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- FROM COOLINGS -

AUTUMN 2024

with every purchase and we will donate 10p to Demelza (excluding coffee shop purchases)

THE EXPERIENCE IS GROWING

Photo: Jon Reburn

Dear Friends,

I trust this edition of Cuttings finds you well. The horticulturalist in me can’t resist mentioning the weather as I write this, as the summer we hoped for has yet to fully materialise. However, it gives me the opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved at Coolings in the past few months. Garden centres have become many things over the decades, but still, plants remain at the very heart of who we are, and knowing there are millions of Coolings plants now growing in gardens throughout Kent, Sussex, and London would certainly bring great pride and satisfaction to Michael Cooling who founded our company.

At Coolings Wych Cross, located in the heart of the stunning Ashdown Forest, we have been busy restoring a garden, now aptly named the ‘Pump Garden’.

Welcome to Coolings Gary Carvosso

The name comes from the pump that now stands proudly on display in the half-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. The garden is open and free to visit seven days a week. Please come and enjoy!

Whilst plants are at the core of our offering, a quiet transformation has also been taking place at our Coolings Lifestyle store in Knockholt; we are excited to bring another passion to the fore - Lifestyle and Interiors. Customers can explore our carefully selected indoor and outdoor furniture, home accessories, and gift ranges first-hand. Our focus is on offering exceptional products to enhance your living space with a blend of style, quality, and appeal to all budgets.

Our collective responsibility to act sustainably is growing. One we take seriously is plastic pot and tray recycling - the team recycles several tonnes each month. Please feel free to bring back your pots or take some home from our recycling bins to reuse rather than buy new ones.

And finally, we enjoyed celebrating in style with over 200 students who studied and graduated with us last year. If you would like to know more, there are currently a few remaining spaces for the 2024-25 season. Please find more details on our website under Courses.

Best wishes for the autumn season.

Chairman

Autumn Season Essentials

Save on these autumn essentials with your Coolings Family member card - simply present your Coolings Family card at the till to redeem!

The Inbetweeners

Come-back colour perennials for late summer.

As summer meanders into autumn, there are plenty of late-flowering or foliage interest perennials to bridge the colour gap between seasons. Look out in-store for stunning late-season planting combinations that will return each year.

Dark and Dramatic – for Sun

Persicaria ‘Darjeeling Red’

Litre £13.99 (188377)

Sedum ‘Chocolate Cherry’ 3 Litre £13.99 (259571)1)

Geranium ‘Stormy Night’ 2 Litre £13.99 (319391)

(261552)

Pure and Simple – for Shade

Tricyrtis hirta ‘Akachan Daisy’

Litre £11.99 (325375)

‘Rose Crystal’

Litre £12.99 (252268) Phlox paniculata ‘Olympus’

Litre £13.99 (321627) Anemone ‘Dreaming Swan’

Litre £13.99 (233640)

Liriope ‘Monroe White’

Litre £12.99 (186880)

Bedding down for Autumn!

As the vibrant colours of summer fade, this season brings a new palette of warm, earthy hues to our gardens. Bedding plants offer an opportunity to refresh your planting and add bursts of colour, from rich reds to golden yellows, to brighten displays as the days grow shorter.

Our cheery bedding and patio plants will brighten even the darkest days. Pack your garden with vibrant and blooming bedding to fill beds, baskets and planters with seasonal colour to carry through until spring!

Bedding on a budget

Pick ‘n’ Mix Bedding Plants

Offer available in-store from 1st October

Choose your own mix from our Coolings Essentials 9cm Bedding Range 10 for £10.

Cascading Colour

For a stunning cascade of colour from your pots and baskets, why not plant trailing Pansy Coolwave?

1 Litre

£5.99 (226660)

Mini Cyclamen

For Extra Impact!

In super stunning shades of pink, white and red, these are autumn and winter winners! Look out for large-lowered Cyclamen ‘Indiaka’ in 1 Litre pots. 1 Litre £5.99 (255334)

Ever popular, you can plant them now and enjoy them in spring! Colourful profusion of long-lasting flowers to brighten your days. Pots & Packs available.

Chrysanthemums

Cracking Chrysanthemums are a ball of blooms in autumn and capture the mood of the moment! Look out for our amazing home-grown Chrysanthemum Trio Pots. 5 Litre £14.99 (271787)

Violas & Pansies

Our home-grown bedding violas and pansies are sure to put a smile on your face!

There are over 30 colours and mixes to choose from in our Coolings Essential Pack Bedding range with super prices held for nine years!

£3.79 Per Pack for Coolings Family Card Members buying 3 or more packs. Normally £3.99 per pack.

