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Category: Seasonal

  • Summer Soothers

    This week, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we have picked our top herbaceous choices to create a calm blue display in your garden. At this time of year the herbaceous border comes into its own, bursting into life and overflowing with colour. These plants will look great this Summer and will create comeback colour, as they will thrive again next year. If a trip to the garden centre sounds more stressful than calming at the time, then remember you can also shop with us online and get plants delivered directly to your door.

    Agapanthus ‘Silver Moon’

    A lovely deciduous perennial with strap-like foliage with flowers from mid to late summer. Heads of soft blue flowers are held on upright stems, up to 60cm. It likes a sunny spot. Buy online.

    Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’

    ‘Six Hills Giant’ produces an abundance of lavender-blue flowers in Summer, paired with grey-green foliage. It will grow to around 90cm high and will be at home in the sunshine. Buy online.

    Geranium ‘Blue Sunrise’

    This hardy geranium sports blue flowers with purple veins and golden-green leaves. ‘Blue sunrise’ enjoys the sunshine has a sprawling habit, making it a good choice for the front of a border. Buy online.

    Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ (AGM)

    ‘Walker’s Low’ produces mauve-blue flowers throughout summer and has delicate aromatic foliage. Loved by bees and gardeners alike, it holds an Award of Garden Merit. Buy online.

    Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’

    ‘Cherry Ingram’ produces delicate starry blue flowers in a deep blue shade. Smaller in stature at around 25cm, this compact variety is good at the front of a border or as ground cover. Buy online.

    Polemonium reptans ‘Heaven Scent’

    ‘Heaven Scent’ is a beautiful variety of Polemonium, with dark purple foliage in Spring and lightly fragrant purple-blue flowers through to July. Towards the end of Summer foliage will turn green. Growing to around 60cm high, ‘Heaven Scent’ is happy in sun or part shade. Buy online.

    Salvia ‘Blue Marvel’

    Recognisable by its super large blossoms, ‘Blue Marvel’ produces spikes of violet-blue flowers throughout Summer. Ideal for containers, it makes a bold addition to a patio. Additionally, use it as part of a cottage garden as it’s loved by wildlife. Buy online.

    Nepeta x faassenii (syn N. mussinii)

    Also known as Catmint, this Nepeta is a beautiful choice for a border. It has swathes of spike-like, pale lavender-blue flowers with aromatic silvery grey-green leaves. It likes sun or part shade and will grow to around 45cm high. Buy online.

    Veronica teucrium ‘Crater Lake Blue’ (AGM)

    Producing a sea of blue, ‘Crater Lake Blue’ is the perfect choice for the front of a border. Holding an Award of Garden Merit, this impressive variety will create an intense show of blue from June to August. Buy online.

  • An Update from Coolings

    We have been happy to donate some of our beautiful plants to some local schools, hospitals and care homes. These have included Warren Road School, Hayes Primary School, Darent Valley Hospital and Bishop Justus School. Our key workers are doing such as fantastic job at the moment and we hope the plants help to brighten up their workspaces.

    Deliveries to local schools and hospitals 

    You may have also noticed that we have launched a new website. It has been a long time in the making and we are delighted to have a sleeker, modern look. We hope that it improves your experience of using our website and allows easier navigation of the online shop.

    Looking forward, we are hoping that we will be able to reopen soon and are looking into how we can practice social distance effectively. With Spring well underway, we would love to allow our visitors back to see our beautiful site. We will only open when we are sure that we can keep both customers and staff safe and until that time we will continue to offer online deliveries.

    Arthurs Garden

    Arthurs Garden

    To order online please visit www.coolings.co.uk/shop. We are currently only delivering to the inner delivery postcode area due to the number of vans we have, so please check that your address is eligible for delivery before trying to order. The minimum order value is £30 and orders over £80 in value will receive free delivery.

    From all of us here at Coolings, please keep safe, enjoy the sunshine and get working on those gardens!

    #theexperienceisgrowing

  • Summer Trailers

    Gardeners are fortunate to have such a wide palette of colours to choose from when it comes to trailers. Whether you like big and bold or dainty and restrained, there will be something for you at Coolings!

    Blue Scaevola
    Also known as the fan flower, this beautiful blue trailer has a profusion of blooms and its cascading habit makes it a perfect choice for hanging baskets or containers.

