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Now its the time of year to look after our feathered friends and help them survive the winter months.  Why not pop in and see our new and improved, larger range of Birdcare.

Birds don’t hibernate like mammals do, so they puff themslves up and keep active to stay warm in the bitter cold. Expending all this energy means that birds need the right food to keep their strength up.  Birds need the right food to keep their strength up.  Birdseed alone won’t do it – birds need fat and protein, too.

The obvious choice for this is suet, which we sell in a variety of forms including fat balls and suet cakes.  We also have a variety of suet pellets which can be put into a peanut feeder.  They come in four different flavours – Insect, Mealworm, Berry Nice and Nice Nuts.

Nyjer Nibbles by Tom Chambers are a favourite of Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Siskins and Redpolls.  Peanuts are another great food to offer birds in the wintertime.  Peanuts have high protein and fat levels and are often an ingredient in suet products, and are especially loved by Blue Tits.

For ground-feeding birds, Rockin’ Robin Feast containing chopped oats, peanuts and sunflower hearts is a good choice and is great for attracting not only Robins, but Blue Tits, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Goldfinch and Great Tits.

We also offer a variety of other bird food to make sure which ever feathered friend you have in your garden they will be kept fed, watered, warm and in healthy condition, throughout autumn and winter, vital for breeding in spring.

Tom Chambers Rockin Robin 1.88kg 25% FREE – £4.99

Tom Chambers Nyjer Nibbles 2kg 33% FREE – £6.99

Tom Chambers Insect Suet Treat – £1.49

Tom Chambers Insect Suet Pellets 2kg – £8.99

 

Give them a home!

Why not attract birds into your garden with a bird box?  They do not need to be up a tree, a suitable wall or building will do.  Bird boxes are best put up in the autumn.  Many birds will enter bird boxes during autumn and winter, looking for a great home to roost or perhaps to feed in.  These bird boxes are often then used for nesting again in spring.  Why not get a bird box now for National Nest Box week 2016 14-21 February).

If you want something different, we have bird boxes inspired by real buildings found around the world, along with the more traditional look.  You can even get a replica lighthouse or pub!

Police Telephone Box Feeder – £29.99

Traditional Telephone Box Feeder – £29.99

Printed Saltbox – Printed Series – £19.99

Cotswold Cottage – Best of British Series – £52.99

Blue Cottage – Mood Collection – £29.99

Jacobi jayne Cedar Plus Modern Officiatl National Nest Box Week, Bird Box – £23.99

Tom Chambers Oakwell Nest Box – £12.99

Having been lucky enough to again visit the world famous Keukenhof Gardens in Holland this spring, I came back brimming with enthusiasm for all the beautiful bulbs. The colour and planting combinations made me hungry to try lots of new ideas, there were many schemes to give a really long display of colour, starting with crocus going right through to late flowering tulips and elegant alliums.

My favourite combination was fairly subtle containing Frittilaria Persica and Ivory bells with Hyacinth Woodstock, tulips Purissima and Negrita. Another one to try, Hyacinth Woodstock, Pink Pearl, Muscari Armeniacum, Tulips Negrita and Passionale.

A number of combinations could be adapted to planting in pots, you don\’t need a massive flower bed to create a good effect. Plant in layers, in what is called lasagne planting, with late flowering tulips at the bottom, a few not too tall alliums next, then narcissi followed by hyacinths and finally crocus near the top; this will give nearly 100 days of colour.

My favourite tulips for this year are Brown Sugar, Van Eijk, Exotic Emporer, Negrita Purissima and El nino. Brown Sugar looks lovely planted with narcissus actaea.

Purissima with narcissus Sir Winston Churchill is a good combination. If I had to choose one variety of narcissi to grow it would have to be the very elegant thalia, with multi-headed pure white flowers, they look great when partnered with lily flowered tulip Purple Dream.

