In between ducking out of the winter showers and avoiding the strong winds we’re all busy preparing the Garden Centre for the start of spring!
The Planteria team are thrilled that they have finally finished pressure washing the outdoor area (it is probably one of the worst jobs on site!) and all the tables are now back in place bursting with early spring colour. Over winter we’ve had a smart new fence installed along the back of the ‘Shade Loving Plants’ area and team have worked hard this week to get all of the tables back in to the area and filled up with beautiful new stock. The perennials department is also starting to fill up as stock becomes available from growers. We’re proud to offer one of the largest selections of plants in the country and our expert buyers work closely with suppliers to source the very best stock available. As we receive several new plant deliveries a week there will always be fresh stock in-store when you come to visit us!
Under the bedding canopy there is a riot of colour as our gorgeous home grown primroses are flowering in abundance. While inside the greenhouse some of the houseplants have made way for the baby bedding, don’t worry though, we still have a fantastic range of houseplants available with new, unusual and rare varieties being delivered every week. Amongst this week’s deliveries we received a selection of Calathea, these beautiful houseplants boast stunning foliage and have the added bonus of helping to purify the air. We also have a new range of indoor pot covers which includes quirky little ‘heads’ which look great with ferns in them!
Inside the shop, seeds, onions, shallots and seed potatoes are now in stock. The arrival of the new season’s seeds always heralds much excitement from our team as we eagerly discover what new varieties we have. Amongst this year’s favourites are:
- Leek F1 ‘Mercurian’ – a strong growing variety with long white stems and an upright, non-drooping habit.
- Tomato F1 ‘Orange Beauty’ – is a high yielding variety with slightly larger-fruited baby plum tomatoes. Perfect for a healthy snack.
- Parsnip F1 ‘Warrior’ – this British-bred variety has vigorous foliage, allowing roots to bulk up early. Harvested in winter it boasts long storage potential.
- Craspedia ‘Billy Buttons’ – this long lasting summer bedding plant boasts quirky, spherical blooms that make excellent cut flowers.
- Marigold ‘Firebird’ – with a neat, compact habit, this marigold is ideal for borders or containers where it will flower throughout the summer. The vibrant double blooms will inject a blaze of colour into your garden.
More people than ever are now ‘Growing Their Own’ vegetables which isn’t surprising given the satisfaction you get from picking and eating fresh and tasty produce grown in your own garden or outdoor space! For those that haven’t grown seed potatoes before or are short on space, the ‘Taster’ packs from Taylors are an ideal choice. Offering a smaller than traditional pack the range contains new and old varieties. They’re also a great choice if you would like to try a few different varieties!
We have so many new products for spring that I can’t mention them all here or I’d be writing all day! I will try and update you with as many as possible each week though, or you could come and visit and see them all for yourself!