August Special offers - Shrubs - Part 1

220 Aristotelia chilensis Variegata £0.85 70 Artemisia Powis Castle £0.70 20 Artemisia Faith Raven £0.70 40 Brachyglottis Sunshine £0.70 350 Buddleja alternifolia Argentea £0.80 90 Buddleja auriculata £0.65 125 Buddleja fallowiana Alba £0.65 140 Buddleja farreri £0.65 40 Buddleja loricata £0.65 80 Calceolaria integrifolia £0.75 90 Cantua buxifolia - white form £0.55 230 Caryopteris cl Arthur Simmonds £0.70 30 Caryopteris cl First Choice £0.70 150 Caryopteris Sunshine Blue -rylty pd £0.80 250 Ceanothus Tilden Park £0.65 38 Ceratostigma abyssinicum £0.85 63 Ceratostigma griffithii £0.80 130 Chaenomeles Knap Hill Scarlet £0.70 60 Chaenomeles Pink Lady £0.70 160 Cistus Crispus £0.65 80 Cistus dansereaui 'Jenkyn Place' £0.65 150 Cistus hybridus £0.65 60 Cistus Ruby Cluster £0.65 50 Cistus salviifolius Gold Star £0.65 50 Coprosma Evening Glow £0.75 210 Coprosma Roy's Red £0.65 420 Cornus canadensis £0.85 110 Corokia buddlejoides £0.85 30 Coronilla emerus £0.75 20 Cytisus x kewensis £0.85 35 Cytisus x kewensis Niki £0.85 70 Drimys lanceolata £0.90 85 Escallonia Donard White £0.65 60 Escallonia illinita £0.75 220 Escallonia iveyii £0.75 30 Escallonia Peach Blossom £0.65 220 Euonymus fort. Silver Queen £0.80 50 Euryops pectinatus £0.65 110 Fatshedera lizei £0.85 120 Fatshedera lizei Annamieke £0.85 400 Mixed named Fuchias per 100 £70.00 450 Griselinia litt Variegata £0.85 390 Griselinia littoralis £0.80 65 Halimium umbellatum £0.65 70 Helichrysum italicum Dartington £0.65

July Special offers - Grasses (+ Friends & Relations)

100 Acorus gramineus Ogon £0.85 340 Carex oshimensis Evergold £0.95 110 Deschampsia c. Bronzeschelier £0.65 80 Eragrostis spectabilis £0.65 160 Milium effusum Aureum £0.65 100 Miscanthus sin. Yaku-jima £1.15 90 Molinia Edith Dudzus £0.75 1930 Ophiopogon pl. Nigrescens £1.25 40 Pennisetum orientale £0.65 500 Phormium tenax £0.75 1870 Phormium tenax - plugs (77's) £0.30

July Special offers - Herbaceous Perennials

300 Achillea mixed, named. Per 100 £65.00 90 Amsonia tabernaemontana £0.65 60 Aruncus dioicus Kneiffii £0.95 80 Euphorbia martinii £0.85 130 Euphorbia robbiae £0.80 500 Helleborus Party Dress Mixed Named £125.00 500 Bearded Iris - mixed named per 100 £95.00 40 Paradisea lusitanica £0.70 200 Penstemon Abbotsmerry £0.65 200 Penstemon Beckford £0.65 150 Penstemon Russian River £0.65

July Special offers - Climbers

30 Ampelopsis brevipedunculata £0.75 110 Berberidopsis corallina £0.80 70 Celastrus orbic.- hermaphrodite £0.75 340 Jasminum officinale Arg. Variegatum £0.85 200 Jasminum officinale Aureum £0.75 70 Lonicera alseuosmoides £0.75 80 Lonicera caprifolium £0.75 200 Lonicera giraldii £0.75 50 Lonicera henryi £0.70 50 Lonicera KR291 £0.75 126 Lonicera trag. 'Maurice Foster' £0.80 80 Lonicera x italica £0.70 140 Pandorea pandorana Golden Showers £0.95 180 Parthenocissus quinquefolia £0.70 120 Rhus ambigua £0.80 100 Vitis amurensis £0.75 60 Vitis vinifera Spetchley Red £0.75

