Sherfield-on-Loddon Garden Centre & Café

18/10/2026

For the first time, a rare mountain agave at Kew Gardens is getting ready to flower, and Kew’s team are searching the country for a pollen partner.

Ali Barwani explains why this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, what it may tell us about London’s changing climate, and whether agaves could grow in your garden. You’ll also meet our agave-loving colleague, Smiley Tom, and hear about his collection of “rescued” plants in Spain.

🔗 Click the link to read our blog.

Smiley Tom is back from his holidays. There are three things I want to tell you about him. Firstly, Tom arrived here at Alexandra Palace Garden Centre around three and a half years ago with this nickname already in place. The second thing is that he is always willing to help colleagues and customers...

18/10/2026

Give Your Lawn a Little Autumn TLC

Autumn is the perfect time to give your lawn some attention before the colder winter months arrive.

From aerating compacted soil and improving drainage to feeding the roots and repairing uneven patches, a little care now can help your lawn stay healthier through winter and get off to a stronger start next spring.

Whether your lawn needs a little TLC or some more substantial attention, we've got the tools and treatments to help.

16/10/2026

Our Pumpkin Patch is open this weekend, and we can't wait to see you 🎃

Book to visit our pumpkin patch - www.capitalgardens.co.uk/events/pumpkin-patch-sherfield-on-loddon-garden-centre/ 🎃 👻 🐈‍⬛

🎃 Choose your own pumpkin to take home
🎃 Halloween colouring fun
🎃 Scavenger Hunt with a Halloween treat to win
🎃 Family hoopla game
🎃 Instagram-worthy photo frame
🎃 Colouring competition with amazing prizes

Family fun, photo moments and a pumpkin to take home - all in one visit.

Ticket price: £10 per child - adults go FREE!

16/10/2026

Autumn has arrived in The Greenhouse Café. 🎃

Our Pumpkin Latte is here for the season: smooth espresso, pumpkin syrup and steamed milk.

It’s the perfect way to warm up after a browse around the garden centre, and it goes beautifully with a slice of cake from the counter.

• Pumpkin Latte, £4.45
• Autumn special, here for a limited time
• Served in The Greenhouse Café

Find us at Wildmoor Lane, Sherfield-on-Loddon, RG27 0HL.

13/10/2026

Book to visit our pumpkin patch - https://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/events/pumpkin-patch-sherfield-on-loddon-garden-centre/ 🎃 👻 🐈‍⬛

🎃 Choose your own pumpkin to take home
🎃 Halloween colouring fun
🎃 Scavenger Hunt with a Halloween treat to win
🎃 Family hoopla game
🎃 Instagram-worthy photo frame
🎃 Colouring competition with amazing prizes

Family fun, photo moments and a pumpkin to take home - all in one visit.

Ticket price: £10 per child - adults go FREE!

11/10/2026

Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars: Growing Asters in the Garden

‘Skegness is SO bracing’ declares the Edwardian poster proudly advertising the merits of this Lincolnshire resort. And indeed it is, as is Rye Harbour, way down in East Sussex.

These wild, blustery landscapes, which at first can seem a little bleak and empty, are in fact teeming with life, the mudflats and salt marshes of their nature reserves home to flora including white sea campion, indigo viper’s bugloss and the pretty pale lilac sea aster. Blooming in late summer and autumn, defying the brisk coastal winds, its daisy-like flowers are the specialist food plant of the rare sea aster mining bee Colletes halophilus. It’s also an important source of sustenance for caterpillars of the star-wort moth.

🔗 Click the link to read our blog.

‘Aster’ derives from the Ancient Greek word for ‘star’. Arriving late to the summer garden party but putting on a display that more than makes up for it, these luminaries bloom in purple, white, lilac or pink, mostly with contrasting golden centres.

10/10/2026

Well sown is half grown, as the old gardening saying goes. A good start comes down to fresh seed, a light and well-drained seed compost, and a pot that lets roots grow freely. Fothergill’s coir plantable pellets only need soaking in water, and their plantable pots go straight into the ground, so roots are not disturbed when it’s time to plant out.

