New Plants and Products

Our new mail order catalogue is now out.  You can pick one up from the shop, download it from our web site or request that one is sent to you in the post by calling 01280 827933.

As hedging specialists for so many years it is difficult to introduce new lines every year but this year we have three new lines, but we must admit that only one of these is truly ‘new’.

The ‘truly new’ is Golden Japanese Euonymus, Euonymus japonicas Ovatus Aureus.  This is a plant which has regularly proved popular as a species evergreen shrub for our Garden Centre customers as they are attracted by its bright golden-yellow leaves which mature to dark green with a broad margin of bright gold.  Its vigorous, bushy upright habit means it can add a splash of colour in all positions of the garden except full shade where it will lose its bright golden colouration.  However, planted about one and half to two foot apart it will make a superb evergreen hedge from four to seven foot high – ideal for many positions in the garden – a screen for the vegetable area, an edging for a patio, a small screen for a swimming pool or the children’s play area or many other positions.  We expect this will prove a popular addition to the other lower Euonymus hedges.

The Box-Leaved Holly, Ilex crenata Green Hedge, or Japanese Holly, we have re-introduced as many people are wishing to use this if Box blight is a problem in their area.  It is similar to Box with glossy, small, dark green leaves, and also bears small black shiny fruits in the autumn.  Once established it can be faster growing than Box putting on up to 8 inches (20 cm) of growth a year.

The last item in the hedging section has been introduced as there has been a failure in crop with Yew Brownii.  However, we have been able to substitute this with Yew Hillii , Taxus media Hillii.  It works as a pollinator to Hicksii and probably the only difference you will see is that the new foliage does not have the brownish hew that is a feature of Brownii.

Going into the ornamental shrubs section we have four new lines all of which make interesting additions to the garden.  The first is an excellent Butterfly Bush, Adonis Blue, which does not get so large as the average Butterfly Bush, in fact it is very bushy and only reaches about 4 to 5 ft high with about the same spread.  This will mean that those with smaller gardens can introduce this plant whose dark blue flowers really attract butterflies like moths to a light.

For those who like the early flowering Japanese Quince but prefer softer colours to the more usual bright orange, we have included Japanese Quince Pink Lady, an easy to grow shrub with beautiful clear pink flower, followed by fruits which ripen to yellow in the autumn.  The fruits are smaller and harder than those on Cido, but nevertheless make really tasty jelly.  It makes a good wall plant or free standing shrub, and also can be used to form a low flowering hedge of about five foot high.

Our next introduction is a shrub which is not that well known, but really should be as it is truly beautiful and is easy to grow.  This is the Pearl Bush, Exochorda macrantha The Bride.  When customers spot its beautiful pearl-like pure white flower buds they are taken back by its beauty and wonder why they have not spotted it before.  These buds open up to long lasting white flowers which festoon the arching branches in late spring.  It will grow to about five foot high with a similar spread.

Finally for that section there is Photinia Curly Fantasy.  We expect most of you are now familiar with Photinia Red Robin, and it smaller relative Photinia Little Red Robin, but Photinia Curly Fantasy is a new unusual variation to these.  As its name implies the leaves of this plant have curly edges which give an extra interest to this popular colourful shrub.  It has the same qualities with the new leaves being bright red but with the extra interest of the curly effect, these turning to bronze then green.  Height wise it is in between Red Robin and Little Red Robin reaching a height of about 5 to 6 feet, and it will make an excellent hedge if planted two foot apart.

Into the Fruit Section we have, as usual made a few changes to give our regular customer some extra choice.  In the apples we have added three superb apple varieties, Bountiful, Crispin and Kidd’s Orange Red.  Bountiful is the first new cooking apple for over 50 years.  It was raised in Kent 1964 then was introduced in Gloucestershire in 1985.  It has good disease resistance.  It is dual purpose and when cooked the slices just keep shape and are soft, juicy, light and sweet.  In late winter it can be eaten as a dessert apple.  It is very heavy cropping with green apples which have a slight flush.  Its season is from October to January.

Crispin goes by its name as it is crisp, sweet and juicy, similar to Golden Delicious but with a courser texture.  It is one of the best keeping eaters for late spring but it also cooks well, keeping its shape and having a sweet, light flavour.  The apples are greenish yellow with a slight brownish flush and grey lenticels.  Its period of use is from December through to March.

Kidd’s Orange Red is a dessert apple but it is a heavy regular cropper with yellow, heavily flushed red apples. These have sweet, crisp flesh and are very aromatic, mellowing to a wonderful flowery quality.  It is one of finest apples for flavour, and was raised in New Zealand in 1924 and introduced to Britain in about 1932.  It was awarded the RHS Award of Merit in 1973.  Period of use is from October through to February.

We have also added the dessert plum Avalon as this is an excellent variety with large, round to oval deep red-purple plums.  They have a good flavour and are sweet and juicy.  It was raised in Kent in 1985 and is partially self-fertile but will crop better with a pollinator.  Best eaten in mid-August.

Last year, those with access to our web-site would have found Cranberry, Early Black listed and many purchased, and we hope enjoyed, the fruit from this plant.  It produces very high quality fruit of dark red colour, high in vitamin C.  It makes excellent juices, preserves, jams and chutney.  It forms a low spreading bush which needs a pH of less than 4.5, and plenty of water as it naturally grows in peat bogs.  As it is an attractive plant it is excellent for planting in containers in lime-free soil.  It fruits in August.

Similar to the cranberry in the Lingonberry, Ida which originates from Scandinavia likes similar growing conditions to the cranberry except it does not need to be so wet.  It has a very tasty berry which may be produced up to three times a year and the berries are very attractive whilst ripening.  Like cranberries they are self-fertile.

It seems that nearly every year a superb new Raspberry is released which means there really are so many excellent varieties to choose from.  This year we have introduced to our range Glen Doll, which apart from its interesting name, is a highly recommended variety which produces globular, bright red, excellent flavoured, firm, high quality fruit which also freeze well.  It is a mid to late season variety and is well worth growing.

The Sundries section of the catalogue has expanded considerably this year as we have introduced a range of products which relate to the plants offered.  There is a selection of fertilisers to help feed your plants and a range of traps and products to protect fruit trees from the various pests which can attack them.  There are also various growhouses and tunnels to help with the growing of young plants and vegetables.  For general use in the garden are the really useful tip bags for collecting garden debris and the hedge sheet for hedge cuttings.  All the items introduced have proved very popular with customers who come and visit the Garden Centre hence us now offering them to those who order their plants via our mail order service as well.

Sections in our catalogue:
Hedging, Trees, Conifers and Shrubs - Ornamental Trees & Shrubs - Ornamental Grasses
Climbers - Ground Cover - Ferns - Fruit - Bees and Ladybird Nests - Accessories