Availability

An updated Availability list is ready.

A new Availability list is done. Go to 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.

Cordyline indivisa

Cordyline indivisa in the wild occurs at higher altitudes than C. australis and therefore should be hardier, which is curious as it has much wider leaves that in our windy climate is not generally helpful for hardiness but it will survive to at least –5C. The broad leaves are the reason for growing it and they should have longitudinal red stripes – which ours do. The difficulty that the two species hybridise freely and pure C.indivisa is rare with a complete range of variation in the hybrids. Even micropropagated plants are not always true to name.

Corokia cotoneaster

Corokia cotoneaster has a charm which most of the rest of the genus lack having small zig-zagging, almost black, shoots and tiny bright green leaves. The flowers, in late spring, are tiny, bright yellow and starry. It has survived 15 years in the ground here so justifies its Z8 rating. It is unkindly known as “Wire-netting bush”

Fuchsia procumbens

Fuchsia procumbens is at the other end of the Fuchsia family from excorticata (yes it does what it says on the tin) with small round leaves and flowers with yellow tubes and reflexed petals which are green at the base and tipped with purple. Z9, but a bit easier to protect than its tree relative. Can spread to 1m.

Fuchsia excorticata

Fuchsia excorticata (New Zealand Tree Fuchsia) is Z9, but you are not going to get a tree if you leave it outside it many parts of the country. The flowers start blue/green becoming purple/maroon and the prominent anthers carry blue pollen which has to a USP. Go on, have a bit of fun.

Delospermas

Delospermas are from South Africa but with the exception of D. cooperi (Z6) are only just hardy (Z9). They are best thought of as perennial Mesembryanthemums, having prostrate succulent foliage with flowers up to 5cm across opening and closing with the sun. D. sutherlandii and D.cooperi are pink (and I mean pink), D.s. ‘Peach Star’ does do what is says on the tin, and D. congestum is bright yellow.

The hardiness of restios

The hardiness of restios (Chondropetalum, Elegia and Rhodocoma) has been a question but experience is now suggesting that they are at least as hardy as Cordyline which is good enough for me. The crowns can be mulched in winter as an aid to hardiness and although the foliage may be scorched the crown will recover. Chondropetalum resembles a rush having upright stems, banded in black, while the others are all more feathery. Excellent for pot culture, but in the ground they are clump formers and not invasive [At the moment they are listed amongst the grasses, but I will get them listed together in the near future].

Ribes x gordonianum

Ribes x gordonianum is a hybrid between the red R.sanguinem and the yellow R.odoratum and it obligingly has flowers that are red on the outside and yellow on the inside. In leaf and general appearance it is nearer to R.sanguinem as it doesn’t have glossy leaves. Another completely hardy shrub

Weigela middendorfiana

We have grown Weigela middendorfiana before, but the stock we had was so infested with eelworm that we dropped it. What we are offering now is from seed and it is clean with fresh green leaves and no little black markings. The flowers are like primrose foxgloves with deep red markings on the lower side. Completely hardy (although Hilliers manual recommends shade and shelter).

Viburnum plicatum ‘Pink Beauty’

Viburnum plicatum ‘Pink Beauty’ does not do what is says on the tin, but is nonetheless a good variety. It is more compact in habit than many other varieties and has darker green, smaller leaves. The pink is there when the flowers first open, but it doesn’t last. There are other clones circulating under this name which have no pink phase at all.

Late summer reading.

There is are a lot of new items on the list (posted yesterday www.jackdawsfield.co.uk), among the widest range of our catalogued items that we have had available for a long time. Although we would be very pleased to despatch more now, we know that most of you have closed the door on your potting shed for the season, so we expect the majority of orders to be for next year. Why not take advantage of the length of this list and try some new things, bearing in mind that some of them will sell quickly and will not appear again for another year.

Availability

An updated Availability list is ready.
A new Availability list is done. Go to 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.