Garden And Gardener

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Price reductions at Crocus

by Sarah - April 26th, 2014.
Filed under: Crocus, Price Reductions.

Crocus reduced the price on these items today

Aquilegia Florida (State Series) (columbine)

Aquilegia Florida (State Series) (columbine) was £4.99 now £2.49
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy Relatively tall and upright in habit, this cultivar will make a valuable addition to the cottage garden and the bell-shaped yellow flowers, which have long spurs and a collar of creamy lemon sepals, will last well in cut arrangements. Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps in early spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plant. Divided specimens may take some time to establish since they dont like having their roots disturbed. Deadhead to prolong flowering. Contact with the sap may cause skin irritation.

Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit mixture (coneflower)

Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit mixture (coneflower) was £4.99 now £2.49
Position: full sun Soil: most soils, except very dry or boggy Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to September Hardiness: fully hardy Red, orange, yellow and cream coloured flowers top the well branching stems for several weeks from late summer onwards, helping to attract pollinating insects and birds to the garden. Tolerant of drought once established. Garden care: Lift and divide congested colonies in autumn or spring. In autumn cut back all dead flower stems to the ground. Coneflower s benefit from a spring or autumn mulch with well-rotted compost.

Aquilegia Louisiana (State Series) (columbine)

Aquilegia Louisiana (State Series) (columbine) was £4.99 now £2.49
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy Each dramatic bicoloured bloom has a central ring of white petals, which have a purple-flush towards their base, and an outer ring of deep claret coloured sepals. These are held on slender, leafy stems above the clump of pretty basal foliage. Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps in early spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plant. Divided specimens may take some time to establish since they dont like having their roots disturbed. Deadhead to prolong flowering. Contact with the sap may cause skin irritation.

Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Rose' (Dalmatian Series) (foxglove)

Digitalis purpurea ‘Dalmatian Rose’ (Dalmatian Series) (foxglove) was £4.99 now £2.49
Position: partial shade Soil: humus-rich soil Rate of growth: average to fast Flowering period: June to July Hardiness: fully hardy A breakthrough in breeding has produced these new ‘Dalmatian’ foxgloves, which will usually flower in their first year. This purple flowered cultivar forms tidy clumps of foliage, but it is for the wonderful spires of thimble-like flowers that open upwards from the base of the spike in summer, that it is best-loved. Garden care:Ensure that the soil is kept moist in summer. After flowering, cut back the flowered spikes to encourage more sideshoots. Cut down to the ground after flowering. Apply a generous 5-7 cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the plant in early spring. These plants are mainly short-lived perennials, although if happy they will produce plenty of new sideshoots and self-seed freely.

Aquilegia 'Swan Lavender' (columbine)

Aquilegia ‘Swan Lavender’ (columbine) was £4.99 now £2.49
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy Magnificent flowers, which are a beautiful mix of lavender and white, appear in abundance on the upright, branching stems. An easy colour to mix with most shades of pink, as well as stronger shades of purple and white. Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps in early spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plant. Divided specimens may take some time to establish since they dont like having their roots disturbed. Deadhead to prolong flowering. Contact with the sap may cause skin irritation.

Echinacea PowWow White ('Pas709018') (PowWow Series) (coneflower)

Echinacea PowWow White (‘Pas709018’) (PowWow Series) (coneflower) was £4.99 now £2.49
Position: full sun Soil: most soils, except very dry or boggy Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to September Hardiness: fully hardy Compact and full of summer flowers, this coneflower is a great value option for both perennial borders and prairie-style planting schemes. Like all coneflowers, the flowers will act as a magnet for bees and butterflies and later on birds will find the seedheads tempting. Garden care: Lift and divide congested colonies in autumn or spring. In autumn cut back all dead flower stems to the ground. Coneflower s benefit from a spring or autumn mulch with well-rotted compost.

Monarda hybrida 'Bergamo' (bee balm)

Monarda hybrida ‘Bergamo’ (bee balm) was £2.99 now £2.49
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to August Hardiness: fully hardy annual A compact annual form producing whorls of pinkish purple flowers around the upright stems throughout summer. Highly attractive to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects, it is easy to grow and will often be in bloom within a few months of sowing. The flowers are edible and look very pretty sprinkled over salads or puddings, while the crushed foliage can be used to repel insects. Garden care: Under glass, surface-sow in late winter to late spring in deep pots or trays filled with good seed compost and keep warm. Thin when large enough to handle and plant outside in spring after gradually hardening off. Alternatively, sow directly into a well-prepared seed bed in late spring or late summer or early autumn and thin to 30cm intervals as they grow. Plants sown in late summer or autumn will flower earlier than those sown in spring. Dead-head regularly to prolong the flowering period. Sow: Jan-Mar or Aug-Oct Flowering: June-August Approximate quantity: 50 seeds

Alstroemeria 'Saturne' (Planet Series) (alstroemeria Saturne)

Alstroemeria ‘Saturne’ (Planet Series) (alstroemeria Saturne) was £5.99 now £2.99
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 The large outer tepals of this exotic-looking cultivar have heart-shaped tips and a warm apricot-yellow hue, while the yellow inner petals have numerous near-black markings. More compact than many of the other Peruvian lilies, it is equally suitable for growing in containers or the border. 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. 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.

raspberry 'Chemainus' (PBR) (mid season floricane raspberry canes)

raspberry ‘Chemainus’ (PBR) (mid season floricane raspberry canes) was £8.99 now £6.49
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Other features: large, delicious raspberries from summer onwards Hardiness: fully hardy This recently introduced floricane raspberry produces glossy skinned, tasty fruit that is ready to harvest from mid-June to mid-July. It has an upright habit, which makes it very easy to train and the plants show an excellent resistance to diseases. Garden care: Find a sunny spot and prepare a bed by clearing it of weeds and digging in lots of composted manure. The canes will need to be tied onto a sturdy support, so if you have the space, hammer in two robust tree stakes about 3m apart and string two or three heavy-gauge wires between them. Autumn fruiting raspberries tend to be shorter and bushier, so may not need as much height as the summer-fruiting types. In smaller gardens you can grow them against a fence or up a single tree stake. Dig a wide, shallow trench, sprinkle with bonemeal and plant the canes at 45cm intervals, (subsequent rows should be 1.8m apart), carefully spreading out the roots and back-filling with soil. You should be able to see the old soil mark on the stems, so aim to replant the same depth. After planting cut the canes back to around 15cm from their base and apply a generous layer of mulch in spring. As the new canes emerge, they can be tied onto their support as they grow. Feed during the growing season with a general purpose fertiliser and water regularly during the summer. You may need to protect the ripening fruit from being eaten by birds.