Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

New products at Crocus

by Sarah - July 18th, 2014.
Filed under: Crocus, New Products.

Crocus just added these new items

Flared rim terracotta pot

Flared rim terracotta pot £39.99
Dimensions: Allium – width 30cm x height 30cm Hosta – width 40cm x height 40cm Agapanthus – width 48cm x height 50cm We thin k these classic, unfussy designs work best in an English garden. Although the in spiration came from Tuscany, the pots have been made in Turkey. They are hand th rown (sometimes from 2 pieces of clay for the larger pots) by Argon and his son who are the 3rd and 4th generation of potters from the Izmir region on the Aege an coast. The clay from this area ages to a lovely patina, as the salts slowly l each to the surface. Each pot is fired to 1080 degrees C (to make it as frost proof as possible) and has an extra large drainage hole in the base. Available in more than one size. All sizes sold separately.

Rhododendron 'Wine and Roses' (PBR) (rhododendron)

Rhododendron ‘Wine and Roses’ (PBR) (rhododendron) £17.99
Position: partial shade Soil: moist, well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil or ericaceous compost Rate of growth: slow to average Flowering period: May and June Hardiness: fully hardy This is a free-flowering rhododendron that looks a picture in late spring and early summer. It is one of the new breed that has attractive foliage colour – emerging with a bronze flush before turning green. It is the undersides of the leaves that are really special though, being a deep pinkish red that offsets the flowers perfectly. 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.

Clematis 'Ruby Wedding' (clematis (group 2))

Clematis ‘Ruby Wedding’ (clematis (group 2)) £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, well-drained soil, neutral soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to June and August to September Hardiness: fully hardy Large flowers usually appear twice each year – the first (and largest) flush in early summer and the second in late summer or early autumn. These flowers are amazing – a mix of hot pink and ruby red that fades to softer pink around the outer edges of the ‘petals’ and a generous boss of lush cream anthers. Compact enough for pots, it is also a great size for covering fences when planted in the border. Garden care: Remove dead and damaged stems before growth begins in early spring, cutting all remaining stems back to where strong buds are visible. Apply a slow-release balanced fertiliser and a mulch of of well-rotted garden compost around the base of the plant in early spring.

Clematis viticella 'Flore Pleno' ((syn. clematis Mary Rose ) clematis (group 3))

Clematis viticella ‘Flore Pleno’ ((syn. clematis Mary Rose ) clematis (group 3)) £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, well-drained, neutral soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: July to September Hardiness: fully hardy Enjoying a revival in recent years, this tough and vigorous climber is thought to date back to the 1500’s. It was thought to have been lost for several hundred years, but it was rediscovered in the 1980’s by Barry Fretwell who named it Clematis ‘Mary Rose’. You will want to grow it for its nodding, dusky purple flowers, which appear over a prolonged period from midsummer. Garden care: In early spring cut back the previous year’s stems to a pair of strong buds about 15-20cm (6-8in) above ground-level and apply a slow-release balanced fertiliser and a mulch of well-rotted garden compost around the plant, avoiding the immediate crown.

Helleborus purpurascens (hellebore)

Helleborus purpurascens (hellebore) £9.99
Position: partial shade Soil: heavy, neutral to alkaline soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: December to March Hardiness: fully hardy Often the first flowers can be seen low to the ground in December (usually before the new foliage appears), but they continue to open as the red-spotted stems grow, right through until early spring. A variable but very pretty deciduous clump-forming perennial that makes excellent groundcover in partial shade. Garden care: Keep well watered during dry spells and provide shelter from icy winds. When planting out, add lots of well-rotted leaf mould or organic matter to the planting hole. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant in autumn and provide a top-dressing of general fertiliser each spring.