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Gardening Inspiration

Homegrown Plants

The Whitegates Team

Family friendly

Whitegates Nursery

We show you six of our favourite hardy plants to grow in your garden.

These hardy plants for your garden will help you create a colourful space with plants that will grow back year after year. Each of these are easy to grow and care for, and you will know that they will survive cold weather over the winter and soon grow back up above the soil again in spring. Hardy plants mean less need for lifting plants and protecting plants, and you can sit back and enjoy your garden. We show you six of our favourite hardy plants to grow in your garden.

<h2>Hardy plants to grow in your garden</h2>

<ol>
	<li>Achillea (yarrow)</li>
</ol>

Yarrow has feathery foliage and brightly coloured flat flower heads. It&#39;s attractive to pollinators and can brighten up a border in no time. It&#39;s often one of the first and last to flower in the garden, it has a long flowering season and looks great in a bunch of cut flowers. Plant in a sunny spot with well-drained soil.&nbsp;

<ol start="2">
	<li>Rudbeckia Goldsturm</li>
</ol>

A herbaceous perennial which flowers with large, yellow, daisy like flowers with black centres from August to September. Perfect to add a splash of late colour to your garden which will return year after year.&nbsp;

<ol start="3">
	<li>Convallaria Majalis (Lily of the Valley)</li>
</ol>

A low growing hardy perennial which flowers with an abundance of dainty, bell shaped white flowers which are known for their fragrance. An adaptable plant which is happy to grow in most conditions and is great to use as ground cover in a shady area.&nbsp;

<ol start="4">
	<li>Geranium (cranesbill)&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

Cranesbill isn&#39;t the same as the bedding Geranium that graces containers and hanging baskets in the summer. It&#39;s a hardy perennial that can cover ground really quickly. There are many to choose from, including vibrant pink to almost blue, and they need very little care. These can flower for a long spring and summer period and grow back again the following year.

<ol start="5">
	<li>Alchemilla mollie (lady&#39;s mantle)</li>
</ol>

Perhaps one of the hardiest of them all, the vibrant green flowers work well with just about any other garden plant and in a vase of cut flowers. It needs very little care but will self-seed readily, so keep an eye on seedlings popping up where you don&#39;t want them and cut back the flower heads as they fade. Lady&#39;s mantle looks good in a border mixed with Salvia nemorosa and Penstemon.&nbsp;

<ol start="6">
	<li>Erysimum (wallflowers)&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

As an evergreen perennial, wall flowers should be in everyone&#39;s garden! Not only can you find various colours, including two-tone flowers, but they also attract bees and flowers for months on end. Grow these in full sun and well-drained soil, even in chalky soil and in coastal gardens where they will look great with Miscanthus. Ideally, prune it after flowering to keep it healthy.&nbsp;

<h2>Buy hardy plants in %locations%</h2>

Are you looking for plants to fill borders, containers and beddings without worrying that they won&#39;t survive the winter? We have an extensive selection of hardy plants for your garden to choose from in store. Please visit us and check our range. Are you looking for something specific? Please ask our staff.

Hardy plants for your garden

These top 5 best plants for scent will ensure your garden is full of fragrance throughout the year and your senses are fulfilled with the gorgeous aroma of nature.

These top 5 best plants for scent will ensure your garden is full of fragrance throughout the year and your senses are fulfilled with the gorgeous aroma of nature. Many plants have a wonderful fragrance, and which ones you choose to grow in your garden can come down to your soil and aspect and your personal preference for the scent. For example, there are many roses, each with a different aroma that may appeal to one person more than another. Take the time to research the various scents to know you will be enjoying both a plant and a smell you will love. Here are our recommendations:&nbsp;

<h2>Plants for scent</h2>

<ol>
	<li>Trachelospermum Jasminoide&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

Jasmine is a plant well known for it&#39;s scent. This is a vigorous evergreen jasmine climber sometimes known as star jasmine. It has dark glossy leaves which turn bronze through the winter months and flowers from mid to late summer&nbsp;with clusters of pretty white fragrant blooms.&nbsp;

<ol start="2">
	<li>Sarcococca</li>
</ol>

This is a winter-flowering shrub that is a true delight when not much else is flowering during the colder months of the year. The white flowers have an incredible sweet honey scent and will be surrounded by dark green leaves and later berries. It&#39;s an excellent shrub for beneficial insects and easy to grow.&nbsp;

<ol start="3">
	<li>Osmanthus Burkwoodii</li>
</ol>

Osmanthus Burkwoodii is a dense,&nbsp;slow growing, large evergreen shrub with dark green leaves. It flowers in mid to late spring with highly scented dainty white flowers which are occasionally followed by a few black fruits. Perfect to light up a shady corner and as an evergreen plant will add year round interest.