Gardening Jobs for Autumn

Autumn may be here, but there is plenty to keep you occupied in the garden. We have called them jobs, but as Mark Twain said, do a job you love, you never work a day in your life''!

Keep the birds happy:

Top up feeders with high-energy food such as sunflower hearts, peanuts and suet.

Leave berries and seed heads on plants for them to feed from.

Keep water fresh and clear of ice.

Wash feeders and keep them clean.

Put out some mealworms or apple on the bird table for a sweet treat.

Other:

Plant Spring bulbs – it’ll pay dividends in the spring!

Pop some winter bedding into pots, especially by the front door. Plant soft fruit such as blackcurrants for delicious berries next year.

Protect tender plants by covering them with fleece or bubble wrap or bring them indoors.

Scarify the Lawn: Remove thatch that has built up during the year to allow for more even growth next year.

Rake Leaves: Prevent leaves from smothering grass and reduce fungal diseases.

Feed & Moss control: Apply a fertilizer to strengthen roots and reduce moss. Look for Miracle-Gro Evergreen Autumn Lawn Care at Coolings.

oversow lawn with fresh grass seed before it gets cold.

Mulch the beds:

Avoid heavy foot traffic on wet lawns - it will compact soil and harm the lawn. Avoid mowing over wet worm casts - allow them to dry out or remove them before mowing.

Coolings Professional Lawn Care service offers a Lawn Revival treatment that combines scarification, feeding, and overseeding in the same visit.

Call 01959 532 269 for a free estimate.

Reduces weed growth by blocking sunlight.

Helps soil retain moisture, reducing watering needs.

Insulates the soil, keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Organic mulch decomposes, enriching the soil with nutrients.

Enhances the visual appearance of flower beds.

Helps maintain soil aeration and reduces compaction.

DON'T FORGET

Buy Mulch from Coolings www.coolings.co.uk/shop/products/ compost/mulch/page-1

Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’

1 Litre £6.99 (210530)

Heuchera ‘Marmalade’

1 Litre £6.99 (211041)

Heuchera ‘Peach Flambé’

1 Litre £6.99 (195871)

Heuchera ‘Silver Gumdrop’

1 Litre £6.99 (309144)

Hoorah for

The perfect all-season, fuss free

September Family Card Offer 3 for £12

Happy in sun or shade. Colourful evergreen leaves. Fantastic ground cover to keep weeds away. Perfect for pots and planters.

In order to redeem your vouchers, simply present your Family card and tell the till operator you would like to redeem the offer, we’ll do the rest!

Coolings may refuse to redeem the voucher without your Coolings Family card. If for any reason you have mislaid your Coolings Family card, please speak to a member of our team and we will be more than happy to resolve this for you.

* Please see Coolings Lifestyle supplement for exclusive Lifestyle Vouchers.

In order to redeem your vouchers, simply present your Family card and tell the till operator you would like to redeem the offer, we’ll do the rest! Coolings may refuse to redeem the voucher without your Coolings Family card. If for any reason you have mislaid your Coolings Family card, please speak to a member of our team and we will be more than happy to resolve this for you.

Cool White

Plant Narcissus ‘Thalia’ with Tulip ‘Purissima’ for a really elegant display and pop in a few white crocus and Hyacinth ‘Carnigie’ to scent the air.

Sunny Yellow

Vibrant spring colour - Tulip ‘Novi Sun’ with multi headed Narcissus ‘Tête-à-Tête’ and Crocus ‘Cream Beauty’. For scent, add Hyacinth ‘City of Haarlem’.

Citrus Punch

Scented Tulip ‘Ballerina’ and Hyacinth ‘Odysseus’ with the unusual Fritillaria ‘Aurora’ followed by the dramatic spire of Fritillaria ‘Rubra’.

Flaming Reds

Hyacinth ‘Jan Bos’ is a lovely pinky-red colour, planting it with Tulip ‘Red Riding Hood’ followed by Anemone coronaria ‘Hollandia’ gives a hot display.

BOLD

Varieties vary across all sites and are subject to availability. Not available at Coolings Lifestyle.

Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ - Select

Hyacinth ‘Bestseller’

Tulip ‘Queen of the Night’

Tulip ‘Red Riding Hood’

Red Anemone coronaria

Tulip ‘Daydream’

Crocus ‘Cream Beauty’

Narcissus ‘Thalia’

Tulip ‘Mount Tacoma’

Tulip ‘Spring Green’

Tulip ‘Novi Sun’

Tulip ‘Purissima’

Galanthus Nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’

BULBS

Theming this Autumn for Spring

Passionate Purple

Use black and blue pots of purple crocus, dark blue Hyacinth ‘Peter Stuyvesant’ with a heady perfume followed by satiny black Tulip ‘Queen Of The Night’ and towering Fritillaria persica with its nodding black bells.

