Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

New products at Crocus

by Sarah - September 25th, 2015.
Filed under: Crocus, New Products.

Crocus has these new lines today

Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree)

Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree) £89.99
Position: full sun Soil: moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: slow-growing Flowering period: March to April Flower colour: pink Other features: ideal for a warm, Mediterranean garden or on a south-facing bank Hardiness: fully hardy A lovely spreading tree that is often seen with multiple stems. Glaucous heart-shaped leaves appear after the flowers and turn pale yellow and brown in autumn. It is a lovely small tree for a warm, south-facing spot as it needs the heat to ripen the new shoots each summer to flower well the following spring. The pink blooms appear well before the leaves, and after a particularly warm summer, can cover the entire tree from the shoot tips to right down the trunk. Garden care: Plant in their final location when young as they resent being transplanted. Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly Goes well with: Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Pink Cloud’, Ceanothus x delileanus ‘Topaze’, Lavatera ‘Barnsley’, Verbena bonariensis, Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’, Ruta graveolens, Dianthus caryophyllus, Stachys officinalis

Cornus kousa var. chinensis (Chinese dogwood)

Cornus kousa var. chinensis (Chinese dogwood) £79.99
Position: full sun to part shade Soil: fertile, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to acid soil Rate of growth: slow-growing to average Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy This is a real showstopper of a tree, with two main seasons of interest. Broadly conical in shape, it produces tiny green flowers in June, which are surrounded by showy, creamy-white, petal-like bracts, that fade to lovely shades of pink as they age. In autumn the dark green leaves turn crimson-purple, and mature trees produce strawberry-like fruits. It’s an excellent specimen tree for a small garden or woodland edge, and the leaf colour is best in fertile, well-drained, neutral to acid soil. Garden care: Incorporate a good amount of well-rotted leafmould when planting. Requires minimal pruning once established, although as it is naturally low-branching and shrubby, you may need to clear a short, single stem when young. This should be tackled when the plant is fully dormant from autumn to early spring.

Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea' (Indian bean tree)

Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ (Indian bean tree) £69.99
Position: full sun, sheltered from strong winds Soil: moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July to August Flower colour: white Other features: large butter yellow leaves Hardiness: fully hardy A beautiful, spreading tree with massive, heart-shaped bright yellow leaves which are bronze when young. In mid- to late summer, tall panicles of white flowers appear, usually followed by slender pods. This is a medium to large deciduous tree that is best grown as a specimen in a lawn to fully appreciate its beauty. Garden care: Protect young plants from frost in very cold weather since unripened wood is susceptible to frost damage. Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly.

Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)

Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree) £69.99
Position: sun Soil: moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: July Hardiness: fully hardy A conical-shaped tree with large, shiny, flat leaves with a very distinctive sha pe that open bright green, then turn vivid yellow in autumn. Although huge, green and orange, tulip-shaped, upright flowers appear in summer when the tree is in full foliage, these are inconspicuous from a distance. This really is an ornamental foliage tree, and it looks wonderful planted as a specimen in grass. It grows quite quickly, and is really only suitable for larger garde ns, and it will not flower until the tree is about 25 years old. Garden care: When planting, incorporate lots of well-rotted manure or garden compost into the planting hole and stake firmly. Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter.

Laburnum x watereri 'Vossii' (voss's laburnum)

Laburnum x watereri ‘Vossii’ (voss’s laburnum) £69.99
Position: full sun Soil: well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy A spreading tree with fine, dark green foliage, cut into oval leaflets. But it is for the long racemes of brilliant, golden-yellow flowers that this tree deserves a place in the garden. In late spring and early summer, it is smothered with pea-like chains of flowers, often up to 60cm (24in) long, followed by a light crop of poisonous seeds. It grows quickly and looks spectacular trained over a pergola or planted as a specimen tree in a small garden. Garden care: When planting, incoporate lots of well- rotted manure or garden compost into the planting hole and stake firmly. Laburnums dont need much pruning, but you may want to remove any diseased or crossing branches. It is essential that any pruning work is carried out between late summer to mid winter as the sap will ‘bleed’ heavily at other times.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura tree)

Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura tree) £64.99
Position: sun or partial shade Soil: moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flower colour: insignificant red flowers Other features: fallen leaves smell of burnt sugar when crushed Hardiness: fully hardy Small, rounded leaves are flushed pink when young, turning bright green in summer. The autumnal foliage is superb, turning orange, red and yellow, though trees usually colour better on moist, acidic soils. It is stunning planted as a specimen in the lawn, either with a single trunk or as a broader tree of several stems. Garden care: Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly.

Acer platanoides 'Drummondii' (Norway maple)

Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii’ (Norway maple) £64.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained Rate of growth: vigorous Flowering period: April to May Flower colour: yellow Other features: creamy-white edged leaves turn orange in autumn Hardiness: fully hardy Dark green leaves with creamy-white margins turning orange in autumn and small clusters of red-tinged, yellow spring flowers. This handsome, round- headed tree is possibly the best variegated Norway maple. An excellent specimen tree for a medium-sized garden, it is pollution-tolerant and copes well on most soils, including clay. Garden care: Add a top-dressing of a multi-purpose fertiliser around the base of the plant in late spring. No routine pruning is required, just remove any dead, damaged or crossing branches in late autumn or winter when they are fully dormant.

Prunus sargentii (Sargent's Cherry)

Prunus sargentii (Sargent’s Cherry) £59.99
Position: full sun Soil: tolerates most soils Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: April to May Flower colour: pale pink Other features: one of the first to flower Hardiness: fully hardy Lush bronze-red foliage turns rich red in summer and then brilliant red in early autumn. Clouds of pale pink blooms cover the branches in mid-spring followed by glossy crimson fruit. This medium sized, spreading tree is one of the best cherries for autumnal colour, reliably turning colour before most other trees. Garden care: When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly. Prune in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Cut back any dead, diseased or branches which cross to healthy wood.

Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver' (oleaster)

Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’ (oleaster) £39.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: June and July Hardiness: fully hardy Wonderful willowy, metallic-silver leaves are accompanied by small clusters of mainly inconspicuous, but well-scented, yellow flowers in summer. This vigorous, deciduous shrub is ideal for a sunny border close to an entrance or well-used path, where it has space to develop its broadly pyramidal shape. It’s particularly suitable for warm coastal gardens as it tolerates dry soil and salt-laden air. Garden care: In mid-summer after flowering cut back the flowered shoots to strong buds or young lower growth. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant after pruning.