Garden And Gardener

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Price reductions at Crocus

by Sarah - December 12th, 2014.
Filed under: Crocus, Price Reductions.

Crocus has cut the price of these items

Hosta fortunei var. albopicta (plantain lily)

Hosta fortunei var. albopicta (plantain lily) was £8.99 now £5.99
Position: partial or full shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: July and August Flower colour: mauve Hardiness: fully hardy Slender, heart-shaped, creamy-yellow leaves with dark green margins and spikes of funnel-shaped, mauve summer flowers. The margins of this vigorous, yellow-leaved hosta gradually fade to mid-green. Best in full sun with shade at midday and protection from cold winds, it makes a great groundcover plant for a moist, well-drained border. Garden care: Add a generous amount of well-rotted garden compost or leaf-mould when planting. Protect the young foliage from slugs, deadhead the faded blooms and apply a 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant each spring.

Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia (amsonia)

Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia (amsonia) was £7.99 now £5.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moist but well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to July Hardiness: fully hardy These easy to grow perennials will create a massive impact when their dark blue flowerbuds open to reveal their star-like, steely blue flowers in late spring and summer. The flowers are loosely held, in slightly pendulous clusters on top of tall stems bearing slender, tapering leaves, which turn interesting shades of yellow before dying back in autumn. The flowers can be cut and used in floral arrangements, but to stem the milky sap the end of the stems should be seared in a flame before popping in a vase. Garden care: Divide congested plants in spring.

Geranium pyrenaicum 'Bill Wallis' (pyreneal cranesbill)

Geranium pyrenaicum ‘Bill Wallis’ (pyreneal cranesbill) was £7.99 now £5.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast Flowering period: May to October Hardiness: frost hardy (will need protection in winter) Small but striking, rich purple flowers are held on long, purple-tinged stems for a long period throughout summer and autumn on this sprawling, semi-evergreen cranesbill. It makes an ideal, low maintenance groundcoverfor sun or shade, where it will self-seed freely if left unattended. Particularly effective when planted in wild gardens, where it can be left to colonise and spread. Garden care: Some protection from severe frosts may be necessary during winter using a framework of canes surrounded with fleece and stuffed with straw or bracken. Container grown plants should be placed in a cool, sheltered site such as a cold greenhouse or cold frame.

Hemerocallis 'Frans Hals' (daylily)

Hemerocallis ‘Frans Hals’ (daylily) was £7.99 now £5.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July Hardiness: fully hardy An unusual daylily, with masses of rust-red and orange bi-coloured flowers appea ring continuously in midsummer. Each flower has three dusty-orange outer petals and three bronze inner petals with a prominent yellow midrib. This plant looks fabulous planted in drifts in a sunny mixed or herbaceous border among ‘hot’ colours, or with cannas and montbretias as companions. The bright green, strap -like leaves are evergreen in mild areas, and soon form large clumps of strap-li ke foliage that helps to suppress weeds. Like most hemerocallis, it is robust and easy to grow, provided you follow the tips below. Garden care: The Greek term ‘hemerocallis’ means ‘beautiful for a day’, and daylilies need regular deadheading to prolong flowering and prevent their unsightly deadheads from dominating the scene. Each stem carries several flowers, so snap off each flower as it fades. When the stem has finished flow ering, cut it down to the ground. After the plant has finished flowering altoge ther, pull out the dead leaves. When the foliage is looking tatty, cut it down to the ground and fresh new growth will appear. Lift and divide every three years in spring to keep the rhizomes vigorous and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant. Water frequently from spring until the buds appear.

Lobelia x speciosa 'Vedrariensis' (lobelia)

Lobelia x speciosa ‘Vedrariensis’ (lobelia) was £7.99 now £5.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July to September Hardiness: fully hardy A taller cultivar with pronounced tubular, violet-purple flowers, and dark green foliage, that can often become infused with red. This is an architectural plant, which is ideal for adding vertical interest towards the middle or back of the bed. Garden care: Divide large clumps of plants every second year in spring. Protect the crown of the plant during winter with a thick, dry mulch.

Aquilegia vulgaris var. alba (granny's bonnet)

Aquilegia vulgaris var. alba (granny’s bonnet) was £7.49 now £5.99
Position: f ull sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-draine d soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to June Hardi ness: fully hardy Aquilegias, or grannys bonnet, are grown for t heir distinctive, delicate, nodding flowers that vary in shape and size between species. This one has single white flowers in late spring and early summer above attractive mid-green leaves. A great perennial that looks great planted in the middle of a sunny border or to light up a shady part of the garden. A popul ar and easy-to-grow cottage garden plant, it prefers a soil that retains moistur e over the summer. Garden care: Lift and divide larg e 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 pro long flowering. Contact with the sap may cause skin irritation

Iris 'Silver Edge' (Siberian iris)

Iris ‘Silver Edge’ (Siberian iris) was £6.99 now £5.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: well-drained, moderately fertile, neutral to slightly acidic soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy Dusky, mid-blue petals, each with a distinctive silver edge form lightly ruffled flowers in May and June above slender, blue-green, strap-shaped leaves. This beautiful blue, Siberian iris provides vertical interest in a sunny garden border or waterside planting. More vigorous than other varieties it’s particularly valuable for holding together deteriorating riverbanks. Garden care: Plant in soil that has been improved with well-rotted manure or garden compost and do not allow to dry out, particularly as the plant is getting established. If planted in a container, it will need dividing and repotting every couple of years in spring.

Campanula persicifolia (bellflower)

Campanula persicifolia (bellflower) was £6.99 now £5.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist but well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June and July Hardiness: fully hardy This is an elegant perennial that forms an evergreen basal rosette of slender foliage, from which upright stems emerge in midsummer bearing gorgeous, bell-shaped flowers that vary in colour from near white to violet-blue. A very pretty addition for naturalised planting schemes, meadows or edge of woodland positions, where it may self-seed to form a colony in good conditions. Garden care: Protect the foliage from slugs and deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. Apply a generous mulch of well-rotted compost around the base of the plant in spring.

Hosta 'Devon Green' (plantain lily)

Hosta ‘Devon Green’ (plantain lily) was £8.99 now £6.99
Position: cool shade Soil: best growth results are achieved in moist, fertile soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: pale lilac flowers appear in August and last for several weeks Other features: foliage cuts well for floral arrangement Hardiness: fully hardy Almost exclusively shade-lovers, Hostas are principally grown for their valuable foliage detail over the spring and summer months. Their planting versatility enables use as ground cover in a border, or as an understorey to shrubby plantings, or equally they make handsome specimens to grace a garden planter. Hosta ‘Devon Green’ is a chance sport of Hosta ‘Halcyon’, forming dense, medium sized hummocks of heart-shaped leaves. Being dark in colour, their highly glossy surface throws into relief the distinct mid rib veining. Lily-like flowers of pale lilac appear in high summer. Garden care: Surround plants with a ring of crushed eggshells to offer protection from slug damage.