New products at Crocus
by Sarah - June 25th, 2009.Filed under: Crocus, New Products.
New products at Crocus
lacecap hydrangea (syn. Blue Wave) £7.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: moist, well-drained, moderately fertile, humus-rich soilRate of growth: average Flowering period: July and AugustHardiness: fully hardyOne of the most popular lacecap hydranges, this has flattened heads of pink to mauve flowers from July to August and coarsely toothed, glossy, dark green leaves. On alkaline soils the flowers change to lilac-blue. Like most hydrangeas, it's best in moist soil in partial shade and looks wonderful towards the back of a mixed or shrub border, particularly when planted with other hydrangeas.Garden care: Hydrangeas do not like to dry out. In dry weather, soak the roots with a hose and the plant will usually recover. Remove faded flowerheads in spring after the danger of frosts, cutting back the flowered stems to a strong pair of buds. Take out misplaced or diseased shoots. Mulch young plants with a well-rotted manure or compost in spring. Once established, remove a quarter to a third of the shoots to the base of the plant.Hydrangeas give their best blue flowers on acidic soil of pH 5.5. When grown on neutral soil, with a pH of 7, flowers will predominantly be pink, although blue or mauve blooms can also be produced. To produce blue blooms, make sure your soil is acidic with a pH of at most 6.5. To make a neutral soil acidic you can treat it annually with aluminium salts. However it's much harder to alter the pH of limey soil (alkaline), so it's easier to grow white or pink hydrangeas.
beard tongue £6.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: fertile, well-drained soilRate of growth: average Flowering period: June to OctoberHardiness: fully hardy (borderline)Elegant spikes of small, tubular, foxglove-like flowers appear from July to October among lance-shaped, bright green leaves. This easy-to-grow perennial will quickly form large, leafy clumps and is perfect for adding a splash of colour to the middle of a sunny, well-drained border. If you deadhead regularly, the flowers will persist until the first frosts. The rich, deep purple flowers of this variety contrast particularly well with purples and acid greens.Garden care: Remove the faded blooms regularly to prolong flowering. Apply a dry mulch around the base of the plant to protect the roots from frost damage and cut back in spring when new shoots appear low down on the stem. Lift and divide congested clumps in spring.
yarrow £6.49
Position: full sunSoil: moist, well-drainedRate of Growth: fast-growingFlowering period: June to AugustFlowers: salmon pinkOther features: fern-like mid-green leavesHardiness: fully hardyReceiving the coveted Royal Horticultural Societys AGM (Award of Garden Merit) in 1999, this attractive yarrow has large plates of rich salmon-pink flowers fading to rose-flushed ivory. It thrives in well-drained neutral and alkaline soils preferring full sun and is a welcome horizontal component to the perennial border producing flowers over several weeks through summer and early autumn. Garden care: Achilleas can be short-lived especially in wet winters and benefit from frequent division. Carefully divide plants in early autumn and pot up a few rooted divisions to overwinter in an unheated cold frame, greenhouse or conservatory to provide new stock for planting the following spring.
pincushion flower £6.49
Position: full sunSoil: moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlower colour: lavender blueOther features: the flowers are highly attractive to butterflies and bees; valuable for fresh and dried flower arrangementsHardiness: fully hardyLovely, lavender blue, pincushion like flowers from July to September held on delicate stems above clumps of lance shaped, grey green leaves. This long flowering blue scabious is ideal for a sunny, well drained rock garden or container planting. As its name suggests, the charming pincushion like flowers are highly attractive to butterflies. Garden care: Protect young plants from slug damage using environmentally friendly slug pellets or beer traps. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering and cut back the faded flower stems in autumn.
blanket flower £5.99
Position: full sunSoil: fertile, well-drained soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: June to SeptemberFlower colour: deep wine redOther features: excellent and long-lasting cut flowersHardiness: fully hardyFlowering through the summer months and into autumn with regular deadheading, this is a vigorous seed raised variety of the North American blanket flower adding vibrant pools of colour in an herbaceous border or gravel garden. Good drainage and full sun keep this prairie and grassland plant compact and floriferous.Garden care: Cut down flowering stems in the autumn and mulch with straw or bracken to prevent the crowns getting wet. Large clumps can be divided carefully and replanted in late spring when the soil has warmed up. Autumn collected seed can be sown in spring for planting large areas.
verbena £5.99
Position: full sunSoil: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: June to September Flower colour: bright purple or magentaOther features: self-seeds freely; toothed, dark green leaves; highly attractive to butterflies and beesHardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection)A neat, low-growing verbena producing lax clusters of fragrant, bright purple or magenta flowers from June to September. This jewel-like perennial is perfect for a sheltered, sunny, well-drained spot. Associating well with grey and silver-leaved plants, it's wonderful used in generous drifts for infilling a traditional knot garden.Garden care: In areas prone to frost apply a deep, dry winter mulch around the crown of the plant.
sage £5.99
Position: full light (with shade from hot sun) Soil: well-drainedRate of growth: average Flowering period: July to September Flower colour: blueHardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection)Superb vigorous variety of ornamental sage with slender spires of large blue flowers from midsummer to autumn. A perfect plant for a cool planting scheme or for adding to a mixed border where it will add vibrancy.Garden care: To prolong flowering remove the flower spikes as soon they start to fade. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in spring.
Armenian cranesbill £3.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: fertile, well-drainedRate of growth: fast growingFlowering period: June to AugustFlowers: magentaHardiness: fully hardyThis vigorous Armenian cranesbill produces a mass of shallow cup-shaped, vivid magenta flowers with black centres and veins from early to late summer. It quickly forms loose hummocks of deeply cut, mid-green leaves, which turn a fabulous shade of red in autumn. An excellent plant for the middle of the border.Garden care: In midsummer rejuvenate plants that are beginning to look jaded, by removing old flowered stems and leaves. Lift and divide large colonies in spring.