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  • Coolings helps David Domoney on ITV’s This Morning makeover

    Coolings helps David Domoney LIVE in Kent for another Garden Transformation on ITV’s This Morning Front Garden Facelift.

     

    When called upon, Coolings gladly helped David Domoney take on the most recent front garden makeover as part of ITV’s hugely popular gardening segment on This Morning.

    Coolings Team pictured with David Domoney and homeowner Susan. Pictured Left to Right: Lily, Gary, Susan, David, Alice, Will & Dale

    The segment sees David and a team of volunteers perform well-deserved transformations for people across the UK. The fourth in a series of Front Garden Facelifts with This Morning, sees David working with local garden centres across the country, to help a deserving makeover recipient and Coolings was on hand for Susan Wouters’ garden in Kent.

    With the help of a team of volunteers from Coolings Garden Centre, students from Hadlow College, and more, they hoped to perform makeover magic once again in just 2 hours.

    Introducing David and his team of volunteers were Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond live on This Morning last Friday 4th October at 10am, when they surprised Susan at her front door.

    Susan is the third generation of her family to live in her home in Kent, her grandparents purchased the property in 1932. They chose the home after seeing it advertised at the Ideal Home exhibition and fell in love with the new estate. Very keen gardeners, grandparents Frank and Rose nurtured the space at the front of the house, filling the beds with dahlias every year. Sadly, due to health issues and incomplete renovations to the house, the garden has fallen into disrepair and needed a Front Garden Facelift.

    Once the time was called for the makeover, a massive undertaking after removing large sections of concrete from the space, David revealed the new front garden to Susan and her mum Jean, who had grown up in the house. With swathes of beautiful plants framing the garden, a brand-new garden wall, and a bench with a bespoke engraving to soak it all up in, both Jean and Susan were thrilled. They particularly loved the fragrant central rose garden, which recalled the beautiful roses Susan’s grandparents used to grow. Susan summed it up perfectly to David, proudly stating, “Now I have massive curb appeal!”

    Gary Carvosso, of Coolings Garden Centres, said: “It was a fun and exciting challenge to be part of a live TV programme broadcast and be working against the clock to get the project finished. Our team from Coolings were very happy to help Susan and her family dramatically improve their front garden in just two hours!”

    “Completing these Front Garden Facelifts is a challenging but wonderful experience,” continues David. “I would like to thank Coolings Garden Centre, Hadlow College, Hippo Waste, Harrington Brothers Contractors, Wealden Benches, Tillers Turf, Darren Horan, and David Austin Roses for their help in transforming this garden for Susan, to restore it to its former glory.”

    See David and the team of volunteers in action on this fantastic makeover on the This Morning’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3ZSW9KA

    Front Garden Facelift ‘Before’

    Statistically, front gardens in the UK have been in decline for years. Recent polls have shown over 5 million front gardens in the UK have no greenery in them at all, making up one in three with no plants. David Domoney realises the untapped potential that exists in front gardens across the country and hopes that by creating programs like this with This Morning can really show the impact that front gardens can have on improving people’s lives and curb appeal.

    Front Garden Facelift ‘After’

     

  • ‘Fall into Autumn’ Feel Good Garden & Seasonal Displays

    Autumn has arrived at Coolings! Our ‘Fall into Autumn’ Feel Good Garden and seasonal displays are all about celebrating the transition between summer and winter.

  • Festive Menu at Arthurs 2024

    The team at Arthurs have a delicious menu planned to help you celebrate your countdown to Christmas!

  • In Bloom 2024 Winners Announced!

    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.

    Thank you to everyone that entered, and a heartfelt congratulations to all the winners. It is always a joy seeing your lovely hard work.

  • Bedding down for Autumn!

    Autumn may be upon us, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of colour in your garden. Our bedding plants will brighten the shorter days and keep your pots and borders looking cheery. And we have some fantastic savings for Coolings Family Members.

  • Come Back Colour for Autumn

    There are plenty of late-flowering or foliage interest perennial plants to bridge the colour gap between summer and autumn and see you through September, October and beyond, brightening our shorter days. Try our beautiful planting combinations that will return each year.

     

  • Bulbs for a Burst of Spring Colour!

    Ensure a long season of colour in your garden with our choices of bulbs to plant in the autumn that flower in spring – with a little forward planning you can enjoy bursts of colour from bulbs almost all year round. Our ‘100 days of colour’ has varieties flowering one after another from March, right through to July.

  • The ‘Pump Garden’ at Wych Cross Garden Centre

    Our half an acre revived ‘Pump Garden’ is officially Open and Free to wander at your leisure. Open daily, the garden will evolve over time, so we hope you will enjoy what we have created and watch as the garden continues to grow and develop over future seasons. 

