Welcome Judy!

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Where does the time go? … we are delighted to introduce our newest member of the garden maintenance team, Judy.

Judy joined in September 2024 and jumped into her role at Charles Hoare with incredible enthusiasm, always with a smile on her face!

Having spent decades working in marketing for companies including Citizens Advice West Oxfordshire and Pearson Education, Judy turned back to her passion for gardening. It came as no surprise to her Irish family, who boast a long line of horticulturalists. She completed her RHS practical level 2 and joined us shortly thereafter.

Judy is incredibly passionate about taking a sustainable approach to gardening and when she is not found in a flowerbed, she enjoys feeding local wild birds, walking her dog, doing yoga and watching rugby.

Tulips!

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Now is the time to start planning for a colourful and bountiful spring! Tulips are a fabulous addition to any bed, formal or informal and pack a welcome punch huddled in pots. They can also be naturalised in grass.

The general rule (given there is diversity in variety and size) is aim for full sun, sheltered from strong wind. Incorporate organic matter into the soil (they ideally like neutral to alkaline if you’re being pernickety). Plant the bulb at least 2-3 times the depth and twice the width apart.

Whilst bulbs may not need (and indeed our team often wait until Nov/Dec to plant tulips due to the risk of ‘tulip fire’) to be planted immediately, the demand is high.

Here is the big news - we have had several reports from our suppliers that this year, there is a shortage of tulip bulbs so we urge you if you do nothing else in your garden this weekend - order those bulbs to avoid disappointment! You will be so grateful when they punch through the soil - after another long winter!

A slug affair

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Our maintenance team here at Charles Hoare are all too aware that snails and slugs are a gardener’s nemesis but the truth is that they have every right to roam our gardens and we have to somehow learn to live in harmony with them.

Slugs and snails are important food for numerous birds, mammals, worms and insects - a vital part of the natural balance of a garden. The issue is that they also love to eat fresh young leaves of plants we have lovingly nurtured. They come in droves. Managing them so your garden isn’t obliterated is a delicate balance and there are various tips and tricks to try to live in harmony with them..

1. Keep young plants in pots/greenhouse for longer until they are stronger to withstand a little munch. Young leaves are the tastiest.

2. Grit, coffee granules, crushed egg shell or fire ash. They don’t like clambering over rough surfaces. If using crushed eggshell, bake for 5 minutes so they are extra sharp.

3. Sacrificial planting. Have some nasturtiums, kale or lettuce near your favourite plants. The slugs might deviate to those and leave your tender plant babies alone.

4. Beer traps. They love the aroma of beer and although you are killing them, there are worse ways to meet your fate. Then throw them on the lawn for the birds.

5. Nematodes can be bought online or in garden centers and are biological control with no adverse effect on the environment. Again leaving them to other critters to eat.

6. Encourage blackbirds, thrush, frogs, hedgehogs and beetles to do the hard work for you. Make a mini pond or put sunflower seeds and mealworm out and these creatures will come flocking.

7. Grow your favourite ornamentals in pots with copper tape around the edge.. to make access more difficult. Slugs and snails don’t like copper.

It can feel like a futile effort against this much maligned garden ‘pest’. But isn’t this half the beauty of gardening?… constantly battling and playing a dance with and around all the crazy natural elements that make up the gorgeous habitats on your doorstep.