Has arrive at Reg Taylor’s, Where our full selection of top quality bedding plants, are available to brighten up your garden this summer ( it’s coming, Honest). from a pack of 6 beautiful impatiens right through to our renowned Hanging Baskets. there is no excuse for not having a stunning display this Jubilee Year. along with flowers, our range of vegetable plants: Tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers to name but a few, are also on sale, so not only can your garden look good it can also be productive.

Our Giftware department is brimming with the new collections from Sia and Parlane, We have also expanded Our Range of Durance products to now include a wonderful range of toiletries for the more discerning male. The silk flower department is full of beautiful spring flowers, and wonderful glass tanks and vases to display them in. It’s not just our giftware departments that herald the start of the new season, our glasshouses and nursery frames are filled with wonderful specimens both from England and from our Nurseries in Italy. Spring Pansies and violas, herbs and early sweet peas all in stock now. Our latest Italian Delivery has some fantastic specimen olives and palms, all ready to give your garden that extra lift. during the winter months we have been revamping our Tearoom patio, extending the outdoor seating area and adding new Neptune furniture and amazing standard Olive trees, to enhance your al-fresco dining experience. At Reg Taylor’s we take pride in only stocking top quality products, this extends to the Landscape Supplies department, where we display a fantastic range of Neptune Garden Furniture and sterling Bar-b-ques, all in a newly refurbished bright airy Showroom. While outside we are major stockists of the Forest Garden range of products, with seasonal promotions on arbours and arches.

APPLES

POLLINATION GROUPS.  We have classified Apples into 3 flowering season groups.  A pollination partner is a variety which is ideally in the same group or else one immediately above or below the variety in question.  In urban areas where Apples occur in many gardens there is often no need to provide a pollination partner in your own garden - there is usually enough in surrounding plots.  But it is very necessary if there are no other Apples in your area.
A = Early Flowering   B = Mid-season   C = Late Flowering

The MONTH shown indicates the ideal period of use. 
However, one should remember the earlier the variety the less storing qualities it has.

BUSH £23.00   HALF STANDARD £26.00   CORDON £26.00   TRAINED £49.50

BRAMLEY’S SEEDLING - CULINARY.
Probably the best cooker ever. Large fruits, green with a red flush in broad broken stripes. Vigorous spreading trees bear heavily. Nov - Dec
POLLINATION GROUP   B           Available as Bush, H.Std &  Cordon

COX’S ORANGE PIPPIN - DESSERT.
In our opinion still the best British eating apple.  Russety yellow, flushed red fruits.  Fairly erect, medium growth.  Prefers well drained soil.   Oct - Jan
POLLINATION GROUP   B         Available as Bush, H.Std, Cordon & Trained

DISCOVERY - DESSERT.
An early variety with firm flesh and good keeping qualities.  Medium in size the colour is yellow flushed over with crimson.  Ideal for the smaller garden Aug - Sep
POLLINATION GROUP   B         Available as Bush, H.Std, Cordon & Trained

ELLISON’S ORANGE - DESSERT.
Juicy and refreshing eaten off the tree.  The medium sized fruit is greenish yellow, flushed and striped with red.  Prolific bearer and easy to grow.  Frost resistance.  Sep - Oct
POLLINATION GROUP   C       Available as Bush, H.Std & Cordon

GREENSLEEVES - DESSERT. 
An outstanding modern variety.  This is the one if you like Golden Delicious.  Medium sized fruit pale green turning yellow.  Hardy reliable & easy to manage. Sep - Nov
POLLINATION GROUP   B     Available as Bush, H.Std & Cordon

JAMES GRIEVE -  DESSERT or CULINARY.
An excellent choice for a difficult site. Medium-large fruit of yellow, striped orange.  Juicy & tangy.  It crops heavily and regularly.  Upright habit.     Sep - Oct
POLLINATION GROUP   B       Available as Bush, H.Std, Cordon & Trained

