These are our top recommendations if you’re looking for the perfect gift for someone special this Christmas!
Gifts for her Find the perfect gift for her with our large selection of gifts, ranging from ladies gardening accessories to beauty sets to home gifts.
Gifts for him Treat dad, son, friend or partner with our brilliant gift selection. Choose from outerwear for the Winter months, gardening accessories, male grooming and more.
Gifts for kids It’s never too early to get them started and we have a great range of products to get the little ones potting around the garden. Keep them protected from the weather and equip them with smaller versions of every gardener’s essential tools!
Gifts for the home Impress your house-proud friends and family with a beautiful gift for their home this Christmas. From novelty accessories to luxury décor, we have just the thing for you, including our range of PTMD home.
Secret Santa gifts Whether your Secret Santa budget is big or small, we have a selection of gifts that are perfect for everyone from the discerning foodie to the beginner gardener.
Gifts for the gardener Within our range of garden tools and accessories, you will be sure to find a gift for your garden loving friends and family. A particular favourite is our beautiful Burgon & Ball range which will smarten up any shed or greenhouse.
Gifts for the foodie Our food and drink selection is perfect for putting together a Christmas hamper, or just for giving a little sweet treat to someone. We have an excellent range of cookbooks as well as lots of sweets, drinks and food gifts.
1) Please remember, like all plants your Christmas tree will need to be watered regularly. It’s best to use a stand that holds water (like all those sold at Coolings) as this will save the time you have to spend watering and allows the tree to take up the water it needs.
2) For cut trees it is advisable to saw a sliver of wood off of the base of the tree before decorating. This will help the tree to take up water more efficiently.
3) If possible, do not bring the tree indoors too early. Remember that it is an outdoor plant and will do better outside than in!
4) Keep your tree away from sources of heat such as radiators. If it is near heat this will cause it to dry out quicker, so if you have to put it somewhere warmer, ensure you keep it well watered.
These steps should ensure you can enjoy your chosen tree for as long as possible. Happy Christmas!
As many of you know, Coolings Nurseries has been committed to the environment since opening in Knockholt in 1913.
We recycle at least 90% of all our on-site waste. Last year, this included 20 tonnes of cardboard and two shipping containers worth of green waste. And plastic plant pots accounted for 14.4 tonnes of the 19 tonnes of plastic the business recycled in 2017.
With one of the largest selections of plants available in the UK, mostly all grown on site, we are doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint. Rainwater is harvested throughout the garden centre, collected in two reservoirs which hold the equivalent of six Olympic-sized swimming pools.
We have introduced biodegradable carrier bags and recyclable taupe pots to replace carbon black ones, and we are trying to get the new pots accepted by Sevenoaks council for domestic recycling. The first in the south east, our plastic pot recycling scheme is set up at on site at Rushmore Hill.
Our on-site restaurant, Arthur’s, uses fruit and veg from our ‘plot to plate’ greenhouse and other local produce.
Environmental awareness is promoted in our community and schools and we have also written our own environmental pledge, sharing goals and achievements with customers and locals.
We aim to encourage sensory planting and schemes which attract insects, birds and other animals.
Marketing manager, Becky Malcolm, said: “We benefit from the support of our customers, who have embraced the schemes, as well as the support of the community. We are aware of the impact our business has on the local infrastructure, particularly traffic, and so all we can to reduce our impact on the village and also support local activities and donate to local causes.”
We are now aiming to become the greenest garden centre in the UK.
When choosing your Christmas tree, there are a few things that you need to consider.
Where will it go? Trees prefer cooler conditions so try to avoid a warm spot such as near a radiator, fireplace or heating vent. Measure the height and width of the space to ensure you select the correct sized tree.
How will it stand up? Tree stands are essential as they keep the tree upright and provide a source of water for the tree. A freshly cut tree can consume a gallon of water in a day, so we recommend using a water stand and keeping the water level above the base of the trunk.
How will it be decorated? Straight hanging decorations always look better, so think about the angle and density of the branches as this can affect the decorations.