    Pink Diascia
    A pretty pink variety which works well with other coloured diacias as well as verbenas and petunias. If you’re looking for something to give your baskets and containers a softer look then this one is a winner.

    Trailing Begonia ‘Illumination Apricot’
    This blazing variety will produce large cascading flowers, which will bring colour to even dark corners. Begonias are popular choice year after year and once you’ve grown this impressive variety, you’ll see why.

    Trailing Fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes’
    Fuchsias are an outstanding plant, which bring some real drama to pots and baskets. This beautiful variety is a strong flowerer and with it’s vibrant pink and purple tones, it’s sure to be a favourite.

    Trailing Geranium Lilac
    A real favourite and well suited to UK summers, this pretty geranium produces masses of lilac flowers from May onwards. Plant it with pinks and whites for a soft and pretty basket.

    Trailing Lobelia ‘Waterfall Blue’
    Purple-blue and impressive, this Lobelia produces mountains of flowers. It lives up to it’s name, with it’s flowers producing a real cascading waterfall of summer colour.

    Trailing Red Petunia
    A classic choice which you can’t go wrong with. Red petunias produce a lovely show throughout summer, bringing vibrant colour to baskets and really catching the eye.

    Verbena ‘Sissinghurst’
    Verbena are beautiful plants for containers, with their pretty form and habit. This bright pink variety, ‘Sissinghurst’ is a lovely choice for producing vibrant baskets and pots. 

    White Bacopa
    This Bacopa sports masses of clean white flowers, sharpening up the look of your bedding mixtures and making it the ideal companion for other plants in baskets and containers.

    Yellow Bidens
    This yellow variety is bright and sunny, a cheery choice which really packs a punch. An underrated plant which works well with many other bedding plants, making it ideal for hanging baskets.

    Foliage

    We would also recommend adding texture and interest to your baskets and containers with a few well chosen trailing foliage plants. Our three favourites for the season ahead are:

    • Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
    • Helichrysum Silver
    • Variegated Nepeta (Trailing)

  • Spring Glamour

    With their glossy evergreen foliage and exuberant Spring blooms, Camellias are desirable and attractive plants to enhance your garden. In Spring, they make a really special addition to the garden, with their soft colours and shapes. They require acidic (ericaceous) soil, but if you do not have this, they will live happily in a large pot if grown in ericaceous compost. These are our top 6 choices this season.

    Camellia x williamsii ‘Ruby Wedding’

    A dense, evergreen shrub which grows well in part shade; this impressive Camellia produces striking medium sized red flowers from February to May.

    Camellia japonica ‘Brushfield’s Yellow’

    With elegant creamy-white flowers and an eye-catching yellow centre, ‘Brushfield’s Yellow’ is a popular choice of Camellia.

    Camellia x williamsii ‘Donation’

    This RHS award-winning hybrid is a reliable Camellia which exhibits large semi-double pink flowers in early spring.

    Camellia japonica ‘Silver Anniversary’

    With irregular petals, these large flowers produce interest from mid-winter to early spring, with distinctive golden stamen.

    Camellia japonica ‘Desire’

    This detailed Camellia has beautiful white and pink flowers which produce a lovely focal point in the garden.

    Camellia japonica ‘Bonomiana’

    ‘Bonomiana’ produces beautiful white and pink flowers in early spring and likes a sheltered spot in the garden.

    To give your Camellias the best start, we recommend planting with Coolings 60L Ericaceous Compost. Make sure plants are well fed – our pick would be Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Liquid Plant Food 1L.

     

  • Wildflowers for Wildlife

    Cowslip

    One of the best known Spring flowers, these yellow beauties tend to be found in open woods and meadows. Cowslip likes sun or partial shade.

    Oxeye Daisy

    This robust daisy thrives from June to August and produces flowers that can be 6cm across. The yellow centre of the flowerhead attracts many nectar-loving insects.

    Greater Knapweed

    This upright perennial is a favourite of butterflies. Growing up to 75cm, it produces eye-catching pinkish purple heads made up of many small florets.

    Wild Foxglove

    This beautiful and bold wildflower grows up to 120cm in height and brings a wonderful dash of colour. An excellent source of nectar and pollen, this is loved by bees.

    Wild Marjoram

    More frequently known as Oregano, this plant produces delightful clusters of pink flowers and attracts butterflies and bees galore.

    Field Scabious

    Pom-pom like lilac blooms are produced atop long stalks, flowering between July and September. They bring a delicate and pretty feel to the garden.

