It’s a Tree Special for the Royal Wedding Tomorrow

And Kate Middleton has gone for all out English country garden theme for the Royal Wedding Ceremony due to be held tomorrow at Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey

Around 4 tons of trees, shrubs and flowers have been ordered and will be installed inside Westminster Abbey to recreate an English country garden. And all the eco-minded folk out there will be pleased to know that Kate has only chosen trees which are seasonal and can be re-planted after the ceremony.

Kate’s idea for the tree theme pays tribute to ‘the language of the flowers’ and she has picked out everything herself. The Hornbeam Trees that she has chosen, in the language of the flowers represent humility and reserve, but the cost of the ceremony might suggest otherwise. Valued at a whopping 50k, the English country garden theme will certainly cost a fair bit.

Even if he’s not impressed by the cost, we’re sure Kate’s gardening theme is bound to impress her soon to be father-in-law Charles, who himself is a rather keen gardener. Charles has even admitted to talking to his plants on occasion (wonder if he ever plays them something from his musical collection? See our blog post about music and trees here).

Gareth Mitchell of Tree2mydoor, had this to say about Kate’s Tree themed Royal Wedding; “I’m really pleased to see the Royals using trees for part of the ceremony in the church. It’s something we are seeing becoming more and more popular for weddings ourselves. It’s a lovely touch to have trees to mark a wedding day in sustainable way”.

If you are interested in Wedding Trees and Wedding Anniversary Gifts Tree2mydoor has a great selection to suit your individual needs.

If you want to join in on the Royal Wedding Fun and fancy a change of winning a pair of Royal Fruit Trees; The William Pear and Katy Apply Tree, head on over to the Tree2mydoor Facebook page to find out how you could win.

Black Alien Plants

Plant life out there?

Black plants?

To most us earthlings we almost always associate the colour green with fresh and healthy – the thought of black plants and foliage seems almost impossible to us, since the sight of a black plant would usually look like it’s on its last legs…. a couple of months of forgetting to water that poor plant on the window sill (I’m sure we’ve all been there). However an astrobiologist at St Andrews University has suggested that plants on distant planets may have developed black foliage and flowers to survive.

As most people know, plants need light to be able to photosynthesise and grow – so the question is “how can plants grow without enough light?”

The answer would appear to be, that in order for plants to develop on these planets they need to adapt to very different light conditions available to them, and that is why it is possible for some plants to be black or grey to our eyes apparently.

But why the different colours? The temperature of a star determines its colour and, hence, the colour of light used for photosynthesis. Plants change colour to absorb the rays of the light source available to them. On some planets, where light may come from distant red dwarfs and a closer light source, there may be plants developing into different colours to adapt to both light sources.

And that’s it for today’s intergalactic blog post. Please write in if you have any opinions on this or any other worldly plant matters.



Music for Plants? You Must be Joking….

Music For Your Plants Album Cover

We’ve all heard that old chestnut that if you talk to plants it will help them grow (I’m sure we’ve all secretly tried it just once or twice), although not sure how true it really is. However whilst this old favourite is known by every (wo)man and his/her dog, perhaps a lesser known tidbit, is the one about plants growing quicker if you play them classical music! “What!” I hear you exclaim, yes that’s exactly what I thought when I first read about it.

Apparently scientists have researched into the effects that music, Classical music in particular, have on plant growth and have concurred that the vibrations of sound waves are is thought to help plants grow by stimulating their production of protein.

“Is it just Classical music?” No, but apparently it is Classical music that has the greatest effect on growth rates. Dr. Singh who is head of Botany at Annamalai University in India studied how plants reacted to different types of music. He found that when listening to Classical and Baroque music the plants grew 72% more leaves than when they were ‘listening’ to rock music. On the other hand, the plants exposed to Rock music grew abnormally tall and died in 2 weeks.

But not everyone is convinced about the effects that music has on plant growth rates. Some suggest it is not the case that the music directly affects the plants, but the plant carers and this in some way influences the plant growth. Hmmm I for one am still not convinced, but it’s certainly an intriguing idea to imagine the two are somehow linked together.

Do you fancy putting it to the test? Why not try playing your tree or plant gift a selection of Classical greats and see how you get on (in face there has actually been an album created for this very purpose, called “music for plants” have a search for it). Leave us a comment on this blog, or our Facebook wall to inform us of your progress or even better send us in a video of your tree boogie hehe.

