Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

New products at Crocus

by Sarah - May 9th, 2010.
Filed under: Crocus, New Products.

New items added today at Crocus

large-plant-ladder
large-plant-ladder £199.99
Display your smaller potted plants and herbs in style with this three-tier plant ladder. It is made from timber and has a neutral grey finish with an old-fashioned patina that makes it look as though it has been in your garden or conservatory for ages. Ideal too for smaller spaces like a balcony or patio, it will keep those pots off the ground so you are not constantly tripping over them, and if well-placed it will ensure the plants can get more sun.Measures: 122 x 53 x 90cm

Siberian iris
Siberian iris £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: well-drained, moderately fertile soilRate of growth: average Flowering period: May and June Flower colour: deep purpleOther features: all parts of the plant may cause severe discomfort if ingested; contact with the sap may cause skin irritationHardiness: fully hardyDeepest purple flowers that have a velvety finish, sit on tall, upright flowerspikes from late spring to early summer. The combination of the slender green foliage and lavishly coloured flowers is a good one, and the result is an incredibly elegant plant that looks superb when planted in bold drifts throughout the border. Mix it with softer purples and rich plums to great effect.Garden care: Plant shallowly with the upper part of the rhizome sitting on the surface of the soil, incorporating a low-nitrogen fertiliser in the planting hole. After planting remove the upper-most third of the leaves to minimise the incidence of wind rock. In exposed areas stake with bamboo canes in early spring.
Skimmia (male)
Skimmia (male) £12.99
Position: partial to full shadeSoil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: April to May Flower colour: creamy-whiteOther features: male plantHardiness: fully hardyA compact, dome-shaped, evergreen shrub with dense clusters of fragrant, creamy-white flowers in April and May and aromatic, pointed, mid-green leaves. This award-winning shrub is perfect for illuminating a shady shrub border or woodland garden. Requiring little routine pruning, it’s useful for ‘anchoring’ taller, upright plants and pollinating female skimmias planted close by.Garden care: Lightly trim after flowering, if necessary. To improve the moisture retention qualities of the soil add plenty of well-rotted compost when planting.
dwarf rhododendron
dwarf rhododendron £11.99
Position: partial shadeSoil: moist, well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil or ericaceous compostRate of growth: averageFlowering period: April and MayFlower colour: bluish-purpleOther features: dark green leaves, retained all yearHardiness: fully hardyMasses of funnel shaped, bluish-purple flowers in mid and late spring, fading to pale lavender-blue, and small, dark green leaves, retained all year. This attractive, evergreen rhododendron is perfect for a raised bed with humus-rich, acid soil. Renowned for its fine foliage and compact habit, it does best in full sun.Garden care: Avoid planting too deeply. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of leaf mould around the base of the plant each spring.
mullein
mullein £9.99
Position: full sunSoil: poor, well-drained, alkaline soilRate of growth: average Flowering period: July to August Flower colour: butter yellowHardiness: fully hardyAn attractive rosette-forming biennial that is covered in silky silver hairs. In summer tall spikes of saucer-shaped, butter yellow flowers appear above white-wholly basal leaves. A stunning plant for the back of a sunny border or planted in dramatic swathes in an island bed.Garden care: Mullein moth caterpillars can be a problem, so look out for them in early June and pick them off as soon as they appear. Remove faded flower-spikes. Apply a thick 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch around the base of the plant in early spring.It is worth keeping in mind that these plants are mainly biennial, so although they usually self-seed freely, the plant will only live for two years
clematis (group 3)
clematis (group 3) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: fertile, well-drained, neutral soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: July to OctoberFlower colour: pinkOther features: vigorous growthHardiness: fully hardy Masses of dainty, small to medium sized nodding pink flowers from summer to early autumn. Good resistance to Clematis Wilt and a fairly long flowering period make this a great plant for a wall or fence.Garden care: In early spring cut back the previous year’s stems to a pair of strong buds about 15-20cm (6-8in) above ground-level and apply a slow-release balanced fertiliser and a mulch of well-rotted garden compost around the plant, avoiding the immediate crown.
honey bush
honey bush £9.99
Position: full sunSoil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soilRate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to JulyHardiness: half hardyAs they unfurl in early spring, the spectacular, grey-green leaves up to 50cm (20in) long, reveal serrated edges that look as though they have been cut with pinking shears. This dramatic architectural shrub makes a stunning specimen for a sunny, perennial border or exotic-style garden in warmer areas of the country. In hot summers, it sends up curious tubular, reddish-brown flowers, but it is the wonderful foliage that stops you in your tracks. To stop it getting leggy, it is best cut back in early spring and the plant will make up to 1.5m growth in one season. To minimise the risk of frost-damage it’s important to provide a dry, winter mulch. It is quite late into leaf in spring, so you do need to be patient, but you may be surprised by the amount of growth it will put on late in the year.Garden care: Water frequently until established and apply a generous mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the base of the plant in spring. Although it is is shrub, this plant is best treated as a perennial and cut down to within two or three buds from the base of in early spring. It will shoot back from the base. Protect with a dry winter mulch of straw or bracken especially in cold winters.
blue passion flower
blue passion flower £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: fast-growingFlowering period: July to SeptemberHardiness: frost hardy (will need winter protection in cold areas)A really exotic-looking plant, with large white flowers and central filaments of purple, blue and white from July to September, followed by egg-shaped, orange-yellow fruit. The leaves are pretty, too; deeply lobed, dark green and glossy. This blue passion flower is a vigorous, trouble-free climber that thrives in hot summers and will quickly cover a sunny wall or fence. Ideal for a tropical planting scheme, it grows best at the base of a sheltered wall in full sun, although it will tolerate some shade. The fruit are edible, but not very tasty! Passion flowers are believed to represent the suffering of Christ on the cross and the mysteries of the Passion. The 17th century monastic scholar, Jacomo Bosio, describes ‘the column rising in the centre of the flower surrounded by the thorn of crowns (and) the three nails at the top of the column. In between, near the base of the column is a yellow colour about the size of a reale, in which there are five spots or stains (stamens) of the hue of blood evidently setting forth five wounds received by our Lord on the cross.’Garden care: Choose three to five of the strongest shoots, tying them in to horizontal wires. Once the plant is established, cut back the flowered shoots immediately after flowering to within two or three buds of the permanent framework of the plant. In spring remove dead, misplaced or overcrowded stems.
clematis (group 3)
clematis (group 3) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: fertile, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlower colour: white, sometimes flushed with greenHardiness: fully hardyThe fully double flowers of this vigorous clematis appear from mid summer to autumn and provide a striking contast to the dark green foliage. The flowers are generally a creamy white, but they can sometimes be flushed with green – this can be more noticeable in the flowers which appear later in the season. A great plant for covering a sunny trellis covered wall, although they will also tolerate some shade. It is also well suited to pots and containers.Garden care: Cut back the stems to the base of the plant each winter and apply a mulch of well-rotted garden compost around the plant, avoiding the immediate crown.