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  • Easy Watering

    It is nearly time for our holidays, and we all know what a bother it is to arrange for someone to do the watering for us whilst we’re away.

    Why not invest in an irrigation system?  One I would recommend is the Hozelock Sensor Controller (£36.79).  It can be set to switch on once or twice a day at sunrise andd/or sunset, for five minutes to up to one hour at a time.  It knows when the sun rises and sets, so that the times follow the season – clever little thing!

     

    If you’re going away for a longer period of time, the cloud controller set (£134.99) gives you full control over your watering, as it works via an app on your computer or smartphone.

     

    So whilst lounging by the pool in Spain or or trekking in the Lake District checking the weather at home, in a couple of clicks, the watering is all sorted, and the hanging baskets are still looking fab when you get home.

    Come into our shop and we can advise you on what we think is the best solution for your garden.  Also available is Coolings Irrigation Installation Service (Free site survey available).  Please ask in store for more details.

     

    That, in combination with Hozelock’s ‘easy drip’ system (from £3.99), works a treat.

  • Trendy Herbaceous

    Herbaceous perennial plants (non-woody plants that come back year after year) continue to increase in popularity due to their versatility and great value.  At Coolings we grow and sell a vast range, and also buy from specialist British nurseries to offer you a great choice of plants for your garden.  Fashions come and go, but here are our tips for plants that we think will be hits in 2016!
    Agastache
    Bee heaven.  If you want to help our pollinating friends, open a bee-bar in your garden with just one plant!  Beautiful.
    Cirsium ‘Frosted Magic’
    NOT available until its launch at Chelsea in May, this beautiful white thistle will be as big a hit with the bees as it will be with gardeners. We have secured a couple of hundred, but they will fly!
    Sanguisorba ‘Lilac Squirrel’
    This fantastic plant stands at 1m tall and gives us amazing pink/purple flowers from mid-summer to early autumn that hang down like squirrel tails!
    Lupin West Country Series
    Lupins are a real plant of the moment!  Bred in West Country nurseries in North Devon, these purple and yellow Lupins offer superb colour, form and vigour.
    Lupin ‘Manhattan Lights’
     
     
    Lupin ‘Red Rum’
     
    Lupin ‘Gladiator’
     
    Lupin ‘Persian Slipper’
     
    Buy big 4 litre varieties £12.99 each or Family Offer 2 for £20.

  • Goodness Gracious Ericaceous

    Ericaceous, or acid loving plants (plants that thrive in a soil pH of 7, neutral, and below over a bedrock of sandstone in our region), will brighten up part shady locations with a dazzling display of mainly Spring flowers.
    Most deciduous ericaceous plants, such as Japanese Maples, will also provide you with more brilliant colour than most other trees and shrubs as the leaves fall in Autumn.
    Below are seven of my favourites.  Plant them in ericaceous compost and feed in March with an ericaceous feed.  All are available in stock now.
    1. Skimmia japonica ‘Fragrant Cloud’:  Compact evergreen shrub 90cm x 90cm.  Lime green buds throughout Winter open to single white flowers in March/April.  Attractive to bees.
    2.  Pieris japonica ‘Forest Flame’:  Evergreen shrub with small white bell shaped flowers followed by brilliant red young foliage in Spring.  Will thrive in a sheltered location in part shade.  Height and spread 2m x 2m in 10 years.
    3.  Azalea japonica ‘Geisha Orange’:  Evergreen shrub producing unusual orange flowers during May/June.  Height and spread 70cm x 70cm.
    4. Rhododendron ‘Tinkerbird’:  Evergreen dwarf Rhododendron 1m x 1m. Coral pink buds open to white flowers which produce an exquisite scent.
    5.  Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’: White peony shaped flowers with a pale yellow centre, contrasts well against glossy evergreen foliage.  Height and spread 2m x 1.5m in 10 years.  Can tolerate neutral soil types.  Avoid planting in an east facing aspect.
    6.  Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’ (Calico Bush):  Compact evergreen shrub 1m x 1m.  Pink buds open to unusual white flowers with distinctive maroon coloured bands in late Spring.
    7.  Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Inaba Shidare’:  Graceful weeping Japanese Maple with finely cut burgundy coloured leaves throughout Summer which turn spectacularly red in Autumn.  Height and spread 2.5m x 2.5m.
    Did you know that mophead and lacecap Hydrangeas are good pH (potential of Hydrogen) soil indicators?  Generally pink flowers mean that the soil pH reading is alkaline (bedrock chalk).  Those that flower blue/purple mean that the soil pH reading is probably acidic.  Soil pH testing kits are available now from our shop.
    To keep your plants in tip top condition, feed them regularly with a balanced fertiliser.  For Ericacious plants we recommend Miracle-Grow Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Plant Food.