  • Moroccan Mood!

    Osteospermum ‘Blushing Beauty’

    If you’re looking for vibrant colour, look no further than this exuberant Osteospermum. With its yellow and pink flowers it brings an exotic touch to the garden and makes an impressive duo with Osteospermum ‘Blue Eyed Beauty’.

    Osteospermum ‘Blue Eyed Beauty’

    From early summer to mid-Autumn, this cheerful and hardy perennial will produce yellow daisy-like flowers. Sun loving ‘Blue Eyed Beauty’ is ideal for border fronts or containers, adding a spray of colour to the garden.

    Pelargonium zonale classic ‘Grand Prix’

    Beautiful rich red blooms are displayed on this vigorously performing, sun-loving geranium. It impresses in flowerbeds or containers, flowering prolifically throughout Summer.

    Verbena ‘Empress Flair Red’

    This perennial blooms energetically throughout summer with wonderful star-shaped red flowers. It makes for an excellent ground cover plant and also works well in baskets due to its trailing habit. Deadhead when necessary to help further flowering late into the season.

    Diascia ‘Breezee Plus Apricot’

    Ideal for borders or pots, this compact semi-evergreen perennial produces a profusion of apricot coloured flowers from May to October, which contrast beautifully against its dark-green leaves. An excellent choice for baskets and pots.

    Calibrachoa Can Can ‘Orange’

    Easy to grow and long-flowering, with beautiful marmalade colour petals. It makes particular impact in baskets or pots, where its bright trailing style gives an exuberant display. For more Moroccan tones, look out for Calibrachoa Can Can ‘Sunrise’ and Calibrachoa Double Can Can ‘Apricot’.

    New! Bidens ‘Blazing Fire’

    This bright and compact newcomer is a stunner with its paint dipped effect; eye-catching yellow flowers, tipped with orange. It flowers abundantly, making it an ideal choice for containers or borders where it will add a bright touch.

    Gazania ‘Sunbathers Totonaca’

    With wide luxurious red and yellow flowers, ‘Sunbathers Totonaca’ is an impressive addition to the garden and is a long bloomer, providing interest throughout the Summer. It makes an excellent cut flower and is also tolerant to coastal conditions.

    Helianthus Sunbelievable ‘Brown-Eyed-Girl’

    Chelsea Flower Show’s 2018 Bronze medal for Plant of the Year, this Sunflower is a prolific flowerer and can produce over a thousand flowers during growing season. Bright and cheerful, it will drench your garden in magnificent sunshine yellow.

    Mini Trailing Petunias

    Easy to grow and long-flowering, with beautiful marmalade colour petals. These make a particular impact in baskets or pots, where its bright trailing style gives an exuberant display.

  • Create Your Own Cottage Garden

    Geranium clarkei ‘Kashmir Purple’

    ‘Kashmir Purple’ is an ideal ground cover plant, as well as being a cottage garden classic. It flowers from June through to September and its pretty purple colour will complement neighbouring white and pink flowers. It is sure to attract a buzz as it is loved by bees.

    Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’

    This pretty perennial is perfect for cottage gardens. It’s grey-green foliage and profusions of violet-blue flowers make it an attractive choice. Loved by bees, ‘Six Hills Giant’ will flood the garden with vibrant colour.

    Lythrum virgatum ‘The Rocket’

    ‘The Rocket’ is a vigorous herbaceous perennial, which displays racemes of bright pink flowers from early Summer through to early Autumn. It likes to make its mark on the garden, so deadhead to prevent further seeding.

    Agastache foeniculum ‘Blackadder’

    With its spiky texture and bold colour, ‘Blackadder’ has a striking presence in the cottage garden. Its violet-blue flowers last from mid-Summer to Autumn and its height makes it a bold statement in any company.

    Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Marvel’

    Winner of the HTA’s Best in Show 2016, this extraordinary Salvia is known for its rich blue blossoms, which are the largest of all the Salvia nemorosa species. It likes full sun and is a magnet for butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds!

    Verbascum ‘Cotswold Queen’

    Perfect for adding height and structure to a cottage garden, ‘Cotswold Queen’ is a robust Verbascum, flowering from early to mid-Summer. Its bright yellow flowers have a pinkish-purple eye and make it a noticeable presence in the garden.

