Native Plants For Attracting Birds To Your Garden

Wildlife Gardening for Birds

NATIVE PLANTS

Here at Otter Nurseries we work closely with the Devon Wildlife Trust in supporting our native wildlife. The list below of Otter grown plants are especially good for birds and by offering a diverse selection, you can increase the number and variety of birds to your garden.

ALDER
Catkins, Cones (autumn/winter). Finches especially Siskin, Redpoll, and goldfinch, Tits.

APPLE
Blossom (spring). Fruit (autumn). Thrushes especially Blackbird (feeding); goldfinch (nesting).

BEECH
Beech-mast (autumn). Finches especially Chaffinch and Brambling; Nuthatch, Tits, Woodpeckers.

BRAMBLE –
BLACKBERRY
Fruit (autumn). Cover for nesting. Blackbird, Thrushes and Warblers.

CRAB APPLE
Insects (spring/summer). Fruit (autumn). Various species, including Thrushes and Ring-necked Parakeet.

ELDER
Flowers (summer). Berries (autumn). Cover for nesting. Thrushes, Woodpigeon (feeding). Various species including Warblers (nesting).

HAWTHORN
Insects (spring/summer). Berries (autumn). Cover for nesting.
Various species including Thrushes, Woodpigeon (feeding). Various species (nesting).

HOLLY
Berries (autumn/winter). Cover for nesting. Thrushes, especially Mistle (feeding).

HONEYSUCKLE
Flowers (summer). Berries (autumn). Warblers, Thrushes, Finches.

IVY
Fruit (winter/spring). Woodpigeon, Thrushes, Robin, Warblers (e.g. Black Cap).

OAK
Acorns (autumn). Insects including Caterpillars (sping/summer). Jay,
Woodpigeon, Nuthatch, Woodpeckers (acorns), Tits, etc.

SILVER BIRCH
Insects (spring/summer). Catkins (autumn). Good for hole nesters. Various
species including Warblers, Finches, Long-Tailed Tit (feeding). Woodpeckers (nesting).

TEASEL
Seed heads (autumn). Goldfinches.

WILLOW
Catkins (spring). Insects including caterpillars (spring/summer).
Various species.

Photography Competition 2010

The theme is East Devon scenes.

We will be producing a calendar for 2011 using the 12 winning East Devon scenes from our competition, and are looking for suitable entries for each of the months.

The 12 winning entries will each receive a credit on the calendar, Otter Gift Vouchers worth £30 and 12 copies of the calendar to give to friends and family.

This competition is open to everybody, amateur to enthusiast, young or old, so get snapping or browsing through your albums for an old favourite!

To enter:
Photo’s should be e-mailed to otter@otternurseries.co.uk as a low resolution jpeg, along with your full name, address, day time telephone number & place name by 31st March 2010. Maximum of 3 photos please. The 12 winners will be chosen in early April.

Growing Begonias From A Tuber

Begonias can be bought as flattened ‘bulbs’, known as tubers in late Winter or Spring, and the large selection from Otter Nurseries is now available. Marilyn White, owner of Otter Nurseries, is passionate about ensuring we only supply 'Top grade' tubers. Marilyn says that if you buy the best, you get the best results this year and for years to come.

Begonias make excellent conservatory plants, but they are best known as bedding plants for beds, borders, hanging baskets, tubs and rockeries. They will flourish in sun or light shade provided that the soil is enriched with organic matter before planting and provided they are watered regularly during dry weather. They perform particularly well in a wet summer as Petunias and other bedding plants can suffer with too much rain as it damages the flowers.

Here's what you do :-

Press tubers into boxes of damp peat in March or April – place hollow side uppermost. Keep at 60o – 70oF and transplant separately into pots of soil-less compost when leafy shoots appear. Plant out in June. Feed during the growing season and stake large flowered forms.

Lift tubers in mid October – remove stems after the foliage has died down and store tubers in dry peat in a frost-free place, ready for replanting the following year.

Information and special offer prices :-

Types of Begonias available are:- Single, Double, Hanging or Fimbriata. We have a good selection in our Pick and Mix loose tuber range.

Because we only sell 'Top grade' tubers at Otter Nurseries our prices reflect the quality and you can buy them loose for 70p each or choose any 5 for 60p each. This price is accurate at the time of this release.

Join our FREE E-newsletter and get seasonal updates by Marilyn and the team by clicking on the link http://www.otternurseries.co.uk/newsletter/?page=Pages/other-pages/newsletter.html

Written by Pam Moss for Otter Nurseries - Devon's favourite Garden Centre.

New varieties of baby bedding and plug plants for 2010

John our propagator at Otter Nurseries is always passionate about the new season bedding plants that he produces for our centres in Ottery St Mary, Plymouth, Torquay and Lymington.

Whilst he grows favourite, well loved varieties, he is also keen to introduce new varieties each year that he feels our customers will enjoy in their gardens. John chooses varieties for the flowering performance offering fantastic results and endless summer colour.

This year he has introduced several new varieties of Fuchsias, again chosen for quality and flower power! John's favourite is "Frosted Flame". It has superb flecking on the petals which are distinctive and adds to the interest in the plant.

Talking of favourites, I had the privilege of attending a plant show hosted by one of the seed suppliers, to show off their new varieties, and I was really impressed by Fuchsia Amaizing Maisie. It was a wet, miserable day and from the safe shelter of the large glasshouse I spotted the hanging basket growing this variety. I decided to brave the rain and with my trusted camera I took some photos of this Fuchsia for its outstanding beauty. There were hundred of Fuchsias grown for the show, but I found Amaizing Maisie to be a favourite for its unusual peachy and salmon colour - it really stood out from all the pinks and purples on show. I'm thrilled to see John is growing this variety and I look forward to planting some in my hanging baskets this spring.

Of course, baby bedding plants require nurture until the danger of frosts has passed, normally at the end of May.

All our 2010 baby bedding varieties are now available in all centres and we look forward to welcoming you to choose your selection.



Join our FREE E-newsletter and get seasonal updates by Marilyn and the team by clicking on the link http://www.otternurseries.co.uk/newsletter/?page=Pages/other-pages/newsletter.html

Post written by Pam Moss for Otter Nurseries