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  1. Great for ground cover plants

    Great for ground cover plants

    Ground cover plants are a great addition to open landscapes and gardens of all sizes by filling in gaps and brightening up bare patches beneath trees. Here’s a list of our top six plants that will work in any environment.

    1. Alchemilla mollis has rounded light green leaves with green-yellow small flowers. Flowering from June through to August, it is known for growing in many conditions and is a fully hardy perennial, making it a great option for ground cover in borders.
    2. Vinca minor is well known for its capability in ground covering. This is one of our favourite ground cover plants as its pretty, star-like, blue flowers appear through most of the year, flowering through spring, summer and autumn. Another reason why it made our top six is down to the fact that is grows well in deep shade.
    3.  Persicaria Darjeeling red flowers in autumn, but this ground cover plant is also referred to as knotweed. Well known for its crimson upright flowers, which can be seen from September through to November, it will thrive best in well-drained soil when placed in full to partial shade.
    4. Waldsteinia ternata is a semi- evergreen with a ‘creeping’ growing quality that makes it a great ground cover plant. With bright yellow flowers against its green foliage, it works perfectly alongside a path or when used for edging a border under a tree or banking.
    5. Cornus canadensis, also known as creeping dogwood, is best grown in full sun to partial shade. Not only do they provide pretty white flowers in late spring to early summer, they follow with clusters of bright red berries in autumn.
    6. Hedera hibernica will thrive in most soil types and can be used as ground cover once the shoots are pinned down. It is a very fast growing plant, and may need more attention than other ground cover varieties to stop them growing out of control.

    Posted 11th Feb 11:15am
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  2. Johnsons freshen up the grounds of Omega plc’s warehouse

    Johnsons freshen up the grounds of Omega plc’s warehouse

    Our Wholesale Commercial team recently completed a project in supplying plants to Omega plc’s site at Capitol Park, Doncaster.

    Working alongside one of our long-term customers, Ashlea Ltd, we supplied over 6,000 shrubs grown on our nursery; including over 600 2L Photinia ‘Red Robin’, 450 2L Euonymus ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ and 200 2L Viburnum ‘Eve Price’.

    Adding height and contrast to the project, the supply also included 16 trees with a girth size of 16-18 inches. Some of the varieties used were Betula pendula, Pyrus chanticleer, Liquidamber styraciflua and 10 MST Amelanchier lamarckii 125-150 size.

    Omega plc’s 320,000 square foot warehouse is used by the company to produce high-quality fitted kitchens and furniture across the UK.

    Yorkshire contract manager at Ashlea Ltd, Rob Brooks, said “Ashlea was awarded the soft Landscaping package by Tolent Construction for works to be carried out once Omega plc had moved into the new premises.

    “This required us to complete a large amount of work in a short space of time with restricted access. Once again, Johnsons of Whixley was able to deliver on time, meet the specification and site requirements as well as maintaining a high standard of products.”

    Our team are delighted with the outcome of Omega plc’s warehouse landscape. It’s always great to see large quantities of our shrubs going out the door. As always Ashlea Ltd has done a great job and we’re looking forward to working with them again on future projects.

    Posted 2nd Feb 11:07am
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  3. Jobs to do in the garden this February

