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LONDON&#39;S BIGGEST GARDEN CENTRE

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Largest plant Area in London

Pet Friendly

Jane's Garden Café

Maidenhead Aquatics

If you’re new to vegetable growing, here are some tips to get you started.

Nothing beats the taste of your own home-grown vegetables, fresh-picked and still warm from the sun. You don’t even need a garden to grow your own food – many vegetables will grow happily in a pot on a patio or balcony, and you can even grow salad and herbs on a sunny windowsill. If you’re new to vegetable growing, here are some tips to get you started.
<h2>Soil and sunlight</h2>
First, think about how much sun your garden, patio or balcony gets during an average summer’s day. Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sun per day, but you can still grow vegetables in a shady garden if you choose the right ones.
Next, get to know your soil. If you’re planting vegetables in the ground, you need to know whether your soil is light sandy, heavy clay or somewhere in between.&nbsp; Dig a hole with a trowel and take a handful of the soil you’ve dug up. Dampen it with water and try to roll it between your palms. Sandy soils feel gritty and won’t stick together, while clay soils are sticky when wet and can be easily moved into a thin sausage shape. You can also test your soil pH (its acidity or alkalinity) with a soil test kit – these are readily available and easy to use.&nbsp;
<h2>Vegetable gardening tools</h2>
All jobs are more manageable when you have the right tools. Here’s a short list of some of the most useful garden tools for vegetable growers:&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>A garden spade and fork with long, sturdy&nbsp;handles for digging over your beds to clear weeds and stones before planting and digging in organic matter such as farmyard manure to improve the soil.&nbsp;</li>
<li>A hand fork for weeding.</li>
<li>A hand trowel for digging small holes when planting out seedlings.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Gardening gloves to protect your hands.</li>
<li>A watering can or a hose (depending on the size of your garden) to keep your plants watered during dry spells.</li>
<li>Snips or secateurs for harvesting your crops.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Choosing which vegetables to grow</h2>
Once you know your soil type and how much sun your garden gets, it’s time to decide what to grow. Choose vegetables that are suited to your garden’s conditions, so you’re more likely to get vigorous, healthy plants and a good harvest. And remember, there’s no point in growing many vegetables that no one likes, so focus on growing the vegetables you enjoy eating.
Vegetables for pots:
<ul>
<li>Tomato ‘Tumbling Tom’</li>
<li>Dwarf runner bean ‘Hestia’</li>
<li>Dwarf French beans ‘Purple Teepee’ and ‘Safari’</li>
<li>Salad leaves</li>
<li>Early potatoes</li>
</ul>
Vegetables for part shade:
<ul>
<li>Chard</li>
<li>Kale</li>
<li>Leeks</li>
<li>Lettuce</li>
</ul>
Vegetables for clay soils:
<ul>
<li>French beans</li>
<li>Cabbage</li>
<li>Pumpkins</li>
</ul>
Vegetables for sandy soils:
<ul>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Beetroot</li>
<li>Radishes</li>
</ul>
Visit our centre and get your vegetable garden started today! We have a fantastic range of vegetable seeds and plants, and our friendly staff are always happy to help and advise.

A beginner’s guide to growing vegetables

We have picked our top ten flowers to succeed in hanging baskets with a few surprises. Discover them now!&nbsp;

The best flowers to grow in a hanging basket&nbsp;are questions we have been asked many times. You can plant up your baskets at this time of year, make sure the new plants are hardened off and protected from any late frosts, and then hang them somewhere that you can enjoy looking at them as they grow and flower. We have picked our top ten flowers to succeed in hanging baskets with a few surprises. Discover them now!&nbsp;
<h2>Top 10 fantastic flowers to grow in hanging baskets</h2>
<ol>
<li>Petunia 
The Petunia is the most popular flower to grow in hanging baskets, and there is no wonder why! Petunias are easy to hold, come in many colours and patterns, and bloom for months throughout summer. They will need full sun, good quality compost, water retention granules, and a weekly feed in summer. Deadhead them to prolong blooming.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Surfinia 
A hybrid of the Petunia and therefore requiring the same conditions, the difference is they mainly trail more than Petunias but don’t produce seed. If you mix and match the colours of Petunias with Surfinias, you will get a mass of colour.</li>
<li>Lobelia 
Annual Lobelia trails effortlessly over the edges of a hanging basket and can be found in blue, pink and white for a cascade of colours. They do not like the cold or dry soil, so keep your baskets well-watered.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny)&nbsp; 
An unfussy evergreen perennial that survives winter and hangs over the edges of a basket with its gold and yellow leaves. The only thing to consider is that it will eventually take over the whole basket but can easily be divided and planted somewhere else.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Calibrachoa (Million Bells)&nbsp; 
Think of these as mini Petunias. They have smaller flowers with masses of colour. They are available in many different colours and can fill a hanging basket independently.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Geranium&nbsp; 
Another popular choice with many different colours available. They add beautiful pops of colour to baskets and can be treated the same as other bedding plants.</li>
<li>Nemesia 
Nemesia has some of the most incredible fragrances, is very sweet and can easily be caught in the breeze as you walk by. Pretty tiny flowers in various colours, sometimes even two-tone.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Nasturtium&nbsp; 
These are easy to grow from seed or plug plants, and the whole plant is edible. So if you are looking for a hanging basket with plenty of brightly coloured flowers that you can eat, Nasturtiums are the ones to grow.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Strawberry 
Strawberry flowers are so pretty, and the plants grow well in hanging baskets. Just pinch a strawberry as you walk by!&nbsp;</li>
<li>Tumbling tomato 
Another edible for a hanging basket. Both the pretty little yellow flowers are lovely to see, but there’s nothing more exciting than watching the red fruit grow.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Visit us in the store to fill your hanging baskets with colourful flowers.