July Special offers - Shrubs - Part 2

210 Hypericum x cyath Gold Cup £0.70 30 Ilex crenata Golden Gem £0.65 190 Jasminum fruticans £0.75 50 Lavandula vera £0.75 100 Lavatera Blushing Bride £0.65 53 Lavatera Bredon Springs £0.65 53 Lavatera Kew Rose £0.65 190 Lavatera Rosea £0.75 180 Ligustrum sinense Variegatum £0.75 70 Lonicera albertii £0.60 270 Lonicera involucrata £0.60 60 Lonicera maa. v. podocarpa £0.65 190 Malvastrum lateritium £0.70 150 Olearia phl. Combers Pink £0.70 90 Olearia macrodonta £0.75 150 Olearia nummularifolia £0.75 80 Ozothamnus Threave Seedling £0.75 280 Photinia Red Robin £0.95 95 Piptanthus nepalensis £0.80 70 Pittosporum Margaret Turnbull £0.85 230 Prostanthera ovalifolia Variegata £0.80 60 Pyracantha Molten Lava £0.70 350 Ribes x gordonianum £0.75 90 Rosmarinus off Roseus £0.65 20 Salix babylonica Annularis £0.70 10 Salix erythroflexuosa £0.70 90 Santolina incana £0.65 50 Santolina virens £0.65 50 Santolina virens Primrose Gem £0.65 48 Solanum rantonnetii £0.65 180 Sorbaria aitchisonii £0.85 130 Sorbaria sorbifolia £0.85 41 Viburnum plicatum Shasta £0.80 200 Vinca difformis Sardoa £0.70 80 Vinca minor Aurea £0.70 70 Vinca minor Azurea Flore Pleno £0.65 200 Vinca minor Bowle's Variety £0.75 140 Weigela Praecox Variegata £0.75 54 Yucca aloifolia £0.80 140 Acacia longifolia £0.70 47 Trachycarpos fortunei £1.10

July Special offers - Shrubs - Part 1

220 Aristotelia chilensis Variegata £0.85 60 Artemisia Powis Castle £0.70 60 Artemisia Faith Raven £0.70 40 Brachyglottis Sunshine £0.70 370 Buddleja alternifolia Argentea £0.80 120 Buddleja auriculata £0.70 145 Buddleja fallowiana Alba £0.70 160 Buddleja farreri £0.65 50 Buddleja loricata £0.65 100 Calceolaria integrifolia £0.75 90 Cantua buxifolia - white form £0.70 230 Caryopteris cl Arthur Simmonds £0.70 30 Caryopteris cl First Choice £0.70 150 Caryopteris Sunshine Blue -rylty pd £0.80 30 Ceanothus Blue Mound £0.80 250 Ceanothus Tilden Park £0.75 50 Ceratostigma abyssinicum £0.85 63 Ceratostigma griffithii £0.80 130 Chaenomeles Knap Hill Scarlet £0.80 60 Chaenomeles Pink Lady £0.80 160 Cistus Crispus £0.70 80 Cistus dansereaui 'Jenkyn Place' £0.70 130 Cistus hybridus £0.70 60 Cistus Ruby Cluster £0.65 50 Cistus salviifolius Gold Star £0.65 80 Coprosma Evening Glow £0.75 210 Coprosma Roy's Red £0.65 420 Cornus canadensis £0.85 110 Corokia buddlejoides £0.85 30 Coronilla emerus £0.75 20 Cytisus x kewensis £0.85 40 Cytisus x kewensis Niki £0.85 70 Drimys lanceolata £0.90 70 Escallonia Donard White £0.65 60 Escallonia illinita £0.75 220 Escallonia iveyii £0.75 30 Escallonia Peach Blossom £0.65 220 Euonymus fort. Silver Queen £0.80 50 Euryops pectinatus £0.65 130 Fatshedera lizei £0.85 120 Fatshedera lizei Annamieke £0.85 500 Mixed named Fuchias per 100 £70.00 450 Griselinia litt Variegata £0.85 390 Griselinia littoralis £0.80 65 Halimium umbellatum £0.65 70 Helichrysum italicum Dartington £0.65

Availability

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Availability update's

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More availability

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Super new Availability list

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More availability

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Ends of lines and seconds

Following the retirement of one our largest customers one of our smallest has also gone, and the reason I tell you this is that they were our largest buyer of ends of lines and seconds, taking mixed job lots (all named) which they grew on for their market stall. Is this of interest to you?