Visit our bulb store for lots of ideas and great offers.  See our biggest ever range of loose tulips in our pick n mix range.

If you haven’t yet grown a hydrangea in your garden, it is time to give this big blooming plant a try.

Hydrangeas offer big beautiful leaves and large clusters of long lasting, spectacular flowers in white, pink, red and blue from mid to late summer, gradually fading in colour. With their wonderful texture and blooms, hydrangeas are lush, attractive and once established, easy to care for, generally they are garden showstoppers!

Hydrangea macrophylla (big-leaf hydrangea) are undoubtedly the most popular. The big-leaf hydrangea is the familiar “mop-headed” blue, pink or white species that is frequently seen. Its enormous flower clusters look like pom-poms and remain attractive even after blooming, because the flower clusters – being composed of sepals and not petals – do not fall but remain on the plant until early winter. They often change to lovely shades of red, pink and green, and can easily be cut and dried for indoor use.

A special category of big-leaf hydrangea and gaining in popularity is the lacecap. Their flat heads feature a central area of tiny fertile flowers surrounded by a “lace” of large, flat, showy sterile ones.

An interesting aspect of hydrangeas is the soil pH often determines flower colour. Blue flowers are produced in acid soil and pink in alkaline soils. For example, a pink hydrangea planted in acid soil would change to blue and visa versa. However, some hydrangeas, such as the white flowering types, often retail their flower colour regardless of the soil pH. A colourant would help you fight mother nature, such as Vitax Hydrangea Colourant 250g £3.25, but regular application is necessary. All hydrangeas need a moist, well-drained soil, generously enriched with compost (an ericaceous feed would be suitable for blue hydrangeas).

Caring for your hydrangea is very easy. Fertilise with a balanced fertiliser or amend soil to change flower colour if desired. Watch out for chlorosis, yellow/very pale leaves caused by iron deficiency, we recommend applying Vitax Epsom Salts 1.25kg £5.50 if needed. Take cuttings to start new plants in summer months. In October, cut all stems that have bloomed to 6 or 8 inches to control growth and promote more flowers.

We have 100’s of large hydrangeas in bud that we have grown on site. Hydrangeas are hardy, reliable and can be an outstanding addition to any garden. Our Hydrangeas are looking superb and if looked after, will provide years of enjoyment for everyone, from novice to expert gardener.

What makes a good plant? It should have strong growth, attractive flowers and foliage, and perhaps a good scent. Here are a few of our tried and tested favourites:

The Berberis family has a plant for most situations, including the evergreen Berberis Darwinii, and the Berberis Rocket series, available in red, orange, yellow or rose (pink and cream variegation).

Berberis Darwinii

Cistus x pulverulentus ‘Sunset’ (AGM), also called the Rock Rose, has rosy pink, almost magenta flowers with grey-green leaves and is evergreen. Given a nice sunny position it will give lots of flowers through June and July. Other varieties have different flower colours and growth habits.

Cistus x pulverulentus ‘Sunset’

A much underrated plant in my view is Potentilla. In a nice sunny position it will flower its socks off all summer and well into the autumn. It does lose its leaves in the winter but only needs a light trim with shears in the spring to remove the old flower heads and keep tidy. Potentilla fruticosa ‘Goldfinger’ is a bright sunny yellow, or try Potentilla fruticosa ‘Pink Beauty’ for a pretty pink.

Potentilla fruticosa ‘Goldfinger’

For nearly 9 months of continual interest, Spiraea japonica ‘Golden Princess’ (AGM) is hard to beat. Bronze-red new growth turns bright yellow and then red in the autumn, with purple/pink flowers in early summer.

Spiraea japonica ‘Golden Princess’

Last but not least, Weigela ‘Florida Variegata’ (AGM) has lovely green and cream leaves that turn pink and red in autumn. The flowers are pink in bud, fading to white, and will perform even in light shade. Weigela florida ‘Monet’ is similar in leaf colour but is a smaller grower with purple flowers.