Join Tree2mydoor Facebook £5 Discount Offer

Hi everyone,

We have a special offer on at the moment!

‘Like’ our facebook page: www.facebook.com/tree2mydoor and you will receive a £5 Tree2mydoor discount on your next order.

Then all you need to do is enter the special facebook code when at the checkout stage on our website and violaaa you will receive a lovely £5 off your next order.

Pass it on to all your friends and share the Tree2mydoor love.

Hope everyone is enjoying Spring.

How to: Grape Vines

Grape Vines: There are all sorts of varieties of grapevine, some are really hardy and will grow anywhere and some are so delicate that you need to really have a greenhouse to help them crop. Our favourite and the one that we sell is the sweet grape variety grows very well in the UK and is both hardy and disease resistant. In particular, the Lakemont variety of grape vine is a sweet honey like grape which is delicious straight from the vine and makes a good sweet wine.

But despite our grape vine’s being a particularly hardy strain, there still needs to be a degree of care and planning to ensure an excellent crop of grapes in late September. And April is THE time to start working on training your grape vines – do it now to make sure you get a good crop!!! So today’s blog post is all about how to succeed with your first grape growing experience.

Choosing the right place to plant: When you are looking at where to plant your vine tree, make sure that you choose an area that receives plenty of sunlight. A good tip is to choose to grow your grape along an existing fence line or trellis if available. This will avoid the hassle of trying to put something together whilst your grapes are growing – remember it’s easier to have the trellis in place before you plant your grape vine.

GrapesMaking sure the ground is right: Grapes hate to get their roots totally drenched through – if you put them in a place where they receive too much water, their roots will eventually rot and die. Therefore you need to make sure that you place your grape vine in an area that does not get waterlogged and fairly well drained.

Before you plant your grape vine, ensure that you break up the soil well so you aren’t left with any large clumps. If your soil is very clay heavy, you can add a little peat moss to even things out. The ideal pH balance should be between 6 and 7.

Planting the Vine: When you dig a hole for your grape vine, make sure that the hole is wider and deeper than the root ball of the plant. About 15cm (6in) away from your fence or wall would be ideal. Next you need to carefully place the grape vine in the hole you have dug. It might be a good idea to replace some of the dirt you have dug and mound it up underneath the centre of the vine to give it some support. Make sure there is at least 1 or 2 inches of soil covering the roots.

Caring for your grape vine: depending on the time of year, how much sun light you receive etc, your grape vine will need varying levels of watering. In the height of summer, ensure that you keep your grape vine regularly watered, although remember the golden rule – not too over water your vine!! Root rot is something that we definitely want to avoid – eeesh.

During the first year of growth, allow around three or four stems to grow vertically. Attach them to the cane and pinch any shoots growing to one side.

Dealing with pesky pests: Wasps love to break the flesh of your grapes, for a sweet treat. You can help avoid this by creating a wasp trap. Do a quick google search for wasp trap and you can find out how to make one really easily.

I’ve also read that planting a rose tree nearby to your grapes can help you avoid pesky pests and attract them to the rose bush instead. However not great news for your rose bush, so not really sure if this is an effective method really.

Grape Vines make a great gift, perfect for anyone interested in wine making – imagine that grapes straight from the source!

Grape Vines: There are all sorts of varieties of grapevine, some are really hardy and will grow anywhere and some are so delicate that you need to really have a greenhouse to help them crop. Our favourite and the one that we sell is the sweet grape variety grows very well in the UK and is both hardy and disease resistant. In particular, the Lakemont variety is a sweet honey like grape which is delicious straight from the vine and makes a good sweet wine. But despite our grape vine’s being a particularly hardy strain, there still needs to be a degree of care and planning to ensure an excellent crop of grapes in late September. And April is THE time to start working on training your grape vines – do it now to make sure you get a good crop!!! So today’s blog post is all about how to succeed with your first grape growing experience.

Choosing the right place to plant: When you are looking at where to plant your vine tree, make sure that you choose an area that receives plenty of sunlight. A good tip is to choose to grow your grape along an existing fence line or trellis if available. This will avoid the hassle of trying to put something together whilst your grapes are growing – remember it’s easier to have the trellis in place before you plant your grape vine.

Making sure the ground is right: Grapes hate to get their roots totally drenched through – if you put them in a place where they receive too much water, their roots will eventually rot and die. Therefore you need to make sure that you place your grape vine in an area that does not get waterlogged and fairly well drained.

