https://www.facebook.com/110459783804897/

Merlin Plants, Caversham (2026)

14/07/2023

Plenty of rain over last few days has made the watering much easier. It does also make it ideal time to plant, as finally the ground is more manageable.

🥬fruit and vegetables
2 for £1 beetroot golden
£1-pot of Celtuce, coco bianco beans, black magic kale, pea, runner beans, perpetual spinach,
£1.50- cardoon, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- fennel,
£3- alpine strawberry, baby cucumber (goblin), crystal lemon cucumber, squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti, ornamental gourds
£4.50- pot of cucamelons (3 to a pot)

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£4- gladiolus

Annuals
£1.50 calendula (orange/yellow), sunflowers (harlequin, plum, ring of fire)
£2- nicotiana (white/ green), statice
£3- Ageratum, bunny tail grass, coleus, cosmos (white/ yellow), gazania, Gomphrena (white), strawflower, verbena (purple and pink)
£4- cerinthe major, osteospermum
£5 sweet pea

🌸 Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow or pale pink), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- achillea, aquilegia, blue festuca, carnation (red/ pale pink/ hot pink), Canterbury bells, day lily, frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, malva zebrina, primula auricula, quaking grass, rose campion (pale pink), sedum autumn joy, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), stachys (lambs ear), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- aruncus, liatris spicata (purple), astilbe (deep pink), clematis New Love, Veronica (light blue)
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), trifolium rubens,

🌱Herbs:
£2- fennel
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, salad Burnett, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate- After Eight, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

11/07/2023

Last call- cucumbers and squashes are reaching their tipping point, they need to be in the ground/ larger pots urgently.
We’ve a number of varieties of squash including summer/ winter, patty pan/ spaghetti, table king. Two cucumbers- goblin, the snack size variety of crystal lemon, the round yellow skinned variety.
Finally the unusual cucamelons, which are brilliant for snacking but equally fantastic in drinks or at BBQs.
Let us know if you want to grab any to pop in your garden, or we’ll end up overrun with cucurbits!

08/07/2023

So much going on in the garden! There’s tables of quick colour, trays of plants ideal for cut flower fans (but equally glorious in the garden) and veg ideal for summer/ autumn cropping.
If you know what you love, pop us a message.
Maybe you’re not sure what you want/ can grow, maybe the names below don’t make much sense? We love talking plants and very happy to help from planning a planter or flower bed, to suggestions for shady corners. Please pop us a message and come visit.

🥬fruit and vegetables
2 for £1 beetroot golden
£1-pot of Celtuce, coco bianco beans, black magic kale, pea, runner beans, perpetual spinach,
£1.50- cardoon, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- fennel,
£3- alpine strawberry, baby cucumber (goblin), crystal lemon cucumber, squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti, ornamental gourds
£4.50- pot of cucamelons (3 to a pot)

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£4- gladiolus

Annuals
£1.50 calendula (orange/yellow), sunflowers (harlequin, plum, ring of fire)
£2- nicotiana (white/ green), statice
£3- bunny tail grass, coleus, cosmos (white/ yellow), gazania, Gomphrena (white), strawflower, verbena (purple and pink)
£4- cerinthe major, osteospermum
£5 sweet pea

🌸Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow or pale pink), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- achillea, aquilegia, blue festuca, carnation (red/ pale pink/ hot pink), Canterbury bells, day lily, frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, malva zebrina, primula auricula, quaking grass, rose campion (pale pink), sedum autumn joy, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), stachys (lambs ear), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- aruncus, liatris spicata (purple), astilbe (deep pink), clematis New Love, Veronica (light blue)
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), trifolium rubens,

🌱Herbs:
£2- fennel
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, salad Burnett, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate- After Eight, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

30/06/2023

Glorious plants ideal for cut and dry flowers now available.