  • Renaissance is in the air

    Tillandsias (air plants) are enjoying a renaissance, having been very popular in the 1970s.  As with all things, if you wait long enough they will come back into fashion!!

    Tillandsias originate from Central South America and Mexico.  In their native habitat, they rely on a host plant or other surface to attach themselves to, where they can get good light, and gather moisture and nutrients through their leaves.

    They make a really good feature in the home, whether in a group or placed singularly.

    Tillandsias may be attached to many items, maybe a favourite shell to remind you of a fabulous holiday, a small piece of wood you may have found, in a bowl surrounded by pretty pebbles or moss or even as a fridge magnet.

    Tillandsias often flower, some may even have a scent.  After flowering the parent plant will eventually die, but not before it has produced pups.  These can then be removed from the parent and used to display on their own.

    They need misting with water several times a week or dunking in water to maintain their health.  Also spraying with a liquid feed is very beneficial.  The possibilities for displaying these very varied and fascinating plants is endless:  make a vertical garden as a living picture to place on a wall, as a very interesting focal point, hang them upside down.  The only limit for display is your imagination.

  • Thyme to get Herby – A Cooks Perspective

    It’s becoming increasingly popular to introduce more herbs, vegetables and edible flowers into menus these days.  As bakers here at Arthurs, we are often looking for and experimenting with new ways of bringing the outdoors and nature into our cakes, pastries, desserts and tray bakes.
    Growing your herbs close to your kitchen will encourage you to use them more often.  Using more fresh herbs in your cooking can add flavour, without adding more salt, butter or cheese to your dish.  Adding a little green to your meals not only makes it look prettier, but it can give you awesome health benefits too.  While dried herbs are convenient, vitamins and antioxidants are lost in the drying process. So buying fresh plants or growing your own has other benefits than just looking good.
    Basil…
    Basil grown indoors not only makes your kitchen smell lovely in Summer, but its oils are also believed to have anti-inflammatory effects.  Why not add a handful of whole basil leaves to your salads to give them an extra zing.  Always use basil whole, or tear the leaves, to stop the leves from burising.
    If you have a lot of basil, why not try making homemade pesto.  Homemade pesto tastes amazing added to pasta, salads or homemade pizzas.
     
    Thyme…
     
    Thyme is a traditional herb usually used in savoury dishes, but it is now being used in sweet dishes too. You can use thyme in cakes such as lemon and thyme loaf cake.  The addition of thyme gives you a slightly floral edge to the sponge, like a taste of Summer.  Also, thyme infused into the double cream of a creme brulee adds a new dimension.  Why not try adding some fresh raspberries to the brulee for something really special.
     
    Rosemary…
    Rosemary is a very versatile herb.  It can be used in mashed potatoes, added to your roast potatoes and even infused in oils.  Why not try adding some to your Sunday roast.
     
    Chives…
    Chives are packed with the antioxidants vitamins A and C.  Chives have a light onion flavour and can be used in many dishes.  You can add them to salad leaves, soups, coleslaws, sauces and risottos.
    Check out over 100 different herb varieties at Coolings now!