Best flowers to grow in a hanging basket

Find out everything about hydrangeas and start growing them yourself.

Did you know hydrangeas are perfect for a shady border with bold foliage and big flowerheads? If you’re looking for a plant with a significant impact, you can’t beat a hydrangea. Their rounded shape and bold foliage make an excellent backdrop for other plants, and they have their starring moment in late summer when the eye-catching flowerheads appear.&nbsp;Hydrangeas are easy to care for, and they’re perfect for lighting up a shady corner of the garden. Find out everything about hydrangeas and start growing them yourself.
<h2>How to grow hydrangeas</h2>
Hydrangeas do best in moist, well-drained soil in dappled shade. Macrophylla hydrangeas (mopheads and lacecaps) have a unique party trick up their sleeves – the flowers change colour depending on soil pH (acidity or alkalinity). When grown in acidic soil, their flowers turn blue, producing pink flowers in alkaline soil. White-flowered hydrangeas are the exception, as their flowers don’t change colour with soil pH.&nbsp;
<h2>Types of hydrangea</h2>
Whatever your situation, there’s sure to be a hydrangea to suit. Here’s a quick overview of the most common hydrangea types:
<ul>
<li>
Hydrangea macrophylla: this includes both mophead and lacecap hydrangeas. Mophead hydrangeas have rounded flowerheads, while lacecaps have flatter flowerheads with a centre of tiny flowers surrounded by an outer ring of open florets. The flowerheads can be red, pink, blue or white.
</li>
<li>
Hydrangea paniculata: These are generally large shrubs with conical flowerheads in late summer. In some varieties, the flowerheads gradually change colour over the season.
</li>
<li>
Hydrangea arborescens: these have huge domed flowerheads and are spectacular in full flower. Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ is the best-known variety of this species, with enormous rounded white flowerheads.
</li>
<li>
Climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris and Hydrangea seemannii) are excellent for a shady wall. They can take a couple of years to get going but eventually cover a large area.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Landscaping ideas for hydrangeas</h2>
Hydrangeas have a fabulous presence on the border, and they flower for a long time in mid and late summer. Here are a few ideas on where to place your hydrangeas for the best effect:
<ul>
<li>
Hydrangeas add both texture and architectural interest to borders with their large round flowers, making a good contrast with more delicate perennials or ornamental grasses.
</li>
<li>
Mophead hydrangeas are compact enough to be grown in a large container. Place a couple in pots on a patio to brighten up a shady seating area.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Brightly coloured pink or blue hydrangeas make an excellent focal point in a pot on a patio. They also look good repeated through a mixed border to give a feeling of continuity to the planting.
</li>
<li>
Add white-flowered hydrangeas to a shady corner of the garden to add light and interest all through summer.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Hydrangeas are perfect for filling a space in a border, growing quickly into neat, rounded shrubs. The dry flowerheads last a long time and can be left on the plants over winter to add interest. They also make excellent cut flowers.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
Our centre has a fantastic selection of hydrangeas and other shade-loving plants. Come in and see our great range!

Landscaping with hydrangeas

There are many different Sunflowers varieties available in colours you might not be expecting. Find out more.

