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We’re a family business with more than three decades of experience in growing and selling a full range of top quality plants.

As well as offering superb value for money, we pride ourselves on our honest and straightforward approach. The pictures you see of our plants are exactly what you can expect if you buy from us. Also, our specialists are here to answer any questions you might have and to provide further information and advice about our full range of plants. Whether you’re looking for a hedging specialist or you want to buy any other types of plant, our team will be happy to help.

  We’re a growing source of excellence

 ABOUT US

01/09/2019
Making the most of a smaller garden is not always an easy task. While design, layout and garden accessories can all play key roles in defining your garden, you will be amazed at the impact something as simple as the shrubs you choose to grow can have on a small outdoor space. 

 

From looking at a few of the best shrubs to plant and exploring the key methods of utilising space, this handy post will help you create a sublime outdoor space and provide everything you need to know about planting a smaller garden. 

 

### How to plant a small garden
 
Despite what you may believe, small gardens have lots of wonderful advantages. Not only do they tend to be far more low-maintenance, they also allow for your creative side to flourish. Even the smallest of additions, be it a well-placed flower bed or a shrub-based colour scheme, can have a dramatic impact.

 

Naturally, the smaller the garden, the fewer plants you can fit in it. However, through finding the right balance of different sized plants and a variety of contrasting colour, making your small garden feel like a much larger space can be easily achieved. 

 

### Limit your choices
 
It’s easy for a small space to become cluttered if there is too much variety. Large focal point plants and a plethora of different vegetation can lead to a cramped and restricted feel to your garden. This can be avoided by limiting your plant choices to just two or three varieties of carefully selected shrubs and keeping colour schemes simple. While this may sound restrictive, it’s worth remembering that even by limiting your choice of different shrubs you will still want to plant a few of each, filling your flower beds and verges easily.

As a rule of thumb, shrubs for small gardens should provide either an eye-catching and consistent bright colour or have an evocative fragrance, but sometimes a combination of both can be found. For example, bella anna hydrangea, festuca, rhododendrons, magnolias and even lavender continue to prove ever-popular choices for small outdoor spaces. However, a great starting point can be found in the form of two lesser used shrubs - asplenium and berberis.

### Asplenium
Asplenium, or hart’s tongue fern as it is also known, is a low-maintenance fern that thrives in either full or partial shade, making it ideal for small gardens. It is renowned for its vibrant green hue and wavy-edged fronds that remain visible throughout the year. The asplenium’s shiny leaves trap and reflect sunlight all year round bringing a glimpse of life to even the bleakest of winter mornings. This can transform a small, cold garden into a vibrant evergreen landscape. Every garden needs a fern and every small garden needs an asplenium. 

### Berberis
With a range of different varieties, from dwarf species, perfect for beds and rock gardens, to larger examples best suited for shrub verges or garden hedge borders, berberis are also ideal for small gardens. Along with their thorny stems, berberis shrubs produce striking foliage and bear small red to yellow berries in autumn, which will inject much needed colour into your garden. Like asplenium, berberis is easy to grow and maintain, ensuring those gardens with limited space can be managed easily, preventing that unwanted cluttered aesthetic so common with smaller outdoor areas.

Using a combination of particular and limited shrub selection along with a disciplined approach to planting your garden, smaller outdoor spaces can be transformed, making it possible for your small garden to feel like a much larger space.

What are the best shrubs for small gardens?

21/08/2019
Year after year, perennial plants provide UK gardeners with the colour and vibrance they need to brighten up any landscape. Their ability to weather harsh British winters, while at the same time maintaining their attractive foliage, ensure they remain a firm favourite in gardens across the country. 

From radiant hibiscus to lush green heucheras, a well planned perennial garden can provide an ever-evolving variety of flowers for years to come. However, in order for your perennials to prosper, they need to be correctly prepared for winter. Here are the key tips you need to help plant, prune and care for perennials during the winter months.

### Can you plant perennials in winter?
While it is certainly true that perennials will only become the star performers of your flower beds during the summer months, this is not to say planting them in winter is a bad idea. On the contrary, there is absolutely no reason why you should avoid planting your perennials in winter and, in fact, there are actually advantages in doing so.


Unlike annuals - plants that complete their entire life cycle within one growing season - perennials will continue to flourish for at least two years. Subsequently, the winter months become a crucial period in their life cycle as this is the time perennials will typically bed down below rotting leaves and get used to their new surroundings. Indeed, unlike those planted during their summer prime, perennials planted in wintertime won’t need to be watered until the drier conditions are welcomed in with the start of spring. Given the necessary time and attention, as well as the correct methods and approach, perennials planted during the winter months will actually thrive in this cooler climate, perfectly preparing themselves for their summer splendour. 

Image alt text: aster perennial plant in bloom

### How to prune perennials for winter
In order to ensure your perennials continue to prosper and return to their prime during the spring and summer months, winter pruning is essential. Whether you are planting your cirsium or lupin in the dead of winter, or maintaining your prize perennials through their first winter period, there are three key pruning techniques you need to take advantage of:

### Cut back stems, reduce watering and dig up bulbs
As summer turns to autumn, and your perennials have finished for the season, stems should be cut back to between 6 and 8 inches from the ground and watering should be drastically reduced. This will help harden off the plant in preparation for cooler and damp conditions. Sensitive perennial bulbs, such as dahlias, canna and gladiolus, should also be dug up or ‘lifted’ before the first ground frost of the year. These bulbs should be stored indoors and can be replanted in spring.

### Feed plants
Winter is also the perfect time to feed your perennials. Applying a 4 to 6 inch layer of compost is a highly effective method. The compost will release nutrients to the plants, improve the soil structure of your beds, and help replenish your perennials over the winter period.

### Mulch
Finally, when cold weather begins to strike regularly, mulching is essential. Old mulch around the beds of your perennials should be removed and replaced with leaves, straw, grass clippings, bark, sawdust or pine needles. This additional layer provides protection for the more sensitive plants and will insulate your bed. 




These simple techniques will not only help to ensure your perennials survive winter, but they will encourage your plants to actively thrive during this period.

How to care for perennials in winter



Check our helpful advice & guides

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Hedging available for a variety of outdoor spaces

From rootballs to cherry laurels we’ve got you covered.

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Wholesale Plants, Trees, Shrubs, Perennials & more!

We grow and stock an impressive selection of over 1,000 plants!

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Browse our extensive collection of pleached trees

A natural alternative to high fencing.

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Hedging

Pleached Trees

Clearance Shrubs

Conifers

Perennials

Shrubs

Trees

Topiary

Plant Care

Starter Plants

We have over 1,000 plants on offer here at Grasslands, from hedging to tropical plants! You won’t find a selection like this anywhere else.

Trees, plants & hedging for every space


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If you’d prefer to see what we have to offer and grab a coffee, call into our plant nursery.

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