Notes for February Part 1

The new crop of Wisterias appear on our new availability list – we have just grafted them and they will be ready for May despatch in a one litre pot. Potted under protection they will make saleable plants for next spring. We have concentrated on the two most popular varieties:
Macrobotrys has long pale blue flowers which can reach over 1m, while
Black Dragon is double and most effective as the buds open when the effect is very intense violet.
We also have other shades of lilac and blue, plus pinks and white as well. Ask for the full cribsheet if you want to know more or download it from our website http://www.jackdawsfield.co.uk/ where it will appear shortly.

We also graft Campsis (Mme Galen, red, and Flava, yellow) which may seem perverse when they are quicker, easier and cheaper to grow form cuttings. However as take our scion wood form flowering plants the result is young plants that flower in the first year (unlike cutting raised) on the ends of the new growth in mid-summer, thus giving a good sales opportunity.

We have a ridiculously wide range of Dieramas available and without exception they are charming in flower, although unfortunately shy to start flowering. The trick is to grow some to flowering size and use this as living labels to sell younger ones. Again a cribsheet will shortly be available on request or on line. They can be grown outside in summer but I think they need protection from winter wet without which they will not survive the cold, but don’t dry them out too much as they can go dormant.

Another aid available is a hardiness chart linking minimum temperatures, USDA hardiness zones and RHS AGM hardiness ratings. As our winters change many plants rated as hardy to –5o C (USDA Zone 9, RHS H3) are proving hardy over a much wider area and its is a shame not to try some. I will be using USDA numbers with reference to plants that are new to our list.

We have an extensive range of Bearded Irises available and in addition to those listed we have the following available in one litre pots (trays of 8) at £1.25 each. At this size they are almost certain to flower.
95 Vonnies Wedding Iris – classic pale blue, tall.
50 Pink Lavender – mauve pink lavender self, tall ( I didn’t coin that phrase).
130 English Cottage – violet plicata on white, medium, repeat flowering, tall.
170 Dancer’s Veil – ruffled white with violet-blue markings.
171 Azap – cobalt blue – short.

Note's for June Part 1

For the first time we have managed to get Phyllostachus vivax aureocaulis into production and it appears on this list. It is a spectacular bamboo, but slow to increase in terms of the size of the clump in contrast to the size and speed of growth of the individual new shoots, which grow visibly. The mature culms are glossy gold with variable green longitudinal stripes (the sulcus) and will reach 5m on a mature plant. Probably invasive, but not in the short term. The plants we despatch first will be in one litre pots with one new culm and one old one – you can expect another new shoot next spring.

We have been growing bearded Irises for a while and you will notice an increase in the range and availability through the rest of the summer. We do have a full list of descriptions and also photos of most so we can help in the selection of varieties.

It doesn’t look as if we are going to have a hot dry summer, but water conservation is something that the public are having pushed at them all the time. With this in mind it is worth pointing out that silver-leaved plants are adapted for dry conditions and we do have a good range available, including Artemisia, Lavender, Brachyglottis, some Hebes, Lotus, Ozothamnus, and Santolina. Cistus and Tamarix, and Phormiums are also all good plants to promote in this respect.