January's Great Outdoors

  New Seasons  

A new year, a new season, a fresh start. Here are a few tips to get you going in the garden...

1. Recycle your Christmas Tree

Rather than taking it to the dump, use all those nutrients for your own soil! By having your old Christmas Tree shredded and chipped, you can use it for mulch in your garden. Contact you local council for some more information.  Just make sure you wait for all the frost and snow to disappear first! Also, be careful when using rock salt to clear your pathways, as it can scorch and damage exposed roots and leaves.

2. Get digging

Start to dig and turn over empty beds and borders for the new season. This freshens up the earth, incorporates new organic matter which adds nutritional value to the soil and exposes any pests so the birds can get at them! It's also an opportunity to get rid of some of the weeds that have crept in and survived the frost.

3. Prune and Trim

January is a great time to prune back fruit trees, ready for a new year. It is also worth taking a walk round the garden to double check any potential damage done by winter wind and frost. Remove any mold early to prevent it from spreading.

4. Get things growing

Now is the time to start off your seedlings inside on a sunny windowsill or in the greenhouse. Good ones to start in January are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, and herbs like coriander, sage, chives and parsley.

5. Feed and Defrost

Keep bird feeders topped up and defrost the bird bath. Thrushes and blackbirds actually prefer to eat off the ground, so pop some nibbles in a clear, open space for them. If you have a frozen pond, make a hole in the ice by heating up a pan of water and holding it closely and carefully over one area, so it slowly melts away. Smashing the ice could cause damage to water plants or fish. 

WIN A SPECIAL LUXURY PRIZE FROM THE EXCLUSIVE ANTIQUE COLLECTION AT CANDLE DE FLEUR WORTH £200

To celebrate the launch of the stunning new Oval Rose Candle, Wealdenfairs.com exhibitor Candle De Fleur is excited to offer to Wealden Times Surrey readers the opportunity to win a specially chosen selection of candles which have been hand finished in the stunning Antique colour, part of their luxury designer candle collection. Candle De Fleur was created from a spiritual journey in life, driven by a passion to bring something unique and special to the marketplace, enjoying sole exclusivity to the UK. Each Candle De Fleur holds a special secret, simply burning straight through the center to create a soft glow. But most importantly, they do not drip unsightly wax on the outside of the candle therefore preserving the beautiful hand-finished rose sculpture. Founder Deborah Elise says, “Most of our customers will say they are just too beautiful to burn and actually choose not to!”

A Candle De Fleur luxury candle is the perfect gift for any occasion whether it be a birthday, anniversary, the birth of a baby, for Valentine’s or Mothers’ Day and so many more. The candles also bring the ‘WOW’ factor to a table centre at a special event, ceremony, wedding, summer ball or any other excuse to party. To find out more about Candle De Fleur, and to buy online, visit www.candledefleur.co.uk or Wealdenfairs.com or call 01923 839000.

For your chance to win our special collection just in time for Valentine’s and Mothers’ Day to the value of £200 from Candle De Fleur, just answer this question: ‘What is the Candle De Fleur secret?’ Post your answer to: The Candle De Fleur Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF, use the competition link below or email it to info@wealdentimes.co.uk by 23 January 2015. *Prize must be chosen before 31 March 2015. There is no cash alternative. All entrants’ details will be passed on to Candle De Fleur and Wealden Times Events. Please let us know if you do not wish your details to be passed on.

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January's Wealden Wellbeing

  Five simple ways to kick start a healthy New Year  

We all love the festive season, but getting back into a normal, healthy routine can be difficult, so here are a few tips to help you on your way...

1. Get Juicy

After the heavy indulgences of Christmas and New Year, load up on veg to beat the bloating and up your high quality nutritional intake.  The Juice Executive make the most delicious vegetable juices and almond and cashew milk. They're gently sweetened with ginger, pear, apple or lime, and are an easy, delicious way of increasing you vegetable consumption. They have been tried and tested by WT's Helen and Lucy, and have been given a huge thumbs up from us! Just ensure that the juices are consumed in conjunction with a balanced diet and make sure you're still enjoying whole vegetables as well. Fibre is a vital part of our digestion! Get your juice here. www.thejuiceexecutive.co.uk

2. Take a Stroll

Fresh air and gentle exercise is the perfect way to stay active, feel better and clear a hectic mind. Pop on a pair of boots, wrap up in a woolly scarf and set off at a good pace. Get some blood pumping to restore oxygen supplies and wake up any dormant muscles! Not everyone has time to get to a gym, but dedicating even half an hour a day to a brisk walk can make a whole lot of difference to state of mind and overall fitness. 

