New products at Crocus
by Sarah - August 7th, 2013.Filed under: Crocus, New Products.
New products added today at Crocus
Sedum ‘Red Cauli’ (stonecrop) £6.99
Position: full sun Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: August to September Other features: attractive to butterflies and bees Hardiness: fully hardy Pink-tipped greenish white buds form in clusters on red stems and open to small, deep reddish pink flowers, which darken with age to a rich red from late summer to mid-autumn. The succulent, dark-green foliage has a maroon-flush. Garden care: The flowerheads look great left during the winter to add shape and texture to your border. In February and March cut back the old flowerheads and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant. Once established, sedums can have a tendency to flop leaving an open and unsightly centre, especially in fertile soil. One technique to help prevent this is the ‘Chelsea chop’. During the last week of May (Chelsea Flower Show week), cut one in every three stems back to the ground. This will produce plants that are less lush and flower slightly later.
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’ (culver’s root) £6.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July to August Flower colour: lilac-blue Hardiness: fully hardy Upright, leafy stems are topped with candelabra-like racemes of lilac-blue flowers from midsummer. Tall and elegant plants, which are valuable for adding colour and interest towards the back of the border, their silhouette will remain interesting well into winter. Garden care: Divide plants in spring. Apply a generous 5-7cm mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in spring.
rosemary (rosemary seeds) £1.49
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, moist but well drained Rate of growth: average Hardiness: hardy A shrubby evergreen, with highly aromatic leaves that are traditionally used for flavouring meats including lamb, pork and chicken. A wonderful addition to the kitchen garden, they also make fine ornamental plants and can be grown as a low, informal hedge – ideally where you can brush past them and release their delicious scent. Growing Instructions: Surface-sow in trays or pots and water well, allowing the compost to become quite dry before repeating. Thin out when large enough to handle and pot on individually into 7.5cm pots. Tip-prune the stems regularly to encourage bushy, compact growth, but avoid cutting it back too hard into old wood. When planting outside, choose a sunny spot and allow 45 – 60cm between each plant (30cm if you are creating a hedge). The leaves can be used fresh, dried or frozen and are best harvested in spring, when new shoots are emerging. Sow: Sept – Oct or March – May Harvest: May – July Approximate quantity: 60 seeds