Vinca difformis

We also push the boat out with Vinca difformis varieties, which are often wrongly listed as Z9, but we have never lost any here. On very cold mornings (-8 or so) the foliage goes flaccid but recovers as soon as the temperature rises. Most of the forms (except Sardoa) grow to about 40 cm in the open, but much more against a wall or with something to scramble up. There only seems to be one white form, which we grow as ‘Snowmound’ (syn ‘Alba’, ‘Greystone Form’), the type is ice-blue and ‘Jenny Pym’ is almost a pure pink (slightly bluish in some light and when you try to photograph it with film). ‘Sardoa’ is the deepest blue, particularly as the flowers open and is more vigorous with a sparser habit. All flower almost all the year round, peaking in the autumn. If they a have a fault it is that they can be invasive – at least on heavy soil. Very underused and underrated.

Trachelospermum

Carrying on from yesterday we also grow a lot of Trachelospermum species and varieties and these too cause confusion. There are two species; T. asiaticum has smaller leaves, creamy flowers and is hardier (Z7) than T. jasminoides (Z8) Which has white flowers and is more fragrant. Easy to follow so far, but both species have a form called ‘Majus’ with larger leaves than the type, so that T. asiaticum ‘Majus’, which is our most popular form, has leaves not much smaller than the type T. jasminoides. T.j. Wilsonii has distinct veins on small narrow leaves and the whole plant turns red in winter. T.j ‘Variegata’ is strongly white variegated to the extent that you hardly see the flowers, but you can still smell them. Trachelospermum are the same family as Vincas (Apocynaceae) which you appreciate when they set the same odd, long cylindrical fruit (and they have the same sticky white sap). T. asiaticum ‘Majus’ was once considered a species in its own right but was lumped into T. asiaticum because it has the same coloured flowers. I am not convinced.

Phlomis

Why do we grow so many Phlomis species? Because we can and each have their claim to fame. Not all that we grow are currently available, but this is the run down. Phlomis fruticosa is the well known Jerusalem Sage, which is woody with hairy grey/green leaves and bright yellow flowers. P. chrysophylla is similar but has golden down on the young leaves which are longer and greyer. P. purpurea is very similar in leaf to P.fruticosa but has pink flowers (not purple), as does P.italica which has distinctly longer, narrower and greyer leaves than all the rest. P. russelliana is more of a perennial forming a mat of large grey leaves form which arise stems of yellow flowers of a softer shade than P. fruticosa. P. tuberosa is herbaceous, overwintering as tubers from which arise tall stems (150 cm) of deep pink flowers. P. longifolia is shrubby again, being distinct in having large dark green leaves; its bright yellow flowers are very showy. All are hardy, but can be damaged by winter wet and cold, but they do recover.

Bekheya purpurea

Bekheya purpurea is a hardy, perennial, rosette-forming thistle with the most delicate daisy-like flowers up to 8cm across, in deep pinky/lilac on stems to 80cm. Best in well-drained soil. Very prickly but very lovely.

Clematis

Clematis armandii and C. a. ‘Snowdrift’ will be available again next April for those who book them now. This is an item that we trade, and because they grow into each other and get damaged we like to have them on the nursery for as short a time as possible, which is why they are only available to order. Note that ‘Apple Blossom is not being offered any more. Prices for 2010 will be the same as this year i.e. £2.40 for 20-59, £2.35 for 60-199, £2.29 for 200-499. Please let us know your requirements as soon as possible.

Availability lists and Highlights

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Vinca minor ‘Hawaii

Vinca minor ‘Hawaii’ is a blue flowering variety with very dark green foliage that is close to the ground, in the manner of V.m.‘Gertrude Jekyll’. It could be a winner.

Availability

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Even more availability

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Much more availability

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New offers

Owing to the sudden retirement of a large customer, for whom we did a lot of bespoke work, quite a number of items appear on the availability list in any quantity for the first time (I think).

They include:

Ampelopsis delvaniana – similar to A. brevipedunculata but darker blue berries.

Anisodonta x hypomadara - Larger in all ways than A.capensis with veined cerise flowers.

Buddleja auriculata – leaves felted white underneath, flowers creamy white with orange centres, sweetly fragrant in autumn and winter. I thought this was an oddity in the young plants, but that is when they are supposed to flower. Z8.

