Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

Bedding plants at Crocus

by Diane - February 17th, 2014.
Filed under: Bedding plants, Crocus.

Antirrhinum ‘Appeal Select Mixed’ (40 plus 20 FREE large plug plants)
 £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to the first frosts Flowering colour: white, cherry, orange, coral, pink, fire and apricot Hardiness: tender (needs frost protection) Available in a beautiful mix of colours, the densely packed, upright flower spikes of these beautiful bedding plants will provide long-lasting colour throughout summer and autumn. Their compact habit makes them great for the front of the border or for pots. Grown in individual plug cells, each plant measures about 5 – 7cm tall (from the base of the root to the top of the plant). They are ideal for keen gardeners who have a greenhouse where the plants can be grown on until they are ready for planting out in the garden once all chance of frost has passed. Please note that as we grow these for especially for you, we need to take full payment when you place your order so as to reserve stock for you. See above for despatch dates for this particular plant. To ensure that your plants arrive in the best possible condition each pack will be despatched individually. Our Plug Plants – Four sizes are available – Click for information about sizes

Begonia ‘Heaven Delight F1 Mixed’ (40 plus 20 FREE large plug plants)
 £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to the first frosts Flowering colour: mixed, including yello, orange and red Hardiness: tender (needs frost protection) Begonias are indespensible bedding plants as few plants are more reliable or flower non-stop until the first frosts. Easy-to-grow and weather resistant, they are perfect for use in edgings, mass plantings, window boxes and containers. Begonias prefer partial shade in rich, moist. well-drained soil. This selection contains a gorgeous blend of yellow, gold, orange and red flowers, which will create a perfect summer scheme for the front of a border, windowboxes and containers. Grown in individual plug cells, each plant measures about 5 – 7m tall (from the base of the root to the top of the plant). They are ideal for keen gardeners who have a greenhouse where the plants can be grown on until they are ready for planting out in the garden once all chance of frost has passed. Please note that as we grow these for especially for you, we need to take full payment when you place your order so as to reserve stock for you. See above for despatch dates for this particular plant. To ensure that your plants arrive in the best possible condition each pack will be despatched individually. Our Plug Plants – Four sizes are available – Click for information about sizes

Begonia ‘Vibrant Star’ (begonia tuber)
 £3.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: July to the first frosts Hardiness: tender (needs frost protection) Flowering continuously from midsummer, this showy begonia is perfect for spots where you want to add some seasonal oomph. One of the best bedding plants for shadier spots, it will also take neglect in its stride. Garden care: Pot up in early spring when the growth can be seen emerging from the tubers. Begonias are tender so must be protected by frosts, however you can pot them up and grow them on under glass from January onwards. The indented side of the tuber is the top, and this should just be covered by a fine layer of compost. Water well and keep them in a bright, warm spot, watering again only when the soil becomes quite dry. Once they are actively growing they can be watered more regularly, especially those growing in sunnier positions, but make sure that the compost or soil is never overly wet or waterlogged. During the growing season they can be fed with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Begonias grown in the ground should be lifted before the first hard frosts and left to die back before being stored in a well ventilated, dry place over the winter. Container-grown plants should be brought under cover during winter and ‘potted on’ into a slightly larger container each year in spring.

Begonia (Pendula Group) ‘Pink Giant’ (begonia tuber)
 £3.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: July to the first frosts Hardiness: tender (needs frost protection) Super-sized flowers put on a great display as they spill over the edges of pots or windowboxes. This is a great choice if you have hanging baskets in a shadier spot, as they will still carry on flowering, and do not need as much water as many of the other seasonal bedding plants. Garden care: Pot up in early spring when the growth can be seen emerging from the tubers. Begonias are tender so must be protected by frosts, however you can pot them up and grow them on under glass from January onwards. The indented side of the tuber is the top, and this should just be covered by a fine layer of compost. Water well and keep them in a bright, warm spot, watering again only when the soil becomes quite dry. Once they are actively growing they can be watered more regularly, especially those growing in sunnier positions, but make sure that the compost or soil is never overly wet or waterlogged. During the growing season they can be fed with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Begonias grown in the ground should be lifted before the first hard frosts and left to die back before being stored in a well ventilated, dry place over the winter. Container-grown plants should be brought under cover during winter and ‘potted on’ into a slightly larger container each year in spring.

Begonia mixed doubles (begonia bulbs)
 £3.99
Position: full sun to partial shade Soil: any well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast Flowering period: June to October Flower colour: mixed Hardiness: tender, so store frost free over winter Bulb Size: 4-6cm Begonias are valued for their showy flowers, which appear for a very long period from early summer. They are one of the best bedding plants for areas of partial shade, as a lack of direct sun all day does not seem to have any significant impact on their ability to produce an abundance of flowers. The tubers (bulbs) in this fab collection will produce plants that flower in an array of bright colours, which will liven up the summer garden. Dot them around the front of the border, or cram your pots and window boxes with them. Garden care: Pot up in early spring when the growth can be seen emerging from the tubers. Begonias are tender so must be protected by frosts, however you can pot them up and grow them on under glass from January onwards. The indented side of the tuber is the top, and this should just be covered by a fine layer of compost. Water well and keep them in a bright, warm spot, watering again only when the soil becomes quite dry. Once they are actively growing they can be watered more regularly, especially those growing in sunnier positions, but make sure that the compost or soil is never overly wet or waterlogged. During the growing season they can be fed with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Begonias grown in the ground should be lifted before the first hard frosts and left to die back before being stored in a well ventilated, dry place over the winter. Container-grown plants should be brought under cover during winter and ‘potted on’ into a slightly larger container each year in spring.