Don’t Forget!
To get the best from our quality plants we recommend digging a hole 1 ½ times the size of the root ball, a small sprinkle of Vitax Q4 and then fill in the hole with a 50:50 mix of Coolings Tree & Shrub compost and your existing soil. Water in after planting and keep an eye on watering until the autumn.

Coolings are worthy winners once again. This time the recognition is for customer advice and care of our customers.

We proudly picked up three awards at The Greatest Plant Retailing Awards, but the two we are particularly proud of are:

The Greatest Plant Advice Team – Silver

The Greatest Plant Sales Team – Silver

The Greatest Plant Retailing Awards are all about teams of people, for planteria teams that excel in garden centres. The results were announced following expert judging visits to 40 nominated planteria teams across the country.

Awards organiser Trevor Pfeiffer said “from the many teams we met on our judging journeys it is clear that garden centre plant retailing standards are being pushed higher and higher – with teamwork and the drive for excellent customer service giving our customers some of the best plant buying experiences in the UK. Garden Centre plant retailing is simply GREAT!”

We are particularly chuffed with these awards as our customers are always at the heart of our business. We pride ourselves on our highly trained team of horticulturalists and our plant information centre that is manned by our dedicated plant doctor to answer any questions and queries that our customers have. Many of our team have also attended additional studies at Coolings School of Horticulture which has RHS accreditation. For more details of studying with us click here.

Well done team.

Coolings Green & Pleasant are delighted to scoop first place for ‘Greenest Garden Centre’ at the 2015 Garden Retail Awards.

The Garden Retail Awards celebrates the best of the garden retail industry. They are an exceptional opportunity to showcase services, ingenuity and successes. The Awards are presented by the horticulture industry’s leading business and professional magazine, Garden Retail.

The ‘Greenest Garden Centre’ award was presented to Coolings Green & Pleasant in recognition of the environmental successes that we have continued to build upon since our re-opening in 2009 (following substantial redevelopment) as one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in the UK.

For full details of our win please click here.

The Awards were held at The Connaught Hotel in London on 26th February 2015. Some 350 garden industry figures watched as Coolings Chairman, Paul Cooling and wife Carol Cooling collected their award for Greenest Garden Centre in the UK.

“Receiving an award at the fabulous awards ceremony in London was an incredible experience that made us feel very proud and strengthened our team ethic even more. The award means that Coolings has one more offer that gives customers confidence in dealing with a business that cares about them and the environment. The environment and being green are important to us and not just a fashion.” Paul Coolings, Chairman.

219 and still counting…and that’s just our new herbaceous plants this year!

Spring in our gardens is always an exciting time. You discover forgotten plants emerging that you put in during the autumn and are no doubt enjoying all those bulbs you planted. So, what’s new for 2015 on herbaceous?

As you are probably aware if you have visited us through the winter months, we are redesigning the area. All our stock will now be displayed on benches so you will no longer have to shop the area from ground level! To complement the new look our Nursery Team are continuing with all our regular A-Z range, with lots of added extras to spice it up and keep up with the ever-changing trends in gardening.

Some of my own favourites for the coming year include:

Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’

Is one of the earliest to flower and is most distinctive because of its plain green foliage. Bright blue blooms throughout March and April, gradually fading to purple with age.

Acanthus mollis ‘Hollands Gold’

Is one of the few plants that will tolerate deep shade or bright sunlight, dry or moist conditions.  In spring the new shoots are buttercup-yellow, opening to a flowing golden green.

Geranium ‘Dragon Heart’

Has large magena saucer-shaped flowers with black centres.  Flowers continuously throughout the summer.

Hosta ‘White Feather’

Large, pure white lush leaves emerge in late spring.  Throughout the summer green streaks develop on the foliage creating an unusual yet striking effect.  Unlike other varieties it will tolerate a sunny position.

