Welcome to our August Newsletter.

Welcome to our August newsletter and exclusive privilege offers. We have had lots and lots of new Privilege Club members who have signed up over the last few weeks so if you are new to the club then a very warm welcome to you. Each month we email our club members – just once, with a series of special offers just for them. There’s also information on our in store offers plus news and events. Read on to find out about this month’s exclusive £2 off kid’s meals, buy one get one free bird seed & £5 off Aloe Vera plants plus award winning news, a staff party and some exciting children’s events happening throughout the summer holidays!

Happy gardening

The Poplars Team

Aloe Vera Plant save £5 - only £4.99!

Aloe Vera is the August Houseplant of the Month. It is an exceptionally resilient plant which stores moisture and nutrients in its leaves in order to get through dry periods. The name derives from the Arabic word ‘Alloeh’ which means ‘shiny bitter fluid’. This refers to the cooling, gel-like liquid in the leaves. ‘Vera’ effectively means ‘the real thing’. Normal in store price £9.99. A maximum of 2 plants per voucher. Just download our voucher page, print them off and present to our cashier to take advantage of this great offer. Smart phone and tablet users please quote Voucher AV60 when purchasing.

Chrysanthemum Gardenmumsaic £2.99 Buy One Get One Free!

A must have for every garden whether in a bed, in front of a mixed border or planted container. The Chrysanthemum will give you fantastic domes of flowers until the first frosts. Simply remove any faded flowers and you will receive a rich reward with very little effort. A maximum of 2 plants per voucher. Just download our voucher page, print them off and present to our cashier to take advantage of this great offer. Smart phone and tablet users please quote Voucher CG60 when purchasing.

Gardman 2kg Seed Mix £2.99 Buy One Get One Free!

Gardman Seed Mix for wild birds can be used on the ground, on bird tables and in seed feeders and is fantastic for bringing your garden to life. This 2kg bag, with a handy resealable sticker for freshness, will attract a variety of wild birds including Robins, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, House Sparrows and more to your garden. A maximum of 2 FREE bags per voucher. Just download our voucher page, print them off and present to our cashier to take advantage of this great offer. Smart phone and tablet users please quote Voucher SM60 when purchasing.

Battery Operated Coloured Glass Jars £4.99 Buy One Get One Free!

Light up your summer nights with these pretty glass jars. Dotted around the garden or patio, they are perfect for parties, summer BBQ’s or even a wedding! Pop them on a garden table or along the windowsill to add some subtle colour to your outdoor space. Requires 2 x AAA batteries (not included). A maximum of 2 FREE jars per voucher. Just download our voucher page, print them off and present to our cashier to take advantage of this great offer. Smart phone and tablet users please quote Voucher GJ60 when purchasing.

Masterclass ‘Edge Keeper’ Range Buy One Get Cheapest One Free!

Enjoy perfectly sharpened knives every time you use them with the Masterclass ‘Edge Keeper’ range from KitchenCraft. The protective blade cover contains a sharpening tool so each time you take the cover off, it sharpens the knife! Choose from a paring knife, a utility knife, a 15 or 20cm chef’s knife or a pair of all purpose scissors. Prices start from £4.99. Please note you must be 18 years old or over to purchase knives. A maximum of 2 FREE items per voucher. Just download our voucher page, print them off and present to our cashier to take advantage of this great offer. Smart phone and tablet users please quote Voucher EK60 when purchasing.

Children’s meals £2.99 Save £2!

With the summer holidays well under way, what better offer to have than £2 off any of our delicious kid’s meals! Choose from sausages, chicken nuggets or fish fingers, all served with our yummy chips. There’s also a half jacket potato or our freshly made pizza! Or if you’d prefer something lighter, why not try our cold pick & mix box where you can create your very own lunch box! Normal in store kid’s meal price £4.99. A maximum of 2 kid’s meals per voucher. Just download our voucher page, print them off and present to our cashier to take advantage of this great offer. Smart phone and tablet users please quote Voucher KM60 when purchasing.

Greensand Trust Education Visits to Wadelows

If the Wadelows meadow is looking a little bit trampled and the pond creatures a little nervous, it’s because it has hosted over 300 pupils during this summer term! The Greensand Trust is an independent environmental charity, working in partnership with a variety of national and regional conservation and community organisations. They have worked in successful partnership with the Wadelows management committee and the staff at Poplars for many years, supporting learning opportunities for local schools and groups. Erika, the Greensand Trust Education Coordinator said “Our education team and dedicated Greensand Trust volunteers have accompanied over 300 young people in education visits during this summer term to explore the varied habitats and the natural delights of this special reserve”.