<ol start="4">
	<li>Honeysuckle</li>
</ol>

The intoxicating scent of the Honeysuckle is known and loved by many. This climbing plant grows perfectly up a trellis, arch or pergola, and if positioned near a seating area, the scent is perfect for putting your feet up and breathing in the sweet fragrance. There are many Honeysuckles to choose from, including orange and pink colours to cream and yellow, so you can pick one that suits your garden.&nbsp;

<ol start="5">
	<li>Nemesia</li>
</ol>

This annual has made it to the list due to the many different colours and scents you can discover. Best planted in a hanging basket or container; make sure yours are near a window, door or seating area because you will want to give them a sniff! Nemesia is available in various colours, from purple to pink, white to yellow. Discover Nemesia&#39;s fragrance of rhubarb to sugar that smells&nbsp;absolutely stunning.&nbsp;

<h2>Buy plants with fragrance in %locations%</h2>

Explore our fabulous&nbsp;range at our garden centre and fill your garden with scent. Please have a look and sniff at our scented range and choose from our fragrant plants in store. Are you looking for a specific plant? Please ask our garden employees.&nbsp;They&#39;re always willing to help you find the perfect plant.

Top 5 best plants for scent

We’ve put together 6 top tips to help you attract more wildlife to your garden.

Our gardens are hugely important habitats for wildlife, providing food and shelter to a wide range of creatures from birds and bees to bugs and worms. A wildlife-friendly garden is good for gardeners, with birds and beneficial insects helping keep pests under control. We’ve put together 6 top tips to help you attract more wildlife to your garden. Discover how to create a wildlife-friendly garden, and help butterflies, birds and bees survive.
<h2>Six tips to transform your garden into a wildlife paradise</h2>
<ol>
<li>
Plant shrubs and trees to bring more birds into your garden. Evergreen shrubs provide much-needed winter shelter for birds, thorny plants give protection against predators, and berry-bearing shrubs and trees are a welcome source of food. Holly, hawthorn, crab apples and pyracantha are excellent bird-friendly plants to add to your garden.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Put up a few bird feeders near shrubs or trees to give birds a quick escape route if cats or other predators appear. Keep your feeders topped up to encourage birds to make regular visits. Ground-feeders like robins and blackbirds will feed off bird tables and enjoy mealworms, seeds and fruit, while tits and finches flock to hanging seed feeders.
</li>
<li>
Flowers that produce seed heads, such as rudbeckia, echinacea, teasels and sunflowers, are great for attracting small birds. Even the occasional dandelion is suitable for a wildlife garden, as bees love the nectar, and goldfinches will happily eat the fluffy seeds.
</li>
<li>
Fill your garden with plenty of pollinator-friendly flowers. Flowers with open centres, like daisies and single dahlias, make it easy for bees and other pollinators to reach the nectar at the centre. Umbellifers like Achillea, Anthriscus and even coriander with their flattened flowerheads are very popular with beneficial insects like ladybirds and hoverflies. Aim to have something flowering every month of the year to provide food for pollinators. Ivy is great for late autumn, and Sarcococca (Christmas box), mahonia and crocuses will feed early foraging insects from January through to March.
</li>
<li>
Ponds are fantastic for attracting wildlife. Site your pond so that at least part of it gets full sun, and include a ramp or rocks placed so that visiting wildlife can quickly get in and out without drowning. If you can’t dig a pond in your garden, you can create one in a large container such as an old tin bath or a big, deep washing-up bowl. Fill it with water, add a couple of pond plants and place a few rocks around the edge to disguise it and provide an access route for wildlife.
</li>
<li>
Keep an area of grass unmown between March-April and August-September to provide a habitat for spiders and insects. This will also allow nectar-rich wildflowers like clover, ox-eye daisies and hawkbit to grow, providing extra food for pollinators.&nbsp;
</li>
</ol>
<h2>Get everything you need at our garden centre in %locations%</h2>
Do you want to attract more wildlife to your garden and increase biodiversity in your area?&nbsp;You’ll find a fantastic range of wildlife-friendly plants and&nbsp;flowers,&nbsp;bird feeders, insect hotels, etc.,&nbsp;at our centre, so come in and see us soon!&nbsp;

6 ways to attract wildlife to your garden

Top tips to help you get the most out of your veg plot in summer.

