Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

New products at Crocus

by Sarah - November 30th, 2013.
Filed under: Crocus, New Products.

New items at Crocus

Insect hotel

Insect hotel £49.99
This insect hotel not only looks at home in any garden but also provides an ideal habitat for lots of useful insects that are beneficial for the plants in your garden. Its provides a place fro nesting in the summer and a suitable winter habitat for colder months. Each nesting room is ideal different beneficial insects: Ladybirds – The top and bottom rooms are ideal for them as they prefer nesting in dense materials and they will use this as a hiding place at night. They are great at regulating unwanted pests such as greenfly and blackfly. Mason bees – The room with the hollowed out wood provides ideal breeding tubes. They will shut themselves away in the winter and come out in the spring ready to help pollenate your plants. Digger wasps – The two rooms with the smaller bamboo tubes are ideal for digger wasps who are extremely useful in the battle against greenfly, blackfly and leaf beetle larve. Wild bees – They also make use of the rooms with the smaller bamboo tubes as a suitable nesting space and can be out ready for polinating in early spring or summer. Butterflies – Species such as Brimstone, Peacock, Small tortoise-shell and Admiral use the middle room as a winter habitat and shelter during periods of bad weather ready for pollinating in spring/summer. Green lacewing – The bottom room is perfect for them as they love loosly stacked natural materials to take shelter in. THese lacewing feed on aphids, thrips and mealy bugs as well as honeydew and nectar from herbs.

Living Christmas tree

Living Christmas tree £39.99
This fabulous Christmas tree stands around 1-1.2m (3-4ft) tall, including the pot. It is an Nordmann Fir Abies nordmanniana which not only Abies nordmanniana which not only has gorgeous, lush greeny-blue foliage but also is renowned for not dropping its needles! This beautiful tree has been grown in the UK in the nursery fields and trimmed every year to create the perfect shape. The tree is then dug up complete with a rootball and planted into the pot by our specialist growers Provided that the tree isn’t placed bang next to a radiator is given plenty of water it should be fine to plant in the garden and have a good chance of growing after the festive season is over. The tree will be despatched to you to arrive between the dates from the delivery period you select. If you order other items and wish to receive these before the date selected for your tree you will need to select split delivery in the shopping wheelbarrow.

Magnolia 'Butterflies' (magnolia)

Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ (magnolia) £39.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moist, well-drained, acidic soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: April to May Hardiness: fully hardy Green-flushed, yellow, slender-petalled, cup-shaped flowers, which open widely as the flowers mature to reveal red stamens, appear on this hybrid before the leaves emerge in spring. This beautiful small tree or large shrub, makes a spectacular specimen for the spring garden, especially when underplanted with seasonal flowering bulbs. Try to plant it where you can take full advantage of the scented flowers. 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.

Hosta 'Fire and Ice' (plantain lily)

Hosta ‘Fire and Ice’ (plantain lily) £9.99
Position: partial or full shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: July and August Hardiness: fully hardy A dramatic hosta, whose twisted leaves have bottle-green margins and splashes of pure white at the centre. In July and August spikes of funnel-shaped, lavender flowers appear. This is a compact variety that will light up a shady spot amon g ferns and other foliage plants. Or try it as a focal point in a container. Garden care: You’ll get thicker, lusher leaves if you give your hostas a really good feed. An annual mulch in spring or autumn will help to keep the weeds down and is an easy way to improve soil and boost nutrient levels. Add a generous mulch of about 5-10cm (2-4in) deep of garden compost or leaf mould around the plant. Spraying the leaves regularly with a high nitrogen fertiliser during the growing season will also help to boost leaf size. Slugs and snails love hostas, so you will need to protect against them. Use an organic nematode treatment in early spring to ward off slugs. Or simply sti ck to a container. Water your hostas well as soon as you plant them and from then on water regularly during their first growing season. Give them a water about once or twice a week around the base of the plant, avoiding the leaves. Little and often can be disatrous as it encourages the plant to produce roots closer to the surface in a desperate quest for moisture.

