Floors Castle Garden Centre, Kelso, Scottish Borders: Things to do in December

Plant of the month: Poinsettias

Christmas wouldn't be complete without the welcome addition of a poinsettia plant. We are very lucky that one of the top Poinsettia growers in Scotland supplies all our poinsettias in shades of red, cream and pink. These indoor plants need a warm position and a little water when required. Avoid cold draughts from windows and outside doors. They damage easily so should be kept well away from where the children or family pet can brush against them. Poinsettias are actually a type of Euphorbia, and like the other members of the family contain a milky sap which can cause skin irritation. Because we only stock the biggest and best plants we only carry limited stock, so please phone first to check availability.

Tip of the Month:

Plan carefully where you are going to position all those plant additions to your house over the festive period. A real Christmas
tree needs to be away from radiators, and accessible to a power point. Don't forget that our Nordmann Christmas Trees, grown
near Inverness, tend to be quite bushy, so need lots of space. Poinsettias and Christmas Cacti need to be warm, and Azaleas
and Cyclamen need to be cool, so it may be that you are unable to position them in the same room as each other. Organising
your space before you make your purchases may prevent you from making costly mistakes.

Gardening Tasks:

Ö		Disinfect all used pots and seed trays with a dilute solution of Jeyes Fluid.

Ö		Prune out dead or diseased wood from trees and shrubs during mild spells.

Ö		Protect early flowering Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias with fleece.

Ö		Install a pond heater to prevent the pond completely freezing over potentially harming fish.

Ö		Sweep leaves and worm casts off the lawn but keep off the lawn in frosty conditions.

Ö		Stock up on Ice Melt, ice scrapers and snow shovels so that you are safe and prepared for the worst winter weather.

Ö		Order your traditional hand-made wreath from the Floors Castle Garden Centre - demand is always high so please order in plenty of time

Ö		Order your locally grown Nordmann Christmas Tree from Floors Castle Garden Centre. Please advise if you would like your tree delivered.

Ö		Check out our artificial Christmas trees - we have a very good range of realistic firs, pines and spruces, each carrying a 5 year guarantee, making them an excellent investment for the home.

December Events at the Garden Centre:

Winter Wonderland on 8th and 9th December. A Christmas Fair in the Garden Centre with visiting crafts people offering for
sale a variety of attractive gift ideas. Enjoy a magical encounter with Father Christmas.