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DIGGING DEEP

Plants making history

The colourful wreath that adorned Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as it journeyed to Westminster Abbey was an expectedly beautiful arrangement, and as poignant as it was perfect.

‘At The King’s request, the wreath contains foliage of Rosemary, English Oak and Myrtle (cut from a plant grown from Myrtle in The Queen’s wedding bouquet) and flowers, in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with touches of white, cut from the gardens of Royal Residences,’ explained a tweet from the official account of the Royal family.

Common myrtle is a medium-sized evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean which produces delicate, small white flowers.

Myrtle’s history with the royal family dates back to Queen Victoria’s time, but contrary to common belief, Victoria’s wedding bouquet was given over to snowdrops, not myrtle.

Myrtle debuted at the wedding of her eldest child, Princess Victoria, and has been present at every royal wedding since.

As mentioned, the myrtle which featured on HRH’s wreath was reported to have grown from the same plant that provided a sprig for her wedding bouquet in 1947.

It is believed that Sir Walter Raleigh returned from Spain with the plant in the 1600s, but it could well have been rooted here even earlier.

By the 17th century it was certainly a favourite of the aristocracy and a popular addition to perfectly landscaped gardens, or inhabiting an orangery.

If you want to introduce myrtle to your garden, you will be pleased to learn that it’s an easy grower, needing little support. It prefers moist, but well-drained soil. A sheltered place is best, and like many of us, it is a fan of sunny climes.

Pic: Flickr, UK Government

Great for courtyard and cottage garden alike, it thrives just as well in borders and beds and in containers.

The majestic English oak is one of Britain’s most iconic, largest and most easily identifiable of all our trees, and our national tree represents strength and endurance.

It is entwined in history too, and has its own royal story; King Charles escaped the Roundheads by hiding in an oak tree before escaping to exile.

The tree was often the setting for marriages, with couples choosing to tie the knot under ancient oaks during the 1700s.

Oaks are home to 100s of species of insects, which in turn feed birds with invaluable food sources.

Its gorgeous green fruits (acorns) ripen before freeing themselves from their ‘hats’ (capule). Some will become the next generation of mighty oaks, but the vast majority will serve as dinner to all manner of mammals that will feast on them – squirrels, badgers and deer all use them as an important food source. Much like the Queen faultlessly served her country, this magnificent tree serves the countryside.

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Rosemary was also used in the royal wreath, doubtless for its important symbolism with remembrance.

The familiar needle-like leaves of this popular herb can be taken all year round, but enjoy the new summer growth for the tastiest flavour. Use fresh, or freeze for later.

The wonderfully fragrant shrub is an ace at surviving in dry conditions, and stands up well in cool conditions. If you plan on growing your own, you need to plant between March and May and enjoy it in cuisine for years to come – if looked after, a plant will serve you for more than a decade.

How does your garden grow?

“Autumn – Nature carries more gold in its pocket than in all the other seasons.”

It is not a chore to rake up fallen leaves – these will be the basis of nutritious leaf mould which is also an excellent soil improver and contains beneficial fungi.

I check tree stakes and ties, and replace the spiral guards if necessary. I have removed the sticky grease bands from around the trunks of fruit trees. Windfalls are winter food for migrating birds. I have cleaned out nest boxes and washed and sterilised the bird feeders as their winter importance increases.

My greenhouse is a lean-to, so it is well protected. I set my heater’s thermostat to 4°C – the RHS recommends 7°C. It is important to ventilate on mild days.

Now is the time to raise large terracotta pots on to 3 ‘feet’ to allow drainage. I have lost a few this year, cracked because of frost damage.

Plant wallflowers, pansies, violas, bellis (daisies) and forget-me-nots. It is a good time to plant hellebores where you can enjoy their winter and spring colour. They are also very popular with bees and other insects in the new year. The last mow of the year can be done, with the blades on a high setting, Pic: Phil Scarboro and repairs made. If you have a bonfire, please check underneath for the presence of hedgehogs and provide places for them to hibernate elsewhere. A hedgehog house makes a good Christmas present!

Ralph Westmoreland, member Denton & District Gardening Club

> Denton & District Gardening Club is a small, friendly club which meets on a Monday evening every month. New members and visitors are always welcome. For more information please contact Margaret at m.pateman@yahoo.co.uk or 01604 890875.

