New products at Crocus
by Sarah - September 8th, 2010.Filed under: Crocus, New Products.
Crocus just added these new lines
daphne £24.99
Clusters of sweetly scented, purple-pink flowers with light pink lobes and narrow, mid-green leaves. This vase-shaped, semi-evergreen, May-flowering shrub is particularly suitable where border space is limited. Given an open, sunny site with well-drained, humus-rich soil, it will also occasionally flower in autumn.Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: moderately fertile, well-drained, humus-rich soilRate of growth: slow-growing Flowering period: May Flower colour: purple-pinkOther features: all parts of the plant including the seed are highly toxic if ingested; contact with the sap may cause skin irritation; the flowers are followed by blackish-purple fruitHardiness: fully hardyGarden care: Keep pruning to a minimum since the plant is very susceptible to die-back. Where necessary after flowering lightly trim back to remove misplaced branches and maintain a compact habitGoes well with: Cyclamen coum, Lonicera x purpussi ‘Winter Beauty’, Iris danfordiae, Chimonathus praecox, Helleborus argutifolius, Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’
hybrid rhododendron £21.99
Position: partial shadeSoil: moist, well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil or ericaceous compostRate of growth: slow to averageFlowering period: May and JuneFlower colour: reddish-purpleOther features: leaves retained all yearHardiness: fully hardyFull trusses of lavish, reddish-purple flowers in May and June and handsome, dark green leaves, retained all year. This large-flowered hybrid rhododendron copes well with heat and sun. Vigorous and upright in habit it’s ideal for a shrub border or woodland edge with well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil.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.
magnolia £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soilRate of growth: slow-growingFlowering period: June to SeptemberFlower colour: dark purple-redOther features: slightly fragrant flowersHardiness: fully hardyA stunning, deciduous magnolia with a compact habit and dark purple-red flowers which appear from an earlier age than most magnolias. The goblet-shaped blooms are produced from early summer, and then intermittently into autumn. A lovely shrub for a sunny or partially shaded spot out of strong winds.Garden care: Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in midsummer. The best time to plant is in April, adding plenty of peat to the planting hole, in a sheltered spot. Mulch in spring with manure and leafmould, especially on dry soils
firethorn (syn. Saphyr Yellow) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: any fertile, well-drained soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: MayFlower colour: pure whiteOther features: bright yellow berriesHardiness: fully hardyTo find out more about how to plant a hedge, click hereUpright, later spreading, evergreen shrub with dark green leaves, spiny branches and bunches of small white flowers in late spring. These are followed by a profusion of bright yellow berries in autumn. It is for these showy berries that it is grown, providing colour in the garden when there is little else. It can be grown as a free-standing shrub, against a wall or as a hedge.Garden care: When planting incorporate plenty of well-rotted organic matter in to the planting hole. Prune hedges in early to mid-summer. In early spring, trim out misplaced or crossing branches on free-standing shrubs. Tie in any shoots to extend the framework of wall shrubs, and shorten branches to about 2 or 3 leaves from the base after flowering to expose the berries.
coneflower £8.99
Position: full sunSoil: most soils, except very dry or boggyRate of growth: average Flowering period: June to SeptemberHardiness: fully hardyAn unusual variety of coneflower with scented, deep pink flowers that have shorter, stiffer petals than other varieties, and deep brown central cones. This cheerful, daisy-like echinacea flowers from midsummer through to autumn. It is a tough plant that does not need staking and it makes an excellent cut flower. Like other coneflowers, it is long-flowering and will cope well with adverse weather conditions, except drought. Try it dotted through a sunny, mixed border or in bold drifts among grasses. It is attractive to bees and butterflies and birds will flock to the seedheads.Garden care: Lift and divide congested colonies in autumn or spring. In autumn cut back all dead flower stems to the ground. Coneflowers benefit from a spring or autumn mulch with well-rotted compost.
loosestrife £6.99
Position: full sunSoil: fertile, deep, moist soilRate of Growth: average to fastFlowering period: June to AugustFlowers: purple-redOther features: attracts wildlife Hardiness: fully hardyIntense purple-red flowers appear on tall flower spikes from early summer above lance-shaped foliage. This is a spectacularly colourful plant for watersides, pond banks and woodland borders where the soil is reliably moist. It is a clump forming perennial that attracts butterflies, birds and bees to their nectar.Garden Care: It self-seeds freely, so if you want to control its spread remove the flowerspikes as they fade.
alkanet £6.49
Position: full sunSoil: moist, fertile, well-drainedRate of growth: vigourousFlowering period: JuneHardiness:fully hardySturdy stems of deep blue summer flowers, turning blue-purple with age, appear in early summer above rosettes of mid-green leaves. This large blue alkanet makes a striking and long-lasting statement in a sunny border and does not need staking. The flowers are attractive to bees, too.Garden care: Anchusas dont like wet soil. Deadhead after flowering to encourage a second flush of flowers and in early autumn cut the stems back down to the ground.
zebra grass £4.99
Position: full sunSoil: fertile, moist, well drained or sandyRate of growth: averageFlowering period: August to SeptemberHardiness: fully hardyA graceful, fountainous grass that takes its name from the, horizontal cream bands on the leaves. Striking, silky, finger-like flowers bloom in late summer, and stay for months, giving this plant dramatic winter presence. Use as a specimen, or in small groups at the back of a perennial border.Garden care: Cut down to the ground in late winter before the new foliage appears.