Time to turn up the heating
Time to turn the heating up and start potting. Our first delivery of summer plants have arrived. If you remember we warmed up the compost for a few days ready for the delivery.We are lucky our plants are delivered on…
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Perfect Primroses
Lovely primroses in a wide range of colours.
January on the nursery
On the nursery in January The start of the new year, after Christmas it always feels a bit quiet, so we try to take some time off to recharge the batteries.January is also a good time to carry out some…
Picking a Strawberry variety
Remember when Strawberries were Sweet, juicy and full of aroma. To have perfectly ripe strawberries you need to grow your own or visit a pick your own strawberry farm.The good news is its really easy to grow your own fresh…
Easy Strawberries
Remember when Strawberries were Sweet, juicy and full of aroma. They are not quite the same nowadays, the supermarket grower has to pick them slightly under ripe to minimise wastage, they are delivered using chilled transport this also reduces the…
Buying LED grow lights
How to see the wood from the trees How to buy and compare different led lightsThere are 3 main ways of comparing them: Perhaps the 4th comparison should be brand or longevity.Brand or Budget. You usually get what you pay…
How cold can I go?
How low can I go? All plants have an Optimum Temperature As the temperature of a plant decreases, there is a point when it stops growing and developing. This temperature is called the base temperature, and varies widely among plants.…
How soon is too soon?
When to start sowing seeds, I think we are all desperate to start gardening in the spring. As a nurseryman, I believe most gardeners start too soon. Using the data from our nursery climate computer, I calculated the total sunlight…
Grey Mould or Botrytis
Time to be careful? Grey Mould or Botrytis to give it its Sunday name is always lurking about, just waiting for the perfect conditions to grow.It survives from season to season in plant debris, pots, structures in fact almost anywhere.…
How warm is it
How warm is it? The only way to find out is to measure it, the human body is useless for monitoring temperature. During cold weather, have you every come into the house and thought it was lovely and warm. Then…
Why Online sellers struggled with Covid
During the covid crisis, lots of new gardeners turned to the online sellers, however judging by the number of complaints it was not always successful. I would start by saying, we don’t sell online but have done in the past…
How to Buy Primroses
Probably the most popular spring flower.Stunning colours often sweetly scented they brighten up any garden but also make great patio pots or house plants.The first flowers of spring, primula came from the Latin word Primus, meaning first. The true primrose…
Hellebores aftercare
They are prized by gardeners for their ability to flower during the winter and early spring. The plants are surprisingly frost-resistant and many are evergreen, they even grow in shade.Once very popular in the 19th century, gardeners have been drawn…
Chimonanthus Praecox Wintersweet
What could be more beautiful in the middle of winter than the unusually shaped flowers, clusters of lemon stars are dotted along the bare stems. But creep closer and the rich sweet perfume will lift the spirits on the coldest…
Sarcoccoca Christmas box
Sarcococca is one of the best for winter fragrance. Glossy evergreen foliage similar to box, provides year-round colour and structure, while the spidery winter flowers fill the garden with perfume. They are generally neat and compact making great winter patio…
Hamamelis Witch Hazel
A group of shrubs sometimes small trees, that recreate the ugly ducking story every year, fairly unattractive with hairy plain green leaves in the summer. In the autumn the leaves change to orange and yellow before revealing the unmistakable slightly…
Winter Berries
Add some winter colour to your garden with bright berries, they can also be a valuable source of food for wildlife. These unassuming plants hide their light under a bushel most of the year, then suddenly they break out colourful…
Viburnum x bodnantense
What could be more beautiful in the middle of winter than apple-blossom pink flowers to light up the darkness, but creep closer and the rich perfume will lift the spirits on the coldest days. A bit boring in the summer…
Jasminum nudiflorum
Bright canary yellow blooms smother the bare (nude) stems. Depending on the weather they can flower from January onwards, a sure sign that spring is on its way. A sheltered spot will bring the flowers out earlier. Jasminum needs some…
Mahonia
Mahonias are a popular shrub, instantly recognisable for its painfully distinctive spiky leaves. The long spikes of golden winter flowers are worth a bit of pain. The flower starts early from November through to March, releasing a strong ‘lily-of-the-valley’ perfume.…
Viburnum tinus
Probably the most reliable winter-flowering shrub, it never fails to flower. It is a versatile evergreen shrub with an upright, rounded habit. glossy dark green leaves covering the plant throughout the year. It can be trimmed and shaped early in…
Top 10 Winter Plants
The winter cold can leave the garden bare and uninviting. you need something to light up the damp, grey skies. Weirdly some plants enjoy the winter, some are small and insignificant with sweetly scented flowers, others have brightly coloured foliage…
Poinsettia
Nothing says Christmas quite like poinsettias. Bright and bold, the colourful bracts light up the winter months. The poinsettia comes from Mexico, where it grows up to 16 feet tall and creates crimson mountainsides during December. The first missionaries to…
Hardy cyclamen
