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From Alyssum and Aubretia to Zauschneria, we stock a fantastic range of alpines from early spring through to late autumn. Carefully planned planting can ensure that you have a colourful rock garden all year round.

(Zauschneria)

Miniature spring flowering bulbs such as Galanthus (snowdrops) and Narcissus Tete-a-Tete get the year off to a good start. Aubretia, Rhodohypoxis, Campanula, Veronica, Saxifrage, Sedum, and Gentians all follow well and provide continuous colour throughout spring and summer.

(Aubretia and Rhodohypoxis)

Helianthemums come in a wide range of colours ,pinks, whites, reds, yellows and oranges. Camassia and Alliums will give some height between the low growers. The Primula family flower in spring and autumn giving good colourful hues.

(Camassia)

Cylamen hederifolium flowers from September to November and Cyclamen Coum flowers from January to March, giving a splash of colour in those cold winter
months. Dwarf Dianthus are easy to grow and flower freely in a well-drained sunny site.

Making a rock garden is simple and growing in containers when space is limited can be fun if using something quirky to grow in. Plant in old teapots or buckets, or even shoes and boots for novelty. Use John Innes No.1 and coarse grit at a ratio of 50:50 for good drainage. Pots and containers can be topped with shingle or slate for a good-looking finish.

When planning a new alpine garden, ground preparation is the key to success. Good drainage is essential, so if your garden is on clay make sure you dig in lots of coarse grit to improve drainage. Lay Mypex to prevent weed growth. Plant through the Mypex when you have decided the planting plan by making a cross in the Mypex with a sharp knife. Cover Mypex with decorative shingle or slate.

It’s easy to keep the alpine attraction going. If you need advice just ask any of our knowledgeable staff.

nterested in taking a course with us but are not sure which course is best for you? Here at Coolings we like to think of ourselves as a beacon of educational excellence but much friendlier and relaxed than other establishments.

There are so many reasons why you would want to take a course with us:

• We have inspirational lecturing staff who make learning easy and fun
• We have a purpose-built working area for practicals
• Exams are all optional. Perfect for students who are interested in learning but don’t want the pressure of exams at the end
• We have our own gardens and production nursery where students are encouraged to take part in practicals, and which enable them to gain an insight into our industry
• Light refreshments are included as part of your course
• We have a glamorous awards evening for those completing a course of a year or more
• All students receive a 15% Coolings Discount card!
• And all of this is included in the fee of your course!

From September 2014:

RHS Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture level 2 (2 Years)
Have fun whilst learning about all aspects of plants and their cultivation.
Suitable for all keen gardeners whether novice/experienced, young/old.
Take the plunge…you won’t want the course to end!

Garden Horizons: Plants, Scents and Senses (1 year)
Fascinated by plants?

Enjoy lively classes, visiting beautiful gardens and engaging with fellow gardeners!

Garden Horizons – From Past to Present : a global look at plant
Fascinated by plants?
Enjoy lively classes, visiting beautiful gardens and engaging with fellow gardeners!

How to be a Successful Gardener (1 Year)
The title says it all!

EVENING CLASSES

RHS Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture level 2 (2 Years)
Have fun whilst learning about all aspects of plants and their cultivation.
Suitable for all keen gardeners whether novice/experienced, young/old.

Plus, Short 8 week courses through the year
A great way to build your gardening skills!
A good mix of discussion and practical sessions

For more information on our courses please call Neil or Lesley on 01959 532269.

Here at Coolings we have a dedicated team who have been with us for many years. As you may know, Ian Hazon is our Production & Operations Director, and he shares some of his experiences over the years.

Have you had an interest in plants for a long time?
My parents and grandparents were all keen gardeners. Several members of my family also had farms with livestock and growing crops so I guess it was inevitable that some of it would rub off on me. At the age of about 12 I realised you could take a packet of seeds and turn them into plants which could be sold for extra pocket money. I soon bought a second-hand greenhouse and went on from there. My first Saturday job was selling plants at my Uncle’s shop and following work experience from school, I started at a commercial nursery.

So how long have you worked at Coolings?
Following my training, 3 years of which was spent studying commercial horticulture, I started at Coolings in August 1991, some 22 years ago. The position for Glasshouse Production Foreman was advertised on a card on the jobs board at college. Over the years I took control of the glasshouse production as Michael Cooling retired and in January 2009 I was appointed a Director.