  • A Few of our Favourite Things

    (Originally published 28/3/2016, prices correct at time of publication)

    Coolings is full to bursting with wonderful plants and products.  Here, our staff pick a few personal favourites.

     

    Jon 
    Our Horticultural Manager

    Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’.  I love this sweetly scented variety for its beautiful soft pink flowers and reliability.  Growing to 1m tall, it is perfect when contained by an elegant Tom Chambers Herbaceous support.

     

    Annika
    Our Assistant Shop Manager

    Smart Honeycombe glass jar lantern (£19.99).  This looks really effective when the bottom is filled with silver sand (which is heat resistant) and a large church candle is placed inside.

     

    Tracey
    Our Outdoor Visual Merchandiser

    Climbing rose Maid of Kent.  This is my favourite rose.  In my garden it flowers from Summer until Autumn, with big clusters of semi-double soft pink flowers.  I encourage repeat flowering by removing faded blooms with my Burgon & Ball pocket pruners.  These are really neat, and give powerful cutting for people with smaller hands.

     

    Nicky
    Our Houseplant and Bulb Expert

    I adore Champagne Begonias for the unique beauty of their long-lasting summer display.  I plant three into a Tom Chambers 14″ metal hanging basket (£15.99 including liner) and this is the seasonal plant that people most admire.

     

    Brian
    Our Shop Manager

    Kent & Stowe digging fork and spade (£29.99 each).  They say the answer lies in the soil, and to improve my borders I could not be without these when digging in well-rotted Farmyard Manure (£4.99 per sack, 4 for £10), which is an ideal natural source of nutrients and organic matter.

     

    Garry 
    Our Hardy Plant Expert

    The lovely golds of Spiraea japonica ‘Golden Princess’ underplanted with Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Westray’ really brings out the colour of the two plants and gives some great colour in spring.

  • Midfield Primary Provides ‘Food For Thought’ With New Edible Eco Garden

    We’ve been busy bees recently helping Midfield Primary with their Edible Eco Garden project.
    The forward thinking school want their students to not only understand the benefits of growing vegetables and fruit, but to be actively engaged in the growing process.  The ambitious project, which began in March 2016, aspires to create a garden packed with vegetable plots, wildlife hotels, a pond, a large greenhouse to house a class of 30, as well as a growing bed for each class to take ownership of.   The aim is to help give the children and their families an appreciation and understanding of growing, cooking and eating fresh fruit and vegetables as well as attracting wildlife to the area.  The garden will also have the potential to link in with other subjects in the curriculum.

    Well-known horticulturalist, journalist and presenter, and our friend Peter Seabrook is a real supporter of the project and has already given the young students a motivational talk at a recent assembly to help inspire the children and get them excited about the project ahead of them.   We have also been supporting the school, with lots of ideas, inspiration and of course, much needed labour!  Our Managing Director, Gary Carvosso, started proceedings by volunteering himself and some members of the Coolings team for a few days of free labour to help construct the perimeter fence. We have also marked out their growing beds and advised on design and we are already looking forward to our next stint on the project!

    The children from Midfield Primary Autistic Unit, The Treehouse, will also have growing beds to work on with the mainstream children.  It is hoped that a large number of school staff will want to become involved in the running of the garden, including the school chef and kitchen staff, and that volunteers from the proposed, new Midfield Summer School will oversee the garden during the Easter/Summer breaks.

    Midfield Primary anticipate that this project will engage parents, families and the local community.  The goal is not only to educate but to empower and inspire children and parents to a better level of health and wellbeing.  The school will be busy fundraising through events, grants and sponsorship to meet their fundraising target.
    Good Luck Midfield with this great initiative – your experience with Coolings is definitely growing!

