Blog

It’s nearly that time of year once again. Isn’t it amazing how quickly Christmas rolls around? One minute we are in the middle of a drought and it’s hot enough to fry eggs on the pavement outside and the next, the shops are full of Christmas chocolate and booze. Not that we are complaining, ofRead more

Raspberries are a deliciously succulent fruit. Eat them raw with some cream or ice cream or cook them in a crumble with some seasonal apples or rhubarb. Yum! It’s fair to say we love raspberries here at Carpenter’s Nursery, so we have plenty of great advice if you are ready to plant some raspberry canesRead more

Summer this year has been one of the hottest on record, so plants and flowers from hot climates are blooming and floral displays everywhere are spectacular. Your lawn probably isn’t doing so well, but it will recover! Whatever the weather, however, it’s important to deadhead perennials and tidy up your garden stalwarts to ensure theyRead more

There are some wonderfully colourful flowers you can plant in borders, hanging baskets, and containers at this time of year, but none are as colourful as the humble primrose. We love primroses, so in case you are looking for some gardening inspiration this spring, here is a quick guide to primroses and how to careRead more

Roses are one of the UK’s most popular plants. Beautiful roses are a fine addition to any garden. They are exceptionally versatile and can be grown in borders, containers, up trellises and walls, over pergolas, and used as ground cover. On a warm summer’s evening, the perfumed blooms of a rose are wonderfully beguiling. RosesRead more

We are still in the depths of winter. Most days are cold, wet, windy, and unbearably dreary. If you look outside, your garden is likely to be a soggy wasteland, devoid of colour. In fact, unless the sun pops out, it’s much better to stay indoors! January is one of those months where everyone couldRead more

It may be cold, wet, and miserable outside, but we have plenty of beautiful seasonal plants to brighten up your home this year. Whether you are looking for a stunning poinsettia or cyclamen to add a touch of colour to the kitchen, or a flowering basket gift for a loved one, here are some fabulousRead more

Thanks to all that came to our first Wreath Making Class, Claire loved teaching you all and said you were very good students!  All your wreaths looked amazing!

Thanks to everyone who attended our Christmas Wine Tasting hosted by Flagship Wines, we hope you all enjoyed yourselves.

The Great British Public loves a good local farm shop. It’s a chance for everyone to buy their produce direct from growers rather than selecting pre-packaged fruit and vegetables in a sterile supermarket environment. Farm shops are good for everyone, so let’s find out why! Carpenter’s Nursery has been selling fresh fruit and vegetables directRead more

As we count down the days until Christmas, now is an excellent time to start preparing your garden for some colourful spring bulbs. Flowers bring a garden to life and none give more bang for their buck than spring bulbs. Daffodils, tulips, crocus and alliums all look beautiful in spring. But, if you don’t haveRead more

Thanks to everyone who attended our Autumn wine tasting hosted by Flagship wines in our newly refurbished farm shop.

Vibrant red and intensely flavoured, the tiny goji berry is rich in carotenoids and antioxidants that help to protect our eyes from damage. They are a little pricey, but they keep well and you only need to add a small amount to bars, porridge/oatmeal, granola or salads to reap their health benefits. Pistachio nuts alsoRead more

Just because the weather is dark, wet, and miserable, it doesn’t mean your garden must follow suit. The weather might be rubbish with plenty of rain and chilly autumnal temperatures, but if you introduce some colourful winter bedding plants into your garden, you can look forward to gazing out on a riot of colour. EveryoneRead more

Have you ever dreamed of having your own fruit orchard? Imagine being able to pick fresh apples, pears, plums and redcurrants, direct from the plant, instead of paying over the odds for fruit from your local supermarket. The good news is that you can grow fruit at home, in containers, and it isn’t difficult atRead more

Summer is finally here, the sun is shining, and your garden is in full bloom. Your bedding plants and vegetable patch is well established, so in theory, now is a good time to sit back and enjoy your beautiful garden. Unfortunately, as any keen gardener knows, there are always plenty of jobs to do! Plants,Read more

As we move into summer there should hopefully be a lot more opportunities to spend time outdoors, so now is a really great time to start adding some beautiful plants and decorative pots to your outdoor spaces. Whether you have a garden, a patio, a deck, or a balcony, some well thought out container plantsRead more

Soaking rolled oats the night before means that this breakfast only takes a minute to pull together in the morning. Cold overnight oats are a delicious summery alternative to hot porridge. They taste a little like rice pudding. You can make a bigger batch to last a few days if you like. Porridge oats areRead more

Ingredients 140g plain flour, plus 2 tbsp for the gravy 1 tsp baking powder 4 rosemay sprigs, leaves picked and chopped 4 large eggs 70g packed pancetta slices 600g mixed root vegetables, peeled and cut into wedges (we recommend carrots, parsnips and beetroot) 2 small red onions, cut into wedges 3 tbsp of rapeseed oil 4Read more

Here at Carpenter’s Nursery, we love sprouts and we want you to love sprouts too. They taste delicious, they are full of essential nutrients, and look fantastic on your plate! The Battle of the Sprouts Every year, the Carpenter’s Nursery team take part in a Battle of the Sprouts. Three men compete to become theRead more

Watching an evergreen grow into the perfect stature to serve as your family’s Christmas tree can be a fascinating and fulfilling experience. Many people who choose this route over the option of buying a tree in December decide to do it again every year after, because there’s something special about nurturing and shaping the treeRead more

1kg Bramley apples, peeled and chopped into small chunks 500g Cox apple, peeled and chopped into large chunks 450g Onion, sliced 50g Fresh root ginger, finely chopped 1 tsp Peppercorns 500g Granulated sugar 250ml Cider vinegar 500g Cranberries Place all ingredients except cranberries in a large heavy-based saucepan, gently heat whilst stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to theRead more

