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All items and prices shown in this article were correct at time of publication 04/05/2018, but are subject to change. Please get in touch to confirm current availability.

As we gear up to celebrate a Royal Wedding, you maybe wanting to find ways to incorporate the British spirit into your planting this summer.

When designing your beds, pots and baskets, the obvious colour combination would be red, white and blue.  Red and white flowers are easily found but naturally blue flowers are rarer.  True blue pigment doesn’t exist in plants of any kind.  When you see a “blue” flower or plant, you are seeing other pigments and plant minerals combined with light to create the colour you see as “blue”.  Many of them are really purple or red.  Blue Lobelias perhaps come closest to true “blue” flowers in Nature.

If you’re looking for a good group of plants that do well in the sun, here are some options:

 

Papaver Royal wedding with Red Trailing Surfina and Lobelia Dark Blue with White Eye (Trailing)

 

Red (Upright) Geraniums with White Alyssum and Blue Ageratum

 

Salvia mirage ‘Cherry Red’ with White Petunia and Blue Trailing Lobelia

 

Blue Lobelia (bush) with Red and White Geraniums mixed with some white Alyssum

 

Red white and Blue Verbena

 

Looking for the right Pots to create a patio display?

Here are some of our favourite pots of the moment…

Vintage Brick Artisian Collection and Rustic Pot Collection…

 

Heritage Cream Pots…

So, get the bunting up, get your family and friends together and get waving those Union Jacks, as in the words of Billy Idol “It’s a nice day for a white wedding”!

Water features are brilliant for increasing the enjoyment of your outdoor area by adding the tranquillity and ambience of running water…

Growing your own vegetables is fun and rewarding. At Coolings many of our staff have lots of first hand experience cultivating veg and are happy to offer their advice to customers. Here, one of our plant area team tell us about his favourite crops.

Our Plant Manager, Jon Reburn says…

I have grown vegetables ever since I was a child learning from my Grandfather who was an avid traditional gardener. There is nothing better than picking food fresh from the garden!

Carrots
The taste of a carrot pulled fresh from the ground cannot be matched by anything shop bought. I grow Flyaway from seed thinly sown in short rows (to avoid thinning which attracts carrot fly). Never buy carrots as young plants as transplanting them can attract the attention of carrot fly.

Pumpkins
Really easy to grow but they need space, lots of water and plenty of good compost in the hole when you plant them. Fun for Halloween and delicious roasted or in soup.

Radish Mooli
Gardeners never stop learning and last year I tried growing them for the first time. They make a fantastic late season crop and the delicious long white radishes are great in
stir-fry or stews! Grow from seed (try Suttons Radish Mooli Seeds – £2.49 a pack).

Beetroot
The sweet taste of homegrown beetroot is one of summer’s pleasures. Make life easy and buy as young plants – they transplant well.

Runner Beans
Really worth growing as they taste so much better picked fresh. Grown up a wigwam of garden canes they could be grown in any garden. If it is hot, mist the flowers with water to help the beans to set.

Sweetcorn
Homegrown sweetcorn fresh from the cob is yummy! Grow the plants in blocks not rows as pollination and thus cropping, is better.

Courgettes
Tasty, easy to grow and useful in so many vegetarian recipes!

Spicy Salad Mix
Salad is so easy to grow. I think the mixed leaved salad is such a good choice to grow and perfect for beginners.

With so many different frames available you’ll be able to shape your topiary just how you want it…

More and more people are discovering that Alstroemeria (commonly called Peruvian Lilies) are unusual, colourful and easy to grow additions to the garden.

There are now many attractive modern varieties available that will flower throughout the summer and return year after year given some basic care. They are best planted in a well-drained sheltered spot in sun or part shade and benefit from the addition of good organic compost when planting. During winter it is also advisable to cut the plant to the ground and protect the crown with a layer of mulch
5-10cm deep.

Dwarf Alstroemeria can easily be grown in pots and containers and make superb patio plants that will return each summer. Simply tuck the pot into a greenhouse or other sheltered spot for the winter.

Alstroemeria Inca Series
Compact, long flowering plants perfect for pots or the front of borders.