Summer's&nbsp;an exciting time in the vegetable garden when all your hard work pays off and crops start to ripen. With so much going on, it can be hard to know what to tackle first, so we've put together our top tips to help you get the most out of your veg plot.
<h2>Tips to get the most of your kitchen garden in summer</h2>
<ol>
<li>
Keep your vegetable beds clear of weeds that compete with your plants for food and water. A Dutch hoe is ideal for dealing with annual weeds like chickweed and hairy bittercress.
</li>
<li>
Stop harvesting rhubarb stems after July to allow the plants to build up their reserves for next year.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Keep earthing up maincrop potatoes to stop sunlight from reaching the tubers and turning them green (green potatoes are toxic). When the leaves of your potato plants start to turn yellow, it's time to harvest.
</li>
<li>
Harvest runner beans, French beans and courgettes regularly taste best when young and tender, and it encourages the plants to keep producing more fruit.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Broad bean plants are often prone to blackfly infestation, so pinch out the growing tips once pods have formed at the base of the plant. This will discourage the blackfly, which tends to go for fresh young shoots.
</li>
<li>
Feed tomatoes fortnightly with high potash food and pinch out side-shoots on cordon tomatoes. Water regularly to maintain a consistent moisture level in the soil – allowing the soil to dry out and then watering heavily is likely to cause tomatoes to split.
</li>
<li>
You can still sow French and runner beans, beetroot and carrots in July for autumn harvests. Pak choi is less likely to bolt if planted after midsummer and can be harvested through autumn and winter. Sow lamb's lettuce, turnips and perpetual spinach for winter harvests, and chard, spring onions and spring cabbage for harvesting next spring.
</li>
<li>
As pumpkins start to develop on the vines, place a brick or slate under the fruits to keep them off the ground and reduce the risk of rotting. Remove any leaves affected by powdery mildew.
</li>
<li>
Strawberry plants will be putting out runners now – these are long stems bearing clusters of leaves. To make new plants, peg the leaf clusters down on the soil or in small pots filled with compost and keep them watered for a few weeks until they produce roots. They can then be cut off the mother plant and grown as separate strawberry plants. If you don't need new strawberry plants, cut the runners off to conserve your existing plants' energy.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Bolting (producing flowers early and setting seed) is a common problem for many plants in summer, especially lettuce, spinach, onions, leeks and radishes. Once a plant has started to bolt, there's not much you can do to stop it, but instead of digging up bolted plants and composting them straight away, leave a few to flower and attract pollinators.&nbsp;
</li>
</ol>
Get the most out of your garden this summer with our centre's fantastic range of garden tools, seeds, and plants. Why not visit us today?

Vegetable gardening tips for summer

Here are our top tips on watering your plants in summer.

When the temperature soars in summer, we’re not the only ones needing a cool refreshing drink of water. Keeping our plants watered is vital to their health, so here are our top tips on watering your plants in summer.
<h2>Why plants need water</h2>
Plants need water for the same reason we do, to keep hydrated so that their cells can function. In addition, plants can only absorb nutrients from the soil when those nutrients are dissolved in water, so regular watering is essential to keep plants alive and fed. Many plants from dry areas have adapted to cope with periods of drought, but all plants still need some water to survive.
<h2>Garden watering equipment</h2>
You don’t need complicated equipment to water plants – anything that will hold water will do in a pinch. However, a wide range of equipment is available to make watering easier and more effective.
<ul>
<li>Watering cans are inexpensive and work well for watering pots and seedlings. However, using a watering can is time-consuming if you have lots of pots, and they are not practical for a big garden.&nbsp;</li>
<li>A hosepipe attached to a garden tap is easier to use and more useful than a watering can but can still be time-consuming. To conserve water, attach a spray gun to the hose pipe so that you can direct the water exactly where it’s needed.</li>
<li>If you don’t have time to water your garden by hand, you could install an irrigation system such as a soaker hose, drip hose or sprinklers. These systems can be connected to a timer or even controlled via an app on a smartphone.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h2>5 Tips on watering plants effectively</h2>
<ol>
<li>
Water in the evening or early morning when the temperature is cooler to reduce water loss through evaporation.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Water container plants, even if it has rained, as their foliage can act as an umbrella stopping rain from reaching the compost below. Use your finger to check whether the compost is still moist below the surface.
</li>
<li>
Water newly established trees and shrubs thoroughly at least once a week in the first year after planting. A good soaking every few days is better for plants than a light watering every day, encouraging roots to grow deep in search of water and making plants more drought-resilient in dry periods.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
To save water, connect a water butt to a downpipe to collect the rainwater that comes off your roof, and use this for watering your plants.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
If you’re going away for a few days, make a self-watering system for your pots. Find an empty wine or plastic water bottle with a cap. Pierce a hole in the lid, fill the bottle with water and stand it upside down in the pot. The water will gradually trickle out of the bottle into the soil over a couple of days.
</li>
</ol>
Keep your garden well watered this summer with our extensive range of watering equipment. Our friendly staff are always happy to advise!

Gardening Inspiration

Cafe

Homegrown Plants

The Whitegates Team

Family friendly

Whitegates Nursery

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