World of Gardening

Pots to propagating, sheep to shears and weedkiller to wellies

Everyone who has some outdoor space, whether it’s a few pots outside the back door or a palatial estate, needs the nuts and bolts, or spades and forks, to turn a few empty pots into things of beauty. Whether you only need a hand trowel or the whole kit and caboodle we have it in our Outdoor Products Department. To most people this is the boring stuff but to a gardener it is the stuff of life, which string to choose, do I want plastic or biodegradable pots, plastic or wooden plant labels, which secateurs – do I splash out on a pair of Felcos which will probably last a lifetime or go for the budget friendly option?

One of the most important purchases is what watering system to go for, you may only want a humble watering can but if you have several containers and hanging baskets a watering system on a timer is well worth the money. Just attach the hose and timer to an outside tap, attach the drip watering points into each container and they need never dry out in the summer. You can even automatically water an herbaceous border, the principle is the same as for the drip irrigation, just attach a leaky hose instead and cover it with mulch.

Most gardeners resort to chemicals when it comes to solving problems but nowadays most of the toxic ones have been banned and replaced by more environmentally friendly versions which in most cases are not harmful to children and animals. There are also organic means of dealing with the pests, such as copper tape to stop the slugs climbing your containers and feeding the birds to encourage the blue tits to eat aphids. For those of us who love a pristine lawn there is a wealth of lawn care products designed to banish the weeds and keep your grass lush and green.

We have one of the largest selections of outdoor containers in the North West of England, ranging from lightweight plastic, which resemble terracotta, to the real thing for an authentic Mediterranean look or just a pot of herbs besides the back door. If you are looking for a chic urban space Elho do a range of funky coloured pots to inject a shot of colour, just plant up with simple ivy or a conifer for the minimalist look. Inject some colour all the year round with our garden ornaments in rainbow colours; from humming birds to sunflowers to multi-coloured bird baths.