Buddleia farreri – large toothed leaves, white below, velvety above. Lilac-pink flowers in spring. Z9.

Buddleja loricata – narrow grey leaves, rolled downwards. White flowers. Very hardy and a good silver.

Ceanothus ‘Tilden Park’ – small glossy green leaves, indigo blue flowers (reminds me of Italian Skies but a deeper blue)

Ceratostigma abyssinicum –more woody than the more common Cerats. Larger flowers of a beautiful deep blue. Z9

Cistus ladanifer Blanche – the varieties of C. ladanifer are confusing, particularly if you remember the nugget of information that all the purple blotching of Cistus derives from this species. And that is because not all the named forms are blotched, and Blanche is one of these. It is semi-double making a very full flower. (C.l. form sulcatus is not blotched while Pat and Paladin are; Paladin has feathered petals). To add to the confusion there is a named variety of the form sulcatus (called Bicolor) which is blotched, but fortunately we don’t grow it.

Cistus Paper Moon – papery white flowers, upright plant, Sport of Peggy Sammons.

Cytisus kewensis Niki – bright yellow flowers rather than the cream of the species.

Euryops pectinatus – grey pinnately leaved shrub with yellow daisy flowers. Very pretty. Z8.

Ficus Adam – no idea what it’s claim to fame is, but have you noticed that pictures of anybody covering themselves with a fig leaf almost invariably show a vine leaf.

Fuchsia mag Variegata – green and white variegation, typical small magellanica flower. Not such a thug as Versicolor.

Jasminum fruticans – scrambling shrub with fragrant yellow flowers.

Jasminum parkerii - (not new but reappearing). Small mound forming species with small yellow flowers with a ridiculously strong scent.

Lonicera albertii – in the same vein as L. syringantha

Lonicera caprifolium – earliest climbing honeysuckle to flower. Cream coloured and fragrant.

Lonicera involucrata – vigorous shrubby species with red and yellow flowers, around now. Needs a chainsaw to prune it.

Lonicera KR 291 – never found out the origin of this one, but is similar to L. alseuosmides.

Olearia nummularifolia – woody species with tiny leaves and white flowers. Said to be fragrant. Compact grower, hardy.

Olearia paniculata – looks more like a large leaved Pittosporum. Never seen it flower, but said to have fragrant dull white flowers in autumn. Ultimately a small tree. Z8

Persicaria Comptons Form - Leaves are interestingly patterned. Herbaceous, but reaches 1m. Same species as ‘Painters Palette’.

Phlomis chrysophylla - The name means yellow leaves – but it is only the pubescence which is yellow and so are the flowers. Z9 (P. fruticosa is Z7).

Phlomis purpurea – isn’t purple in leaf or flower. Foliage similar to P. fruticosa but pink flowers like P. italica. Z8 as is P .italica which is hardy here.

Salvia Christine Yeo - Small purple flowers. Thin stemmed, woody plant 60cm x 60cm. Hardy.

Salvia Crete Stolze - Form of S. officinaliis but you wouldn’t cook with it as it is pungent rather than aromatic. Blue flowers now 30cm high by twice as wide.

Trachelospermum jasminoides Wilsonii - (re-appearing). I thought this was grown for is veined leaves (besides the flowers) but it also has the strange merit, for an evergreen, of turning red in autumn and then greening up again. The veining also comes and goes.

Trachelosspermum jasminoides Waterwheel - Very narrow leaves and that is all I know. Did it come from the (closed) Waterwheel Nursery?

Viburnum opulus ‘Park Harvest’ -I never have known any supposed differences between this and V.o. Aureum.

Vinca difformis Sardoa - The most blue and the biggest form of this underused species. Always in flower to some extent, peaking in the colder months. All the forms are hardy despite the books denying this. (Z9 is not true)

Vitis vinifera Spetchley Red - Shining red autumn colour and presumably fruit too.

Zauschneria californica Ed Carmen - We gave up on this species years ago because we couldn’t overcome its deathwish., but this form is ok. Rather an untidy grower with deep red trumpet flowers.

Availability

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Crinodendron patagua

Crinodendron patagua is not immediately recognisable as a relation of C. hookeranum, having rounder less glossy leaves, but it makes an equally attractive plant, ultimately a very small tree, and has very pretty white lantern flowers followed by white berries. Better in acid soil and can take partial shade.