JUPITER - DESSERT.
Introduced in 1982.  Of similar flavour to Cox’s.  Heavy cropping, vigorous growth.  Golden yellow flushes and striped red.  Very reliable.   Oct - Jan
POLLINATION GROUP   B       Available as Bush, H.Std & Cordon

NEWTON WONDER - CULINARY.
Recommended for its heavy yield of fine flavoured fruit.  Juicy, a little acidic and boils down to a golden fluff.  Very large golden yellow flushed red apples.  Oct - Dec
POLLINATION GROUP   C       Available as Bush, H.Std & Cordon

SPARTAN - DESSERT. 
This is one for the Red Delicious fan.  The fruit is almost entirely flushed dark red.  The white flesh is crisp & juicy of fine flavour.  A good to moderate cropper. Nov - Jan
POLLINATION GROUP   B         Available as Bush, H.Std, Cordon & Trained

SUNSET - DESSERT.
A lovely Cox like variety with less of the troubles.  Medium sized golden, flushed and striped red fruit, with small patches of russet.  Hardy and compact. Oct - Dec
POLLINATION GROUP   B      Available as Bush, H.Std & Cordon

WORCESTER PEARMAIN - DESSERT.
An old favourite, hardy and reliable.  Small to medium apples, yellowish-green, almost completely flushed with bright red.  Super flavour straight off the tree. Sep - Oct
POLLINATION GROUP   B         Available as Bush, H.Std, Cordon & Trained

PEARS

POLLINATION GROUPS.  We have classified Pears into 2 flowering season groups.  A pollination partner is a variety which is ideally in the same group or else one immediately above or just below the variety in question.  In urban areas where Pears occur in many gardens there is often no need to provide a pollination partner in your own garden - there is usually enough in surrounding plots.  But it is very necessary if there are no other Pears in your area.
B = Mid-season   C = Late Flowering

The MONTH shown indicates the ideal period of use.
However, one should remember the earlier the variety the less storing qualities it has.

BUSH £23.00   HALF STANDARD £26.00   CORDON £26.00   TRAINED £49.50

CONCORDE - DESSERT. 
A new pear from East Malling, reliable heavy cropping and an early start to fruiting.  Described as a “Perfect Garden Pear”.  Pale green skin colour with a delicious juicy flavour. Nov - Dec
POLLINATION GROUP   C         Available as H.Std only

CONFERENCE -  DESSERT. 
Conference remains the No.1 choice because of its reliability.  Long fruits of olive green with russet patches.  Juicy but firm flesh of fine flavour.  Best if stored.   Oct - Jan
POLLINATION GROUP   (Self)  B         Available as Bush, H.Std, Cordon & Trained

WILLIAMS’ BON CHRETIEN - DESSERT.
As a garden tree this old English variety is a good cropper and hard enough for any district. The pale yellow medium size smooth-skinned fruit are lovely and juicy.       Sep
POLLINATION GROUP   B         Available as, H.Std Only

PLUMS

POLLINATION GROUPS.  We have classified Plums into 2 flowering season groups.  A pollination partner is a variety which is ideally in the same group or else one immediately above or below the variety in question.  All Plums are self fertile to a large degree and can quite successfully be grown on their own.  However, the inclusion of a pollinator within proximity does help to make for more reliable crops.  Plums & Damsons are tip-bearing and should only be thinned, not regularly hard pruned. 
B = Mid-season   C = Late Flowering

The MONTH shown indicates the ideal period of use.  However this will vary according to the season and whether the crop is taken early for culinary use or left to fully ripen for dessert use.