Beetroot was first cultivated by the Romans, but it has remained a popular plant and today.  Thanks to our special cultivation and harvesting techniques, we can sell beetroot all year round, so when you visit our famous Farm Shop, don’t be surprised to find beetroot out of season! How are we able to do this?Read more

Ingredients: 250 g unsalted butter 4 Cox orange pippin apple 1 lemon 4 tablespoons caster sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon apple juice, cider or calvados, optional First, clarify the butter by boiling it in a small pan. Strain it into a container through a sieve lined with a coffee filter. Peel, core and slice eachRead more

2 onions, each cut into 6 wedges 3 carrots, cut into chunks 3 celery sticks, cut into chunks 400 g (14 oz) sweet potato or swede, cut into chunks 1 litre (1¾ pints) hot vegetable stock, preferably home-made 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 leeks, about 300 g (10½ oz) in total, thickly sliced 150Read more

Tips for Attracting Birds and Wildlife to Your Garden Although many gardeners are wary about wild animals becoming pests in their garden, it’s certainly possible to attract wildlife that can coexist with and occasionally visit your garden. Birds and other small animals can be fun to watch and they don’t necessarily have to be aRead more

3 tbsp rapeseed oil 140g bacon, cut into cubes 1 small onion, thinly sliced 25g butter 500g/1lb 2oz pumpkin peeled, deseeded and diced 20g pack fresh sage, finely shredded 400g  Penne pasta 25g freshly grated Cheddar   Heat a heavy-based saucepan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and pancetta or bacon, then cook for a few mins. Add remaining oil andRead more

October Bulb Planting October is the perfect month for planting bulbs and ensuring that your garden looks spectacular come spring. Today we take a look at getting your bulbs in the ground and which ones are the best to plant. We have a fantastic selection of bulbs for sale now including daffodils, crocus and tulips.Read more

1.5kg Peeled and deseeded butternut squash, cut into 3cm cubes 1 Large onion 2 Medium carrots 1 Red pepper, deseeded and cut into cubes 4 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 tbsp clear honey 5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped 1.5 ltrs of vegetable stock Salt & pepper 1. Preheat oven to 200oC/180oC ifRead more

September is usually a month when have a large glut of summer fruit making this a fantastic…

4x Large Tomatoes Bacon Breadcrumbs Blue Stilton Serves 4 Fry the bacon and let it go cold. Turn the oven on to 180 degrees. Mix together bacon, cheese and bread crumbs in equal measures. Cut off the top of the tomatoes and keep to one side. Scoop seed out with a spoon, careful not toRead more

1 Large marrow 4 Tablespoons of water 3.25lb Sugar 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice (1 Lemon) 4oz Crystallized ginger (chopped) 1 Bottle Certo Peel the marrow, discarding the skin and seeds and cut up finely. Add the water and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Put the sugar, prepared marrow, lemon juice in a muslin bag.Read more

“Here is a recipe I’ve been using for nearly 40 years for Banana Tea Bread – I made it a couple of weeks ago with bananas from the nursery and it was delicious. You can tell how old the recipe is as the ingredients are given in pounds and ounces!” – Trena Martin   7Read more

Marinated Beetroot with Grilled Goat’s Cheese – Serves 4 6 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus a little extra for greasing 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp thyme leaves 4 raw beetroot, very thinly sliced on a mandolin or with a food processor slicing attachment 2 x 100g goat’s cheese rounds with rind,Read more

It’s been quite a frustrating year in the garden for most people due to the cold, damp spring and huge number of slugs and snails about. Even we had poor germination with our carrots and leeks. Hopefully though by now some of your crops are coming on and you’ve started to reap the rewards ofRead more

  The rain seems to be in full flow this month and keeping dry outside is seeming to be a bit of an uphill struggle. However, spring will soon be on its way and now is a great time to start sowing some tasty spring and summer vegetables. With that in mind we decided toRead more

After a wet and mild start to the winter temperatures are finally starting to drop. With the cold days and nights drawing us inside, warm, hearty food is the order of the day and for us Brits household stews and soups are the food of choice as they are easy to make, warming and canRead more

We now have Seville Oranges in stock – the quintessential marmalade orange. Making preserves is one of our favourite winter pastimes and the final product is always better for the labour of love we have made! So today we thought we could share some fantastic homemade marmalade recipes. The best thing about making marmalade isRead more

We will have all the popular varieties of Seed Potatoes such as Pentland Javelin, Wilja, Cara, King Edward and many more available from the 25th January.  Never grown your own potatoes?  It’s simple, you can even grow them in pots and containers!  Find out more…   How To Grow Your Own Potatoes   PLANNING THERead more

We now only have a small number of Tulip & Daffodil bulbs left in stock, so for those of you who love to see the first colours of spring in the garden pop in this weekend before they’re gone!

Now is the time to plant overwintering Garlic, Onions & Shallots. Planted now, you will be able to lift them earlier than spring planted varieties. Also the garlic will have a fuller flavour!

Getting better Leeks from your Garden Leeks are perhaps the best winter crop we could ask for. They are amongst the hardiest winter crops on offer ñ surviving all but the harshest winters completely unscathed. Today we take a look at leeks and offer some tips to growing them. Varieties Aside from wild variants thereRead more

Garden Tips for October & November Lawns Autumn is the best time of the year to treat your lawn as the feed will get to the roots and not just ëgreen upí the top. Using a lawn feed which also contains moss killer will enable you to both jobs at the same time. Aerating yourRead more

Christmas Trees & Wreaths will be available from the 24th November. We will have a wide selection of traditional Norway Spruce (potted & cut) and Nordman non-drop trees for you to choose from, all at great prices!