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<h2>with 
plants!</h2>

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Choose any 3 from 'Leucanthemum Banana Cream', Geranium Azure Skies' and Lavender (many varieties), for just £15.

Perennial Mix n' Match

Multi award-winning, light weight, open structured compost, with long lasting nutrients for sustained growth. Suitable for a wide range of ornamentals and edibles. A premium compost blend formulated with natural seaweed extracts, volcanic minerals, rock dust and naturally occurring strains of beneficial bacteria and fungi.

Champions Blend Compost

Our ex-display sheds and garden buildings are now HALF PRICE. Prices include delivery and installation.

Ex-display Sheds & Garden Buildings

Our ever-popular, ever-changing alpine collection: hardy little gems for containers, rock gardens, walls, banks, woodland or well-drained borders.

Alpines: Buy 3 for £10

Guests enjoying a holiday at Christmas Cottage in the picturesque village of Gunnerside in the heart of glorious Swaledale will be offered 10% off all purchases at Wensleydale Garden Centre for the duration of their stay. Click on 'Stay in the Dales' in the main menu for more details:

10% off for Guests at Christmas Cottage, Gunnerside

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Try incorporating some grasses into your garden with one of these tall grass varieties.&nbsp;

These top 5 tall grass varieties will add height, texture, sound and beauty to your garden and will look great growing alone or as part of a bigger planting scheme. Grasses can grow in containers with the right care and thrive for many years. Some of the most beautiful garden schemes are planted with grasses, from prairie planting to formal borders. Grasses give interest most of the year, and some will even flower as well. Try incorporating some grasses into your garden with one of these tall varieties.&nbsp;

<h2>Five tall grass varieties</h2>

<ol>
	<li>Miscanthus sinensis (Silvergrass)&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

This grass has tall, upright stems and big fluffy flowers. It grows as a clump and can be split to make more plants. The good thing about Silvergrass is that there are actually many varieties to choose from, including some with stripes on the leaves, various colours and more flowers. It means there is one for every gardener. Silvergrass will need full sun and grow in most fertile soils up to about 1.8m tall.

<ol start="2">
	<li>Stipa gigantia (Giant oat grass)</li>
</ol>

This plant is named Giant oat grass because the flowers look like oat flower heads but giant! They grow above the mound of green foliage and rustle in the wind. Grow them in borders, but towards the back, as it can grow to 2.5m in height as long as it is planted in full sun.&nbsp;

<ol start="3">
	<li>Cortaderia (Pampass Grass)</li>
</ol>

Probably the best known of all grasses, the Pampas grass was a must-have in the 70s and is still grown in large gardens today. It is a clump-forming evergreen with tall, silvery recognisable flowers. It has been used as a focal point or in borders and needs fertile soil and full sun. It will grow up to 2.5m tall. There are more compact varieties, such as Cortaderia pumila, which is more compact.

<ol start="4">
	<li>Carex (Sedge Grass)</li>
</ol>

This is an excellent grass for growing in pots and containers and borders because there are so many to choose from. Mostly evergreen, they are available in a variety of colours from green to bronze with variegated options as well. Plant Carex in fertile, moist soil and they will grow up to 1.2m tall depending on the variety and where it is planted.

<ol start="5">
	<li>Pennisetum (Fountain Grass)</li>
</ol>

With a whole mix of colours to choose from, Fountain grasses can have pink or purple, green or white flowers that look feathery and appear in summer to autumn from green foliage. They can look dramatic on a border or a large container. They tend to grow best in free draining soil that isn&rsquo;t too wet.&nbsp;

Find our selection of grasses in store when you visit us next.

Top 5 tall grass varieties

We&rsquo;ve listed six of our favourite drought-tolerant perennials, which prove that tough plants can still be beautiful!

With summers getting hotter and drier, we need to find ways of gardening more sustainably. That includes finding&nbsp;plants that can cope with dry conditions&nbsp;so that there&rsquo;s less need to spend precious water resources on watering the garden. We&rsquo;ve listed six of our favourite drought-tolerant perennials, which prove that tough plants can still be beautiful!

<h2>Tips for making a drought-tolerant garden</h2>

Choosing drought-tolerant plants is just one of the ways you can help your garden cope with dry weather. Here are our top tips for drought-tolerant gardening.

