Dafe Ford Tree Care Newsletter

Mulch!

Our pile of well seasoned woodchip available for delivery.

Rhododendron

Beautiful Rhododendron in bloom at Nymans Gardens.

Places to visit at this time of year:

Rhododenron Wood, Leith Hill - The woodland garden at Leith Hill was planted in the late nineteenth century and contains a fantastic collection of Rhododendrons and Azalaes as well as many specimen trees.
Nymans Gardens, Handcross - Nymans is a twentieth century garden with spectacular views and experimental designs.
Wakehurst Place, Ardingly - 465 acres of country estate, Wakehurst contains ornamental gardens, temperate woodlands and an Elizabethan Mansion.
Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park - A woodland garden in the heart of Richmond Park. It provides the best show of Rhododendrons and Azalaes in London.

Get Mulching!

As you are probably aware, there has been a large shortage of rainfall leading to an impending hosepipe ban here in the South. To help your garden conserve water it is a good idea to mulch flowerbeds, shrub borders and young trees - spreading a layer of woodchip over the surface. In their native environments, a thick layer of decaying organic matter on the forest floor surrounds trees and plants and mulching essentially replicates this.

Mulching helps to trap moisture in the soil by reducing evaporation, which will be exceptionally helpful with a hosepipe ban. It also helps to prevent weeds and enhances the look of a garden too!

We recommend spreading a layer that is a minimum of 50mm deep over the surfaces surrounding trees and plants.

As a special promotion to help with the proposed hose pipe ban we will supply one load (approximately 4 cubic metres) of mature woodchip for £100. This should cover approximately 40 square metres of flowerbed.

If you would like to order woodchip please get in touch today, it will save you a great deal of time and effort as the weather heats up.

Magnolias

Don't you think that Magnolias look stunning at the moment? One of the best early flowering Magnolias for small gardens is the Magnolia stellata (star Magnolia). It forms a multi-stemmed shrub reaching 3 metres and its star-shaped flowers open from mid-March. Temperatures above 10°c also result in more vibrant colours.

The Magnolia kobus is larger and its pure white flowers often open slightly earlier than the stellata. A hybrid between the two and one of the most popular of all is the Magnolia x loebneri named after the owner of Nymans in Sussex who developed the garden in the 1920's and 1930's.

The most widely planted Magnolia is the Magnolia x soulangeana with golet-shaped flowers that can be seen from the end of March through until May.

The best time to prune is right after they finish flowering. If you would like any help or advice on this or are considering planting Magnolias in your garden please give us a call.

Jargon Buster

Stump Grinding machines use a revolving disk on which are set a number of cutting teeth. The machine grinds down the stump, turning it into a mixture of wood chippings and soil. They give a neat finish, taking the stump to below ground level.

Please contact us if you have any stumps that need removing or with any queries or questions.

Outro

As always, we are very appreciative of all the feedback we receive about our newsletters so thankyou. We are also greatful for the feedback we receive about our teams on site. We always pass it on and it is always welcome. Happy Easter from all at Dave Ford Tree Care.

That’s all for this edition.

Kind regards,

Dave Ford ND Arb