Look out for the Fothergill’s seeds to sow now, alongside plantable pots and pellets the next time you visit us.

09/10/2026

Who is excited for the launch of our 2026 Pumpkin Patch this weekend? We are! 🎃

Book your tickets: https://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/events/pumpkin-patch-sherfield-on-loddon-garden-centre/

Book to visit our pumpkin patch - www.capitalgardens.co.uk/events 🎃 👻 🐈‍⬛

Available selected dates during October.

🎃 Choose your own pumpkin to take home
🎃 Halloween colouring fun
🎃 Scavenger Hunt with a Halloween treat to win
🎃 Family hoopla game
🎃 Instagram-worthy photo frame
🎃 Colouring competition with amazing prizes

Family fun, photo moments and a pumpkin to take home - all in one visit.

Ticket price: £10 per child - adults go FREE!

09/10/2026

Sir Woofchester’s is now stocked at Sherfield-on-Loddon Garden Centre & Café.

Created by a team with experience in both the pet and hospitality sectors, this British brand makes grain-free treats with natural ingredients, baked by hand.

Find our range in the café where your four-legged friend can enjoy a tasty treat!

08/10/2026

On 28 June 2026, records began to tumble across London as the city entered an extraordinary dry spell. No rain fell from then until 5pm on 4 August — a total of 49 days — and even then, the rain was only brief.

At Capital Gardens, we have been observing established plants growing in gardens across London to see which ones not only survived this prolonged period of drought but continued to look presentable throughout the summer heat.

For us, established plants are particularly interesting. They have already experienced the changing conditions of a London garden, having withstood the vagaries of cool, wet winters before facing increasingly warm and dry summers.

We are building a list of plants that have demonstrated resilience through these contrasting seasons, with a particular focus on shrubs and other plants that can continue to provide interest later in the year. The list will continue to grow as we observe more plants and gather further information.

As our observations develop, we also want to explore why some plant genera appear to be more resilient than others. What characteristics help certain plants cope with prolonged dry conditions? Which plants continue to look good when water is scarce? And are there particular traits we should look for when choosing plants for increasingly challenging London gardens?

This is very much an evolving project, and we will be adding to the list as our own observations — and yours — continue.

🔗 Click the link to read our blog.

At Capital Gardens, we have been observing established plants growing in gardens across London to see which ones not only survived this prolonged period of drought but continued to look presentable throughout the summer heat.

06/10/2026

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝟬% 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗯𝘀.

The colour you see in March and April starts with what goes in the ground now. Bulbs are one of the easiest ways to get a garden full of colour with very little work. Plant them this month, leave them to settle over winter, and they'll come up on their own once the weather warms.

Not a Privilege Customer yet? Visit your app store and download the Capital Gardens App to get access to this exclusive offer.

Our top picks to plant now:
🪴 Daffodils for cheerful early colour that comes back every year
🪴 Tulips for bold spring displays in pots and borders
🪴 Alliums for tall, round flower heads that bees love
🪴 Crocus for some of the first flowers of the year

📏 Plant each bulb about two to three times as deep as it is tall
☀️ Most bulbs do best in a sunny or partly shaded spot
💧 Choose soil that drains well so the bulbs don't rot over winter

Head in-store now to find the full range.

𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵.

04/10/2026

𝗞𝗲𝘄'𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻

The UK climate is changing, and Kew's new Carbon Garden is designed to show gardeners exactly what that means.

What does a planting scheme running from cool blues through to burning reds have to do with over a century of UK temperature records?

Why is London's climate expected to resemble Barcelona's within 25 years, and what will that mean for the plants in our own gardens? And what is the giant sculptural pavilion at the centre of it all actually meant to represent, a fungus, a tree, or something else entirely? The answers point to some of the resilient, drought-tolerant plants we may all be growing before too long.

🔗 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴.

‘Ali! Come here!’ commands the stentorian voice. My ears prick up, and I rush to the balcony overlooking the shop area at Alexandra Palace

03/10/2026

October does not have to mean the end of colour in your garden. Come and explore the plant area at your local Capital Gardens this weekend and you might be surprised by what you find.