Canna ‘Chocolate Sunrise’ (Indian shot bulbs)
 £4.99
Position: full sun (or indoors in full light shaded from hot sun) Soil: fertile, well-drained soil or loam-less potting compost Flowering period: June to September Other features: large bold leaves Hardiness: half hardy (will need winter protection) A treat for jungle-themed borders, and useful for adding height to summer bedding schemes, this gorgeous canna has a rich blend of colours that will create a tropical feel. Garden care: Pot the rhizomes up into 20cm pots filled with a good quality compost. The rhizomes should be planted shallowly, just covering them with compost, but making sure that any new shoots are above soil level. Water lightly and then grow them on at temperatures above 10C, increasing the water as they start to grow. Gradually harden off before planting out after all risk of frost has passed. Water regularly during the growing season, applying a phosphorus-rich liquid fertiliser each month. In frost-prone areas lift the rhizomes in autumn and store in a frost-free environment in barely-moist compost or leaf mould.

Canna indica Tropicanna Black (‘Lon01’) (PBR) (Indian shot bulbs)
 £5.99
Position: full sun (or indoors in full light shaded from hot sun) Soil: fertile, well-drained soil or loam-less potting compost Flowering period: June to September Flower colour: red Other features: large, dark purple leaves Hardiness: half hardy (will need winter protection) Broad, near-black foliage, which is suffused with traces of plum and red, is topped with heads of dazzling scarlet flowers that fade to orange as they age. A fine addition to summer bedding schemes, where it will create stature and drama. Garden care: Pot the rhizomes up into 20cm pots filled with a good quality compost. The rhizomes should be planted shallowly, just covering them with compost, but making sure that any new shoots are above soil level. Water lightly and then grow them on at temperatures above 10C, increasing the water as they start to grow. Gradually harden off before planting out after all risk of frost has passed. Water regularly during the growing season, applying a phosphorus-rich liquid fertiliser each month. In frost-prone areas lift the rhizomes in autumn and store in a frost-free environment in barely-moist compost or leaf mould.

Dahlia Braveheart (‘Vdtg67’) (PBR) (Dark Angel Series) (dahlia tuber)
 £3.49
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, humus-rich soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July to September Flower colour: bright magenta Other features: excellent cut-flowers, bronze foliage Hardiness: half hardy (will need winter protection) The colouring of these flowerheads is quite striking, particularly when seen against the backdrop of the bronze foliage. Excellent for cutting, these single flowers will also attract bees and other pollinating insects into the garden. Low-growing and compact in habit, it will create quite an impact in seasonal bedding displays and pots. Garden care: Dahlia tubers can be planted outside after frost, or started off in pots under glass in late winter to early spring. Plant them horizontally approximately 12cm deep, making sure the ‘eyes’ are uppermost. Allow enough room between each tuber so the plants can grow and spread to their full size without being over-crowded. While in growth, provide a high-nitrogen liquid feed each week in June, then a high-potash fertiliser each week from July to September. Stake with canes or brushwood if it becomes necessary. In mild areas, leave them in situ over winter, but protect the crown with a generous layer of dry mulch. In colder areas, carefully lift and clean the tubers once the first frosts have blackened the foliage and allow them to dry naturally indoors. Then place the dry tubers in a shallow tray, just covered with slightly moist potting compost, sand or vermiculite and store in a frost-free place until planting out again.

Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sara’ (fuchsia (syn Fuchsia Deltas Sarah ))
 £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: June to October Hardiness: borderline hardy ( may need winter protection) A newly introduced, hardy Fuchsia, that produces large, white and violet-blue flowers, which seem to drip from the branches for a long period throughout summer and autumn. Wonderful for adding lashings of colour to a mixed border, it will also flourish in a gererously-sized pot and can be under-planted with seasonal bedding. Garden care: To encourage growth, pinch out the growing tips of young plants after the sixth or seventh pair of leaves. During the growing season water regularly, applying a balanced liquid fertiliser each month. Cut back to the permanent framework in early spring.

Geranium ‘Bright Red’ (40 plus 20 FREE large plug plants)
 £15.99
Position: full sun Soil: moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: June to October Flowering colour: fiery red Hardiness: tender (needs frost protection) Tender geraniums look spectacular when they are planted in big swathes in seasonal bedding schemes and because of this, they are one of the best-loved summer plants. They can cope with dry conditions better than most and will thrive in any well-drained soil in a sunny spot. This upright red cultivar is perfect for the traditionalist and if deadead regularly they will carry on flowering right up to the first frosts. Grown in individual plug cells, each plant measures about 5 – 7cm tall (from the base of the root to the top of the plant). They are ideal for keen gardeners who have a greenhouse where the plants can be plants can be grown on until they are ready for planting out in the garden once all chance of frost has passed. Please note that as we grow these for especially for you, we need to take full payment when you place your order so as to reserve stock for you. See above for despatch dates for this particular plant. To ensure that your plants arrive in the best possible condition each pack will be despatched individually. Our Plug Plants – Four sizes are available – Click for information about sizes