    Digitalis x valinii ‘Firebird’

    This new Digitalis produces large spikes of copper pink, orangey flowers throughout Summer. Awarded second place by the RHS in its 2016 Plant of the Year competition, this is a distinctive and unusual choice for a cottage garden.

    Silene dioica ‘Rollie’s Favorite’

    ‘Rollie’s Favourite’ is an eye-catching and compact choice, which produces bundles of pink flowers in late Spring and early Summer. It works well as ground cover plant but also has a slight trailing habit, allowing it to work well along paths or steps.

     

     

  • Shabby Chic for Spring

    Allium ‘Mount Everest’

    These statuesque flowers (growing to 90-100cm) and are a firm favourite and look stunning soaring up the back of a border. Alliums are an ideal choice for adding the wow factor to the garden.

    Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’

    This Dicentra is a shade lover, making it ideal for a mixed border in a shady area. It has arching wands of pretty heart-shaped white flowers which will brighten up any dull corner.

    Brunnera macrophylla ‘Betty Bowring’

    ‘Betty Bowring’ produces sprays of pure white forget-me-not like flowers. These flowers are numerous in April and May and will add a clean, white touch to a shady garden space.

    Scabious ‘Kudos White’

    This large flowering Scabious is a great garden addition. It is ideal for attracting wildlife to the garden as it is loved by bees. With regular deadheading, the show will keep on going.

    Aquilegia ‘Dove’

    This iconic cottage garden plant is eye-catching when grown underneath shrubs and roses and as an added bonus, is fairly undemanding. Flowering from early Summer, it produces large and elegant flowers.

    Bergenia ‘Bressingham White’

    ‘Bressingham White’ produces masses of pretty and pristine white flowers, which bloom in early Spring. This easy-to-grow, evergreen perennial will be happy in sun or shade.

    Pulmonaria ‘Sissinghurst White’

    AGM winning with mottled leaves, this Pulmonaria is a reliable performer and has fantastic disease and pest resilience. Its pretty funnel-shaped white flowers are ideal for a Shabby Chic touch.

    Dianthus ‘Memories’

    This compact Dianthus has brilliant pure white double flowers, which are real eye-catchers. It has a interesting spicy scent, making it the perfect plant choice for entertaining areas and entrance ways.

     

  • Christmas Gift Guide

    These are our top recommendations if you’re looking for the perfect gift for someone special this Christmas!

    Gifts for her
    Find the perfect gift for her with our large selection of gifts, ranging from ladies gardening accessories to beauty sets to home gifts.

    Gifts for him
    Treat dad, son, friend or partner with our brilliant gift selection. Choose from outerwear for the Winter months, gardening accessories, male grooming and more.

    Gifts for kids
    It’s never too early to get them started and we have a great range of products to get the little ones potting around the garden. Keep them protected from the weather and equip them with smaller versions of every gardener’s essential tools!

    Gifts for the home
    Impress your house-proud friends and family with a beautiful gift for their home this Christmas. From novelty accessories to luxury décor, we have just the thing for you, including our range of PTMD home.

    Secret Santa gifts
    Whether your Secret Santa budget is big or small, we have a selection of gifts that are perfect for everyone from the discerning foodie to the beginner gardener.

    Gifts for the gardener
    Within our range of garden tools and accessories, you will be sure to find a gift for your garden loving friends and family. A particular favourite is our beautiful Burgon & Ball range which will smarten up any shed or greenhouse.

    Gifts for the foodie
    Our food and drink selection is perfect for putting together a Christmas hamper, or just for giving a little sweet treat to someone. We have an excellent range of cookbooks as well as lots of sweets, drinks and food gifts.

  • How To Care For Your Christmas Tree

    1) Please remember, like all plants your Christmas tree will need to be watered regularly. It’s best to use a stand that holds water (like all those sold at Coolings) as this will save the time you have to spend watering and allows the tree to take up the water it needs.

    2) For cut trees it is advisable to saw a sliver of wood off of the base of the tree before decorating. This will help the tree to take up water more efficiently.

    3) If possible, do not bring the tree indoors too early. Remember that it is an outdoor plant and will do better outside than in!

    4) Keep your tree away from sources of heat such as radiators. If it is near heat this will cause it to dry out quicker, so if you have to put it somewhere warmer, ensure you keep it well watered.

    These steps should ensure you can enjoy your chosen tree for as long as possible. Happy Christmas!