The Horticultural Trades Association has issued a release to the media that really sums up the situation for gardeners this year, following such horrible weather this spring. Wishing to echo much of what they say, we thought we’d share parts of it with you…

“Following some of the worst spring weather that anyone can remember, 2012 is the year to see summer as the new spring for gardeners according to Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) Director of Business Development, Tim Briercliffe.  The HTA would like to reassure gardeners that they still have time to plant to achieve the perfect summer garden. With the promise of improved weather in July, we are seeing the emergence of a late spring, the perfect weather to kick start the gardening season.

Puddle of water from rainfall

The miserable weather this year will have escaped nobody’s attention. This spring saw the Met Office report the coldest April since 1989 and a May that was pretty unsettled, with temperatures unseasonably low for the time of year.  As we head into the middle of June, Britain has been experiencing a ‘European monsoon’ with as much as a month’s rainfall falling in a single day”.

Rain drops on the leaves of a plant

Quite rightly they make the point that with many gardeners unable to get outside to do any planting, there has been a knock on effect at nurseries and garden centres like Trevena Cross, where the traditional ‘boom time’ during the spring months has been dampened – quite literally! Consumer enthusiasm to go full steam ahead in their own garden has understandably been jolted by these rough weather conditions, and yet the HTA affirm that it’s not too late…

 “…there is nothing to stop your 2012 garden looking better than it ever has before. It is not too late to start planting, with garden centres still fully stocked with ideas to reinvigorate your garden.  Although it may be too late now to plant flowers from seed, pre-planted containers and hanging baskets for instant colour are still readily available.

“Many garden centres are offering special deals on plants that will flower for up to 12 weeks or until the first frosts, and can also offer advice on how to get the best out of a late spring.

 “It is also not too late to plant geraniums, fuchsias, marigolds, begonias which are in abundance in garden centres this month.  All are easy to plant and will add fantastic colour to any beds, borders or tubs.  Now is also the perfect time to plant shrubs, normally this time of the year would see the soil being too dry. However, after the prolonged rainfall, the soil is still relatively wet and warm creating the ideal planting conditions.

“For those interested in Grow Your Own, there is still plenty of time to plant summer salad crops which can still be sown and eaten this summer. These include leaf salads, baby carrots, radish and sprouting seeds. There are still vegetable plants available to purchase and plant including tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and cucumbers, plus runner beans and broad beans, all can still be put into vegetable beds or planted in allotments and will return a high yield. Fruit bushes such as gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and currants are also ripe for planting.

Trevena Cross can certainly assist with the above; with fantastic offers currently on bedding (buy one, get one free and 10 for £10) and patio plants (buy one get one free) and an extensive grow your own range, there are some cracking bargains available to help you get where you want to be in your garden.

Go on…make summer the new spring!