The Cambrian

The Cambrian is a breath of fresh Swiss air. Not a cow bell or gingham tablecloth in sight and what’s more, blessed with views of the most spectacular scenery in the Swiss Alps. Nestled in the traditional and very pretty mountain village of Adelboden in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, The Cambrian - as you would expect from a Mr and Mrs Smith-listed property - is as slick, sexy and as modern as they come.

Rooms have been tastefully decorated with furniture from B&B Italia, Porada and Knoll International. The  panoramic views of snow-capped mountains from the warmly lit glass-fronted lounge are simply spectacular and the state-of-the-art spa is a welcome delight after a hard day skiing. The indoor swimming pool is bathed with dimmed midnight-blue lamps and the ceiling sparkles with tiny bulbs that twinkle like stars. A Finnish sauna, steam room, rain shower and sleeping area complete the experience and the outdoor hot tub is the perfect place to soak up the staggering alpine vista.

The skiing is fantastic with runs for all levels, but even if skiing isn’t your thing, The Cambrian will arrange anything from shopping trips to dog-sledding to spending a night in an igloo!  This a perfect spot for a romantic break  with fine dining in-house, but with a designated playroom, children are welcome too.

Nearby resorts of Murren and Grindelwald provide an opportunity to get up close to the dramatic Eiger, or ski like James Bond and visit Piz Glora; the location of Blofeld’s secret lair in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

For further information please visit: www.thecambrianadelboden.com

Visit Burford to view our  wonderful range of winter pampering products - ideal for a ski trip!

By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

Now that the New Year is underway, it’s a good time of year to begin thinking of buying new rose plants. Obviously it’s all dependant upon the type of rose plant which you opt for, but here are a few examples to help you make the right choice.

Bare-root roses are only available from about November to March. These are plants dug from open ground and packed to prevent the roots drying out before sale. Bare-root plants are usually good quality, having a wider root spread than containerised plants and they are often good value. However, as they should be planted as soon as they are purchased, late winter is the better option to avoid any frozen ground.

Containerised roses are at their best from around November to March.  They are bare-root roses placed in pots of potting media to prevent them drying out. Similarly they should be planted as soon as they are received.

Container-grown roses are available all year round. These are roses  that have been grown in containers for a whole growing season or more. They can be planted at any time.

Here are some tips for planting roses:

1. Mix in at least one bucket of rotted organic matter per square metre, ideally farmyard manure, in the area where roses are to be planted.
2. For a single rose plant, dig a hole roughly twice the width of the plant’s roots and the depth of a spade’s blade.
3. Apply general fertiliser, at 100g per sq m (3oz per sq yd) over the surface and fork it in.
4. Carefully tease out the roots of container plants as, if this is not done, the roots may be very slow to extend outwards, leaving the young plant more susceptible to drought in summer.
5. Place the rose in the centre of the hole and, using a small cane to identify the top of the planting hole, ensure the graft union (i.e. where the cultivar joins the rootstock and the point from which the branches originate) is below soil level. 
6. Back-fill gently with the excavated soil. 
7. Spacing depends on type and habit. Check catalogue or label details.

If you are replacing roses with new roses, ensure that you dig out the soil to a depth and width of 45cm (18in) and exchange it with soil from a different part of the garden, as roses are at risk from replant disease, also known as soil sickness.

At Burford we have tens and thousands of plants and bulbs, including a huge selection of roses, on sale all year round at our stores in Burford Oxfordshire and Burford Worcestershire. Check out our top roses here  including our gorgeous selection of David Austin roses here.

Our roses also come with 10 year guarantee, which means that if your rose plant dies, you can simply return it to us with proof of purchase and we will you a free of charge replacement.

For further information please visit: www.burford.co.uk

Out with the old, in with the old.

At Burford, our philosophy has always been about sourcing the most beautiful and unusual hand-picked products for the home and garden. We tend to focus on products of lasting value and classic design, often with a modern twist. But did you know that we also have a designated antiques section too?

If you have never purchased an antique before, we understand that the prospect may appear a little daunting. Once you become aware of features to look for: square nails, hand-stitching, hand applied ornamentations etc, you will begin to recognise your preferred styles such as Art Deco, Victorian or Arts & Crafts. Never be tempted to buy an antique for the sake of it, but rather buy a piece that you really like. And don’t be afraid to mix antiques with highly contemporary pieces as this always makes for a striking combination.

We have everything from a lovely 19th century oak refectory table to a glamorous gilt-framed Girandole mirror to a stunning selection of 19 century watercolours, or how about a delicately hand-painted Staffordshire dessert service c1870.

If you’re new to antiques or a seasoned collector, we promise a treasure to suits all tastes and budgets.

For further information please visit www.burford.co.uk

Spring Clean for Body and Soul

After the excesses of the festive season, now is the perfect time to think of a detox. Obviously not the controversial kind where you’re expected to survive on nothing more than carrots and water for a month; but to follow a sensible, well-balanced healthy and achievable diet.

Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean program is a detox that really works. Alejandro is an American physician who, after much trial and error, finally discovered a successful plan which thousands have followed to achieve vibrant health. His 21-Day Cleanse consists of a shake for breakfast, lunch from a set list of approved foods and a shake for dinner. If this seems too radical, then these is also the Mini 3-Day Cleanse designed to give your digestive system a rest and boost your energy levels.