🥬fruit and vegetables
2 for £1 beetroot golden
£1- multipack spring onion-purple,
pot of Celtuce, garlic, mangetout/pea- carouby de Maussane and blauwschok (both pink coloured flowers), yellow climbing bean, dwarf purple French bean, black magic kale, lettuce, perpetual spinach,
£1.50- cardoon, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- courgette (tondo di nizzi), baby cucumber (goblin), fennel, mini pop and fiesta sweetcorn,
£3- alpine strawberry, crystal lemon cucumber, squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti, ornamental gourds
£4.50- pot of cucamelons (3 to a pot)

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£4- gladiolus

Annuals
£1.50 calendula (orange/yellow), sunflowers (harlequin, Russian giant, plum, ring of fire)
£2- nicotiana (white/ green), statice
£3- bunny tail grass, coleus, gazania, strawflower, verbena (purple and pink)
£4- cerinthe major, osteospermum
£5 sweet pea

🌸Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow or pale pink), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- aquilegia, blue festuca, carnation, Canterbury bells, day lily, frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, primula auricula, quaking grass, rose campion (pale pink), sedum autumn joy, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), stachys (lambs ear), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- aruncus, liatris spicata (purple), Veronica (light blue)
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), trifolium

🌱Herbs:
£2- fennel
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, salad Burnett, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate- After Eight, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

25/06/2023

We thought we’d share a bit about our story, why we grow and how we grow- apologies it went on a bit more than I expected.

🌱Gardening has always been important to me- I blame my mum for inspiring the love and passion for plants. Growing our own veg, fruits and herbs has been great learning for our children- but the idea of “nasties” on them was not ideal for us. I also know I often steal things as I’m pottering and don’t always wash them- so we needed to be confident with garden snacking.
🪴As time to relax and “just be”, we started sowing seeds with the children. The benefits of being outside, understanding where food comes from and the accomplishment of growing/ harvesting something is so important for everyone. There is growing research surrounding the benefits of Therapeutic Horticulture and wellbeing.
Some seed trays did really well and others, well not so great. But overall we were left with lots of plants that we couldn’t fit in our garden. So we started popping them on Marketplace.
Then the pandemic hit, each day when things got too much- I sowed another tray and suddenly it all got a bit crazy. We had many regular plant friends, who collected on their walks, from “collection points” across the garden. And post pandemic, we celebrated with those same plant friends with open garden days.

🚚Last year, we finally decided to move ahead with our dream- to find a small holding and set up a therapeutic horticulture and animal setting. We sold our house and moved in with Mum just outside Reading (thanks Mum)
The growing has continued, some days even got a little crazy…. Well she had a greenhouse!
And now we are inching our way towards that dream.

All our plants are grown how we would want them to be for our family- every plant we pick, is tried and tested by us. We might not have conventional varieties of veg, but we love the unusual, the things that might not be in the garden centre and that taste (or look) great.
🐌We snail/ slug hunt, we use organic control and feed with seaweed. We don’t use peat based compost, as those bogs are vital for the environment.

We know which plants are happy in a shady spot or those that flourish in bright exposed places. We love talking plants and are always happy to help.

Whilst I still work full time, Mum is equally happy to cover the plants and questions. Her garden to a fabulous example of “just finding a gap for that one”.
💚We hope we can tempt you to drop us a message and arrange a visit.💚
Pictures below of our previous plant sales and a spring photo here in Reading.

22/06/2023

Another week with lots of fantastic plants putting on a great show. The ones below are perennials trifolium and aruncus.