    ‘Inca Vito’, ‘Inca Goal, and ‘Inca Husky’

Here is a selection from our large range that we hope will tempt you to discover the joys of Alstroemeria!

Alstroemeria Summer Series
The perfect choice for borders, these taller growing plants will add vibrancy to the garden through the summer months.

   ‘Summer Breeze’, ‘Summer Break’, ‘Summer Snow’

Alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’
Beautiful variety growing to about 1m tall. Flowers from May until the first frosts and has attractive dark foliage.

 ‘Indian Summer’

Alstroemeria Inticancha Series
Dwarf plants ideal for containers or borders. They come in a whole range of attractive colours.

   

Inticancha ‘White Pink Blush’, ‘Cabana’, ‘Maya’ and ‘Passion’

Seasonal planting to capture a theme.

Colour theming is a great way to give your garden a certain feel or effect. Seasonal plants allow a fresh pallet every year and give the opportunity to experiment. Warm colours complement each other and give vibrancy to an area. Cool colours are calm and relaxing, providing space to unwind. Here we give our pick of seasonal plants that will work together to evoke feelings and effects.

Cool, Mellow Vibes

Blues, silver, white and even soft pink, play off each other to create a cool and calming effect.  The perfect backdrop to a relaxing summer’s evening.

Felicia
Amazing semi-trailer with sky blue flowers. Great for pots and baskets.

Bacopa
The number one choice as a flowery filler plant for pots and baskets. Try combining both blue and white Bacopa in a planter.

Laurentia
Check these out! Blue star flowers all summer long.

 Laurentia ‘Blue Star’

Dichondra
A cascade of beautiful, silver heart-shaped foliage that thrive in drier conditions.

 Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’

Fuchsia
Look out for blues, whites and soft pinks. Both trailing and upright varieties available.

 Fuchsia ‘Annabel’

Argyranthemums
White Marguerites are fantastic in pots and flower for months.

Tropical Heat

Summer is just around the corner so why not choose plants that enhance the warm, balmy days. Reds, oranges and yellows work well when grown together.

Cannas
Top choice for a tropical look. Stunning foliage and vibrant flowers are a winning combination, with their height adding to the drama. Keep the plant frost free during winter and it will come back better each year.

   Canna Orange and Dark Leaf Red

Salvias
Sizzling reds pack a punch, great in flower beds and borders.

Euryops
Happy yellow daises that flower all summer long.

Gazanias
Sun lovers from South Africa in shades of yellow and orange.

 Gazania ‘Tiger Stripes’

Zonal Geranium
Love it hot and dry. Red, scarlet and orange are popular choices.

  

As I put pen to paper for this edition of the newsletter, I have just read my first e-mail advising me of local toad movements from the Kent Amphibian and Reptile Group (KARG). We have signed up for Toad Patrols in Knockholt, the aim being to save as many as we can from being killed on the roads as they make their way to their breeding pond at Coolings Green & Pleasant. Toads start to travel straight after dark, crossing the roads just as rush hour sets in. It appears that breeding will be early this year due to the mild, wet weather, so it may well be that by the time you read this all the main ‘action’ will be over. We did want to make mention of it however, to make people more aware for next year. Careful driving will save lives! (Least of all mine, even though I’ll be in a high visibility jacket with a torch, acting as a ‘lollipop lady’ for the little critters!).

Another survey everyone will want to know about is our next Bat Walk. Taking place on Wednesday 30 April at 7.30pm, this event starts with a meal and a talk in Blueberry Café, followed by a guided after dark tour of the Nature Trail accompanied by a bat expert and plenty of scanners (the scanners make the bats audible to the human ear).

Looking ahead into May and the better weather, there will be Children’s Workshops to enjoy during half-term. “Pond Dipping & Bug Hunt” will be on Tuesday 27 May and “Build a Bug/Bat/Bee Box” on Thursday 29 May. These are always popular events which need booking in advance.

See you soon!

To book any of the events at Green & Pleasant please call 01959 534386

In nearly every outdoor space there seems to be at least one unattractive wall, fence or shed that would benefit from being screened by greenery.  There are numerous climbing plants that could do this job, but only a relatively small number that are evergreen and retain their leaves throughout the year.  Here our Plant Doctor Mark Reeve, outlines his top choices.