3. Catch Some Zzzs

Christmas and New year are always hectic. Meeting up with old school friends, office parties, late night gift wrapping sessions all eventually take their toll on your body and mind, whether you're aware of it or not! So set a New Years resolution to get plenty of rest. This is a vital part of overall well being, but is often forgotten about. If you find it tricky to settle, drop some lavender oil on your pillow and keep away from televisions, laptops and phones for half an hour before bed time, so your mind is prepared for a good nights kip.

4. Clear your mind

Meditation doesn't have to mean hours of sitting in an uncomfortable cross legged position. 15 minutes a day, for a couple of months is all it takes to feel the all encompassing health benefits of meditating.  Some of the best results can be feeling more alert, brighter, more relaxed and better state of mind. There are many meditation guiding tracks to be downloaded, but WT's Helen recommends The Isha Kriya. Find it here! www.ishafoundation.org/Ishakriya

5. Keep hydrated

Water is key! A combination of car heaters and cold weather is enough to make skin dry, sore and uncomfortable. Drinking plenty of water and using a good daily moisturiser will help keep this under control. WT's Lucy recommends the Million Dollar Moisturiser from Lush. A little goes a long way! www.lush.co.uk

WIN An Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Workshop Package Worth £250 Compliments Of Lilypie Cafe

Lilypie Café is an Annie Sloan Paint Stockist and Vintage Café in Chart Sutton, near Maidstone. Join the upcycling revolution by taking part in one of their Annie Sloan Workshops – an ideal opportunity to get creative and learn new skills. Four di erent workshops are on o er, either full or half days, hosted by trained Annie Sloan experts and including all materials required, plus a delicious lunch in the quirky café. You can also buy readymade upcycled, antiques and French-style furniture in the fabulous furniture showroom upstairs. From rich reds to soft greys, there’s a piece to suit every palette, along with a selection of Annie Sloan fabrics. Set within a beautiful Georgian house, Lilypie is bursting with style, and it’s not only furniture and paints that are on o er, you can also

browse a vast collection of pre-loved clothing and accessories. Make a day of your visit by booking a treatment at e Annexe hair, nail and beauty salon where the therapists use the latest products and

techniques to leave you looking and feeling a million dollars. Serving a wide selection of homemade sandwiches, salads and soups as well as daily specials board, Lilypie Café is well renowned for their divine Vintage Teas (booking essential) with beautifully presented cake stands brimming with finger sandwiches, scones, homemade cakes and clotted cream! Fizz is optional as they are fully licensed. 

Find out more at www.lilypiecafe.com or call 01622 844590.

For your chance to win 1 Full Day ‘Paint A Chair’ Workshop (including all materials plus chair), 1 Annie Sloan Starter Pack (1 paint, 1 clear wax, 1 tester, 1 small bristle brush) and 5 tins of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, valued at £250, from Lilypie Café in Chart Sutton, just answer this question:

‘What architectural style of house is Lilypie Café set within?’ Enter your answer with your contact details in the online form at www.wealdentimes. co.uk/competition, post to: Lilypie Café Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF by 16 January 2015, or comment on this blog post and use the link below!

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December's Wealden Wellbeing...

  All I want for Christmas  

WT's Helen has come up with a little list of of the health and beauty products she would love to see under her tree this Christmas...



1.  Peppermint foot balm and citrus nail balm by Gwdihw (Goody hoo)



These little pots of joy are a must have for soft cuticles and pampered tootsies. With natural ingredients including beeswax, sweet almond and coconut oil, they're ideal for all skin types and great stocking fillers. They come in a handy metal pot ideal for popping in a hand bag to make it easy to apply throughout a chilly day. They're a real hoot!

www.gwdihwbalm.co.uk




2. Ultimate face cream from BeeInspired

This rich and indulgent face cream is delicately perfumed with bergamot, sandalwood and pine, three of my favourite woody essential oils. They are also made in combinations of Jasmine and rose and geranium and orange, as well as fragrance free for really sensitive skin. One pump of this little pot is enough to moisturise and treat your whole face and neck to a DIY facial, leaving it feeling fresh, supple and peachy. The husband and wife team at Bee Inspired keep their own bees, use their own bees wax and make everything from scratch, truly embracing natural health. £12.50

www.naturalbeeswaxcreams.com

3. Wool fat shampoo and shower gel by Romney Marsh Wools

This shampoo and shower gel is packed full of lanolin, a fat that naturally occurs in wool. The amazing team at Romney Marsh Wools have had their flocks of sheep for six generations and intend on utilising and demonstrating the variety of products and benefits that British wool can bring. This junk free shampoo and shower gel is guaranteed to keep skin soft and hydrated throughout winter and beyond. It feels foamy and luxurious on the hair and skin, leaving it feeling clean and nourished. It's preservative free and isn't tested on animals. Perfect! £6.00 each

http://www.wealdenfairs.com/romneymarshwools





4. Earl Grey Tea flavoured lip balm by Sweet Cecily

With totally natural  ingredients and fragrant bergamot oil, this lip balm is definitely on my list of Christmas treats! As a tea lover, it means I can have that spicy, floral smell all day long. A little goes a long way with this little pot of herbal goodness and it keeps my lips soft and moisturised for hours. The packageing is delightful and is an absolute necessity for any make up bag. At only £2.95 we have a bargain on our hands!