BUSH £23.00     HALF STANDARD £26.00     TRAINED £49.50

CAMBRIDGE GAGE - DESSERT & CULINARY. 
Very similar to the old Greengage but more reliable and a heavier cropper.  Small yellowish green flushed with red fruit, the flavour is very good.       Sep
POLLINATION GROUP   (Self) C                       Available as H.Std only

CZAR - CULINARY.
The oval fruits have yellowish - green flesh with a good acidic flavour.  Can be used as a dessert plum when fully ripe.  Fruit size medium dark purple.  Popular variety.  Aug
POLLINATION GROUP   (Self) B               Available as H.Std only

OULLIN’S GOLDEN - GAGE DESSERT & CULINARY.
According to some experts the best of all. Large golden-yellow fruit spotted with green or brown, with sweet transparent yellow flesh.  Vigorous grower.       Aug
POLLINATION GROUP   (Self) C               Available as H.Std only

VICTORIA - DESSERT & CULINARY.
Still the most popular Plum of all.  The large fruit is pale red with yellowish-green flesh.  Fair flavour.  A vigorous upright tree, with heavy crops.  Aug - Sept
POLLINATION GROUP   (Self) B           Available as Bush, H.Std & Trained

DAMSONS

HALF STANDARD £26.00

FAIRLEIGH - CULINARY & DESSERT.
A prolific bearer of traditional sized, sweet flavoured fruit.  Vigorous upright grower.  Reliable crops of deep blue fine flavoured small fruit. Sep - Oct
POLLINATION GROUP   (Self) B               Available as H.Std only

MERRYWEATHER - CULINARY & DESSERT. 
Large sized fruit with blue-black skin.  Yellow flesh which is juicy & acidic.  An excellent all rounder.  Prolific growth which tends to need thinning. Sep - Oct
POLLINATION GROUP   (Self) B               Available as H.Std only

APRICOT

BUSH   £25.00

MOOR PARK - CULINARY & DESSERT.
The orange flesh of this round variety has a very good flavour and the tree is renowned for its reliability. Large golden-yellow flushed red fruit.   Late Aug
POLLINATORS   Self-fertile     Available as Bush only

CHERRIES

Cherries are upright bold trees that require little pruning.
Morello is the exception & is best grown against a warm wall & trained as a Fan.

BUSH £23.00     HALF STANDARD £26.00     TRAINED £49.50

MORELLO - CULINARY.
Can be picked at the very sour, dark red stage, or left under the netting until near black and bitter-sweet.  The flesh of the large fruit is dark red.  Compact spreading habit.       Aug
POLLINATORS   Self-fertile         Available as Bush & Trained

STELLA - DESSERT. 
The first self-fertile sweet cherry.  Large dark red fruit with deep flesh, juicy and rich in flavour.  A good pollinator for most other varieties.   Late July
POLLINATORS   Self-fertile           Available as Bush, H.Std & Trained

MEDLAR

BUSH £25.00

NOTTINGHAM MEDLAR - CULINARY & DESSERT.  An attractive small tree, often flat topped, flowers white with deep red anther’s.  Course brown skinned fruit ideal for jelly.  Reliable and worth growing. Oct - Nov
POLLINATORS   Self-fertile     Available as Bush only

NECTARINE

BUSH £25.00

LORD NAPIER - CULINARY & DESSERT.
The best variety for growing at home.  The white flesh is aromatic and full of flavour.  Regular and heavy cropper.  Yellow flushed with red. Early Aug
POLLINATORS   Self-fertile     Available as Bush only

PEACH

BUSH £25.00     TRAINED £49.50

PEREGRINE - CULINARY & DESSERT.
The No.1 choice of gardeners and experts alike.  The flesh is juicy with excellent flavour and high yields.  Large crimson fruit.  Best against a warm wall. Early Aug
POLLINATORS   Self-fertile or by hand.         Available as Bush & Trained

QUINCE

BUSH £25.00

EARLY PROLIFIC - CULINARY.
The golden yellow flesh has a good, rather acid flavour.  Quinces are used for flavouring and jelly. Lovely rounded foliage and habit, makes a fine tree, well worth growing. Oct
POLLINATORS   Self-fertile     Available as Bush only

SOFT FRUIT

BLACKBERRY   £7.75

BEDFORD GIANT An old favourite and perhaps the highest yield of all. Vigorous thorny rambling stems.  Masses of black shiny fruits.    Jul - Aug

MERTON THORNLESS A fine thorn-less variety where space is limited.  The complete absence of thorns make maintenance a simple job.  Large berries of good flavour.  Yields sometimes disappointing.      Aug - Sep