EVERGREEN JASMINE

Trachelospermum jasminoides- by far the most popular climber we sell.

Gloriously fragrant white flowers in summer and glossy foliage that turns a stunning red in winter. This plant will live happily in a large pot.

 

Trachelospermum jasminoides in summer and winter

EVERGREEN HONEYSUCKLE

Lonicera henryi ‘Copper Beauty’

This beautiful and vigorous honeysuckle has glossy coppery green leaves and attractive flowers from early to mid-summer.

EVERGREEN CLEMATIS

Armandii ‘Apple Blossom’

Probably the best evergreen Clematis.  Grows vigorously to quickly provide screening and is covered in spring with beautiful scented flowers.

 

EVERGREEN CLIMGING HYDRANGEA

Hydrangea seemanii

Deciduous climbing Hydrangea is commonly grown as it thrives in shaded locations.  However, this is a lesser known evergreen alternative that deserves far wider recognition.  White flowers in summer and glossy evergreen leaves.

EVERGREEN IVY

Hedera c. ‘Dentata Variegata’

Mention ivy and many people shudder.  However, as a tough, self-supporting curtain of evergreen foliage that will grow almost anywhere it is unbeatable.  This highly ornamental variety has large cream marginated leaves that shine throughout the year and act as a haven for wildlife.

SOLLYA HETEROPHYLLA

This lovely evergreen climber is a little on the tender side but is ideal for urban gardens in a sunny sheltered location.  Alternatively, it is fantastic for covering a wall in a conservatory.  Shy-blue nodding flowers are born in profusion during summer and early autumn.  A white flowered form is also available.

CHOCOLATE VINE

Akebia quinata

This unusual large climber is best described as semi-evergreen. Excellent for growing over bushes and low trees, the chocolate coloured flowers have an attractive spicy fragrance.

As you may already know, our 2017 Summer Flower Exhibition is based on the classic children’s novel ‘The Railway Children.  As you may remember, the family in the story make the most of their upturned life by showing vigilance, courage, kindness and embracing the community in which they soon become a welcome part of.  This brings us nicely onto our chosen charity for this year’s Summer Flower Exhibition.   We have chosen to support Smile International and their brand-new venture ‘Sow a Smile’.

Smile International is passionate about their FEED programmes (Feeding, Educating, Empowering and Developing) that are currently running in a number of countries and feeding nearly 2,000 people each school day.  Their new ‘Sow a Smile’ project is in Zimbabwe and aims to not only increase the number of people fed each day but to enable one of their schools to grow and harvest its own food in order to become self-sustainable for years to come.

The project will also mean more local employment and skills training opportunities, provision of a more nutritionally balanced diet and empowerment for the community.

So far, Smile International have already managed to complete several tasks on their ‘Sow a Smile’ project including:

• Install a well on the site to provide a sustainable supply of water.
• Sourced a potential taskforce.
• Sourced and in the process of testing crop seedlings.
• Mapped out the allocation of crops to land.

Smile International still have a number of tasks that need to completed which is where we can help.  Still to do:

• Cultivate the land and erect a 1.2m fence
• Install irrigation system and purchase seeds
• Hire staff and supply of pesticides
• Electricity, fertiliser and renovations to transport and fuel

Initial capital required = £6,050

Running costs per year = £5,500

How can we help?

They have the land, they have the people, they simply just need our help to get it off the ground.

Coolings are passionate about supporting community based projects and we think this is a fantastic cause.  All donations from this year’s Summer Flower Exhibition will be heading their way, so when you visit the exhibition any donations into our water well will be very gratefully received.  

If you are interested in supporting this project long term and want to help create smiles to last a lifetime, you may also be interested to know:

• £4 a month helps to sow a Smile by providing seeds
• £7 a month helps supply electricity and fertilizer
• £11 a month helps go towards transporting food to the local communities
• £15 a month helps support the supply of water and skills training

 

For more information about Smile International and the work they do or to set up a monthly donation please visit:  www.smileinternational.org

 

To find out about our Summer Flower Exhibition 2017 click here.