5 x Paper starlights £89

paperstarlights.com

Snowy trees paper tape £5

cascayde.com

4 x Copper crackle glass baubles £7.50

sasseandbelle.co.uk

Have a Sustainable Christmas

Sustainable swaps will play a huge part this Christmas as we have all witnessed a significant shift towards becoming more conscious consumers. We’ll see a focus on recyclable materials and reusable alternatives in order to reduce our waste and be more mindful of the environment this festive season. We’ve collected a variety of sustainable swaps and gorgeous eco-friendly gifts to help you and your loved ones embrace a more sustainable approach to the festivities.

24 advent calendar gift bags £59.99 wayfair.co.uk

Rattan deer head £65

iamfy.co

Christmas wreath craft kit £38

maryelizabeth flowers.co.uk

Paper lanterns £14.95

cielshopinterios.com

Personalised reusable cracker £14

2greenmonkeys.co.uk

Award-winning team reflect on their success

This year T&K Home Improvements are proud to announce that they have been shortlisted in the finals for the G-Awards throughout three categories: the new Rising Star Award; Training and Development Initiative of the Year; and the Showcase, Fabricator of the Year category.

The G Awards have made a strong impression on the industry as the place to recognise and honour achievements in the glass and glazing sector. The purpose of the event is to honour the most innovative businesses with exceptional performance and ideas in the UK fenestration sector.

T&K decided to enter the G-Awards 2022 after winning Fabricator of the Year last year on the strength of operational efficiencies of up to 15 per cent. This helped them to meet their commitment to freeze costs for six months starting in February this year.

Ryan Johnson, managing director, said: “We are delighted to have made the Fabricator of the Year shortlist for the second time in two years and will clearly be keeping our fingers – and everything else – crossed, that we can repeat last year’s performance and come away with the award for a second time.

“It is a fiercely contested category with some great fabrication businesses shortlisted in it, so all we can do is do our best and see how it goes on the night. Either way, we’re pleased to have made the cut and delighted that the hard work of the team and our commitment to our customers has been recognised.

“Being noticed for all our hard work and forward-thinking movements we are consistently working towards is a wonderful achievement, especially against other highly qualifying competitions. If we can repeat last year’s performance and win Fabricator of the Year for the second consecutive year it will highlight that we take pride in what we do and are focused on improving industry standards.”

The Fabricator of the Year submission has highlighted the company’s smart complaints development. This new digital process streamlines customer complaints, returns and re-ordering actions. In addition to this, the quality road-mapping programme includes weekly reviews for T&K Home Improvements in the retail sector. Not to mention, sourcing energy through their own solar panels. T&K Home Improvements are committed to driving their sustainability agenda, which is why they have upgraded their fleet to new lower-emission engines.

Dawid Hajduk has been shortlisted in the Rising Star category. Now Operations Support Leader, he joined T&K Home Improvements straight from school as an operations apprentice. Three years on, and three promotions, later, he was nominated after picking up significant additional responsibility and performing a vital role in the planning and scheduling team during COVID-19 disruption. This included single handily managing Kolorplas’s bespoke paint spraying service, including processing orders, stock control and line management responsibilities – when he was still only 18 years old!

“We are a big and complex business. If you step back and you look at what we make every day, the majority of products that we make are bespoke, no two frames the same – it is incredible.” said Ryan.

“Planning that, scheduling production so that products get made but also are manufactured as efficiently as possible and on time, with multiple competing demands, it is almost a miracle every day.

“It is the product of a great team in the factory but also testimony to our planning, the systems we have and those that we’re developing – and Dawid plays a massive part in all of that,” he concluded.

T&K Home Improvements are excited about the announcement of the winner of this prestigious award and, regardless of the outcome, will continue to serve excellence and strive towards bettering the business being highlighted by the advanced movements they are taking.

Trusted award-winning installers If you want reliable and trusted installers, then contact T&K Home Improvements today. They are award-winning and highly accredited and only supply and install A-Rated energy efficient products.

Dawid Hajduk has been shortlisted in the Rising Star category

To find out more visit www.tkhi.co.uk or call 0800 622 716.