Behind the scenes: 5 nursery habits you can bring home to your garden
Shwmae, everyone!
Last Friday we showed you how we grow your plants. This week we're turning it around. The things we do every day at our nursery in Wenvoe, near Cardiff, aren't secrets and don't need special kit. Most of them work just as well in a back garden, so here are five habits worth borrowing.
A corner of our nursery in October: Cotoneaster franchetii in full berry, with young plants in pots behind.
1. Grow in peat-free soil
Every plant we grow goes into peat-free organic living soil. Peatlands are vital carbon stores and wildlife habitats, so we'd much rather the peat stayed in the ground. At home, check the bag says "peat-free" before you buy compost, and feed your soil with homemade compost or leaf mould.
2. Skip the sprays
We grow without any pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilisers. That keeps things safer for pollinators, beneficial insects and wildlife. In your own garden, birds, ladybirds and frogs make brilliant pest control if you give them a chance, and a hand fork takes care of the weeds.
3. Water with rainwater
Our plants are watered with rainwater. It's gentle on plants and saves precious water. At home, a water butt on a downpipe gives you a free supply for pots and borders, and the Welsh weather rarely leaves it empty for long!
4. Give pots a second life
All our plants are shipped in recycled plastic pots. When yours arrive, please don't bin them. Give them a rinse and keep them for cuttings, seedlings or splitting perennials in spring.
5. Choose plants grown close to home
Growing locally means fewer miles on the road and fresher plants. We dispatch every order within 48 hours, and plants are typically with you within 24 hours of leaving the nursery. When your box lands, unpack it straight away, give everything a drink and plant out when the ground isn't frozen.
Who's behind it all
Garden City Cymru is a female-owned business led by our Managing Director, Amelia, and we're Registered Plant Health Professional Operators, so plant health is taken seriously at every step. You can read more on our growing practices page, or browse our best-selling garden plants.
Diolch for following along with life at the nursery.
Until next time, happy gardening!
Garden City Cymru