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Mulch beds annually in autumn with a 5cm (2in) layer of compost, leaf mould or well-rotted farmyard manure. This improves soil structure and helps soils retain moisture, reducing the need to water in dry periods.
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Water in the evening or early morning to reduce water loss through evaporation.
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Avoid watering little and often, as this encourages plant roots to stay shallow and more prone to drying out in hot weather. Instead, a thorough soaking every two to three days encourages the roots to grow deep in search of water, making the plant more able to survive periods of drought.
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 dir="ltr">Drought-tolerant perennials</h2>

Many of our familiar garden plants originally come from hot, dry climates and are well adapted to cope with drought conditions. Here are six of our favourites:

<ol>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Stachys byzantina is also known as Lamb&rsquo;s ear because of its furry silver leaves. The woolly covering reduces evaporation from the leaf surface, and this sturdy perennial makes a beautiful groundcover plant for a hot, sunny spot.
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Sedums (ice plants), now renamed as Hylotelephiums, have fleshy leaves that store water, allowing them to thrive in dry conditions. Their flowers appear in mid and late summer and are very popular with pollinators.
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Eryngium (sea holly) is a unique-looking perennial with spiny leaves and thistle-like flowers surrounded by spiky bracts. It&rsquo;s fantastic for attracting bees, and the striking flowers also look great in dried flower arrangements.
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Euphorbia (spurge) are very drought tolerant once established, and with their distinctive form and colourful flowerheads, they make a significant impact on a sunny border. They contain a milky sap which can irritate the skin, so always wear gloves when working with them and avoid getting the liquid on your skin.
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Echinops (globe thistle) is an excellent choice for a pollinator-friendly garden, as bees love the spiky round blue flowers on their tall stems. With their unique form, the flowers are also ideal for cutting.
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	Achillea (yarrow) is instantly recognisable, with its flattened flowerheads and feathery foliage. Achilleas are available in a wide range of stunning colours that look great on any sunny border, and these drought-tolerant perennials do best in well-drained soil.
	</li>
</ol>

Drought-tolerants perennial plants

This beginner’s guide to landscaping will help you to design and landscape your garden just as you want it.

This beginner’s guide to landscaping will help you to design and landscape your garden just as you want it. The crucial parts of landscaping are knowing how you want to use your garden, what the aspect is, what is already there and what you would like to replace or add in. Let’s take a closer look so you can get started on your dream garden.
<h2>Know how you want to use the space</h2>
Imagine your garden exactly as it would be if it was your dream space. Will it be entertaining, will your dog be playing ball, will it be a haven of peace and reflection where you have your morning coffee? When you know what you will be using it for, you can start to build up a picture of how you would like to proceed. Try to make a sketch or share your thought with&nbsp;a drafter to get an image of what’s possible.
<h2>Know&nbsp;the aspect</h2>
Observing what areas in the garden are sun or shade is essential. You might look out the window and see the sun, but is there a shady corner also? Where does the sun shine throughout the day? Leave a piece of paper by your window, and every time you look outside, draw a line as to where the sun and shade are and the time of day. This will help when you start laying your lawn or buying your plants.&nbsp;
Draw a diagram of what you can already see&nbsp;
On a piece of paper, net down where there is a shed or greenhouse, anything permanent, electricity cables and any other services, drains and everything you can see. You can decide if you want to remove something and know where to avoid it if there are cables. The hard landscaping should always come first, so get all of that in place before you plant up.
<h2>Know your soil and plants&nbsp;</h2>
When you start to landscape with plants is when the garden really comes together. It’s exciting, and you’ll see your vision coming to life.
<ul>
<li>Firstly know your soil type and pH. You can test with soil test kits and by feeling the consistency of the soil. This will help you choose the right plants for the right place. If your soil needs replenishing, now is the time to do that with some soil improver or other organic matter.</li>
<li>When your soil is ready, start planting. Visit our garden centre for plants for full sun, plants for shade, plants for acid soil and plants for neutral ground. Our staff’s happy to help you out.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Maintenance is key to landscaping&nbsp;</h2>
When you are landscaping, think about how you will access your garden, garden paths to sheds or around beds and how you will keep them clean. Will you be able to clean decking or reach tall plants? Do you love mowing the lawn, or is it too big? All of these will help you to enjoy your landscaped garden thoroughly.&nbsp;
We are happy to advise you in store, come in and visit us.

with
Plants!

with
plants!

Sheds and Garden Buildings

Tools

Shrubs & Trees

Pots & Planters

Wensleydale Garden Centre

Perennial Mix n' Match

Champions Blend Compost

Ex-display Sheds & Garden Buildings

Alpines: Buy 3 for £10

10% off for Guests at Christmas Cottage, Gunnerside

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Garden

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Top 5 tall grass varieties

Drought-tolerants perennial plants

A beginner's guide to landscaping

with Plants!

Sheds and Garden Buildings

Tools

Shrubs & Trees

Pots & Planters

Wensleydale Garden Centre

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Plants!