Welcome and well, where do we start, we’ve so much happened…. OK, the first piece of news is that anyone trying to get hold of Emma might have to be patient as on Halloween she tripped & fell and ended up in A&E with 2 dislocated joints and a nasty broken bone on her right finger, her right hand is completely out of action and being right handed this has really hindered her! She has subsequently been seen at the East Grinstead hand clinic for surgery to put all bones back in the correct place and her arm is in cast and will remain so for the next 6-8 weeks, so some of her work may get delayed!!
However this hasn’t stopped her from doing other things as 6 days later from her fall she competed in the New York marathon, USA!!! and as if running 26.2 miles isn’t hard enough try running with a broken finger & an arm in a heavy cast! It was a real 50/50 moment to whether she was going to be able to compete in her life-long dream, Emma has been waiting a year for this momentous event, where some 50,000 runners took part and some 2million spectators watched the race. However with the help of lots of painkillers & sheer grit & determination, she completed the race in just under 5 hours – Super Awesome!! (now suffering husband) David went as her support crew not only for race day, but on a day to day basis as she needs help to get dressed, carry her bags – even cut up her food! However they are now back, and Emma unfortunately, although she will be keeping an eye on things won’t be lending much of a helping hand!!
Down with the plants
On the nursery, the posting of plants is winding down for the winter months as the cooler weather approaches, we are still sending some plants (subject to availability) for those of you who wish to receive them, but to be honest we would advise orders placed now be for Spring delivery, let us do the looking after them and send them when the weather improves. If you have an outstanding order with us, there are a few varieties which have caused us delays this Autumn, and we may soon be writing to tell you that we will be holding the order for Spring. Obviously, we understand that this may be a disappointment to you but ultimately we would rather send plants that we know will grow & be at their best than rush to send them now – if you have an outstanding order that is for ASAP delivery, and would like to wait till spring just give us a ring and we can hold your order.
Caring for plants at this time of year – as we close up the greenhouses to keep the heat in, ensure the greenhouses are well ventilated on warm/sunny days as the condensation/dampness inside them can lead to botrytis developing, this can be life threatening to some plants if left unattended and is most prone on fleshy plants like Pelargoniums & Succulents. Remove dead leaves to prevent any build up and ensure good ventilation, a fan can be beneficial to help circulate air flow.
Succulents now need to go dormant so NO water! This will also help them tolerate our cold damp winters – but remember all Pelargoniums & Succulents must be frost free, so check the heaters are working!!
Pinks & Carnations are easy to overwinter, unless you have very young plantlets, they don’t mind the cold , but prefer to be kept slightly dryer – Alpine pinks especially. Tidy up any old growth, dead flower stalks and general tidy the plant as required. As the cooler weather approaches they tend to go dormant and will just sit there not doing much, certain varieties can develop a purple splotching on the leaves – this is quite normal and will not harm the plant, it’s there way of saying ‘its winter’ not all varieties do it and when the new growth starts in the spring the older discoloured leaves can be removed or left to grow out naturally. They don’t have to be in a heated greenhouse but if they are ensure they don’t get too dry & crispy, but beware not to overwater! If you’re unsure when to water pick up the pot – if it is heavy to hold then don’t water, wet soil weighs a lot more than dry but the top soil can still look very dry – a deception that has killed many plants!!
At one with the cut flowers
Christmas is fast approaching and I can hear you groan! But it is one of our busiest times of year – last year alone we sent over 1,500 boxes of flowers during the Christmas week!! This takes some organising to ensure we have enough flowers, so early orders really, really do help us and to help you we have these fantastic offers to take advantage of, but hurry these two offers are only valid if placed with us between 1st to 30th November 2016 for Christmas delivery only (Christmas flowers will be posted between 19th to 21st Dec) and you must quote the codes at time of ordering for offer to be applied to your order.
Offer 1) Order 18 Red special offer upgrade (Quote F1040 to claim this offer), for just £28.95 we will upgrade your 18 red to a 24 red and include a Christmas ribbon bow! nrp £31.75.
Offer 2) Super Saver, order any bouquet, any size, any colour for Christmas delivery & get a free bunch of Spray carnations FREE with your bouquet. To claim quote F454 at time of ordering to qualify.
So order a Christmas bouquet today from us, not only are you supporting a family run, UK business, but your letting your faraway friends & family know you are thinking of them.
From
David, Emma & all the Allwoods team