But why detox?  Junger explains that much of the food we eat today is low in mineral and nutrients, high in refined sugars and starches and void of adequate fibre. Many of these common foods can produce inflammatory responses throughout the body which, over time, can degrade the quality of our digestive system. These cleansing programs work by removing the most common food allergens while lightening up your diet, so your body can spend its energy cleansing and healing. The Clean Program’s nutrient-filled shakes and meals will help build your mineral reserves and support liver detoxification.

You can visit www.cleanprogram.com to order a detox kit or purchase a copy of Clean the book which contains all the recipes for a safe and healthy detox.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Martha Stewart and Demi Moore are just some of the devotees who swear by Clean.

Visit our wonderful food hall at Burford packed to the rafters with healthy delights to kick-start your own personal spring clean.

Make A Feathered Friend

As we brace ourselves for a cold January, we must also spare a thought for our fair-feathered friends. Our beautiful garden birds have been having a very tough time of late. Hungry birds need to keep their energy intake high during the freezing temperatures and so it’s important for all sympathetic gardeners and bird lovers alike to supplement feeding wherever possible.

Putting out extra food, keeping bird tables clean of snow and regularly changing water supplies are all essential for many garden birds’ survival during extremely cold weather. Birds are unable to penetrate the ground to find worms and insects with thick snow cover, and berry shrubs and other natural food sources are practically invisible. Just a little extra food on bird tables and in feeders is a real lifeline in these kind of conditions.

At Burford we have a wonderful selection of high energy nuts, seeds and peanuts along with bird tables and feeders. Check out our fantastic collection here.

For further information please visit www.burford.co.uk

A Big Thank You!

Burford Garden Company would like to thank all our customers for their continued support and to wish you all a very Happy New Year!

See you in 2011…

Burford End of Year Sale Now On!

The Burford end of year sale is now on! At both of our sites, Burford Oxfordshire and Burford House in Worcestershire, you will discover some amazing reductions covering a huge selection of products across ALL departments.

We look forward to seeing you there!

For further information and opening times please visit www.burford.co.uk

Cook The Perfect Christmas Turkey

Hunters: Symbol of British Country Life

The humble wellington boot or ‘Welly’ as we fondly refer to it has always been regarded as a “Symbol of British Country Life” but just when did it become such a Style Icon?

Step forward the Hunter brand which totally transformed the world of wellington boots. When Kate Moss was pictured squelching her way through Glastonbury’s chocolate-coloured gooey mud in a pair of Hunter Original Black Wellingtons, demand for this particular brand of Hunter became so high that they were out of stock before the summer had even ended. Before Kate, Lady Diana Spencer wore a pair of Hunter Originals in her official honeymoon pictures sparking a fashion splurge back in the 1980′s.

The Hunter story began in 1856 when Mr. Henry Lee Norris, an American entrepreneur landed in Edinburgh looking for a home for his bootmaking company. Hunter Boot Ltd was registered at the Castle Silk Mills in September of that year and by 1875, the team had grown to 600 members of staff. During the First World War, the War Office asked Hunter to construct a sturdy boot suitable for the conditions in flooded trenches. For World War II, they were once again called upon and 80% of production was for war materials from ground sheets to life belts and gas masks. After the war, the factory relocated to larger premises at Heathhall Dumfries.

Hunter’s most famous welly, the original Green wellington was made in 1955 and was launched alongside the Royal Hunter. In 1977, Hunter was awarded a Royal Warrant from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and in 1986, a Royal Warrant frollowed from HM The Queen. Hunter relocated its HQ back to Edinburgh in 2008.

And what for the future? Hunters are continuing evolving and as well as being ever practical, they still have their finger on the fashion pulse. You can now buy a pair in Silver, Gold, White, Midnight Sparkle and Fuchsia to name just a few or how about a pair designed by Jimmy Choo?

Pop down to Burford to see our fantastic range of Hunters for adults and children and brave the snow in style!

For further information please visit www.burford.co.uk

The Museum of Everything

Here at Burford we love Exhibition #3 which is currently showing at The Museum of Everything in Primrose Hill, London. Why? Because it has the magical power to catapult adults back to childhood in an instant and at the same time beguile children of all ages.

Exhibition #3 is a multi-ringed circus of discovered art and artefacts, hosted by Sir Peter Blake who is a devotee of self-taught creativity and found ephemera. A visit will bedazzle adults and children alike with amazing assemblies of Punch and Judy, funhouse mirrors, dolls, seashells, old fairground carousel horses, giant vintage circus posters and there’s even a human jukebox! Marvel at the miniature fairground of Norfolk farmer Arthur Windley who dedicated 40 years of his life to make this sparkling showstopper. One exhibit entitled Museum of Curiosity is a master work of Victorian animalia re-assembled here for the very first time. Sir Peter’s Blake, renowned for his creation of the artwork for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album, began collecting ephemera when he was just 14-years-old, and many of the wild and wacky objects here are from his personal collection. Exhibition #3 is a cross between Barnum’s Circus and the Mad Hatter’s tea party!

To recreate the fun of the fair or simply find toys steeped in nostlagia, visit our fantastic Little Burford Children’s store.

For further information please visit: www.musevery.com