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<p><strong>Shady gardens</strong> are sometimes seen as a problem, but this doesn’t have to be true. Shady gardens can be just as beautiful as those blessed with sunshine. The emphasis is all on foliage shapes, textures, and the subtle colours of shade-loving plants in the shade. With the right plants, you can turn a shady garden into a cool, tranquil haven to relax in.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Shady gardens</strong> are sometimes seen as a problem, but this doesn’t have to be true. Shady gardens can be just as beautiful as those blessed with sunshine. The emphasis is all on foliage shapes, textures, and the subtle colours of shade-loving plants in the shade. With the right plants, you can turn a shady garden into a cool, tranquil haven to relax in.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Perennials for shade</h2>
<p>Perennials add colour to shady spots through both flowers and leaves. Here are some of our favourite perennials for shade.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’</strong> produces delicate sprays of blue forget-me-not flowers in spring, but the real attraction is the silver-marbled leaves that grow larger through spring and summer, lighting up shady areas.</li>
<li><strong>Heuchera ‘Key Lime Pie’ and ‘Lime Marmalade’</strong> both do well in the shade, with vivid lime-green foliage that works well as an accent in the border all year round.</li>
<li><strong>Hellebores</strong> are a must for every shady garden. They flower in the depths of winter, producing nodding flowers in a range of shades from pale pastels to rich maroon and deep purple. The lobed evergreen leaves make good groundcover all year round.</li>
<li><strong>Hostas</strong> have bold, textured leaves and as well as green-leaved varieties. There are also hostas with blue, golden-yellow and variegated foliage. They combine beautifully with the softer foliage of ferns. The thicker-leaved hosta varieties like ‘Halcyon’ and ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ are slightly more resistant to slug attacks.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Shrubs for shade</h2>
<p>Shrubs provide structure in the border, and they’re great for low-maintenance gardens. These reliable shrubs will grow happily in the shade:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Sarcococca</strong> – an unassuming evergreen shrub that flowers in January, producing modest, small white flowers with an incredibly sweet scent.</li>
<li><strong>Euonymus 'Emerald Gaiety'</strong> – a tough, reliable low-growing shrub with variegated green and white evergreen leaves that take on touches of pink in winter. It can be trained as an informal climber or left to grow as a groundcover shrub.</li>
<li><strong>Hydrangeas</strong> – well known for their big mophead or lacecap flowers that add colour to shady spots in mid and late summer. For blue flowers, plant mophead hydrangeas in acid soil; for pink, grow them in alkaline soils.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Ferns for shade</h2>
<p>Ferns are ideal for shady gardens, adding texture and architectural interest with their long, delicate fronds. Our top ferns for a shady garden are:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Polystichum ‘Herrenhausen’</strong> – a spreading evergreen fern with intricately frilled fronds, happy in full shade.</li>
<li><strong>Dryopteris erythrosora</strong> – deciduous, producing gorgeous copper-coloured new fronds each spring that turn green as they mature. It does best in partial shade.</li>
<li><strong>Athyrium nipponicum</strong>, the Japanese painted fern – perfect for damp, shady soil, with green fronds delicately dusted with silver and maroon mid-ribs.</li>
</ul>
<p>Whatever your garden conditions, we have the right plants to suit them. Visit our centre soon and choose the perfect plants for your garden.</p>

