This month our Newsletter Features

• Welcome Message
• Porcupipe Gutter Brush Offer
• New Water Butts
• Fleece Jackets Offer
• Garden Jobs this Month
• JT’s Blog: Why I love September
• Tips: Wildlife Habitats
• Competition: Win a Bokashi Spray Composter

Welcome to the September edition of the Original Organics Newsletter

I have to say that over the past few days it really feels like autumn is here, it seems greyer, colder and wetter. The kids are back at school after a summer of no routine and my slippers have come out of the cupboard.

Not that I mind Autumn and the colder months, in fact I quite look forward to them. The football and NFL season kick off again, fresh soups & stews simmer away in the kitchen producing wonderful smells and steamed up windows,  my warm clothes come out of hiding and family sofa snuggling, under a cover as we watch the new season of a big autumn show keeps all the family entertained on the shorter nights. But more importantly the holiday season begins, well it does for my family anyway. September to November is full of Birthdays, we have Halloween, Bonfire night, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m not American, but I have found myself celebrating Thanksgiving, I guess it started because I watch American Football and on Thanksgiving Day they broadcast 3 live games on TV, It got me thinking that it would be nice to bring up the kids having at least one day, when we could take time out and think about what we should be grateful for. We cook a large Turkey dinner and then we go round the table and tell each other what we are thankful for that year. Three years in and i’m still the only one eating pumkin pie though.

This month I guess most of us are thinking about tidying up the garden, cutting the grass for the last time, pruning the overgrown shrubs, planting for next spring and harvesting our crops. I planted pumpkins for the first time this year and I’m not sure they are going to be ready in time for Halloween. The female flowers only just flowered a couple of weeks ago, we had months of only male flowers and then they died off and then only females. I have had to hand pollinate the females with any stray male I have been able to find, fingers crossed we will be able to harvest a few for Jack O’Lanterns and Pumpkin Pie.

Enjoy the beginning of autumn and all the fun colours it brings.
Tom

15% OFF Black Porcupipe Gutter Brush

Porcupipe is a simple, but extremely effective device designed to keep virtually any water gutter system clear and free from all kinds of debris including moss and leaves.

Porcupipe can also help to prevent entry of birds into roof space, and can also help to keep out twigs and seeds dropped by birds. It is made from high quality Polypropylene filaments securely fixed into a flexible central rust-free stainless steel core.

Porcupipe is different from other devices that just cover your gutters – Porcupipe actually fits inside and fills the gutter, effectively screening your gutters from debris, whilst keeping them clear for water to flow freely.

The 15% OFF offer is only available through this newsletter from this link and is valid until 30/09/13

110L Rainbow Collection	200L Rainfall Harvester	150L Woodgrain Effect
1500L Dual Water Tank	190L Oak Effect Rain Barrel	150L Rattan Effect Water Butt

With many months of rain ahead, now is a perfect time to be thinking of buying a Water Butt, by the time spring comes, you will have plenty of free water to irrigate your garden. You will find all these new water harvesting products on Water Butts Direct our number one dedicated Water Butts Website.

15% OFF Fleece Jackets

Ideal for plants of all sizes in beds, borders, hanging baskets and pots. Haxnicks Fleece Jackets make it quick and easy to protect your tender and semi-hardy plants from frost and other harsh weather.

The 15% OFF offer is only available through this newsletter from this link and is valid until 30/09/13

September days are noticeably shorter, if you have a fruit or vegetable patch, you’ll be busy reaping the rewards of harvest. It’s also time to get out and start planting spring-flowering bulbs for next year, and the general garden clean up starts.

• Harvest your crops
• Plant spring flowering bulbs
• Net ponds before leaves start to fall
• Place pumpkins and squashes on a piece of slate or wood to raise them of the wet soil and prevent rotting
• Start the autumn clean up; remove any old crops and clear weeds
• Get your compost bins ready for fallen leaves and dead plant material
• Install water butts to collect rain this autumn and winter.
• Raise the height of mower blades as grass growth slows down

‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’…………. (Keats)

Why I love September……

Since leaving college I continue to love September. No longer is it a case of new uniform, books and teachers but a time to tidy and prepare things for the beginning of autumn / winter.