Remember! Bring your Christmas tree back to your nearest Coolings in January and we will recycle it for you.
Nordmann Premium Nordmann Premium (cut) have the best needle retention as well as beautiful glossy foliage and fantastic shape. They have a subtle aroma and soft needles and are a lush dark green colour. (Get 10% OFF with Coolings Family)
Sizes and prices:
4ft (120cm – 150cm) £29.99
5ft (150cm – 175cm) £39.99
6ft (175cm – 200cm) £49.99
7ft (200cm – 250cm) £64.99
Selection of 8ft -9ft (250cm – 300cm) available at £119
10ft (300cm – 335cm) £169
Larger sizes available – Prices on application.
Norway Spruce Norway Spruce (cut) is the traditional Christmas tree. This premium grade variety has attractive shape and foliage and give off a lovely pine fragrance. Our Norway Spruce are grown in Kent and are farmed specifically for their purpose, therefore supporting local agriculture. (Get 10% OFF with Coolings Family).
Sizes and prices:
4ft (120 – 150cm) £24.99
5ft (150 – 175cm) £29.99
6ft (175 – 200cm) £36.99
7ft (200 – 240cm) £42.99
8ft (240 – 275cm) £49.99
9ft (275 – 300cm) £59.99
10ft (300cm – 335cm) £99.99
Larger sizes available – Prices on application.
Premium Pot Grown Trees A potted Christmas tree is an ideal way to have a real tree in your home, without any hassle! Even better, once Christmas is over, they can be planted in the garden to be enjoyed in years to come. Our Premium Pot Grown trees are grown in Kent.
These trees are especially good, as after Christmas you can plant them in the garden. Simply plant at the correct depth and remember to keep well-watered.
Nordmann Fir (Pot Grown) Nordmann Fir (pot grown), this Christmas tree has a lovely shape; its foliage is rich green and glossy. The tree has excellent needle retaining qualities and its needles are soft to touch making it a pleasure to decorate. (Get 10% OFF with Coolings Family)
A variety of sizes available (50 – 120cm).
Prices: Prices From £16.99
Norway Spruce (Pot Grown) Norway Spruce (pot grown) is locally grown for us on a farming estate here in Kent. A classic choice of Christmas tree, combining beautiful shape and evocative, aromatic foliage. (Excluded from 10% OFF Coolings Family)
Bulbs provide great colour and structure to your garden. Try some of these beauties to fill your garden with colour come spring…
New for 2019:
Tulip ‘Shirley Double’ This is a classic tulip variety, with ivory white flowers and a delicate purple margin that spreads as the plant matures to become a pink blush across the flower. To produce a spectacular spring display, why not plant alongside pure purple varieties, or pair with pale pinks, yellows and peachy shades. Perfect for patio containers, garden borders or used as cut flowers in a vase.
Tulip ‘Foxy Foxtrot’ The unique shades of apricot and yellow contrast well with the bright green stems. This variety works well when planted with pink varieties. Great planting in the garden border, patio containers or even as a cut flower display to be enjoyed within the home.
Alliums This bulb variety is easy to grow and an excllent choice for adding height and structure to your beds and borders. We have over 20 varieties of Alliums to choose from to create that ‘WOW’ factor.
Oldies but goodies…
Narcissus ‘Thalia’ One of our all time favourites is Narcissus ‘Thalia’, with its dainty pure white nodding heads which last well.
Tulip ‘Casa Grande’ The stunning large flowered, scarlet Tulip ‘Casa Grande’ makes a distinctive powerful coloured display.
Tulip ‘Synaeda Amour’ with ‘Muscari Arnaenicum’ Underplanting tulips with other bulb combination work really well and we particularly love this combo…
Tulip ‘Ballerina’ This is a dainty lily flowered Tulip with a lovely scent.
Narcissus ‘Thalia’, Tulip ‘Princess Irene’, Hyacinth ‘Pink Pearl’ and ‘Peter Stuyvesant’ A lovely combination with Hyacinths giving a powerful perfume.
Tulip ‘Queen of the Night’ This is an all time favourite, superb dark maroon black flowers giving a sophisticated look to your display.