Moody Blues

Muscari, with their dainty spikes of flowers, fragrant dwarf Iris ‘Harmony’ and bluebells (English of course!) with nodding heads.

Popular Pink

Probably the most chosen colour in our bulb selection.

Try Tulip 'Synaeda Amor' pastel pink preceded by Chionodoxa ‘Pink Giant’ with pale pink Hyacinth ‘Fondant’.

Tulip ‘Negrita’ Purple Crocus

Tulip ‘Purple Dream’

Hyacinth

Peter Stuyvesant’

Tulip ‘Synaeda Amor’

Tulip ‘Pink Impression’

Tulip ‘Angelique’

Chionodoxa

Pink Giant’ Anemone

Cyclamen ‘Coum’

Fritillaria meleagris

Scan here to shop for bulbs

Shades of Autumn Shrubs

There are lots of lovely shrubs that come to the fore in autumn. Here are a few new arrivals alongside some of our firm autumn favourites.

Azalea Rhododendron Encore®

Flowering first in spring and then returning for a repeat performance in autumn, we are excited to premier this fantastic new dwarf, repeat flowering Azalea range. Available now in a variety of fabulous colours.

‘Autumn Fire’ 3 Litre (331217)

‘Autumn Starburst’ 3 Litre (331218)

‘Pure White’ 3 Litre (331220)

‘Majesty’ 3 Litre (331222)

‘Autumn Sunburst’ 3 Litre (331221)

More New Arrivals...

Callicarpa

‘Pearl Glam’ R

3 Litre

£24.99 (324073)

Part of the ‘Proven Winners’ range, this glamorous new introduction boasts purple foliage in addition to ornamental purple pearl-like berries in autumn.

Skimmia

‘Double Diamond’

10.5cm pot

£6.99 (331254)

Twin varieties grown together as a single specimen make a spectacular combination of white and pink buds opening in spring. Also ideal as a centrepiece for an autumn planter.

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

‘Fireballs’ R

2 Litre £15.99 (256193)

This red-berried beauty is a fantastic new compact, autumn-interest, evergreen shrub suitable for growing in pots. Best planted in Ericaceous compost.

Acer

‘Little Red’

3 Litre £32.99 (319337)

This stunning little Acer is ideal for small gardens as it never gets too big. The red foliage creates a blazing autumn show.

Firm Autumn Favourites

Our top shrub picks for autumn interest and great where space is limited.

Euonymus japonicus

‘ White Spire’

2 Litre £18.99 (255218)

Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’

3 Litre £18.99 (184697)

Pieris japonica ‘Little Frosty’

2 Litre £18.99 (246196)

Leucothoe keiskei

‘Burning Love’

2 Litre £18.99 (273834)

Branch Out

This Autumn!

Plant a tree to help save the planet… but get so much more.

Trees come in all shapes and sizes, and we’re sure there is a perfect tree out there for your garden. Here, we have picked our favourites based on their unique strengths.

FOLIAGE

Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’ 12 Litre £79.99 (313085)

One of the prettiest Crab Apple trees you’ll find, with stunning pink flowers and reddish-purple deep cut foliage.

If you live local to The Gardener’s Garden Centre, Knockholt, you can have our professional tree planting service plant these for you. Charges apply. For more information call 01959 532269

Acer palmatum ‘Bi Ho’ 3 Litre £32.99 (248061)

A chameleon of a tree with leaves changing colour throughout the year against a splendid gold bark.

BERRY

Cotoneaster frig. ‘Cornubia’ 12 Litre £79.99 (184734) Ideal for providing year-round colour with white flowers in summer followed by striking red berries in autumn.

FLOWER

Prunus x sub. ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ 12 Litre £79.99 (184678)

A great tree for winter interest with delicate pink flowers from November to March.

FRUIT FORM SHADE

Malus ‘Halloween’ 12 Litre £79.99 (312707)

A low-maintenance option producing gorgeous mini-pumpkin shaped fruits, hence its name!

Sorbus ‘Autumn Spire’ 12 Litre £79.99 (185465)

Perfect for smaller spaces, this tree is upright or columnar with green leaves which turn purple, red and yellow in autumn.

SCREENING

Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ 12 Litre £79.99 (184372)

A striking ornamental tree with a dense crown which will be one of the first to blossom in spring.

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

Acer fr. ‘Autumn Blaze’ 12 Litre £79.99 (193390)

A very popular fast-growing tree with a spectacular red canopy in autumn.