  • Our Very Own Star Wins This Year’s ‘Rising Stars’ Competition

    We are pleased to announce that we have added another award to our cabinet recently.   In January, we celebrated the crowning of one of our young talents, Sophie Liebthal, as being voted the UK’s Best Young Garden Centre Employee in this year’s GCA’s Rising Stars competition.
    The Rising Stars Programme, run by Westland Horticulture and supported by the Garden Centre Association (GCA)has been running since 2009. Its aim is to develop the best new talent in the garden centre industry through a year-long training course facilitated by Ian Boardman, IBBIS Director. The course helps the Rising Stars understand the importance of merchandising and Ian works with each candidate to show what they could implement at their own garden centres and how to measure results.
    The training programme included three merchandising masterclasses.  One of which demanded Sophie to undertake a project at Coolings.  Sophie explains “I implemented the techniques I had learned on one of our masterclasses to completely overhaul our fencing and timber area and merchandise our products in a different way.  The change created instant results to our sales and I am now completely responsible for the running, sales and purchasing of that area”.
    The six finalistsoutof the initial 31 Rising Stars were announced back in October 2015.  Their final challenge took place on Monday 25th January at the GCA Conference in Brighton.  Each finalist made a presentation to an audience of over 300 in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel, covering their achievements over the past year and how they have worked to improve sales figures and customer experiences within their department. Conference delegates were given the casting vote for an overall winner which was announced at the prestigious Conference Gala dinner.
    Our Managing Director, Gary Carvosso said “The Rising Stars programme gives promising individuals in the industry a great opportunity to develop their merchandising and leadership skills.  We are very proud of Sophie, it is a wonderful achievement.  Sophie joined us in 2010 and resonates with me in that I also joined Coolings straight from school. Sophie is a credit to our company, and was in fact the youngest finalist.  We look forward to supporting her on a long and successful career.   We are very aware of the need to attract talented people into the industry which has so many varied opportunities. This initiative, if supported by even more businesses, will have a very positive effect on the industry in years to come. Sophie’s talent has been further recognised as she has now been invited to join the judging panel for the GIMA industry awards.  We look forward to nominating more of our team in the future for the Rising Stars programme and would like to express our thanks to Westland Horticulture, the GCA and of course, her mentor Ian Boardman”.
    Sophie adds: “The past year on the programme has been fantastic. I’ve grown my product and sales knowledge considerably and have enjoyed setting goals to achieve.  I love a challenge and the programme is a great opportunity for me to develop my skills.  Most of all, I’ve grown in confidence and can’t wait for some new challenges in the year ahead!”
     
    Congratulations to Sophie , we are VERY proud of you.

  • Join our Team

    Looking for a fresh start this year?  A change of job in order?  Why not join our team at Coolings?

    We currently have a number of part and full time vacancies for the coming season (permanent and seasonal positions) in our Plant Sales, Shop, Production Nursery and Catering Teams.

    If you are interested in finding out more about us and the positions we have available both at Coolings The Gardener’s Garden Centre on Rushmore Hill and Coolings Green & Pleasant on Main Road Please click on the link below:

    http://localhost.coolings0909.com/about/work-for-us

  • Coolings Celebratory Plaques in Arthurs Garden

    Remembering a special person, anniversary or happy event.  Celebrating a brilliant day, a lovely thought, romantic valentine or meaningful poem …our plaques are a very special way to say something to the people you love or to hold a happy memory.

    Displayed in pride of place in our relaxing and picturesque restaurant garden covering nearly one acre, you will be able to enjoy that special memory, or person, time and time again whilst enjoying the hundreds of plants in the garden, listening to the birds and enjoying your favourite treat in Arthurs.

    They are such an original gift and provide a wonderful surprise or memento of your visits to us – past, present and future.

    If you’d like to have your own private little piece of Arthurs Garden we have two sizes of plaque available:

    • 75 x 50 mm.
      A maximum of 4 engraved lines, with a maximum of 12 characters including spaces per line.
    • 150 x 50 mm.
      A maximum of 4 engraved lines, with a maximum of 25 characters including spaces per line.

    For more information and to order please visit Coolings Online.