Echinacea 'Green Envy' (PBR) (coneflower)

Echinacea ‘Green Envy’ (PBR) (coneflower) £9.99
Position: full sun Soil: most soils, except very dry or boggy Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to September Flower colour: pale lime green flushed with pink Other features: excellent cut-flowers; toothed, dark green leaves; attractive to butterflies and bees Hardiness: fully hardy The most unusual and exotic selection made to date in this rapidly expanding genus. The broad petals emerge from bud a light, lime green and gradually develop a pink flush at their base. The prominent central cone will change colour as it matures too, and turn from shades of green to purple. The flowers are long lasting and are held on strong stems above the dark green foliage. Garden care: Lift and divide congested colonies in autumn or spring. In autumn cut back all dead flower stems to the ground.

Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop - In The Green)

Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop – In The Green) £8.99
Position:partial shade Soil: humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: January and February Flower colour: pure white Other features: all parts of the plant may cause a mild stomach upset if ingested; contact with the bulbs may cause skin irritation Hardiness: fully hardy Snowdrop bulbs bought in the autumn tend to get dehydrated and this can lead to disappointing results. This is why planting bulbs ‘in the green’ is becoming more and more popular. Snowdrops are perfect for naturalising in grass. Plant in well-drained, moisture-retentive soil. Garden care: Plant in naturalistic drifts when they arrive. Where bulbs are planted in grass do not cut the grass until after the leaves have died back. Divide large colonies immediately after flowering while the leaves are still green.

Alstroemeria 'Neptune' (Planet Series) (alstroemeria)

Alstroemeria ‘Neptune’ (Planet Series) (alstroemeria) £6.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: slow growing to average Flowering period: June and July Flower colour: pinkish-purple to cream with chocolate splotches Other features: excellent cut flowers; contact with the foliage may cause skin irritation Hardiness: fully hardy Pinkish-purple flowers, which are heavily flecked with chocolate coloured markings on their creamy-white inner petals, and lightly dappled on the outer tepals, look magnificent when planted with rich plums, purples and soft lilacs. Garden care: Always wear gloves when working with Peruvian lilies since contact with the foliage may cause skin irritation. After flowering cut back the faded flower-stems. In autumn provide a dry mulch of bracken or bark chippings to protect young plants.

Echinacea 'Sundown' (PBR) (Big Sky Series) (coneflower)

Echinacea ‘Sundown’ (PBR) (Big Sky Series) (coneflower) £6.99
Position: full sun Soil: most soils, except very dry or boggy Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to August Hardiness: fully hardy Brilliant orange, daisy like flowers with reflexed petals that flare out from prominent, reddish-brown centres appear from June to August. The flowers are held on erect stems with broad, basal leaves. This is a tough, vigorous (though not invasive) plant that does not need staking and also makes an excellent cut flower. If deadheaded regularly, it will flower profusely for up to three months and it copes well with adverse weather conditions, except drought. Try it dotted through a sunny, mixed border, in bold drifts among ornamental grasses or as part of a ‘hot’ colour scheme. It is attractive to bees and butterflies, and birds will flock to the seedheads. Garden care: Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. 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.

Alstroemeria  'Sirius'  (Planet Series) (alstroemeria Sirius)

Alstroemeria ‘Sirius’ (Planet Series) (alstroemeria Sirius) £6.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: slow growing to average Flowering period: June and July Other features: excellent cut flowers; contact with the foliage may cause skin irritation Hardiness: fully hardy Soft pink flowers with a gold throat and brownish-red freckles, appear in profusion from early summer, creating an exotic feel to ther border. An easy to mix colour, it looks beautiful when planted in sizeable clumps, and as it makes such a good cut flower, it is worth planting more than you need. Garden care: Alstroemerias will need some protection in their first year or two, so only plant out when all danger of frost has passed. Set the bare roots out carefully onto well-prepared soil, or if planting into pots, use a good, multi-purpose compost. The plant will grow from the rhizome, not the fleshy storage bulb, so it is important that any bud on the rhizome is pointing upwards before being covered with 7 – 8cm (3″) soil. Ideally they should be placed at 30 – 45cm intervals. Keep the soil moist whilst the plant starts to grow and develop, which should be in spring. Newly planted Alstroemerias should be given a very generous 20cm (8″) deep mulch of chipped bark in their first winter to help the plants become established. In subsequent autumns, provide a dry mulch of bracken or bark chippings will help protect the crowns. After flowering cut back the faded flower-stems, but make sure you always wear gloves when working with Peruvian lilies, as contact with the foliage may cause skin irritation.