🥬fruit and vegetables
2 for £1 beetroot golden
2 for £1.50- brussel sprouts,
£1- multipack leeks, multipack spring onion-purple, multipack Swiss chard
pot of Celtuce, garlic, mangetout/pea- carouby de Maussane and blauwschok (both pink coloured flowers), yellow climbing bean, dwarf purple French bean, lettuce, perpetual spinach,
£1.50- cardoon, mini pop and fiesta sweetcorn, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- courgette (tondo di nizzi), baby cucumber (goblin), crystal lemon cucumber, fennel, squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti, ornamental gourds
£3- alpine strawberry
£4.50- pot of cucamelons (3 to a pot)

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£4- gladiolus

Annuals
£1.50 calendula (orange/yellow), sunflowers (harlequin, Russian giant, plum, ring of fire)
£2- nicotiana (white)
£3- borage, bunny tail grass, coleus, gazania, strawflower, verbena (purple and pink)
£4- cerinthe major, osteospermum
£5 sweet pea

🌸Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- aquilegia, blue festuca, carnation, Canterbury bells, day lily, frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, heuchera, primula auricula, quaking grass, rose campion (pale pink/ hot pink), sedum autumn joy, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), stachys (lambs ear), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- liatris spicata (purple), Veronica (light blue)
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), everlasting sweet pea (deep pink), trifolium

🌱Herbs:
£2- fennel
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, salad Burnett, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate- After Eight, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

20/06/2023

The grasses are all starting to come into their own. I love the interest they add to planting and the seed heads adds texture. Although some are annuals they will easily re seed for years to come.

16/06/2023

Some bright annuals this evening, adding pops of colour to the garden.

🥬fruit and vegetables
£1- pot of perpetual spinach
2 for £1.50- brussel sprouts, red cabbage, pointed cabbage, cauliflower,
£1- multipack leeks, multipack spring onion-purple,
pot of Celtuce, garlic, mangetout/pea- carouby de Maussane and blauwschok (both pink coloured flowers), yellow climbing bean, dwarf purple French bean, lettuce
£1.50- cardoon, mini pop and fiesta sweetcorn, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- courgette (tondo di nizzi), baby cucumber (goblin), crystal lemon cucumber, squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti, ornamental gourds
£3- alpine strawberry
£4.50- pot of cucamelons (3 to a pot)

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£4- gladiolus

Annuals
£1.50 calendula (orange/yellow), sunflowers (harlequin, Russian giant, plum, ring of fire)
£3- borage, bunny tail grass, coleus, gazania, strawflower, verbena (purple and pink)
£4- cerinthe major, osteospermum
£5 sweet pea

🌸Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- aquilegia, blue festuca, carnation, Canterbury bells, day lily, frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, heuchera, primula auricula, quaking grass, rose campion (pale pink/ hot pink), sedum autumn joy, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), stachys (lambs ear), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- liatris spicata (purple), Veronica (light blue)
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), everlasting sweet pea (deep pink),

🌱Herbs:
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, salad Burnett, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate- After Eight, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

09/06/2023

Another warm week, which means lots of watering. Although, it does mean annuals have come on quick.
The giant yellow scabious are looking great in the garden currently.

🥬fruit and vegetables
2 for £1 beetroot red (golden to come shortly), perpetual spinach,
2 for £1.50- broccoli (calabrese), brussel sprouts, red cabbage, pointed cabbage, cauliflower,
£1- multipack leeks, multipack spring onion-purple, multipack Swiss chard
pot of Celtuce, garlic, mangetout/pea- carouby de Maussane and blauwschok (both pink coloured flowers), yellow climbing bean, dwarf purple French bean, lettuce
£1.50- cardoon, mini pop and fiesta sweetcorn, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- courgette (tondo di nizzi), baby cucumber (goblin), crystal lemon cucumber, squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti, ornamental gourds
£3- alpine strawberry
£4.50- pot of cucamelons (3 to a pot)

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£4- gladiolus

Annuals
£1.50 calendula (orange/yellow), sunflowers (harlequin, Russian giant, plum, ring of fire)
£3- borage, bunny tail grass, coleus, gazania, osteospermum strawflower, verbena (purple and pink)
£4- cerinthe major,
£5 sweet pea

🌸Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- aquilegia, carnation, Canterbury bells, day lily, frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, heuchera, primula auricula, rose campion, sedum autumn joy, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), stachys (lambs ear), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- evergreen honeysuckle, liatris spicata (purple), Veronica (light blue)
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), everlasting sweet pea (deep pink), large honeysuckle

🌱Herbs:
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate- After Eight, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

03/06/2023

The weekly round up is a bit late….. watering is quite an undertaking at the moment!
Not just the many plants available, but also the wonderful garden!