    Gary Carvosso, Coolings Chairman and Ian Hazon, Coolings Production and Operations Director (both pictured left) talk us through the Pump Garden in our new video – please watch here.

    A special heritage is revived…

    The name ‘Pump Garden’ comes from the pump that now stands proudly on display in the far corner of the half an acre garden. The pump signifies and celebrates the special heritage of this site and its restoration springs life back into a forgotten and lost part of Wych Cross’ past.

    History of Wych Cross Garden Centre

    The pump is the original water pump that supplied water to the site from the 1930’s.

    The original site was the market garden for the Roebuck Hotel, just next door on the A22.  In 1939 a water supply was needed to service the site so a well 70 ft deep was sunk with a further 400 ft of borehole put in. The pump was then used to draw the water up into tanks in the hotel and provide water around the site. At that time the whole project cost a guinea a foot, which is over £38,000 in today’s money.

    The market garden was developed into a nursery in 1949 under the ownership of Major Stringer, but the site eventually separated from the hotel in the early 1960’s after the Major passed away.  Phil Pearson became the new owner, having worked on the site since 1949 and he developed it into a retail nursery.

    Wych Cross Market Garden c.1940’s

    Following on from Phil Pearson, new owners once again arrived in 1986 with Jon Hacker, John Paisley and Ray Kennedy taking the reins. Over the years the nursery became famed for growing a large range of roses, something that continues today.

    In 2016 the business was once again sold, this time to Wyevale, the national chain of garden centre operators.

    Wyevale itself was owned by an investment company and when they decided to sell all their centres, over 150 in total, to pay back their investors, Coolings were more than happy to acquire Wych Cross Garden Centre in 2019, having known Jon Hacker, John Paisley and Ray Kennedy in the days of their ownership.

    After buying Wych Cross, we then embarked upon a complete refurbishment of the site and centre to improve the customer facilities, plant areas and general shop layout. And although the Coolings family still hold a stake in the business, the majority of the share are owned by the employees as part of an Employee Ownership Trust, so our staff all benefit directly from their passion for the running of the business.

    Since taking over, we have also taken great pride in restoring the rose production nursery and we began growing again on-site in 2020, producing roses to supply all 4 our our garden centres. Today Wych Cross grows 180 varieties of roses and stocks a further 55 varieties of David Austin roses. To say that we know roses is an understatement!

    The seed of an idea came about for restoring the pump and re-discovering the garden.

    The Pump Garden

    The half acre site that the Pump Garden covers originally formed part of the grounds when the site of the nursery and hotel were one.  Over the years as times changed the garden was lost and just became part of the overall site without trace of the once beautiful beds and borders.  The revived Pump Garden will not only highlight the roses we produce but feature mixed planting to mirror the original designs from the past.

    Painstakingly restoring the pump and digging in over 100 tons of well-rotted compost (from our compost heaps) to improve the heavy clay soil was an undertaking even before planting could begin. Pathways and an extensive wooden pergola have been installed in readiness for the beautiful rose varieties to feature and flourish over time. And the pump is back on site and sits boldly and proudly in the top corner of the site, clear for all to see.

    Where once the pump provided water for the gardens and site, we have dug a pond that fills naturally from rainfall and the natural springs we have flowing on site. It contains approximately 140,000 litres or 30,795 gallons of water and is a restful and reflective feature of the lower part of the garden.

     

    The Water Pump

    As celebrating the heritage of the site is at the heart of our passion at Wych Cross, we undertook a restoration project of the old water pump, that once provided water for the garden centre and the neighbouring hotel. The project was a huge job as the pump had to be relocated from its initial position, restored and re-positioned in the garden and although it isn’t a functional object, it allows us to reflect on the vast history of the site.

    Why not visit our wonderful café whilst on site too!

    The Hybrid Tea Room

    The Hybrid Tea Room, a wonderful café that offers a range of drinks, cakes, breakfast and lunch, looks upon the rose area of the centre. The picturesque view from the terrace presents aisles and aisles of colourful roses, pinks blushing throughout each row. Open 7 days a week Monday – Saturday 9.00am -4.30pm and Sunday 10am – 4.30pm Last orders 4pm.

  • Why Gardening Is Good For You

    Encouraging Healthy Eating

    Herb Planters available at The Gardener's Garden Centre

     

    ‘Growing your own’ is an ever-increasingly popular activity with gardeners of all abilities. People are enjoying the transition of garden to plate by planting their own fruit and veg to ensure a ready supply of fresh, organic produce throughout the growing season.

    Whether you have a full-on vegetable patch, a herb planter, or just a hanging basket, it is easy to achieve with only a few products, check out our recipe idea made with Coolings ‘Grow Your Own’ range.