Here are just some of the plants in store right now:

🌸 Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ and Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’
🌿 Mahonia ‘Meteor’
🍂 Berberis ‘Desperados’
🌼 Chrysanthemums
🔴 Skimmia ‘Temptation’ (berries) and Skimmia ‘Snow White’ (flowers)
🌱 Hellebore ‘Eloisa’
💜 Aster ‘Crimson Brocade’
🌾 Mixed Euphorbias

Whether you are refreshing beds and borders or adding interest to pots and window boxes, there is plenty to choose from. Pop in and take a look.

01/10/2026

New October offer for our Privilege App users.

Spend over £50 on bulbs and earn triple points on your Privilege App.

It's a great time to plant up pots and borders for spring colour, whether that's a drift of tulips or a few daffodils by the front door.

Valid 1 to 15 October 2026, T&Cs apply.

Not on the app yet? Simply visit your app store and search for 'Capital Gardens'.

If you are a Privilege Card user, you can download the app and register using your card details to unlock exclusive offers, app-only rewards and instant access to your points balance.

29/09/2026

Stock Up on Bird Food 🐦‍⬛

Tom Chambers is a proud British manufacturer with handcrafted quality since 1967.

🐦‍⬛ No More Mess Mix
Formulated to cut down on waste and fallen husks, so it’s a good choice for feeders near the house, on patios or close to decking, where mess is a problem.

🐦‍⬛ Classic Seed Blend
An all-purpose, year-round mix, suited to bird tables, ground feeding and hanging feeders, and works well for attracting a wide range of garden birds.

Promotion subject to availability. Stock may differ across centres.

28/09/2026

Autumn bedding is now in stock.

It is the perfect time to refresh your beds, borders and containers with some seasonal colour. Our autumn favourites are here, including cheerful pansies and violas in a brilliant range of colours, and cyclamen, which are perfect for adding a splash of brightness to pots and window boxes through the cooler months.

With the soil still warm, now is a great time to get planting and keep your garden looking its best right through to winter.

Fresh stock arrives regularly, so there’s always something new to see in-store.

27/09/2026

𝗢𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀

Ornamental grasses rarely get the attention flowering plants do, but there's more to them than meets the eye, or rather, more than meets the eye alone.

What do they actually feel like, airy, silken, feathery or hair-like, depending on the variety? Why do some thrive in full sun on poor soil while others prefer damp shade? And how can the same plant work as ground cover, a windbreak or a feature in its own right? Getting the right grass in the right spot matters, not just for how a border looks, but for the texture, movement and sound it brings to a garden.

🔗 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴.

A well-designed and carefully planted garden is a feast for the senses in which to immerse ourselves and soothe the cares and irritations

27/09/2026

Did you read our latest blog on ornamental grasses?

From the soft, tactile flowerheads of pennisetum to the gentle rustle of miscanthus in a breeze, grasses do something few other plants can: they engage the senses as much as the eye. In the blog, we look at how ornamental grasses bring texture, structure and movement to borders and containers through autumn and beyond, and why they deserve a place in just about every garden.

Come and explore our selection of ornamental grasses in our plant areas.

26/09/2026

There is nothing better than a walk around our plant areas.

Here are some of the fantastic colours we found at Alexandra Palace Garden Centre & Café.

🌿 Sedums bring rich, earthy tones to borders and containers
🌺 Salvias are putting on a brilliant late summer and autumn display
💜 Asters just coming into flower, with rich, velvety colours that will carry on well into autumn

Fresh stock arrives regularly, so there's always something new to see in-store.

25/09/2026

Hellebores are one of the most rewarding plants you can add to a shady border, producing their elegant, nodding blooms from late winter right through into spring, at a time when very little else is flowering.

Available in shades of white, pink, plum and deep purple, most varieties are evergreen, giving you handsome foliage year-round as well as a long and reliable flowering season.

☀️ Light shade is ideal, though they will cope in a sunnier spot if the soil stays moist
💧 Fertile, evenly moist soil, avoid extremes of wet or dry
📏 Most varieties reach 30 to 45cm, though some bold types grow to 90cm
❄️ Most are hardy, though some varieties need shelter from severe winter cold and wet
🌸 Flowers from late winter through to spring