🥬fruit and vegetables
2 for £1 beetroot red (golden to come shortly), perpetual spinach,
2 for £1.50- broccoli (calabrese), brussel sprouts, red cabbage, pointed cabbage, cauliflower,
£1- multipack leeks, multipack spring onion-purple, multipack Swiss chard
pot of Celtuce, garlic, mangetout/pea- carouby de Maussane and blauwschok (both pink coloured flowers), yellow climbing bean, dwarf purple French bean, lettuce
£1.50- cardoon, mini pop and fiesta sweetcorn, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- courgette (tondo di nizzi), cucumber (goblin), squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti, ornamental gourds
£3- alpine strawberry
£5- raspberry, tree onion

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£4- gladiolus

🌸Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- aquilegia, carnation, Canterbury bells, centranthus (white), crazy daisy, day lily (yellow and orange), frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, heuchera, primula auricula, rose campion, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), stachys (lambs ear), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- evergreen honeysuckle, liatris spicata (purple),
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), everlasting sweet pea (deep pink), large honeysuckle

🌱Herbs:
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate- After Eight, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

31/05/2023

There’s some multipacks/ strips of veg that are getting bigger and a little crowded. As the glorious weather continues, they’re growing quickly (and drying out) which means they’ll need new pots- and more compost.
So it’s a great time to grab these multipacks and fill the garden/ allotment at lower cost.

26/05/2023

Another long weekend and looking good for being in the garden.
If you’re wondering what plant could fill a spot, some veg for the patch or a pot that’s empty- drop us a message to pop by. There’s lots available, here’s current list (but there’s always surprises to find too)

🥬fruit and vegetables
2 for £1 beetroot red (golden to come shortly)
£1- multipack leeks, multipack spring onion-purple, multipack rocket, multipack perpetual spinach, multipack Swiss chard
pot of garlic, mangetout/pea- carouby de Maussane and blauwschok (both pink coloured flowers), yellow climbing bean, dwarf purple French bean, brussel sprouts, broccoli (calabrese), red cabbage, pointed cabbage, cauliflower, Celtuce, lettuce
£1.50- mini pop and fiesta sweetcorn, currant tomato (tomberry)
£2- courgette tondo di nizzi, squash- table king/ white scallop (patty pan)/ spaghetti,
£3- alpine strawberry
£5- raspberry, tree onion

🌷 🌷 Bulbs:
£5- allium pots- christophii, purple sensation, violet queen, Schuberti, Tobago/ spider, universe

🌸Perennials
£3.50- aubretia, native cowslip, evening primrose (yellow), cranesbill/ hardy geranium, saxifraga, sedum (alpine), sweet woodruff
£4- aquilegia, carnation, Canterbury bells, day lily, frilled dianthus, forget me not, foxglove (Elsey Kelsie), fox and cubs, heuchera, primula auricula, rose campion, sisyrinchium (pale yellow eyed grass), tradescantia (spiderwort), valerian
£5- evergreen honeysuckle, pyrethrum (dark pink/ red)
£7- buddleja (butterfly bush), cephalaria gigantea (giant yellow scabious), everlasting sweet pea (deep pink), large honeysuckle

🌱Herbs:
£3- chives, red vein sorrel, tansy
£4 artemisia (cola plant), golden oregano, lavender, lemon balm, various mint (garden, berries and cream, chocolate, strawberry, Swiss), valerian

Merlin Plants

14/07/2023

11/07/2023

08/07/2023

30/06/2023

25/06/2023

22/06/2023

20/06/2023

16/06/2023

09/06/2023

03/06/2023

31/05/2023

26/05/2023

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category