Availability List

A new Availability list is done. Go to http://www.jackdawsfield.co.uk/ to Download it or e-mail nick@jackdawsfield.co.uk and ask to be sent one automatically as soon as a new list is done each week.

Availability List

A new Availability list is done. Go to http://www.jackdawsfield.co.uk/ to Download it or e-mail nick@jackdawsfield.co.uk and ask to be sent one automatically as soon as a new list is done each week.

Download difficulties

We have had reports that our downloads page on the website is misbehaving! If this is the case for you please drop us an e-mail as the exact cause is being a little elusive. karl@jackdawsfield.co.uk

Thanks

What is it?

Short notes on items we have only have a few of:

• Dianella nigra has narrower, more upright leaves than D. tasmanica or caerulea but is most distinguished by the showy bright red bases to the rosettes. Flowers and fruit are similar to the others
• Euphorbia characias ‘Portugese Velvet’ is a compact form with soft, almost furry leaves. Good sized flower heads typical of the species.
• Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Ferndown’ is a variety which should be grown in the mix of Caryopteris varieties, as it starts flowering about six weeks after most of the other varieties, thus greatly extending the flowering season.
• The name of Rhus ambigua would not lead one to expect a climber with lobed and trifoliate leaves (not unlike the young growth of Lonicera japonica types). It forms aerial roots, so presumably has self-clinging ability and is noted for its scarlet autumn colour.
• Eccremocarpus scaber is really an annual climber, but it does perenniate and I have seen a thickly woody plant in flower in January. However, even so, it is not long-lived, but in the garden this often goes unnoticed as it freely self seeds. The form we have at the moment has red flowers.

Availability lists

A new Availability list is done. Go to http://www.jackdawsfield.co.uk/ to Download it or e-mail nick@jackdawsfield.co.uk and ask to be sent one automatically as soon as a new list is done each week.

Cistus Blushing Peggy Sammons

Cistus Blushing Peggy Sammons has flowers of an indescribable and un-photographable shade of pink. I am not sure I like it, but what a colour. Like all the sports of Peggy Sammons it is relatively upright with greyish foliage, and like all Cistus flowers best in poor conditions, as long as it well drained. On our heavy soil most Cistus are short-lived but it appears that Cistus ladanifer types are more able to cope in these conditions which is odd given where they originate from. They could be worth promoting if you are selling in an area with clay soil.

Echium pinniana

Echium pinniana is not a plant that is widely seen outside Cornwall and is generally thought of as biennial, but it is perennial and thrives here in West Sussex (at Nymans). The stems that flower do die off but the rootstock and some stems overwinter. The flower stems can reach 5m or more and carry innumerable small blue.

Helleborus

We still have some liners of double Hellebores (H. Party Dress Hybrids) available and a good proportion of these will flower this winter if potted into a one litre under shade. They are not as true to colour as the singles and the forms vary greatly but few are disappointing. There are a few pics on the website www.jackdawsfield.co.uk. The plugs (of which we have a greater colour range) will not flower this winter.
We also have good liners of H. sternii Blackthorn Strain which have variously marbled leaves and should bear heads of pink flowers this winter. We still obtain these from Blackthorn nursery and the plants are distinctly more showy from H.sternii which does not appear to be true of some continental supplies. These would fill a two or three litre without difficulty

Lonicera tragophylla

Lonicera tragophylla is the most beautiful of climbing honeysuckles, but it does grow and flower better in some shade, and, if you have the option, a weaker potting mix is a good idea. It is difficult to propagate and needs to sell at a premium price.

Cantua buxifolia

Cantua buxifolia is known as the ‘Sacred Flower of the Incas (or of the Andes)’ so you now know where it comes from and may fairly deduce that it is only marginally hardy (Z9). However giving it the protection it needs is worth the effort as it has the most spectacular tubular red flowers more than 2” long; at least it should have, but the form we have at the moment has white flowers with a yellow tube. Equally nice, but not what we were expecting, so if you have the red-flowering form we would like obtain some stock.