JANUARY Snowdrops are beginning to emerge, scented winter flowering shrubs are coming into the fore and Hellebores begin to show their faces in the shadiest patches of the garden.

One of the first jobs for the gardener is forcing (known as chitting) seed potatoes. Pentland Plants have the first delivery of potatoes mid January where you will find everything you need to get started. Remember to place the seed potato eye upright on a tray in a light, cool, frost free place. Getting in an early crop can see a first harvest by the end of June. 

With a good selection of seeds in store, January is the month to plan this year’s crops and flowers for the season ahead. There are many seeds suitable for propagation in January and sowing them indoors now will allow you to transplant once the weather warms up. 

A great variety of houseplants are available at this time of year, but reduce watering as plants aren’t growing much and leaves don’t lose moisture in cool conditions. Speak to one of our experts who will advise you on how to best care for plants in your home.

Now is a great time to get your greenhouse ready to house this year’s seedlings and crops. Use a Greenhouse fumigator which will eradicate any dormant red spider mite, flying and crawling insects. A good greenhouse disinfectant can be used on benches, tools and is suitable for cleaning capillary matting and any irrigation system.

So together let’s get this season off to a Blooming great new year… we have expert advisers in store on hand to help you plan ahead! 

Don’t miss out on our spectacular big brand January sale with 50% off selected clothing, Christmas and giftware! Pop in and grab a bargain while stocks last!

Thank you to everyone who came and visited Penelope and Rebecca in December - the beautiful miniature donkeys from The Scottish Borders Donkey Sanctuary!
We're delighted to announce that we raised over £1200 for the charity. Thank you all for your donations and support! 

Did you know that Pentland Plants were one of the first nurseries in the UK to grow the now popular 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 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.

In the early 60’s David Sprays 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. Now of course we import soft green cuttings from Ethiopia as air travel has made the world a much smaller place so anywhere is just a day away. 

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 grown over 50,000 Poinsettias here at Pentland and supply garden centres across the country with all the colours available such as whites, pinks, variegated and burgundy. A beautiful range is currently available to purchase at Pentland Plants. They make a lovely gift and can also be kept well after Christmas as a normal houseplant!

Our ‘Winters Frost’ collection is bursting with gorgeous blue, grey and silver tones to create a luxurious and eye-catching range to bring your tree to life. This collection, bursting with gorgeous goodies is a must have for adding a little festive glamour to your home!

Here are some of our favourtie decorations currently on sale. Pop in and take a look around the full collection located in the annex at Pentland!