PATIO POT

Prunus ‘Little Pink Perfection’ 11.5 Litre £79.99 (183044)

A beautiful dwarf ornamental cherry tree with pink-red buds, opening to double pink blooms. Just perfect for a patio pot!

- Chinese Proverb Scan here to buy trees this autumn

If you would like to purchase any of the products online, just type in the six-digit number to help you shop easily.

Go Big in your home...

Ready to embrace the green revolution and bring nature into your home? Go big with large, bold houseplants that make a real statement in your rooms. Not only can they create the illusion of space, but they bring a greater sense of wellbeing and sense of sanctuary.

Nicky our Houseplant expert

Here are Nicky's favourites and her motto is;

'there is always room for one more'!

TOP TIP!

Plants love being grouped together as it reminds them of their natural habitat.

We have a range of houseplants and complementary pots available at all sites, come in store and have a look.

Air purifying

For impact, statement & style

Kentia Palm

Elegant air-purifying plant that is resilient and low maintenance. Adds an exotic element to your home. Can tolerate low light, cooler temperatures, and dry air conditions. Suitable in any room.

Dracaena

These plants love a bathroom for the humidity, but they are also one of the best plants for a bedroom as it filters out many air pollutants and it helps to reduce levels of anxiety and mental fatigue, aiding sleep too. Not suitable if you have pets in the house.

Monstera deliciosa

Classic houseplant with imposing foliage - large leaves with elliptical holes, it’s a striking plant originating from Central American jungle. Easy to care for and suitable for beginners. Place where there is plenty of indirect light, they love a warm and humid environment.

Strelitzia nicolai

This plant is a great choice for bringing a touch of the exotic to a bright sunny room or conservatory. This striking houseplant can reach 2m tall and is grown for its stunning foliage, so needs a good space.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Very popular with their distinctive white flower-like spathes. Easy to grow and happy in indirect light, they are an elegant addition to your home. They like consistent warmth and humidity, so a spot in the bathroom is ideal.

Epipremnum aureum

Decorative plant that will climb up a moss pole or cascade as a trailing vine from shelves, with glossy, rich green heart shaped leaves splashed with yellow. An ideal plant for any space in the house. Fast growing, easy-care plant suitable for beginners. Likes a warm spot with indirect light.

Save with your Coolings Family Membership

There are many things to love about being a member of Coolings Family, including:

Exclusive Member Prices – look out for the orange signs around our centres. All of our best offers are exclusively available to our Coolings Family members.

Monthly Vouchers – each month we issue three vouchers exclusively to our members. Keep an eye on your email or check out our Cuttings magazine for details.

Your Treat

As a thank you for being a Coolings Family member, enjoy an exclusive treat each month on us. Our Horticultural Manager selects the best in season exclusively for you! from Coolings

Don’t forget to scan your Coolings Family card every time you shop with us.

Tastes of

autumn

This season we are celebrating tastes of autumn in our 'specials' featuring in our cafés and Arthurs restaurant.

September - Strawberries

Planting strawberry plants in early September gives plants more time to establish and produce a better crop the following spring/summer.

November - Apples

November is a great time to plant apple trees.

Specials

StrawberrySeptemberGateau

October

Pumpkin & Ginger Slice

November

Apple & Cinnamon Cake

December

Parsnip & Pecan Cake

October - Pumpkin

The seasonal staple has little waste with most parts of the pumpkin being edible, including fleshy shell, seeds, flowers, and leaves. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, or roasted.

December - Parsnips

The humble parsnip is a staple this time of year, especially on our Christmas dinners, packing fibre, vitamins & minerals in each serving. This December, why not try our parsnip & pecan sponge.

Christmas Lunches at Arthurs

Our Christmas dinners will be running again from Monday 9th December until Friday 13th December 2024. For more information, please see our website or come in to store. Seasonal drinks will be available throughout, at all our cafés and Arthurs restaurant.

Rushmore Hill, Knockholt, Kent, TN14 7NN

Come along and see a huge selection of exquisite gifts and treats, all hand made in South-East England.

Antiques & Collectables Fair

Find unique items from the vast array of antique stalls and add something special. to your home or collection or find that perfect special gift for someone.

12th & 13th October 10am - 4pm

Kent Potters Ceramics Fair

Showcasing members’ work & celebrating 50 years of the Association. 26th & 27th October 2024 10am – 4pm

Meet invited guests from the Great Pottery Throwdown… Lois Gunn (winner 2023) Rainna Erbas (winner 2020) Plus a Children’s 'Make and Take' Area At Coolings The Gardener's Garden Centre

Friday, Saturday & Sundays

Autumn 13th - 15th September

Christmas

29th November - 1st December 10am - 4pm