Salix babylonica ‘Annularis’

Salix babylonica ‘Annularis’ is a curious plant, which people want to touch, and then, hopefully, buy as its leaves are curled like rams horns. It will make a tree, but is best if cut down hard every year, which also reduces the chances of anthracnose affecting it, although it is not particularly prone. It is a willow, so will grow anywhere that its not dry.

Coronilla glauca Citrina

We have grown Coronilla glauca Citrina for a long time, but because those customers who have tried it tend to come back for a lot more we have struggled to produce enough for it to appear on the availability list. There are two particular reasons why it is popular; firstly it is very seldom not in flower at least in the nursery situation where it grows continuously. Secondly the flowers are a delightful lemon yellow set against slightly sage green foliage. Being leguminous it resents poor drainage, but does not need fertile soil to flourish. Rated as Z9 so it needs some protection from the winter in colder parts of the country.

New Availability list

A new Availability list is done. Go to www.jackdawsfield.co.uk to Download it.

Help!!! Vinca major?

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We have a very good Vinca, which are going to propagate but we don’t know what it is. It is probably a form of V. major but the flower is more violet than blue, it only grows to about 20cm and the leaves are smaller than most forms of Vinca major. It is not V.m ‘Oxyloba’ (syn ‘Dartington Star’) because the leaves petals are too broad and not pointed; and I don’t think it is ‘Jason Hill’ which I don’t know, but which is supposed to have broad but pointed petals which ours has not. Can anyone help? nick@jackdawsfield.co.uk

New Availability

A new Availability list is done. Go to www.jackdawsfield.co.uk to Download it.

Availability List

A new Availability list is done. Go to www.jackdawsfield.co.uk to Download it.

Stock plants for sale

• 20 Lonicera tragophylla 7.5 litre Heavily furnished on a 75 cm cane, £5.00 will carry flower
• 3 Solanum rantonetti 20 litre £4.00
• Hydrangeas 20/25 lt Very heavy plants £5.00

5 Ami Pasquier

15 Geoffrey Chadbund

15 Nigra
there will be more varieties

FAQ - What is the white deposit on the leaves of your plants

Q. What is the white deposit on the leaves of your plants?
A. It is primarily Thiram (Thianosan) which is a broad-spectrum fungicide that has the very useful side-effect of killing (or preventing) moss, liverwort and general green gunge. Because we water all our crops from underneath the deposits do not get washed off and although in the growing season the plants tend to shed the deposits as the leaves grow this does not happen in the winter or with the oldest leaves. If you are using overhead irrigation the deposits will quickly disappear.

FAQ - What colour is Hellebore Guttatus x Cosmos?

Q. What colour is Hellebore Guttatus x Cosmos?
A. It is white with heavy dark red spotting. I wouldn’t blame anyone for selling it as ‘White Spotted’

Can I have your opinions please?

Can I have your opinions please? We carry on the traditional business practice of not showing prices on our delivery notes because that is the traditional way of doing things. However I know that some customers would find it more convenient if the prices were shown, which we can easily do, but we will have to do the same for everyone (or we’ll get it wrong sometimes). Prices or not prices – do you mind one way or the other?
nick@jackdawsfield.co.uk

Lathyrus nervosus

Lathyrus nervosus (Lord Anson’s Pea) is a rare, perennial sweet pea, which has blue flowers in early summer. Unfortunately it is not fragrant but the colour is very striking and will scramble over other plants. Its degree of perennialness has been a matter of debate, but it is now officially perennial (according to something I read and trusted); however I doubt it would survive in cold wet soil, but only in that much vaunted well-drained fertile soil in full sun. It is desirable and sought after.

Hardy Fuchsias

As you will see we have greatly extended the range of hardy Fuchsias we grow and of the 20 or so we added last year the majority are still in the running and some have become favourites with some customers. If you want to try some new varieties we will supply one of each as samples free of charge, or five of each at 50p per plant. We have a cribsheet available by post, fax, e-mail or on the website.

Hedychium gardnerianum

Hedychium gardnerianum ‘St. Martins’ is a Ginger Lily, which has clumps of broad green foliage not unlike that of Cannas. It looks exotic and tender but in fact the rootstock is hardy in most parts of this country (Z8), but a generous mulch is recommended. The fragrant yellow flowers, with orange filaments appear in late summer although plants that have been overwinted under protection will flower earlier. These are supplied with a generic colour label.

Euonymus alatus

In accordance with our normal way of working we are never satisfied with offering juts one variety of something so we have three forms of Euonymus alatus. All are easily grown , trouble-free deciduous shrubs with attractive, fine foliage that turns shocking pink and red in the autumn. The curiosity of them is the corky wings that grow along the length of the stems- hence the name, which means winged. The species grows slowly to two or more metres high and wide while ‘Compactus’ only reaches about half that size as does ‘Apterus’ which, even more curiously, lacks the wings ( so its name is Euonymus with wings ‘Without Wings’)

Amsonia tabernaemontana

We are offering the perennial Amsonia tabernaemontana for the first time. This is a larger ‘Blue Star’ than A. orientalis growing to 90cm height and spread rather than 45cm. It bears the same starry pale blue flowers in early summer and has reliable golden autumn colour. It is very hardy (Z3), tolerant of a wide range of soils and will grow in sun or partial shade. Ours are cutting raised (not seed), so batches will be uniform.

Clematis

We are now booking orders for Clematis armandii, C. a. ‘Apple Blossom’ and C. a. ‘Snowdrift’ for 2009. Please do forward order these – they will not appear on the availability list so if you don’t order during the next couple of months you won’t get them. Do it now, otherwise you will forget. Prices, as this year, £2.30 for 200+, £2.35 for 60-199 and £2.40 for 20-59.

Availability list and Highlights

a new Availability list and new Highlights, all available from www.jackdawsfield.co.uk