True hardy cyclamen are a joy to see, a drift of colour that pops up every year to brighten up your day. Once they are settled in they can spread, throwing up masses of flowers followed by seeds that quickly…
Autumn Cyclamen
If you looked in any old gardening book the idea of using cyclamen for autumn colour would be frowned on. However things have moved on and we now have cyclamen that make perfect autumn bedding. They look like house plant…
Ornamental cabbage
The humble cabbages flamboyant cousin, usually sold in full glorious technicolour, ranging from deep purple to deep pink or pure white. They seem to glow especially in dull weather. The foliage can be flat or curly, there is also a…
Colourful Conifers
There is a conifer to suit every garden, no matter how small. They are unlike any other shrub, they provide structure, colour and interest all year round and bringing harmony to any planting scheme. They can be effective in a…
Garden Mums
Not really a plant, but the name given to autumn flowering dome-shaped chrysanths. They will be smothered in literally hundreds and hundreds of small flowers in deep, rich Autumnal shades, they make fabulous plants for outdoors, or neat little domes…
Winter stems
The ugly ducklings of the garden, boring green during the summer it all changes in the autumn when the leaves change into a blaze of colour. When they drop, the brightly coloured stems appear.Easy to grow they are like a…
Skimmia
Colourful buds form in the autumn proving long-lasting winter interest, the buds eventually open in the spring and are often scented.They prefer an acid soil to grow successfully if your soil is not suitable, they make good container plants. Vine…
Leucothoe
A compact evergreen shrub which makes an impact with beautiful autumn and winter foliage.In early spring and summer, the young leaves are fresh green or light red but when they reach the autumn they change colour, ranging from bronze to…
Winter hellebores
They are prized by gardeners for their ability to flower during the winter and early spring. The plants are surprisingly frost-resistant and many are evergreen, they even grow in shade.Often called xmas roses they are not related to roses but…
Summer spillers
A range of trailing plants used to fill in the sides of patio pots and the base of hanging baskets A range of cool summer spillers and fillersFillers back row Geranium, Petunia, Nemesia, BegoniaSpiller front Brachycombe, Lobelia, Bacopa, Mini Petunia,…
Summer fillers
A range of bushy flowering and foliage plants, to provide colour and fill up your patio pots and hanging baskets A wide range of colourful fillers for your summer planters. A rainbow of colours a perfect marriage with some taller…
Summer thrillers
A range of taller plants that are perfect for using in summer patio pots and hanging baskets, to add height and texture. A selection of colourful foliage plants, they give height and shape to your planter. A mix of hot…
Spring spillers
A range of trailing plants to provide colour and shape to your planters
Spring fillers
A range of bushy flowering and foliage plants A wide range of colourful fillers for your spring planters. A rainbow of primrose colours a perfect marriage for bright spring bulbs
Spring thrillers
A range of plants that are perfect for using in spring patio pots and hanging baskets A selection of evergreen foliage plants, hardy they give height and shape to your planter, most can be planted out into the garden next…
Autumn winter spillers
A range of trailing plants to provide colour and shape to your planters
Autumn winter fillers
A range of bushy flowering and foliage plants
Autumn winter thrillers
A range of plants that are perfect for using in winter patio pots and hanging baskets A selection of evergreen foliage plants, winter hardy they give height and shape to you planter, most can be planted out into the garden…
Winter heathers
Winter heathers are really useful and are one of the few plants to reliably flower during the winter.You may find three kinds of heathers on sale during the winter, One group is from South Africa (cape heathers) and are grown…
Autumn heathers
A range of heathers that flower throughout the autumn, from the traditional purple calluna growing high on the hills to modern bud heathers and the frankly weird painted heathers, they provide instant autumn colour. The most popular autumn heathers now…
Indicator plants
A good place to start when planning your garden is neighbouring gardens, here you will find out what works in your area, this can save you expensive mistakes in the future.Go out for a walk find the best garden and…
Top garden centres
Find the biggest and best garden centres near you
Top 10 Summer bedding
A Tempting choice of brightly coloured flowers, bringing the promise of glorious summer days. Easy to grow summer bedding is a good choice for new gardeners You don’t even need a garden, think about planters or hanging baskets. Fast-growing and easy to look…
Top 10 house plants for beginners
House plants are great for beginners. We want you to have fun with your house plants, so I have chosen some foolproof plants to start with, they should adapt to any house. No 1 Spider plant find out more No…
Is it Hardy?
Is this plant hardy? the most commonly asked question in the garden centre. What this does this mean? as a grower I think it means, would this plant survive a normal British winter. It should be able to stand the rain,…
Which plant to choose
When you are about to buy from a selection of plants, here are some tips for choosing the best one. Even with just a little garden knowledge, you can learn how to choose good plants. Time to get up close, pick up…
Fair weather friends
Flowering House plants beautiful to look at. Lovely to meet and good company for a while, they can outstay their welcome and can become a nuisance. You can often see them in window sills, a twig with a few leaves, a…
