PENTLAND PLANTS BLOG
The latest news, events and tips from our team
We are so excited to be welcoming Penelope and Rebecca, the sweetest miniature donkeys, back to Pentland Plants this Christmas! They are from the Donkey sanctuary at St Boswells in the Scottish Borders, and will be helping to raise money for the sanctuary, which will help care for the many donkeys who live there.
Please do pop in and say hello! Everyone is welcome.
It's one of our favourite times of the year, when the nursery is full of colour with over fifty thousand home grown Poinsettia plants.
It is a little known fact that we at Pentland were one of the first nurseries in the UK to grow the now ubiquitous Poinsettia.
Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbia family and known as Euphorbia Pulcherrima. Joel Robert Poinsett introduced the plant to the US in 1928 He was a botanist, physician and the first US ambassador to Mexico.
In the early 60’s David Spray's Father, Joseph, read about them in an American journal and had some sent across from California. In those days we bought in dry woody plants which we coaxed back to life to produce cuttings. Today, with modern technology, we import soft green cuttings from Ethiopia.
In its native Mexico they are a wild plant growing up to 3 m and the coloured parts are not actually flowers but modified bracts or leaves. The actual flowers are the yellow cyathia in the centre and when it is in full flower you can see the bottle brush flower covered in pollen. We treat them with growth retardant and pinch them to keep them compact.
The cuttings arrive in July and are potted into 13cm pots in a very special open compost with lots of food and trace elements included. They are pinched to produce side shoots and spaced out regularly to give a good all round shape. They are grown in a warm, bright, draft free glasshouse and watered and fed until they change colour in November.
We supply garden centres accross the country with this wonderful plant, which comes in a variety of colours such as whites, pinks, variegated and burgundy.
Many people don't realise that they can actually be kept well after Christmas as a normal houseplant too! They make a lovely gift at this time of year, but also a nice treat to add a splash of colour to your home.
Join us on our FREE guided Poinsettia walks. Click here to book your place: https://www.pentlandplantsgardencentre.co.uk/events#moreevents
Join us for our very special Christmas shopping event this November and enjoy a fantastic 20% off Christmas and gifts*!
We'll be serving our homemade complimentary non-alcoholic mulled wine on the night, PLUS we'll be opening Cafe Panola late for the occasion with a special BYOB evening menu!
Only £15.00 for two courses. Booking required. Meal served at 6pm.
*Excludes gift cards.
Shopping Event Menu:
Main options
Baked haddock fillet with salmon mousse with dill and lemon sauce ( can be made gluten free if requested)
Roast sirloin of beef with port and baby onion sauce (gluten free/dairy free)
Creamy wild mushroom and chestnut wellington
All served with baby roast potatoes and winter vegetables.
Dessert options
Cranberry + white chocolate cheesecake with creme anglaise sauce
Orange marmalade pudding with a Glayva custard (gluten free/dairy free)
Scottish cheese and biscuits selection with spiced fruit chutney (can be made gluten free if requested)
**Meal served at 6pm** Table reservations can be made via our website https://www.pentlandplantsgardencentre.co.uk/events?fbclid=IwAR0QwBAU3LkTaeaJnmB4EzxDoF7mZHyz2DNxUYKE6hPOiBiVPpuLktn8WWg
TODAY we are launching a very special campaign in partnership with Scottish Secondary Breast Cancer charity Make 2nds Count.
£1 from EVERY sale of our beautiful home grown Poinsettia Princettias will be donated to this fantastic cause!
Make 2nds Count is dedicated to making women and men living with Secondary Breast Cancer count. They fund medical research that will contribute to advancing an increased quality of life for patients. Also known as metastatic breast cancer their community programme supports patients and families affected by this incurable disease.
We grow over 50k Poinsettias every Christmas in our nursery. Our stunning Poinsettia Princettia varieties are available now at the garden centre and come in various shades of pink and white.
“We are delighted to be supporting Make 2nds Count with our Pink Poinsettia Princettia campaign. We first heard about the charity through a long standing supplier’s daughter who has Breast Cancer. After hearing her story we wanted to help raise awareness of the charity and much needed funds for research for Secondary Breast Cancer. The gorgeous Pink Poinsettia Princettia seemed like a great link!”
Carolyn Spray.
Please help us support this brilliant charity!
Are you planning on arriving straight from work to our fashion event on the 26th September? You can pre-order food for when you arrive for just £4.50 extra. Our chefs will be preparing stovies, and freshly made sandwiches served with crisps, including the following fillings:
- Coronation chicken
- Tune sweetcorn & mayo
- Cheese & Chutney
We can also accommodate for vegan, gluten free and any specific dietary requirements too. Please see our booking page:
https://www.pentlandplantsgardencentre.co.uk/events
Subscribe for updates
Add yourself to our mailing list for regular news and updates
Please note that our mailing list is operated in line with our Privacy Policy.