Brunnera ‘Mr Morse’

Heart-shaped silvery leaves have distinctive green veining.  Numerous star-like white flowers in spring.

New for April 2015 and award winning introduction from last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show:

Trollius ‘Dancing Flame’

Look out during April for our new Trollius ‘Dancing Flame’.  With its good bud colour, striking orange open flowers and sturdy upright stems, it is a fantastic plant for any herbaceous border.  It is suited to any soil, thrives in sun or part shade and is more floriferous than other varieties.

New to gardening?  Not sure where to start?  Overwhelmed by the huge array of plants and garden products? 

We are always looking for new ways to inspire people to love their gardens and outdoor spaces.  For novice gardeners the huge array of plants and garden products can sometimes seem a little intimidating.  For this reason we have developed an area called Coolings Creative – the outdoors made easy.

The new “Coolings Creative” range is designed to help our customers acheive the look and feel they want whatever their level of knowledge.

Whether you want to create a more meditteranean feel, a cottage garden look, a formal garden or simply fill your garden with plants that birds and bees will love, then we have the ideas for you along with themed displays and a  step by step guide of how to create it.

The new Coolings creative range can be found on the left hand side of our plant area (turn left out of our shop) it is fronted by our Coolings Double Decker Display Bus (our own piece of creativity)!.

If you are looking for a more bespoke, individual garden consultation then you may prefer to enlist the help of one of our experienced garden designers to come and visit your garden and talk you through your options and make recommendations.  For full details on our Design and Planting services please click here.

So, Whether you want to ‘makeover’ your garden, achieve a certain look or you need advice and help on what plants to buy and what to plant where, we can help you.

Don’t just take our word for it, click here to hear from one of our recent customers who enlisted our help to redesign her garden.

Neudorff Super Cat Repellent 500g – £5.49

Are cats a problem for you? Keep them away for longer (3-4 weeks) with this natural substance based cat repellent

Wagner pot movers – from £7.49
Make your life a little easier with our new range of contemporary and classic (indoor and outdoor) pot movers. German made and quality components they will live up your expectations.

Growing Success GrowQube 6kg – £4.99
For a bumper crop of tomatos, chillies or peppers try the new GrowQube, produces exceptional crops in an easy to carry 6kg pack!

Karcher Watering System Trickle Hose Set – £39.99
A new range of premium watering systems from Karcher. With a wide range to choose from make sure none of your plants go thirsty this summer!

Panacea Home & Garden Range – from £8.99
With a wide range of metal structures for both home and garden this new range is bound to draw attention.

Empathy Tomato Starter / Basket Starter – from £2.99
An easy to use coir ‘biscuit’ to offer the best possible start for your baskets and tomatoes. Recommended by the RHS and containing biologically active ingredients.

Also coming this spring exciting new ranges of fencing from Grange and hard landscaping / paving from Kelkay

At Coolings we offer a superb range of fresh herbs. Why scrabble around in the back of the cupboard for those dismal jars of grey and dusty dried herbs when growing your own is so easy and rewarding? Mint is perhaps the easiest of the lot.

Say mint and most people think of mint sauce for lamb or a sprig of English Mint on tasty new potatoes. Perhaps Spearmint chewing gum. But we offer over 25 varieties to tickle your taste buds and tempt you to try something new!

(Banana Mint)

Did you know there is an Apple-scented mint?

Or a Banana-scented Mint?

Or a Basil-scented Mint?

We have a Chocolate-scented Mint!

(Chocolate Mint)

And a Grapefruit-scented Mint!

And a Ginger-scented Mint!

(Ginger Mint)

How about a fragrant Lavender-scented Mint?

Or a zingy Lime-scented Mint?

(Lime Mint)

Why not try a delicious Orange-scented Mint?

Or staying with the fruit theme, a Pineapplescented Mint?

(Pineapple Mint)

We even have a Curley Mint!

Great fun to grow the different types, ring the changes and get experiMINTing this summer!