OREGAN THORNLESS The leaves are deeply cut with fine Autumn colour.  The fruit has a mild flavour and the canes are easy to train.  A decorative fruiting plant.  Reliable. Aug - Sep

CURRANTS   £6.25

BEN CONNAN  BLACK   The well-flavoured berries are very large, 50% larger than the average blackcurrant.  Shows good disease resistance and has a very fine flavour.  Good grower. Early July

BEN SAREK  BLACK   A recent introduction.  Very high yields of large shiny black fruits, on compact bushes.  Fine flavour.   Mid July

BEN TIRRAN  BLACK   A recent introduction, neat growth habit and heavy yields.  The Lateness of flowering make it frost resistant.  Also it resists mildew & big bud.  Large fruits of lovely flavour. Late July

JONKEER VAN TETS  RED   Strong growing, good flavoured and heavy yielding.  Large sized fruit on spreading upright bushes.  Recommended by many experts.   Mid July

GOOSEBERRY   £7.50

CARELESS  GREEN   The most popular variety.  It is reliable and not fussy about soil type.  The smooth berries are excellent in flavour, large in size and crop well.  Use for both culinary & dessert. Mid July

INVICTA  PALE GREEN The new star of the Gooseberry world.  Immune to American mildew and very high yields.  Very prickly.  Vigorous and spreading.      Late July

WHINHAM’S INDUSTRY  RED   A rival to any as the best all rounder although the growth is somewhat shy.  Excellent flavoured fruit of medium-large size, does well in shade or heavy soils. Late July

LOGANBERRY   £7.75

BAUER’S THORNLESS RASPBERRY x BLACKBERRY   On completely thorn-less canes for easy management.  Excellent for culinary use but can be a little tart for eating fresh.  A pleasant fruit. July - Aug

MULBERRY  from £18.50

MORUS NIGRA Use when red for culinary, or leave to become purple-black for dessert.  Large majestic bushes with their gnarled branches and bark need room.  Will take a number of years to fruit. Aug - Sep

RASPBERRY   £13.50 for 10 canes

AUTUMN BLISS  AUTUMN FRUITING   A new introduction which has become the recommended choice.  It significantly out yields the other varieties.  Medium sized bright red fruit of good flavour.  The canes are sturdy and do not require support.  Best in sunny place.      Aug - Oct

GLEN LYON  SUMMER FRUITING Renowned for the fine flavour, luscious deep-red fruits. Good aphid resistance.  Spine-free, with moderate growth.  A terrific recent introduction.    Early - Late July

GLEN PROSEN  SUMMER FRUITING   Masses of small medium size dull-red fruits from mid-summer.  A superb variety producing very tasty fruit.  Produces lots of vigorous canes.          July - Late Aug

MALLING LEO  SUMMER FRUITING   This is the last of the summer fruiters to bear.  The taste is good and tangy, texture is firm and the growth is vigorous.  Aphid and botrytis resistant.   July - Late Aug

TAYBERRY   £7.75

MEDENA RASPBERRY x BLACKBERRY   This virus-free strain is the only one to grow.  The aromatic fruits are larger than a Loganberry and also much sweeter, dark purple in colour

The fabulous Sia and Parlane new season collection has arrived at Reg Taylor’s. with striking elegance. Aong with lots of new products such as the durance olive tree Skin, body and hair products, and the soon to be released Lampe Berger for your car.

So here we go - Sculpture in the Sanctuary 2011, 23rd July - 29th August

At one of our morning meetings last December we were discussing how well we had cleared our car park of snow and whether we needed to order another tonne of road salt when Paul chirped in, “how about doing Sculpture in the Sanctuary again next Summer, we all enjoyed it so much and so did all the visitors”.
It is hard to lift the spirits in all that snow and ice but this suggestion certainly did that.
“O.K. lets do it but we will have to learn from our mistakes and costings of last time”.

