes of Dell and Pepsi that are listed in Twitter 101.

Article Quoted from the Fresh Network Blogs

Hand painted glasswear

It's all about saving money this Christmas.I'm going to provide you with some great money saving ideas and gifts that look great but won't break the bank.

1. Hand painted decorative glasswear that has featured on television shows such as this morning.

These glasses make not only great Christmas presents but also wonderful collectables.

Hand Painted and Decorative Painting on Glass, Glassware, Wedding Flutes and Glasses, Piggy Banks, Windchimes, Collectible Salt and Pepper Shakers, Collectible Plates and Tinware in English Country, French Country, Shabby Chic and Country Craft Design


-- Posted from my iPhone

Poplar Tree Garden Centre | Glasses Lolita Glassware

Poplar Tree Garden Centre Glasses Lolita Glassware

You can find some wonderful hand painted glass here that will make the perfect gift for Christmas.

How to Install Water Features & Fountains

Great Blog on how to install water features and fountains can be found here. I hope it helps many of you to choose the right water feature that will suit your needs. How to Install Water Features & Fountains

Garden Furniure

As summer comes and you are ready to enjoy the great outdoors, or at least your back porch, you may notice that your patio furniture is not as bright and attractive as it once was. The sun, wind, and dust that your patio furniture is exposed to on a daily basis do quite a number on its looks. If you are looking to learn how to clean patio furniture, here are some tips you should know.

Cleaning Resin or Plastic Patio Furniture

To clean resin or plastic patio furniture that is light in color, make a solution that includes 1-gallon of warm water, ¾-cup of bleach, and 1-tablespoon of laundry soap. If there is any coloring on the furniture, test a small, inconspicuous area first to make sure it will not damage the color. If the color brightens but does not become discolored, you can clean the entire piece.

Use the solution and a scrub brush with soft bristles to clean the entire piece. Then, leave the water solution on the furniture for around 15 minutes. Then rinse it thoroughly.

If the furniture is colored, use a solution made out of 1-gallon of warm water and 1-tablespoon of all-purpose cleaner. This eliminates the bleach, which can damage the coloration of the colored furniture. Again, after washing let the solution set on the furniture for around 10 to 15 minutes and rinse completely.

Unfinished Wood Patio Furniture

Unfinished wood furniture is really abused by the elements. One problem you face when cleaning unfinished wood is the fact that it tends to absorb excess water, which can cause it to warp or crack. To avoid this problem, make a solution out of a gallon of water, 1 cup of ammonia, and ½ cup of vinegar. Scrub down your wood furniture with this solution, and then rinse it completely. After rinsing, use towels to take up any excess water.

Cleaning Patio Furniture Cushions

The cushions on your patio furniture are probably one of the most likely items to need a good cleaning. Most patio furniture pillows and cushions are washable, but check the label before you attempt washing them. If they are, wash them with soapy water and a sponge. Make sure that you rinse them well and wipe them as dry as you can.

Cleaning a Patio Umbrella

Patio umbrellas often grow mold. This happens because they get wet and then sit closed in the warm weather, making a moist, warm environment for mold to grow in. Not only is mold unsightly, but it is also a health hazard, so you need to deal with it.

To clean the mold off of a patio umbrella, make a solution with 1-gallon warm water, a squirt of liquid dish detergent, and ¾-cup of bleach. Test the color first on the inside of the umbrella. If it reacts well to the bleach, open the umbrella, don some rubber gloves, and scrub the umbrella using the solution and a brush with soft bristles. As soon as you are done, rinse the umbrella. If you find that the solution fades the colors on the umbrella, look on the tag to see what cleaning agents you can use. Always let the umbrella dry completely before you close it, as this can cause new mold to develop.

Aluminum Patio Furniture

To clean aluminum furniture, scrub the piece down with a plastic scrubber or steel wool using dish detergent. Put in plenty of elbow grease to make sure you get it good and clean. Rinse the furniture completely to remove all of the soap.

If the furniture is baked on aluminum, use a sponge instead of the plastic scrubber. Soak it with the dishwashing detergent. Work the sponge and the cleaner into the outdoor furniture and rinse. Dry it using a cloth and then finish with some car wax. Make sure the car wax does not get on the fabric or webbing on the piece of furniture. This will preserve the finish the furniture.
The staff at Patio Furniture London Ontario would like to invite you to visit one of our locations to experience our approach to Casual Living and Complete Customer Satisfaction.

Twitter 101 – a guide to Twitter for business

Twitter 101 – a guide to Twitter for business

Twitter Apple Info

Twitter Apple Info

Other Gardening Advice Blogs

Here is another great gardening advice blog that I have come accross. Please dont ever think I dont like to try and help you guys out of this recession. This blog will provide you with loads of money saving ideas and ways to save money in the run up to Christmas on both Christmas gifts and general advice on the best way to look after your garden. http://www.mysod.co.uk/ Great gardening advice as well as money saving advice. Any feedback on this site would be greatly appreciated.