Greenshutters Garden Centre Newsletter January 2026

We hope you managed to have a good break over Christmas and New Year. We are now back open, 7 days a week, with a closing time of 5pm instead of 5.30pm for January.

Our new polytunnel is coming along well. The structure is up and we hope it will be complete by the end of the week. The roll-up roof and roll-down sides are fully operational, we are just waiting for the doors to be finished. Once the structure is complete, we can then put a flooring down to stand the plants on and an irrigation system in. All very exciting for us, with the opening roof, we will be able to grow in the tunnel all-year-round. In the old tunnels, we had to take the plants out in the summer when it became too hot. Another benefit, is that it will reduce our water use as we can open the roof to water the plants when it rains.

We have plenty of colourful plants to brighten up your winter garden. Now is a great time to plant trees and hedging and we have one of the biggest selections in the south west, including native trees and hedging. We also have violas, pansies and primroses available.

First early seed potatoes are now in stock as well as onion and shallot sets and garlic cloves.

RocketGro Peat-Free Soil Improver is now part of our compost range. Applying this will add fibre and nutrients to your soil. See our special introductory offer below for Greenshutters Garden Club Members only.

Let’s hope the winter sunshine is plentiful so we can enjoy our gardens. We hope to see you soon.

Roger and all the team at Greenshutters Garden Centre.

Spotlight on Winter Colour – Evergreen Shrubs

In January, when the branches of deciduous plants are bare, evergreen shrubs come into their own. Evergreens provide structure and colour in the winter garden. Below are a few examples of the many evergreen shrubs we have available.

Pittosporum are fantastic evergreen shrubs with green, gold, purple or silver leaves. They keep their leaves all-year-round and can be trimmed into shape or left to grow into a small evergreen tree. Varieties such as Tom Thumb, Golf Ball and Golden Ball are dwarf and stay small. Larger growing varieties include Elizabeth and Golden King.

Sweet-scented box (Sarcococca) are small evergreen shrubs that have very fragrant white or white and purple flowers in winter. As their name suggests, they have a sweet vanilla-like scent that permeates the air on a cold, sunny day. Planted near doorways or paths, the fragrance can be enjoyed every time you pass by. There are different species and varieties with different coloured stems, leaf shapes and flowers such as Sarcococca confusa, Sarcococca humilis, Sarcococca ‘Winter Gem’, ‘Dragon Gate’ and Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Purple Stem’.

Leucothoe are also small evergreen shrubs that are good in a pot or in a border. In winter, their leaves turn bright red but do not drop. Leucothoe keep their leaves throughout the year. Popular varieties are Leucothoe ‘Curly Red’ with it curled leaves and ‘Scarletta’ with its bright red, architectural leaves.

Osmanthus provide evergreen colour and scent. Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’ has variegated holly-like leaves all year and can be shaped into balls or will naturally form a medium-sized shrub – perfect for the back of a border. Osmanthus x burkwoodii and delavayi have smaller, dark green leaves followed by fragrant, tubular, white flowers in spring.

For evergreen structure and colour, there are also conifers that are often over-looked. Dwarf Pines, Blue Spruces, Cryptomeria and Junipers – with so many different shapes, leaf textures and colours, they can make your garden look bright even on the darkest of days.

Looking good at Greenshutters

Our top picks this month – available now:

Special Offers for Garden Club Members Only

January 2026 Offer 1: BUY ONE GET ONE FREE – RocketGro Soil Improver! One use per household only.

January 2026 Offer 2: £5 OFF Any tree over £50 or £25 OFF Any tree over £250! One use per household only. Not valid on multibuy.