Before you plant your grape vine, ensure that you break up the soil well so you aren’t left with any large clumps. If your soil is very clay heavy, you can add a little peat moss to even things out. The ideal pH balance should be between 6 and 7.

Planting the Vine: When you dig a hole for your grape vine, make sure that the hole is wider and deeper than the root ball of the plant. About 15cm (6in) away from your fence or wall would be ideal. Next you need to carefully place the grape vine in the hole you have dug. It might be a good idea to replace some of the dirt you have dug and mound it up underneath the centre of the vine to give it some support. Make sure there is at least 1 or 2 inches of soil covering the roots.

Care: depending on the time of year, how much sun light you receive etc, your grape vine will need varying levels of watering. In the height of summer, ensure that you keep your grape vine regularly watered, although remember the golden rule – not too over water your vine!! Root rot is something that we definitely want to avoid – eeesh.

During the first year of growth, allow around three or four stems to grow vertically. Attach them to the cane and pinch any shoots growing to one side.

Pesky pests: Wasps love to break the flesh

Grape Vines: There are all sorts of varieties of grapevine, some are really hardy and will grow anywhere and some are so delicate that you need to really have a greenhouse to help them crop. Our favourite and the one that we sell is the sweet grape variety grows very well in the UK and is both hardy and disease resistant. In particular, the Lakemont variety is a sweet honey like grape which is delicious straight from the vine and makes a good sweet wine.

But despite our grape vine’s being a particularly hardy strain, there still needs to be a degree of care and planning to ensure an excellent crop of grapes in late September. And April is THE time to start working on training your grape vines – do it now to make sure you get a good crop!!! So today’s blog post is all about how to succeed with your first grape growing experience.

Choosing the right place to plant: When you are looking at where to plant your vine tree, make sure that you choose an area that receives plenty of sunlight. A good tip is to choose to grow your grape along an existing fence line or trellis if available. This will avoid the hassle of trying to put something together whilst your grapes are growing – remember it’s easier to have the trellis in place before you plant your grape vine.

Making sure the ground is right: Grapes hate to get their roots totally drenched through – if you put them in a place where they receive too much water, their roots will eventually rot and die. Therefore you need to make sure that you place your grape vine in an area that does not get waterlogged and fairly well drained.

Before you plant your grape vine, ensure that you break up the soil well so you aren’t left with any large clumps. If your soil is very clay heavy, you can add a little peat moss to even things out. The ideal pH balance should be between 6 and 7.

Planting the Vine: When you dig a hole for your grape vine, make sure that the hole is wider and deeper than the root ball of the plant. About 15cm (6in) away from your fence or wall would be ideal. Next you need to carefully place the grape vine in the hole you have dug. It might be a good idea to replace some of the dirt you have dug and mound it up underneath the centre of the vine to give it some support. Make sure there is at least 1 or 2 inches of soil covering the roots.

Care: depending on the time of year, how much sun light you receive etc, your grape vine will need varying levels of watering. In the height of summer, ensure that you keep your grape vine regularly watered, although remember the golden rule – not too over water your vine!! Root rot is something that we definitely want to avoid – eeesh.

During the first year of growth, allow around three or four stems to grow vertically. Attach them to the cane and pinch any shoots growing to one side.  

Pesky pests: Wasps love to break the flesh of your grapes, for a sweet treat. You can help avoid this by creating a wasp trap. Have a look at this youtube video here for the sort of thing

I’ve also read that planting a rose tree nearby to your grapes can help you avoid pesky pests and attract them to the rose bush instead. However not great news for your rose bush, so not really sure if this is an effective method really.

Grape Vines make a great gift, perfect for anyone interested in wine making – imagine that !

Grapes are said to be a symbol of good luck and have links with many festivities.

Late September is the time to pick The green-yellow oval shaped fruit is ready for picking from the end and is a good reliable cropper.

of your grapes, for a sweet treat. You can help avoid this by creating a wasp trap. Have a look at this youtube video here for the sort of thing

I’ve also read that planting a rose tree nearby to your grapes can help you avoid pesky pests and attract them to the rose bush instead. However not great news for your rose bush, so not really sure if this is an effective method really.

Grape Vines make a great gift, perfect for anyone interested in wine making – imagine that !

Grapes are said to be a symbol of good luck and have links with many festivities.

 

 

Late September is the time to pick The green-yellow oval shaped fruit is ready for picking from the end and is a good reliable cropper.

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