What’s it like being Production & Operations Director?
The role is very varied but enjoyable and rewarding with its fair share of challenges. With crop production alone no two years are ever the same so we are constantly tweaking the cropping, trying to ensure the Nursery is growing the right amount of plants. Being involved with planning the developments at Coolings means we are always trying to look ahead at what might be needed in the future, we are not just building a business for today.

What is a typical day for you?
During the spring I try to devote most of my time to the Nursery. We have a very capable team ensuring all the tasks get done. Once the spring season is over I concentrate on plant orders for the following year and the other projects the company is working on. Recently this has been the refurbishments in Arthurs, looking ahead we now have planning permission for the redevelopment of the Shop.

What has been your favourite experience whilst working for Coolings?
There really have been many but it has been great to see the business grow to meet the needs of our customers. Watching members of the team succeed in their roles and gain promotion is also very rewarding. Coolings celebrated its centenary this year and it was wonderful to share this occasion with the team when we all went to the House of Commons for dinner, accompanied by Peter Seabrook who I remember watching on lunchtime television, Pebble Mill At One, when I was quite young. I did share this with him and he muttered something about feeling old…

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to talk to us, Ian.

Listed below are the Terms and Conditions for offer vouchers published on behalf of Coolings Nurseries Ltd. This encompasses but is not restricted to the company magazine ‘Cuttings’, e-newsletter ‘Cuttings’, Coolings Nurseries Ltd. Facebook and Twitter pages and additional local, national and charity publications. If you require any additional information or have any comments please email feedback@localhost.coolings0909.com.

1. Please present this voucher at the Till Point.
2. No cash surrender value.
3. All offers subject to availability. An alternative may be offered.
4. Offer only valid with this voucher.
5. One voucher per household.
6. Voucher cannot be used in conjunction with a Coolings Trade Card or additional voucher offer.
7. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any existing promotion.
8. Voucher limited to one use only.
9. Voucher limited to offer stated only.
10. Only one of these vouchers may be used in a single transaction.
11. Offer may be valid during restricted hours.
12. This voucher is the property of Coolings Nurseries Ltd and is not for re-sale, publication or reproduction.
13. We cannot accept responsibility for lost vouchers.
14. The trademarks of Coolings Nurseries Ltd. or any of its trading companies are only allowed with the written permission of Coolings Nurseries Ltd.
15. Coolings Nurseries Ltd reserves the right to decline any voucher in breach of the above Terms & Conditions.
16. Coolings Nurseries Ltd. reserves the right to amend voucher terms and conditions without notice.

aHere at Coolings, we understand the importance of active learning at all ages. That’s why, in Spring 2014, our Busy Bee Gardener will be visiting schools to lead FREE gardening workshops and award prizes for green-fingered efforts! And it’s so easy for your school to be involved, simply contact Jane Wiseman by email janewiseman@localhost.coolings0909.com or call 01959 532269.

The Busy Bee Gardener caters for ages 4-11. The children will learn how “Plants are like people!” looking at exactly what they need to grow. We also cover: seed sowing, bulb planting and the science of gardening (Did you know that volcanic rock helps your seeds to grow?)

And that’s not all! Throughout 2014 we’re running tours and special events which we know your pupils will just love to be involved in.

Tours at Coolings
Why not bring your Pupils to Coolings for a guided tour of the garden centre & production nursery? Come along and see our fabulous potting robot and nurturing reservoirs! The visit includes a planting workshop, giving you and your pupils the skills to produce a wonderful garden back at school. All of our school tours are followed by light refreshments.

Schools Vouchers – Starts again in September
Register to raise money for your school to buy plants & gardening equipment! Collect schools vouchers with Coolings, The Gardener’s Garden Centre. Each voucher is worth 20p to the school and will be awarded for every £5 the customer spends with us.