Tulip ‘Estella Rijnveld’ A popular parrot Tulip with feathery red/white flowers, looks stunning in a vase.
Tulip ‘La Belle Epoque’ An unusual creamy caramel pink colour, very dramatic when fully opened.
Tulip ‘El Nino’ This is a bold Tulip in every sense, large lily flowered, no two flowers are the same – some speckled, some quite orange. Carried on tall strong stems, when the flowers open they are iridescent.
Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ A delicate dwarf Iris with exquisitely marked petals.
Fritillaria ‘Aurora’ Makes an imposing statement piece. Great to plant at the back of borders.
Our Christmas lunches are available to book on weekdays from Monday 9th December until Friday 13th December (excluding weekends). Our menu is available with a choice of four sittings, 12:00pm, 12:30pm, 1:00pm or 1:30pm, at a cost of £28 per person for three courses. Booking is essential, requiring a non-refundable £13 deposit per person to secure your reservation. Bookings can either be made in person or by posting your your completed booking form to Arthurs .
(This will save the file to your ‘Downloads’ folder, and will either provide a prompt to open the file at the bottom of your browser window, or can be found by navigating to your downloads folder)
A warm welcome awaits you at our wonderful Hybrid Tea Room, nestled in the Ashdown Forest with breath-taking views over our famous rose nursery. It’s the perfect spot to relax while you enjoy our specially selected cakes or scones. Or tuck into freshly prepared sandwiches, toasties and jacket-potatoes accompanied by a refreshing hot or cold drink.
We are based at:
Coolings Wych Cross Garden Centre,
Forest Row,
RH18 5JW
01342 822705
We are open:
Garden centre:
Monday to Saturday – 9am to 5pm. Sunday – 10.00am to 4.30pm.
Coffee Shop:
Monday to Saturday – 9am to 4.30pm. Sunday – 10am to 4pm.
(Hot food is served until 30 minutes before the restaurant closes).
We are dog friendly, offer a carry to the car and delivery service.
We are proud to announce that we won the Commitment to the Environment Award at this year’s Kent Excellence in Business Awards (KEiBA).
As many of you know, Coolings Nurseries has been committed to the environment since opening in Knockholt in 1913. Our goal has always been to minimise our environmental impact, reduce road miles and increase our use of renewable resources.
We are always seeking to innovate; we make use of both traditional and modern technologies in search of environmentally friendly solutions. With one of the largest selections of plants available in the UK, mostly all are grown on site, we are doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint, our team of horticulturists grow quality plants in our own nursery.
We are very conscious of water consumption and conservation and have installed two on-site reservoirs, these hold the equivalent of six Olympic sized swimming pools worth of rainwater (approximately 1.3 million gallons), we installed pumps, pipes, gully’s and guttering on all our buildings, glasshouses and polythene tunnels to collect rainwater and run off from on-site irrigation, this is then pumped back into the reservoirs for reuse.
We also use drip irrigation and sub irrigation extensively, so our plants take up their water requirement through a capillary action, using less water and only the water they need, which creates less dependent, stronger and healthier plants and means the site is less dependent on tap water.
Single use plastic – Coolings, alongside the rest of the horticultural fraternity have been looking at sustainable alternatives to single use plastics in our industry. The black plant pots currently used by garden centres contain carbon black pigment, which hinders recycling processes, therefore local authorities have been unable to recycle these.
In 2018 recyclable taupe pots were introduced, these use a carbon black pigment free polypropylene which solves the issue. We are transferring from our black pots and will complete this move over to these new recyclable pots within 12 months. We are now lobbying our local council to accept the new pots for domestic recycling.
We have also launched the first public plastic pot recycling scheme, placing two large containers for pot collection in the main car park, customers can return all their plastic plant pots and we are aiming
to recycle over 20 tonnes per year.
We aim to lead by example, and recycle over 90% of our on-site waste to ensure the bare minimum is sent to landfill. Last year, this included 20 tonnes of cardboard and two shipping containers worth of green waste. And plastic plant pots accounted for 14.4 tonnes of the 19 tonnes of plastic the business recycled in 2017.