    Jobs to do in the garden this February

    Here are our Gardening Reminders for the month of February

    1) Cut back ornamental grasses.
    2) Divide and replant Snowdrops as the flowers go over.
    3) Clean out existing bird nesting boxes and put up new ones.
    4) Take hardwood cuttings of forsythia, deutzia, honeysuckle, jasmine, Virginia creeper, holly,
    privet, cotoneaster, poplar, willow, gooseberries, etc
    5) Pot up or transplant last year’s hardwood cuttings.
    6) Consider planting shrubs or trees to provide winter colour in those dull conrners.
    7) Repair broken fences, trellices,steps, and walls.
    8) Repair any uneven areas of the lawn when the ground is firm.
    9) Push single seed potatoes into half-filled plastic pots, adding compost as they grow.
    10) Invest in a soil thermometer, when the soil temp. exceeds 5°C start sowings of hardy crops such as carrots, lettuce and radish direct into the ground.
    11) Ensure that borders have been forked over in preparation for summer growth or new planting. Apply a general fertilizer around the beds at 2-3oz per sq. yd, also apply to new areas.
    12) If weather warms up, take the opportunity to prepare compost and boxes for sowing half hardy annuals by the end of the month. You should have a heat source available for cold nights.
    13) Plant roses as soil conditions permit, prune stems of new roses down to an outward facing bud 3-5” above the crown. Cut the stem cleanly just above the bud. Plant graft union just below soil level. Apply bone meal at 2oz. per sq. yd. and prick into surface. Firm soil around roots.
    14) Prune climbing roses this month, keep 5 to 7 strong shoots and prune back all side shoots to within 3 buds of the base. Tie in all shoots securely. Prune Rambler roses in the autumn.
    15) Prune shrub roses late February to encourage growth from the base. Remove some old shoots but don’t reduce height too much as they tend to flower on older wood.
    16) Cut back Clematis Jackmanii and C. Viticella groups to about 12”. Pyracantha should be pruned to within 2 buds of the main frame except for extensions, if not done last autumn.
    17) Complete formative pruning of trees by the month end. It may be necessary to limit growth to one leader to avoid a fork in the main stem, or removal of the leader if a bush form is required.
    18) Do not apply heavy applications of fertilizer to naturalized bulbs as this will only encourage the surrounding grass.

    Posted 1st Feb 10:53am
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  4. Meet our new sales executive, Hannah Smith

    Meet our new sales executive, Hannah Smith

    We recently welcomed a new face to our Wholesale Commercial team. Hannah Smith joined our sales team in January as a sales executive/administrator. Here’s what she had to say about her first two weeks at Johnsons of Whixley.

    1. Welcome to the team! How have you found your first two weeks as our new sales executive?

    My first two weeks have been absolutely jam packed! In my first week I got to spend a day with each department, both out on the nursery and in the office. I was able to see how everyone, from sales to despatch, played a vital part in ensuring a customer order was put together efficiently from start to finish.

    2.What have you enjoyed the most so far?

    I really enjoyed being out on the nursery for a day (even if it was absolutely freezing!), lifting plants and packing them into boxes ready for delivery. It made me realise how much work goes into putting an order together which will be beneficial in my role. Oh, and I got to ride round on the back of a tractor ????

    3.What will your new role include?

    My role as a sales executive will include account management, pricing quotes for customers, dealing with any questions or queries customers might have about any existing or new orders and ensuring their order are processed quickly and correctly.

    4.Where did you work prior to joining Johnsons of Whixley?

    Prior to Johnsons I worked at a farm shop in Harrogate for two and a half years.

    5.What are you most looking forward to while working here?

    I’m looking forward to a completely new challenge! I’ve only ever worked in face-to-face retail so working in sales at Johnsons is a big change for me. Hopefully I’ll be able to use some of the skills I already have to help me along the way, plus everyone has been so kind and helpful so I’m sure I’ll find help if I ever get stuck!

    6.What do you think you biggest challenge will be?

    I think the biggest challenge for me will be learning all the different varieties of plants and trees we grow and sell. I can’t believe how many there are! Wish me luck!

    Posted 5th Feb 10:48am
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  5. Plant supply for Darwin Escapes’ new lodge and retreat

    Plant supply for Darwin Escapes’ new lodge and retreat

    Our Wholesale Commercial team worked with Darwin Escapes to supply plants for a new lodge and retreat, the Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa.

    The new Norfolk complex, which opened in January, includes luxury self-catering lodges, many with their own private hot tub facilities, an on-site restaurant, tropically-heated swimming pool and an on-site spa.

    We worked with leading multi-disciplinary consultancy firm RPS Group plc on creating a variety of environmental aspects for the project, including the landscaping planning and design, arboriculture and ecology.

    We provided products worth over £50,000 to be planted at the resort, including a variety of ornamental and native plant stock, all container-grown to accommodate the park’s construction programme.

    David Cox, associate landscape architect of RPS Group Plc, said: “We’re really pleased to see yet another Darwin Escapes scheme is coming together well. The quality of plant stock and efficiency of Johnsons has also been second-to-none.”

    It was great to be involved with another Darwin Escapes project and to be working with RPS again. Another Darwin Escapes resort we worked on in 2016, Keswick Reach, won ‘Best Large Park in Britain’ in the 2017 Hoseasons Annual Awards and Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa is sure to be recognised for its luxury and high standards.

    Want to find out more about Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa? visit www.darwinescapes.co.uk

    Posted 11th Feb 9:05am
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