Growing Instructions

To help you get the best from your plants, we have included a pdf version of our growing instructions - you can download these to your computer or print a copy off to take with you to your 'potting shed'

Download your Growing Instructions here

What to do when you receive your plants

Some people seem to find plants scary – they seem to think the care and nurturing of them must be difficult so they don't grow them. But you and I know that plants are one of life's greatest pleasures – to watch a plant you have grown yourself burst into flower is wonderful. And to sit in a garden on a warm summer day surrounded by beautiful colour is to be treasured and enjoyed - and we know that it's not difficult, don't we!
Follow these simple steps to growing your plants and you'll have no problems:

1. On receipt of your plants stand them upright and keep a note of their name from the packaging - a plastic label is ideal for this.
2. Pot up the plants into 3.5" pots (9cm if you've gone metric!). Use a general purpose compost, which is easily available, but do NOT use bark based composts as these hold too much moisture and will drown the roots and the plants will die. I often add about 20% perlite to the compost as this helps get air around the roots - but if it's a loose general purpose compost you won't need to do this to have success - it's helpful but not essential!
3. Make sure the plants are moist at all times but not waterlogged. When they are small they have a little root system so it is only as they grow bigger that they will need more water.
4. Place the plants in a sunny place – the warmer and drier the better. You will get the best results if you can give your plants 'summer' – so a dry, light, bright place will make them happier (goodness, they're like me – they don't like it cold and dark!) If you don't have a greenhouse or conservatory then a sunny windowsill will be absolutely fine.
5. Now for the most difficult bit ready? I suggest you remove the first lot of flower buds while the plants are small. As difficult as it is to do, it does mean the plant will put its effort into growing its root system and foliage, rather than putting its effort into flowering … but, of course, it's not at all easy to remove the flower buds as we're all impatient to see them flowering in all their glory!

Once you've followed the above steps then your plants will begin to grow - isn't nature a wonderful thing! And so what to do with them next? Most garden plants pretty much like the same conditions so aim for the following with all of your garden display plants, but please look at the other pages in our Growing Advice Centre for advice relating to different varieties.
We'll always tell you how to care for your plants as we think the more success you have, the more of our plants you will want to grow - we certainly don't want anyone to lose their plants! The logical approach is that plants like spring and summer conditions so the nearest to these conditions you can give them then the happier they will be.

I want to share with you all of my tips of success so that you enjoy the best success with your plants