Reducing the ‘carbon footprint’ of our products means we source locally and organically wherever possible. Our retail partners are all expected to operate to the same standards when it comes to environmental impact – we like to work with companies who source responsibly and check for credentials such as Forest Stewardship Council certified wooden furniture, looking for goods that are sustainably produced, reclaimed and re-purposed wherever possible. We even supply the fruit and veg to Arthur’s, using our ‘plot to plate’ greenhouse as well as other local produce.
Environmental awareness, sensory planting and encouraging habitat for wildlife is promoted in our community and schools, and we benefit from the support of our customers, who have embraced the schemes, as well as the support of the community.
As devoted supporters of local community projects, including ‘In Bloom’, since the 1970s, Coolings are excited, to be engaging local residents with the joy of gardening and supporting the essence of the competition, which is to help transform areas into better places to live and work, and to make residents, businesses and communities proud of their town.
Then you will love our special guest and career horticulturist, Steve Bradley MHort (RHS) who will be here at Coolings as part of our ‘Trio of Gardening Greats’ Day on Thursday 5th September.
Steve will cover just about everything you can think of to do with bulbs! He’ll talk about his favourite combinations and varieties, offer tips on planting, layering and caring for your bulbs.
You may recognise Steve from one of his many TV appearances during his early career or from one of his books, magazine articles and support booklets for the BBC series ‘Ground Force’. Steve and wife Val (also a qualified horticulturist) have written over 50 gardening books between them. More recently, you may have heard Steve on BBC Radio Kent answering live questions on a Sunday morning or read his gardening column in the Sun newspaper every Saturday.
Are you an organic gardener? Do you love roses?
Then you’ll want to hear what award-winning garden writer, Val Bourne has to say. Val will also be here on the 5thSeptember to talk about her top ten roses, how she uses them in planting and the perfect companion plants for roses.
As a committed organic gardener all her life, Val has to choose roses very carefully because they have to be healthy, vigorous and disease-free. We look forward to hearing about her fantastic experience with roses that are all grown in her Cotswolds garden at Spring Cottage. Aside from her love of growing roses, Val also writes for many publications including The Daily Telegraph and the Hardy Plant Society Journal.
Keen to know the secrets of successful gardening?
Well who better to hear them from than writer and broadcaster Peter Seabrook MBE. Peter has presented gardening programmes on BBC 1 and BBC 2 including Gardeners World, Pebble Mill at One and RHS Chelsea Flower Show and has been the Gardening Editor for The Sun newspaper for over 40 years. Peter will draw on his life long experience in growing plants to let us in on some of his secrets!
Tickets for each one-hour session are only £7.50 per person (we are offering two sessions for £12).
Tea, coffee and water refreshments are available and included in the ticket price.
Timings and booking for talks:
Steve Bradley MHort (RHS) with ‘Making the Most of Bulbs’ will be talking from 11am – 12pm followed by questions and answers. Book Here.
Val Bourne with ‘My Favourite Bomb-Proof Roses’ will be talking from 2pm – 3pm – followed by questions and answers. Book Here.
Peter Seabrook MBE with ‘A Lifetime of Growing Plants’ will be talking from 6.30pm – 7.30pm – followed by questions and answers. Book Here.
Arthurs will be open as usual from 9am, serving our summer menu (breakfast 9-11am/lunch11.30am – 3pm) with scones, cakes & pastries from our bakery.
The garden centre and shop will be open to evening session ticket holders for after-=hours plant sales from 5pm until 6.15pm.
Dining for evening/afternoon session ticket holders …
We are also offering a dinner menu for those attending Peter Seabrook’s talk.The dinner menu will be available between 4-5.30pm and must be pre-booked (Arthurs will remain open until 6pm for tea/coffee and cakes). To book your table, contact the restaurant team on 01959 532269.
Don’t forget you can also pre-book an afternoon tea between 2.30-4pm, which may be a good choice if you are planning on attending the afternoon session (01959 532269).