Poplars Wins Again!

The Restaurant@Poplars scooped the North Thames Best Garden Centre Restaurant for the 2nd year running at the Garden Centre Association Awards last month. It’s an amazing achievement, given that the restaurant has only been open 16 months! Our Catering Services Manager Paul and our Front of House Manager Alison were both there to accept the award, along with General Manager Alastair. And the winning streak didn’t just stop in the restaurant. We got 2nd place in the outdoor leisure category and a fantastic 3rd place for the North Thames Best Destination Garden Centre (out of approximately 25 other centres). We also retain our Highly Commended status by scoring very highly in our recent audit. Huge congratulations to us all!

Craft & Play Summer Activities

Hannah from Craft & Play, who runs her café craft sessions in the restaurant every Saturday morning has been very busy indeed, organising an array of summer holiday activities to be held at the garden centre. These summer sessions are parent/child activities so children must be supervised throughout but it’s a great way to keep kids and grandkids occupied for an hour or so. And at the end of each session, when the children decorate their biscuit, mums and dads or nans and grandads can relax with a nice cuppa! The activities that Hannah has organised are a Pirate Party, Calling all Superheroes and a Teddy Bears Picnic. Visit our website &/or Facebook page for further details of dates and times and information on how to book these sessions.

Potential Life Savers!

12 members of staff attended a 3-day first aid course at the end of July and we are very pleased to announce that they all passed with flying colours! There will be a further 12 attending another course which is booked for mid- October so we will have an extremely strong team of trained first aiders ready to tend to anyone who may be taken ill whilst they’re here. We are very lucky that considering the amount of people coming through our doors, our first aid instances are very low but it’s reassuring for us and our customers to know that we are up to date on all the very latest first aid procedures and our first aiders are trained to deal with all instances in a calm and professional manner.

The Return of The Houseplant!

Back by very popular demand are our houseplants and they are bigger and better than ever! Situated in their new bright and airy position near the restaurant, our indoor plants are perfect for brightening up your home or office. From Orchids to cacti, flowering or foliage, there is definitely something to suit your specific requirements. As well as our fantastic range of plants, we also have an assortment of coloured plastic plant pots to add that finishing touch. And not only do indoor plants help brighten up your environment, but they can help brighten you up too! Studies have shown that indoor plants have lots of great health benefits too such as improving the air quality, increase positive feelings and relieve stress and anxiety, reduce noise, carbon dioxide and airborne dust levels and can even improve concentration. And at this time of year when flies can be a real pest, our range of carnivorous plants could possibly be your new best friend this summer!

The Poplars Summer Party & BBQ

The Directors, Management, staff & their families all came together for a good old knees up on Sunday 23rd July at our summer party! After an extremely busy few months, it was great to see everyone relaxing, dancing, chatting & laughing. Drinks were flowing, steaks, sausages and burgers were sizzling and whilst some of us danced the night away, others took turns to ride a child’s trike down a hill (and fall off)!!! The atmosphere was fantastic and even the weather was on our side after a very soggy afternoon! The younger children enjoyed their time in the swimming pool. It was great to see everyone come together and have a great time. Huge thanks go to our Directors for organising such a great night. Everyone is already saying how they can’t wait for next year!

Panacea Wine Bottle Caddy £12.99 (rrp £17.99)

This wine caddy is perfect for lazy evenings in the garden with friends. It has a powder coated finish for long lasting beauty and needs no assembly (wine glasses are not included).

Special Offer Wooden Crates (prices as marked)

These decorative wooden crates are so versatile. They can be used to display plants both indoor and out or they are a great way of keeping everything organised in the home, shed or even the greenhouse.

Morecambe Compact Chair £14.99 each 2 for £20

Lightweight and compact, the Morecambe chair is perfect for picnics in the park, camping, festivals or just providing extra seating for your guests this summer.

Mix & Match Assorted Crisp Snacks 2 for £3.50

Our bruschette bites, quinoa, hummus & lentil chips are fantastic accompanied by a sour cream or hummus dip and are a healthier alternative to crisps. Mr Trotter’s Pork Crackling however, is not!!