Plants for shady gardens

<p>These <strong>top plants for children to grow</strong> will get them interested in gardening and growing their own food in no time. It is so important to teach children the importance of plants and where their food comes from, so getting started at home is ideal. Even a sunny windowsill will do! Here are some plants that will get kids interest in gardening stirred.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These <strong>top plants for children to grow</strong> will get them interested in gardening and growing their own food in no time. It is so important to teach children the importance of plants and where their food comes from, so getting started at home is ideal. Even a sunny windowsill will do! Here are some plants that will get kids interest in gardening stirred.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Nasturtiums are on our list of top plants for children to grow&nbsp;</h2>
<p>One of the easiest to sow and grow plus they are entirely edible! The quirky shaped foliage, stunningly bright-coloured flowers not only look great in the garden or in a hanging basket but can also be added to salads or just munched for fun in the garden! It's simple:</p>
<ul>
<li>sow the seeds in spring,</li>
<li>harden them off if you’ve sown indoors,</li>
<li>then plant out.</li>
<li>Alternatively, direct sow when the soil warms up.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h2>One of our top plants for children to grow is the tomato</h2>
<p>Tumbling tomatoes especially are great for children to grow. They can be grown in a hanging basket and the small tomatoes can be used as snacks. Watch the foliage tumble over the sides of the basket and the many little cherry tomatoes grow. You can even find varieties in yellow/orange as well for something surprising.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Another one of our top plants for children to grow</h2>
<p>Cut and come again lettuce is super simple to sow and grow.</p>
<ol>
<li>Sow thinly in a well-drained compost and lightly cover over.</li>
<li>Keep the soil moist and watch those leaves grow!</li>
<li>Just cut the leaves when you want to eat them and watch them like magic grow more leaves.</li>
</ol>
<p>Great fun for kids and adults!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Top plants for children to grow indoors&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Nothing beats the carnivorous plants for kids indoors. The fun and excitement of watching a Venus flytrap in motion is a great way for children to watch plants in motion. Another great indoor plant is the aloe vera because the gel inside each leaf is both edible and jelly-like, used to soothe sore or sunburnt skin.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Sunflowers are top plants for children to grow&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Sunflowers have to be the most fun to grow. Either sow in pots under cover or direct sow when the weather warms up. Having a fun sunflower competition is a great way for children to learn to nurture and look after the plant to see how tall it will grow. Then collect the seeds to sow again the following year.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There are many plants for children to enjoy growing so don’t feel restricted by space, age or experience, just have a go at growing with children and have really great fun with it.</p>
<p>Starting growing from seed is really easy and we have plenty in store for you to choose from.&nbsp;</p>

Top plants for children to grow

<p>These <strong>top houseplant care tips</strong> have been put together for you to help your houseplants thrive. Or, if you are new to houseplants they will give you the confidence you need to get started and know some basic top tips to start your collection of houseplants. Once you get one, you will undoubtedly get more! There are some general key points when looking after houseplants that will help you and we believe no home should be without plants.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These <strong>top houseplant care tips</strong> have been put together for you to help your houseplants thrive. Or, if you are new to houseplants they will give you the confidence you need to get started and know some basic top tips to start your collection of houseplants. Once you get one, you will undoubtedly get more! There are some general key points when looking after houseplants that will help you and we believe no home should be without plants.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Houseplant care tips: right plant right place</h2>
<p>The most important thing to consider, is just like outdoor plants, match the plant to the place. If you have a shady corner to fill make sure you pick up a plant that will thrive in the shade because if you put a sun-loving plant in that place and it doesn’t grow well, you will wonder what you have done wrong. Most labels describe in words on a diagram what conditions the plant needs.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Houseplant care tips: water levels</h2>
<p>It's really important to get to know your plants watering requirements and most plants will tell you straight away if they are unhappy. Yellowing leaves, drooping foliage and generally unhappy-looking may mean you need to change the water levels. If anyone asks what is wrong with their plant, the first question is almost always ‘how much do you water it! Most houseplants require far less water than you might expect. Others will require constant moisture. A good houseplant book can really help to understand which needs watering more frequently.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Houseplant care tips: potting mix</h2>
<p>Don’t make the mistake of potting your houseplants into multi-purpose compost. Often they have different nutrient levels to what your houseplant needs, perhaps less drainage and can often be the cause of fungus gnats. Purchase some good quality houseplant compost or cacti and succulent mix to ensure your plants have what they need in their pots.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Houseplant care tips: propagation&nbsp;</h2>
<p>When you have houseplants you will soon want more! They give so much to a home not just aesthetically but also for well-being as well but did you know, you can also get free new plants from the plants you already have? Sansevieria can be propagated easily from cuttings in water, as can Pothos and Tradescantia along with the ever-popular Monstera and many more. You can even take leaf cuttings from Begonias and find new baby plants growing at the base of succulent leaf cuttings. It is very easy to grow more plants for free.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Make sure before and after you buy a plant you do some research so you know what to look out for.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Purchase house plants in store and our friendly team can advise you as well.</p>

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