Knowing how to grow Sunflowers will mean you can have giant, beautiful sunflowers bringing so much joy to your garden every year. They are easy to grow and, therefore, great to grow with kids in the garden, but they are perfect for pollinators, and you can even harvest the seeds to sow the following year. Why not compete between your friends to see who can grow the tallest Sunflower or even the most unusual. There are many different varieties available in colours you might not be expecting.&nbsp;
<h2>Sow and care guide to growing Sunflowers&nbsp;</h2>
As you would expect, Sunflowers need plenty of suns! As they grow, you will notice how they turn towards the sun absorbing the rays. You can sow seeds in modules or small pots during early spring protected from frosts or wait and plant them directly in the ground where they will grow when all frosts have passed. Keep the soil moist, and you should see good germination rates. The stems can get tall fast and start to curl or lay down if they aren’t supported, so use a small cane and gently replace it with something more sturdy as they grow taller. Some will support themselves, but in strong winds, they can fall. They are very easy to grow, keep them watered, especially in dry spells and enjoy their sunny faces.&nbsp;
<h2>How to grow different varieties of Sunflowers</h2>
Many varieties aren’t all yellow. The bright yellow is the most traditional, but you can also try orange, black and even pink! Some Sunflowers have been bred to grow in a pot and will only reach a couple of feet tall, whereas other giant varieties can easily reach 15ft. Some of our favourites and most popular are:
<ul>
<li>Sunflower ‘Titan’</li>
<li>Sunflower ‘American Giant’</li>
<li>Sunflower ‘Little Becka’&nbsp;</li>
<li>Sunflower ‘Teddy Bear’</li>
<li>Sunflower ‘Moulin Rouge’&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h2>Growing Sunflowers and how to use them</h2>
Sunflowers are edible from roasting the entire Sunflower head with some oil drizzled over to roasting just the seeds or sprinkling them on food. Sunflower petals are lovely in salads, and the tiny shoots can be grown as microgreens to add to soups, smoothies and stews.&nbsp;
<h2>Encourage wildlife by growing Sunflowers</h2>
The prominent seedheads are a magnet for bees. You will often find more than one bee sharing the nectar at the same time. You’ll see ladybirds and butterflies and many winter birds feasting on the seeds if you leave seedbeds on over the winter period for winter interest.&nbsp;
Choose your perfect Sunflowers to grow with our range of seeds in store.&nbsp;

How to grow Sunflowers

It is great to get creative with vertical spaces and use every part of the garden, patio or balcony to make it your very own small space, a plant-filled haven.&nbsp;

With so many ideas for small gardens, you can still grow an abundance of fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and have all of the accessories and fun of a more extensive garden. There is no need to feel restricted by space because many plants grow well in containers - even some fruit trees. It is great to get creative with vertical spaces and use every part of the garden, patio or balcony to make it your very own small space, a plant-filled haven.&nbsp;
<h2>Growing in pots, containers and hanging baskets</h2>
The go-to for smaller spaces may be to grow a container garden. This is particularly good for patios and balconies or tricky spots. We recommend grouping containers with taller pots and bigger plants at the back and annual or trailing plants towards the front like in a border. The great thing about this is you can shuffle them around and replant annuals for each season, so your container garden always has some interest. Don’t forget to use hanging baskets to grow fruit and vegetables. Strawberries and tumbling tomatoes will look great and provide you with some products.&nbsp;
<h2>Ideas for small gardens with vertical space&nbsp;</h2>
Why not create your own green wall? There are hangers with pockets that you can line up together and plant with herbs and your favourite plants to build a green fence perfect for you and wildlife. You can also recycle guttering and layer them along walls or fences to grow salads in. There are many different types of containers or pots that will hang on fence panels and balcony railings to use every space you can. You could also try growing in a vertical growing tower filled with lots of salads and greenery.&nbsp;
<h2>Furniture and accessory ideas for small gardens&nbsp;</h2>
Big furniture in small spaces can take up too much room, so a smaller patio or bistro set or table and chairs or a bench will fit in perfectly. Why not hang up some solar-powered lights as well to bring some evening glow to the garden and open up the space. Other furniture could include fitted benches around the edges with storage underneath or a swinging egg chair placed in a sunny corner.&nbsp;
<h2>Ideas for small gardens that may surprise you&nbsp;</h2>
One way to make your space look bigger is to use a mirror. Not only can they look incredible, but they really open up the space. Light colours will also open up a space, so a light-coloured fence or wall paint will help. If you really want to entertain and have a BBQ but there is nowhere to store it afterwards, try a fitted BBQ or even a small pizza oven. The options are endless!&nbsp;
Create a thriving small space with plants, furniture and accessories when you visit us in store.&nbsp;

Largest plant Area in London

Pet Friendly

Jane's Garden Café

Maidenhead Aquatics

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