As the evenings are noticeably drawing in, I begin to ‘bed-down’ the garden by cutting back the overgrown shrubs, thinning the bi-annuals and pulling out any annuals that are now past their best.

The composters quietly come into their own; working their magic by turning this year’s spent growth into beautiful rich humus for next year’s seedlings.

September is a fantastic month to make the most of any gluts of fruit and vegetables. Personally I love to dry tomatoes and preserve them in basil infused olive oil and make chutneys from windfall apples and green tomatoes. I am really fortunate to live in the Somerset countryside that has lanes lined with beautiful, shiny, sweet blackberries. I love to make jam with some to enjoy the taste of summer during the dark days of winter. (Am I the only one that still rates a preserving pan as one of my favourite ever presents?)

We have a strange family tradition that has evolved as the children have left home. I used to always pickle onions in September to be eaten over the Christmas holidays- and beyond as well as extra jars to be given as presents. Since leaving home the offspring now also pickle onions in readiness for the Pickle onion taste-off on Boxing Day.

Enjoy any Indian summer we get. Perhaps by enjoying a glass of freshly pressed apple juice or warm crumpets topped with homemade jam.

A good wildlife garden is more than just a corner of a garden left to go wild. Whether you are creating a new wildlife garden, or have an established one, think of it as a nature reserve and you are the warden.

Here are a few products to entice wildlife in your garden now;

Bat box: These nocturnal mammals need safe places to roost in during the day. Bats are becoming increasingly rare. One reason for this is a loss of roost sites as old trees are cut down, mine shafts filled in and caves and tunnels disturbed.
Hanging a bat box in a suitable position can help local populations.

Bird bath: Birds need water in all seasons. They need it to bathe and keep their feathers in tip-top condition for good insulation during the bitter winter nights. They need it to drink, too.

Bird table: Using a bird table is an excellent way to feed garden birds. It gives you a good view of its visitors and also gives the birds some protection from predators.
Winter is the most important time to feed birds, as this is when their natural food is scarce. Once you start feeding, don’t stop – birds will rely on the food you put out and make a special journey to your garden to fill up.

Bug box: Bug boxes provide snug, safe places for insects to hibernate. They are especially good for lacewings, ladybirds and solitary bees.

Compost heap: A compost heap is important in any garden, not just for kitchen and garden waste but for attracting wildlife. Inside the compost, worms and fungi feed on the rotting vegetable matter. Insect predators feed on the slugs, insects and other invertebrates that are attracted to the heap. Birds visit to seek out insects and seeds. Some animals, such as common newts, shelter there during the day.

This month we are pleased to offer the Bokashi Spray Composter

Unlike our other more traditional Bokashi composters, the Bokashi Spray Composter uses a convenient liquid spray activator, rather than a dry bran. That said the principal is the same for this particularly stylish, neat and efficient addition to our Bokashi range. The modern design and ‘fun’ colour options make them ideal to encourage children to take charge and deal with the kitchen waste!

To win this great prize we want to know about your last experience with us.

We have put together a short survey of 10 questions, which should take no longer than a few minutes to complete. We hope that the information gathered in this survey will help us to make your shopping experience with us better in the future. Click here to take survey

The winner will be selected at random from the list of all entries containing an email address. Competition results will be posted in our October Newsletter

Closing date is Monday 30th September 2013

We hope you enjoyed The September Issue of our Newsletter, if you would like to comment on any of our topics, or have any suggestions for our next issue, please contact us on our Blog, Facebook, Twitter or Email.

Original Organics
Unit 9 Langlands Business Park, Uffculme, Cullompton,
Devon, EX15 3DA
Tel: 01884 841515| Fax: 01884 841717 | E-mail: sales@originalorganics.co.uk

COPYRIGHT 2013. ORIGINAL ORGANICS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.