    Not only does growing your own provide a relaxing and stress-free activity, but it proves better for your health and is extremely rewarding! Here at Coolings we sell veg and herb seeds and plants giving you options from growing from scratch, or from a plant if you’re looking for quicker results. Check out our range of Seed Tapes for a great easy option!

    Relaxation 

    Water Feature Selection at The Gardener's Garden Centre


    By creating a relaxing and calm environment in your garden you can feel peace and of sound mind.     Relaxation can be found through many sensory attributes; sound, smell, sight, and touch.

    A calm sound in the garden, such as the serene flow of water, is perfect for blocking away outside noise and creating an area for you to be at peace.

    Water features come in different shapes, themes and colours, shop here to find the perfect component for your garden’s individuality.

    Bright and cheerful colours are guaranteed to be a mood booster, it’s easy to add beautiful shades of your favourite colour with bedding plants, you won’t believe the transformation that a pop of colour adds to your mood when relaxing in the garden.

    Adding colour to hanging baskets and planters in smaller spaces will ensure that colour is prevalent when you look outside.

     

    Plants with a fragrance

     

     

    A relaxing smell throughout the garden, especially near your seating area or on your balcony or windowsill is easy to achieve; whether it be sweet lavender, fresh mint or polemonium ‘heaven scent’ which has beautiful fragrant flowers and is easy to grow.

    Want something with excitement and a bit different? Our Eriostemon Myoporoides, commonly known as the G&T plant for its favoured smell is the perfect accompaniment to any outside space – although inedible, it’s the perfect pairing (from a distance!) for that refreshing summer drink.

     

     

     

    Boosting Immunity 

    Getting a daily dose of Vitamin D is great for fighting off colds, boosting your mood and lowering blood pressure. Also, you can increase your strength, flexibility and overall fitness with regular gardening.

    Mental Health

    Gardening is good for our mental health, by increasing the greenery in your home you can reduce your stress, increase your energy levels and calm your brain for a clearer thinking process.

    We offer many indoor plants which are great air purifiers, perfect for your home. Those suffering from anxiety or depression have found putting their attention to gardening and caring for their plants to be extremely beneficial.

  • Branch Out this Autumn!

    Autumn is the perfect time to plant a tree.

    Planting a tree is a simple yet impactful action that will benefit you and the planet as a whole. It’s an investment in a sustainable and healthier future.

    Planting a tree in your garden has numerous benefits. Not only will a tree add interest and beauty to your garden, but offers shade and cooling once established in the warmer months and provides environmental benefits too – their root systems can help with water and soil conservation, helping to prevent soil erosion and flooding, improve air quality and provide food and a natural habitat for wildlife.

    There are trees in all shapes, sizes and varying colours and there is a perfect one (or few!) that will suit your garden! Trees that offer foliage, fruit, flower, form, shade, screening or autumnal colour we have them all, in a wonderful selection to choose from.  Available in-store* or online.

    *Trees not available at Coolings Lifestyle.

    FRUIT… 

    Malus ‘Halloween’ – a low maintenance option producing gorgeous mini-pumpkin shaped fruits – hence its name!

     

    FORM…

    Sorbus ‘Autumn Spire’ – perfect for smaller spaces, this upright, columnar tree turns purple, red and yellow in autumn. A beautiful form to add to your scheme.

     

    FOLIAGE…

    Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’– One of the prettiest Crab Apple trees with stunning pink flowers and reddish-purple deep cut foliage.

                       

    SHADE…

    Acer fr. ‘Autumn Blaze’ – A very popular fast growing tree with a spectacular red canopy in autumn.

    For more planting inspiration, check out our Autumn 2024 Cuttings magazine here our Branch Out feature is on pages 18 & 19.

    Why plant in autumn?

    Planting in autumn, whilst the soil is still warm and there are plentiful rains, offers a tree just the right amount of time to establish a root system before the ground freezes.

    When it comes to planting trees, pick a time when air temperatures have cooled so that newly planted trees can focus on establishing root systems.

    Look out the window before planting. If your neighbourhood trees still have their leaves – you’re good to go!

    How to Plant a Tree

    1. Dig a bowl-shaped hole about the same depth as the tree’s root, but as much as five times the width!
    2. Settle the root in the centre of the hole you’ve dug and then backfill with the soil you removed.
    3. Gently tamp the soil to remove air pockets, but don’t compact the dirt. The root collar should be slightly above the soil line.
    4. Water well! If the soil settles too much, add more more of the backfill.
    5. Water deeply two or three times a week.

    See our range of planting equipment and accessories in-store* and online or if you live local to The Gardener’s Garden Centre, Knockholt, you can have our professional tree planting services plant them for you. Charges apply. For more information call 01959 532269.

    ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.’ Chinese Proverb

    A tree for every garden