Thorngrove’s head gardener, Chris Francis, gives his tips for what to do this month..

* Prune open-grown apples and pears (those growing in an open space, not  trained against a wall)

* Prune acers, birches and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding

* You can still plant or transplant deciduous trees and shrubs

* Take hardwood cuttings

* Harvest leeks, parsnips, winter cabbage, sprouts and remaining root crops .

* Reduce the watering of your houseplants

* Remember to feed the birds; here at Thorngrove we have a range of different bird seed. A good one to use is the non-grow variety so if the birds don’t eat it all, you won’t get a field of wheat growing in your garden (550g, £1; 1kg, £1.95)

Plant of the Month
I have chosen the houseplant Poinsettia (pictured above) as most households will probably have one this Christmas. It’s proper name is Euphorbia pulcherrima and they originated in Mexico.
The most common colour is red but there are lots of other colours such as glitter, white, autumn leaves and Picasso – come and see them at Thorngrove.
Once you have your Poinsettia, keep it out of draughts, keep the warm and NEVER let them sit in water – this way, they should give you months of enjoyment.

What else is going on at Thorngrove this month…               

* Father Christmas will be at Thorngrove every Saturday and Sunday from November 30 – December 22.  See here for more details.

* Wreath-making workshops: December 9 – 13; 2pm-4pm. Cost £5 + cost of wreath.  See here for details.

* Come and visit our wonderful Secret Garden Cafe and taste the delicious homemade food. See the latest deals on Facebook

Come to Thorngrove to see our wide range of plants for Christmas!

And may I take this opportunity to wish all our Customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!