Garden And Gardener

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Price reductions at Crocus

by Sarah - February 26th, 2016.
Filed under: Crocus, Price Reductions.

Crocus reduced the price on these items today

Magnolia x  soulangeana (magnolia)

Magnolia x soulangeana (magnolia) was £24.99 now £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moist, well-drained, acidic soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: April to May Hardiness: fully hardy One of the most popular magnolias, with large, dark green leaves that start to appear in mid spring, at about the same time as the huge, deep rose-pink or white, goblet-shaped flowers. This is a good magnolia for smaller gardens, as it remains a shapely shrub for many years, and even when it is mature, is a manageable small tree. Garden care: Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in midsummer. The best time to plant is in April, adding plenty of peat to the planting hole, in a sheltered spot. Mulch in spring with manure and leafmould, especially on dry soils.

Garrya elliptica 'James Roof' (silk-tassel bush)

Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ (silk-tassel bush) was £24.99 now £19.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moderately-fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: December to February Hardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protectio n in cold areas) Long, silvery catkins up to 20cm long, shine out among glossy, wavy-edged, dark green leaves throughout winter. The silken tassels of this upright, evergreen shrub make a stunning feature in the winter garden. Try it towards the back of a sunny, shrub border, against a wall or as a windbreak in coastal areas. When it has finished its display, the dark foliage makes a lovely foil for summer-flowering shrubs. Garden care: Cut back dead or straggly branches in April or May.

Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' (white Japanese wisteria)

Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’ (white Japanese wisteria) was £29.99 now £22.49
Position: full sun or light, dappled shade Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: June Flower colour: white Other features: velvety, green seed-pods in hot summers; all parts of the plant are harmful if ingested Hardiness: fully hardy This elegant white Japanese wisteria produces extravagant clusters up to 60cm (24in) long of fragrant, pea-like, white flowers in June and light green leaflets, turning yellow in autumn. Less vigorous than many other varieties it’s ideal for training against a sunny house wall. To enhance flowering prune the twining stems twice a year. All the Wisterias we sell are grafted, so will start to flower at a younger age than those grown from cuttings. Garden care: To get lots of flowers, the twining stems need pruning twice a year – once in summer (about two months after the flowering has finished) and again in mid-winter. To train your Wisteria against a wall, the wall will first need a network of stout horizontal wires, attached at approximately 30cm intervals. After planting, prune the leading shoot of your Wisteria back to approximately 90cm above ground level and remove any side branches as this will encourage a strong new leader to form. In the summer of the first growing season, tie the leader in vertically and choose two new lateral shoots on either side of the leader. Tie these onto the wires at a 45 degree angle. Any smaller shoots coming from these lateral branches should be cut back to two or three buds. In the first winter, cut back the leader to a bud approximately 75cm above the highest lateral branch. Gently untie the lateral branches and prune them back by about a third, then re-tie them onto a wire so they are nearly horizontal. In subsequent summers (and until the plant has filled the allotted space), tie in the leader as it grows and choose two strong laterals to form the next tier. These should then be tied in at a 45 degree angle and as in the previous year, any smaller shoots coming from these should be cut back to two or three buds. In subsequent winters cut back the leading shoot as before and cut back and re-tie the new laterals to a near-horizontal position. The older laterals can be cut back by about a third of their total length. Once the plant has become established and reached the desired height, keep tying in the lateral stems as they spread out. In summer, cut back the wispy stems on both the laterals a