www.sweetcecilys.com






5. Blue Dachshund sleep pillow by Olio of Oxney

This scented sleep pillow uses lavender from Provence to create the perfect addition to a goodnight routine, especially during the busy festive season! The high essential oil content means a strong, long lasting aroma. Take a fewdeep breaths and relax into the best beauty sleep you'll ever have! £12.95

http://www.wealdenfairs.com/olioofoxney

December's Great Outdoors...

  Mid Winter Garden  

Although December can be a seemingly bleak time for our gardens, it's the perfect opportunity to get some odd jobs done, maintain our plants and make the most of those bright and sparkly early mornings before the day draws to an early end. Here are a few ideas...

1. Preparation...

Buy this gorgeous hamper here

Now is the perfect time to sit down with a cup of tea and browse some seed catalogues! Deciding what you want to grow in advance means you can prepare any specific pots or compost, clear a new area in the garden and make sure the soil is in good condition. It is at this point of the year where all the odd jobs that have been neglected up until now can be done, like cleaning algae off the patio or fixing that broken fence panel!

2. Wind and Frost...

Prune away! Make sure to cut back any shrubs and get rid of dead or diseased twigs and branches. You should try and trim your rose bushes back by half to protect them from potential wind damage and try not to walk on the lawn when it's particularly frosty, as you may end up with big brown footprints where the frozen brittle stalks have broken. 

3. Wrap up...

 If you have a greenhouse, then insulate it to protect any cuttings or tender plants you have been looking after. Bubble wrap is perfect for this. If it gets really cold, then add a second layer to ensure the little shoots stay cosy. However, if that beautiful winter sun does decide to make an appearance, open the windows and ventilate the greenhouse to prevent stale air and damp. 

4. Colour Splash...

If the lack of colour in your garden is bothering you, then pop to your local garden centre and grab something that's in bloom or has a pretty bark or foliage. Jasminum Mudiflorum, or Winter Jasmine, is not scented, but has a wealth of beautiful yellow flowers and will grow in most soils. Hamamelis Mollis, or Chinese Witch Hazel, is another little gem that crops up in the cold, smelling lovely with red and yellow hues.

5. Little Critters...

Remember to look after wildlife this winter! Keep the bird baths stocked up with water and make sure they have plenty of food (easy on the bread though). If you have a big pile of leaves or chopped wood in a corner of the garden, then leave it to create the perfect habitat for any insects or animals passing by to hibernate in. If you're going to do any major clearing, just double check you're not disturbing anything!

WIN a men's Barbour waxed jacket and lambswool scarf to the value of £250 from County Clothes, Reigate

December's Surrey Competition...

To celebrate the launch of their new Reigate branch, County Clothes Menswear are offering Wealden Times readers the opportunity to win a Barbour wax jacket and lambswool scarf. Having been established for nearly forty years in Kent, County Clothes Menswear are pleased to have opened their third store, at 6 High Street, Reigate, to offer the same high standards of quality and personal service.

Amongst the varied range of clothing and accessories stocked at County Clothes, you will find traditional English shoes by Cheaney, sports jackets by Bladen and Scottish tweeds, together with cotton twill shirts and super soft lambswool, cotton and cashmere blended knitwear. County Clothes are also able to offer, in both the Reigate and Canterbury stores, a very comprehensive range of classic and lifestyle wax jackets, quilts, knitwear, shirts and accessories. A smaller selection of these are available in the Tenterden store, too. Find County Clothes branches at Reigate 01737 249224,

Canterbury 01227 765294 and Tenterden 01580 765159, follow them on Twitter or see www.countyclothesmenswear.co.uk.

For your chance to win a Barbour waxed jacket and lambswool scarf, to the value of £250, from County Clothes, Reigate, just answer this question: ‘Where in Reigate have County Clothes opened their new branch?’ Post your answer to: The County Clothes Menswear Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF, email it to info@wealdentimes.co.uk, or comment on this blog post by 16 January 2015.

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