English Woodlands Burrow Nursery Blog

January need not be dreary with the availability of so many plants to give colour, form or flower in the winter months.

There is a lovely cherry tree that flowers on and off during mild spells from November to March called the autumn cherry or Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis, it has small white flowers flecked with pink and there is a variety 'Rosea' which has pink flowers. Both have good autumn colour too.

Evergreen shrubs Viburnum tinus Eve Price and Skimmia both show pink buds throughout winter and have white flowers in spring. Viburnum tinus Eve Price can be grown as a shrub or as a topiary half standard - great for outside a doorway or as a centre piece in a formal garden. Skimmia Rubella prefers a shady site, it will also look good in a container.

Conifers - particularly dwarf conifers can add colour and form to a winter garden and contrast beautifully with some evergreen shrubs. Choose a blue needled conifer such as Picea pungens glauca globosa to contrast with red leaves such as Leucothoe Zeblid. Dark green conifers contrast well with burgundy foliage such as Pittosporum Tom Thumb. In hedges beech keeps it's rusty brown leaves to great effect throughout winter, evergreen variegated plants such as holly offer a stunning contrast.

Hamamelis and Sarcococca are among the flowering shrubs looking good now that have fragrant flowers.

Winter doesn't have to be bleak, choose wisely and a garden can give alot of pleasure during the dreariest of months - even just from inside looking out !

Wishing all our customers a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year !

We re-open at 8am Thursday January 2nd

then from 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday

and 8 am to 4 pm Saturday

The whole team at English Woodlands would like to wish you a

Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

We close at 1 pm Tuesday 24th December and

and Open again 8 am Thursday 2nd January

Thank you for your custom during 2019 and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Our popular cut Christmas Trees are now in stock:-

Norway Spruce (Picea Abies) from 4' to 8' from £28 to £48 prices as labelled in the nursery - the traditional tree with the lovely fragrance!

Nordman Fir (Abies Nordmanniana) 4' to 12' from £35 to £140 prices as labelled in the nursery - the 'non-needle drop' trees.

Some potted trees up to 4' are also available. We also sell Christmas tree stands at £25 or £35.

We are open from Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm
Saturday 8am to 4pm

In addition to our usual mixed hedge packs of 25 x 60-80cm plants, we now sell a 'Livestock friendly hedge pack' that leaves out Acer campestre (field maple) and a 'Wildlife hedge pack' which maximises flowers for pollinating insects and berries for birds and small mammals.

The Livestock friendly hedge mix includes 12 Hawthorn, 3 Hazel, 3 Hornbeam, 3 Guelder Rose, 3 Dog Rose - £45

The Wildlife hedge mix includes 10 Hawthorn, 3 Field Maple, 3 Spindle, 3 Blackthorn, 3 Guelder Rose, 3 Dog Rose - £45

Available in the nursery for collection or delivery - please contact us to order.

Why Bare root?

Plants can be bought either container grown, rootballed or bare root.  In late autumn deciduous plants lose their leaves and go into dormancy - they can be dug up and supplied in bundles without soil on the roots. This is an economical way of planting new hedges and woodlands.

Mixed rural hedges are a traditional way of creating stock proof hedges, and can be enjoyed in gardens too, helping wildlife and creating an attractive division.

Hawthorn is usually the backbone of the hedge, forming a good structure and providing flowers in spring and berries in autumn.

Blackthorn is another prickly plant with white flowers and blue black berries - the 'Sloes' that can been used to make Sloe Gin!

Hazel is quick growing and provides nuts in autumn, catkins in later winter.

Field maple is another species that knits a hedge together well, it has lovely yellow autumn colour.

Hornbeam is quick growing and does well in heavy clay soils; Beech prefers lighter soils and keeps it's leaves well throughout the winter when grown as a hedge.

Spindle has bright pink and orange seeds and can tolerate very chalky soil. Guelder rose is a shrub that copes with wet soils, it has bright red berries and good autumn colour.

Dog rose can scramble through a hedge providing attractive flowers in summer and rose hips in autumn.

Planting a mixture of species ensures a range of flowering times for pollinating insects, different food sources for birds and mammals and a visually appealing hedge. We can supply bare root plants for mixed rural hedges as well as single species.

Introducing some species that can be let to grow into trees in the hedge row can offer further benefits. Oak, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Rowan, Hornbeam and Wild cherry are all good examples and can also be bought as container grown trees.

Of course all the native species used in hedges can be planted as trees or shrubs for woodland planting. Always make sure young plants are protected from rabbits, deer and farm animals - or they will get nibbled!

If you need any advice about bare root plants, do ask us - telephone, email or visit. We can supply single or mixed species in a range of sizes.

Autumn is an ideal time for tree planting

warm soil and autumn rain means newly planted trees can begin to put their roots down prior to spring growth. As trees and shrubs go into dormancy for the winter they will need less watering - until spring and summer next year.

We are fully stocked with ornamental and fruit trees, shrubs, topiary and climbers in the nursery - browse our online shop now

or come and visit...

Nursery setting

Autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness according to Keats and can bring a wealth of pleasures in the garden.

If you like eating fruit why not plant a fruit tree? All tree planting can bring benefits to the garden - colour, shape, shade and ornament. Fruit trees can provide food for you and wildlife too.

Apples are a popular choice with beautiful spring blossom which encourages pollinating insects and autumn fruit to eat or cook with - windfalls offer a bonus for wildlife too. There are many self-pollinating apple trees if you only have space for one tree, and many more options which require pollinating partners for two or more trees. Choose from a range of red to green coloured apples, sharp or sweet, for cooking or eating  including many that are not commonly available in the shops.  Try Apple James Grieve for a dual purpose eater and cooker, or the appropriately named self-fertile 'Scrumptious' eating apple for a reliable tree.

Pears, plums and cherries are other familiar fruit trees to consider and there are more unusual edible options such as Mulbery, Medlar and Nut (Filbert or Kent Cob), Figs and Walnuts.

Thinking of planting fruit trees? Come and talk to us about your requirements this autumn and in subsequent years you could be harvesting your own fruit.

Fruit trees on dwarf rootstock and trained fruit such as Fan or Espalier Fruit trees are also available.

Hydrangea paniculata are fabulous summer flowering shrubs and they are
looking great just now.

Varieties include Vanilla Fraise, Limelight, Pinky Winky, Phantom and Bombshell. Phantom has very large flowerheads; Pinky Winky starts off white and turns pink as the flowers mature. They all suit sunny or partially shady sites and most soils.

Hydrangea aspera also looks stunning now, it has soft lilac colour flat flowerheads and downy leaves. It prefers neutral to acid soils - not chalk.

Also flowering in the nursery just now, Hibiscus, pretty small trees - ideal in a sunny courtyard garden.