So here we go - Sculpture in the Sanctuary 2011, 23rd July - 29th August

Our main problem in 2009 was transport, we were fetching and taking back pieces from all over the country, some delicate and difficult to handle.  Insurance cost us a fortune as did staging and printing, and we made entry free.  This year we have sorted out the logistics, the artists themselves are contributing to their own insurance and last but not least we have decided to make a minimal charge of five pounds entry with a fifty pence reduction for pensioners, children under 16 will still be Free.  This hopefully will enable us to better stage the event and achieve an even more professional event.

Now it is all going apace, Helen and David Waghorne our PR man have been in touch with over one hundred artists whom are all showing great enthusiasm and many offering their signature pieces.  Since 2009 some have become friends and Paul sponsored Rachael Carter with her mild steel and woven willow designs at Chelsea show by supplying all the plant material.  The stand was awarded a certificate of merit for outstanding presentation.  Peter Rogers who works with stainless steel to make wonderful water features, is designing a kinetic piece that travels from the bank to an island in the main lake.  On his first visit to survey the site Mark managed to lock him in the sanctuary, but Peter is a good climber and has a great sense of humour.  Jack Russell is with us once again after his Gold Medal win at Chelsea, and we are excited to see Steve Kettle’s bust of Churchill made of Welsh Slate.  Visit www.sculptureinthesanctuary for full details of the Artists.

Jean Ann is supervising all the work in her beloved sanctuary and trimming and sorting any untoward shrubs and trees, I must say it is looking good.  Once again, we have organised catering and rest areas for light snacks but please let us know if you wish to take lunch as I know Janice and the girls will be very busy at this time.

Well, the first pieces have just been collected so it’s upwards and onwards as the excitement builds. Of course all the effort is no good without you, so please try to plan a visit and bring your friends – we are really looking forward to seeing you.

Best Regards

I firstly must apologise for missing the April Newsletter.  It was a most unusual month for us with three bank holidays falling in successive weeks.  In order to organise deliveries, stocks, and staff rotas it was probably the busiest and most exacting time we have had since the business was founded in 1946.  However, the good news is I think we achieved it.  We managed to keep the Nursery stock levels to customer expectations although demand was some fifty percent higher than a normal season.  Thank you all for getting on and redecorating those gaps left by the exceptional winter.  Added to this we started our bedding plant programme two weeks earlier than normal in order to change round the showroom.  Thank goodness we have had such marvellous weather otherwise we would have looked a little stupid.  I once again must congratulate our contract growers for their wonderful quality and service, it is always good to do business with people you have known for years, they appreciate we pay them on the dot and move heaven and earth to serve us, most have become personal friends and most are family businesses like ourselves.

Bedding season is now well and truly underway, we have already built a couple of hundred of our super hanging baskets and as a general rule managed to keep prices within two percent or so of last year.  (2% being the dreaded VAT increase).  Over the bedding season we handle over fifteen thousand Geraniums, four thousand six-packs not to mention the thousands of pot-grown trailing plants and bedders, so you can imagine it keeps us quite active.  Nevertheless it’s a great season and a lovely time to work especially in the Sun.

As I write we are still in the middle of a major drought and Mark has given a lot of expertise to our irrigation system, checking daily and fine tuning where required.  He tells me the computers have been mostly set to a full summer regime, i.e. July-August, and along with hand watering the difficult areas he has managed to keep all the stock in tip-top condition.  Well done Mark.

With everything happening at such a pace outside you would think the sundries departments might suffer but there have been some wonderful sales of garden furniture and most pleasing of all I can report that our supply chain is standing up well to the pressure.  The most unusual sales have been in our Lampe Berger home fragrance lamps, those wonderful burners that not only remove odours but slightly perfume the air, we have sold in the last two months more than any other retailer in England, including Harrods and the London shops, a real feather in Paul’s cap and a real boost in his confidence of the product in which he has always believed.

Another shipment has just arrived and they are shouting at me for labels, the bain of my life, next week I put in a new system.  Hope it works as I would expect it should save me at least eight hours a week for very little expenditure.

Trust your garden looks lovely and is bringing you great joy, despite all the watering, our Nursery certainly fills us with pride at this time of year.