'˜It's been a very worrying time for farmers and growers'

It was in June 1953 when the business was started by my father at Mottram in Longdendale, and has been at its present site in Chapel for the past 38 years, pretty good going in the current retail climate. I have been brought up with plants all my life (pictured right).

Customers really do like what we sell, good, strong, established plants all grown on site.

The weather still proves to be a great challenge, and everyone has been crying our for rain most of the summer, and lots of it. People don’t realise how it affects all aspects of life.
It’s been really hard work trying to keep plants going.

There has been more dead heading this summer as flowers fade very quickly due to the heat of the very hot sun over long periods of time.

We’ve had to water as much as is possible.

Lawns have suffered really badly but in time will recover if we hve enough rain.It’s certainly been a very worrying time for farmers and growers etc alike.

Tomatoes are beginning to ripen now especially the cherry ones. Keep taking the foliage off around the fruit to help with rippening and continue to feed and especially water regularly; the same goes for peppers and cucumbers.

Runner beans are in flower, so won’t be long before beans start to appear on those.

Keep picking sweet peas to ensure they keep flowering, and keep on top of watering tubs and hanging baskets, if they do dry out, plunge in a bucket of water to soak, hopefully all won’t be los!

Lots of plants are growing well and some aren’t due to the warm weather.

There are plenty of perennials just coming into flower which are teeming with bees and butterflies which can be planted for late summer colour as long as they are watered while it is dry.

I’ve noticed that tres are beginning to drop their leaves, so maybe it’s a sign of an early autumn, we will have to see. Steady rain will help repair the damage of the long, hot summer.

In spite of the prolonged dry spell, our stock looked quite fresh last month due to the hard work that continually goes into caring for it.