The schools signed up to voucher scheme are:

Bickley Primary, Brown’s School, St. Philomena’s Primary, Otford Primary, St. Katherine’s Primary, Wickham Common Primary, Bickley Park Prep School, St Thomas’s Primary School, Ide Hill Primary, Hayes Common School, Amherst School, New Beacon School, The Granville School, Darrick Wood Junior School, Sundridge & Brastead Primary School, Kemsing Primary School

For more information on registration or redemption of vouchers please contact Jane Wiseman at janewiseman@localhost.coolings0909.com.

Schools Garden Competition 2014
Whether you have a garden, window box, hanging basket … or just a wheelbarrow, your school can enter our Schools Garden Competition. 1st prize £200 2nd prize £100 3rd prize £50 Coolings vouchers. All entries will receive a certificate.

School discount card…. All schools receive a 20% discount card when they register

One of ten children, my Grandfather, Arthur Cooling (Pictured Left), was born in 1894. As an enterprising teenager, Arthur had a full time job at the Post Office, but the morning shifts (beginning at 4.30am) and the afternoon shifts (ending at 10pm) allowed a few spare hours in the middle of the day.

The first photographic evidence of any horticultural under taking is a picture of Arthur behind a borrowed horse and plough on land behind what is now Belmont Parade in Chislehurst. It was several years before he bought his own land – an acre set back behind the High Street.

In order to get ahead in life, Arthur took out a mortgage to buy several small houses, which he let out. These eventually provided sufficient funds to enable him to build his own house on the land he had bought.

In 1953, following a year at the Kent Horticultural Institute and two years National Service in Germany, Arthur’s son, Michael (Pictured Below), joined him and doubled the workforce! He had many new ideas which did not always find favour with Arthur. When the village ironmongers and hardware store closed, it was suggested that a small area in one of the greenhouses could be given over to gardening sundries, which my Grandfather regarded as a highly risky venture. Little did he know at that time that Coolings was about to become one of the first Garden Centres in the country! Dad continued to innovate, including giving talks to customers on various gardening topics. These have evolved over time to become the wide range of courses (many accredited) that are now available at Coolings.

With the end of the 1980’s came the realisation that the one acre site in Chislehurst was cramping our potential and when an offer was made the site was sold for housing development. Mum and Dad reinvested the money into the 14 acres on Rushmore Hill that we have today. The “new” shop was opened in 1992 and became the catalyst for a long period of rapid growth, and the winning of many awards.

In 2004 we decided to buy the site on Main Road in Knockholt from our nearest competitor to allow us to diversify our product range and give more scope for the future. The site was redeveloped and reopened as Coolings Green & Pleasant in 2009. The new site has won awards in its own right, too.

With the current state of the world economy it is impossible to predict where Coolings will be in the next five years, let alone the next generation; however, plans are in hand for an improvement to the Rushmore Hill shop, which after 22 years is in need of a face-lift. We have also set out the credentials for what might be required if a third site were to present itself to us. With Jessica and Thomas Cooling as the fourth generation now aged 14 and 12 years, we are keeping an open mind!

Watch this space!

The biggest problem faced by gardeners who want to paint many different surfaces in the garden, is the number of different paints they have to buy.

Enter Ronseal into the fray.  They have released a paint that can be used on wood, stone, metal and many other surfaces.  As the saying goes ‘It does what it says on the tin’.

There is a wide range of colours, and we have used it to great effect for the boarding around the walls of the shop.  This now makes colour coordinating your garden a whole lot easier.  There are over 20 different colours to choose from, so they only decision is which one to choose.  The paint is also water based, so any splashes onto plants will not have an adverse effect, and your brushes can be cleaned easily with warm soapy water.

While this paint can be used on metal, I believe that Hammerite metal paint is still the best.  Once painted and cured it helps prevent any rusting.  Be careful that you use it in a well ventilated area, as it is spirit based.  Brushes will need to be cleaned with thinners.  I repainted a metal swing over 10 years ago and it only now could do with another coat of paint.  The key thing to remember is to thoroughly coat the metal surfaces to seal them.

‘So what about my wooden garden furniture?’ I hear you ask.  Cuprinol has a range of paints and oils to cover this.  Make sure you clean the furniture thoroughly.  Cuprinol Furniture Restorer will help with this, then apply the finish of your choice.  Teak oil can either be painted on or used with a cloth.  If there are hard to reach areas, then use an aerosol spray to resolve this.

So what are you waiting for, get out there and paint!