A long awaited move
Wykeham Mature Plants has finally moved into a new home in the converted Bothy within the walled garden. The Oxford English Dictionary definition of Bothy is: ?A rude shelter or hut in the woods?; or my favourite, ?A simple shelter, left unlocked and available for anyone to use without charge?.
This move into the beautifully converted character building has given the Business a number of advantages not the least of which is a permanent on site sales presence. This allows the opening hours to be extended from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm including, for the first time, Saturdays. Why not pop in and have a look around the increased range of big trees and mature shrubs or come into the Bothy and, have a coffee in the newly restored Victorian green house.
The new offices are so centrally placed it has allowed the Business to focus and expand production of extra heavy and semi mature trees and mature shrubs in containers and to this end a new container unit has just been completed for a further 3,000 plants.
Container trees are a quantum improvement on the old fashioned method of field grown trees allowing for all year round supply of a product that is much easier to handle and plant, and with greatly improved establishment.
Adam Smith, General Manager
Photograph: Left to Right: Martin Howe, Adam Smith, Maureen Symonds, David Crossley
Commercial Projects
Over the last number of years Wykeham Mature Plants has been involved in growing trees for a couple of interesting projects in the North East. One project involved growing some mature box headed limes for a new square in Newcastle upon Tyne. The trees were pruned and prepared for the site over two growing seasons and planted eighteen months ago to form a stilt hedge around a new sculpture in the square.
The effect of the planting of this mature hedge was instant and because the trees had been grown and prepared 
especially for the site they all thrived and give the impression of immediate maturity. Another equally difficult project, was to prepare, lift and containerise some semi mature trees for a very hostile site on the North East coast. The tree selection was made by the landscape architect and ourselves based on what would suit the site at Hartlepool Headland which is a reclaimed sand dune projecting into the North Sea, receiving the full force of the weather from three sides. The trees were planted at the height of last year?s hot summer and so given the site and the weather conditions, the trees were up against it; I?m glad to say all are doing well!
What a difference big plants make
Last September garden designer, Robert Frier, asked Wykeham Mature Plants to supply a new garden on a green field site with mature trees and shrubs for instant 
effect. The deliveries and planting were completed over three weeks and the before and after images speak for themselves.
Both the client and the designer were impressed with the finished garden.
?I am really pleased with the quality and service provided from Wykeham - from placing the order to delivery of the plants; Wykeham offered a first class service? said Robert.
A New Appointment
To improve retail service we are proud to announce the appointment of Martin Howe as Sales Professional. Martin is from the garden retail sector where he managed a number garden centres for one of the larger chains; before which he was the consumer services advisor for the multinational company, Scotts.
Martin is always on hand Tuesdays to Saturdays, to offer advice in the walled garden or over the phone; why not use his skills to help you find the perfect plant for that difficult spot?
Plant focus ? Adam Smith?s recommendation
?The winter months can seem such a drab time of year and so often the garden writers pull off the shelf the usual list of winter flowering plants such as Witch Hazel and Mahonias, but I would like to give a plug to a much underrated plant, Lonicera fragantissima.
The member of the shrubby honeysuckle family, flowers from early January well into March with conspicuous pure white honeysuckle flowers all over the bare branches, which have an attractive exfoliating bark. Best of all is the scent of honeysuckle with lemon that these flowers give; especially noticeable on warm still days.
The plant is not fussy about soil and will even grow in shade. It will reach about two metres in height and is also easy to prune to keep it in check.?
Tips for Winter
If you haven?t already pruned and shaped your trees now is the time to do so, while the branches are in deep dormancy. One of the exceptions to this are the cherry and plum trees, which are best pruned in late spring to avoid diseases such as silver leaf and bacterial canker.
While you can plant container plants all year round it is better to plant them in the winter; for while the tops are dormant the roots continue to grow through the mild periods. The plant will be better established before the drier summer season so the sooner planting takes place during the winter the better your plants will be equipped to deal with their first summer.
Martin Howe
Disease Warning ? David Crossley observes:
?I have recently seen on a couple of sites in the north of England a disease that is a great threat to Conker trees (Aesculus species). While all the fuss has been made about sudden oak death, I have yet to see a dead oak in the North. The disease of conkers known as Phytophora cactorum seems to have crept in under the radar.
This disease has the potential to wipe out the entire conker population just as Dutch Elm disease did with the Elm. The symptoms consist of weeping from lesions on the bark, followed by the bark on younger trees or branches dying and splitting to reveal mycelium smelling of mushrooms. The disease spreads quite rapidly and kills trees in a few years leaving a dangerous stem, which needs felling. Keep an eye on the conkers in your area, as it would be a shame to lose such a wonderful tree from our landscape.
The Forestry Commission site: www.forestresearch.gov.uk/bleedingcanker, is excellent and has more information about this disease.
Adam Smith: General Manager
David Crossley: Sales Manager, Wykeham Walled Garden
Martin Howe: Sales, Private Individuals and Developers