Credit Card Payments

In response to the very occasional request we do now have the facility to accept payment by credit card through Google Checkout (You will need a Google account which is free). We can e-mail you an invoice which you can pay online, but we cannot accept payments over the phone, as we do not need to do so often enough to get any sort of acceptable deal from the providers.

Cortaderia richardii

Cortaderia richardii is a pampas grass except it comes from New Zealand and is less quintessentially suburban. Arching stems bear drooping heads of white flowers to 3m. Needs moisture. Z8.

Eragrostis

Eragrostis in general produce floaty masses of flowers, but some are not reliably perennial. E. spectabilis (Purple Love Grass) is a perennial, with leaves to 30cm, green in summer turning reddish in autumn before dying down. The flower plumes go to 40 cm and make a reddish-purple cloud of spikelets in late summer, the whole thing becoming tumbleweed if you let it. Full sun, drought tolerant (or not according to what you read), naturally growing on poor sandy soils. Good component for prairie planting.

***Massive increase in Availability***

Owing to a very large cancelled order a considerable amount more plants appear on the list for the first time this week. These include some that have never appeared before and many that we were sold out of for the year; therefore it is worth a little extra time reading the list this time. please go to www.jackdawsfield.co.uk to download it or e-mail nick@jackdawsfield.co.uk and we will send you one automatically each week.

Anomatheca laxa

Anomatheca laxa is probably something we shouldn’t grow as its growth pattern doesn’t fit with anything else and it doesn’t really need potting on. However if you are selling direct to the public then this is one to sell as a P9. They are in full leaf now and will shortly start to show flower buds and the flowers are bright red and pink (except the few plants that are white). After flowering it dies back to corms for the rest of the year.

Bearded Irises

I have never mentioned it before but bearded irises, of which we have a good range (which I have mentioned before), should be potted on the surface, to one side of the pot. As the rhizome grows this fan will move across the pot, so if it starts off central it will end up at one edge, or over it, and the pot will be unstable when the flower stem starts to grow.

Aristotelia chilensis ‘Variegata’

Aristotelia chilensis ‘Variegata’ grows into a 3m high shrub in time, but responds well to pruning making vigorous new growth. Flowers and berries are inconspicuous but the variegation is an uneven mix of green and gold making an attractive specimen or background evergreen. It is hardy, but the old leaves are damaged by winter wind. Any soil or aspect, tolerates maritime exposure.

Helichrysum ‘Dartington’

Helichrysum ‘Dartington’ is, one of many, compact forms of Curry Plant. Very glossy silver foliage and not a lot else one can say.

Sarcococcas

Sarcococcas are slow growing evergreens that have sweetly scented flowers in the winter. They grow best in shade or part shade and will grow in any soil, thriving particularly on chalky soils. S. hookeriana Digyna has long narrow matt leaves, does not produce berries reliably but is the most sweet smelling. S. confusa and S. ruscifolia (presumably ours is the form chinensis) are extremely alike with dark green, glossy, wrinkled leaves and they will berry reliably with S. confusa having black berries while S. ruscifolia ultimately has dark red berries, although they do go through a black stage. Hort Week’s recent feature was wrong on these two. On the nursery shade is essential, as with Skimmias, to avoid producing chlorotic plants.

Wisterias

There is a full range of Wisterias available in May and, if grown under protection, these will make substantial plants this season. We have grafted a good number of the two most popular varieties (Black Dragon and Macrobotrys) but have tried to offer a wide range as well. There may well be some more varieties, that aren’t listed as yet, which have been grafted from a well-known collection so please let us know if you want to go off the scale with your Wisteria offering, and we can keep you informed.

Availability

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More springy availability.

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New Availability

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More Availability

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New Availability list

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Salix myrsinifolia

We catalogue Salix myrsinifolia as ‘to order only’ because nobody buys it if we grow it on spec. However this is a shame as it is the best of the willows for black stems in the winter – they are glossy and truly black; it would look stunning with a golden willow or Cornus stolonifera Flaviramea. If you want to try some let us know soon as this is the time for us to propagate them.

Datisca cannabina

We first grew Datisca cannabina for the fun of it (because it is vaguely cannabis like) but “hardy planters” rate it as a fine foliage plant for the back of a bed (it grows to 2m). It is hardy and entirely deciduous.

Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum

Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum is a beautiful grass but it is no use pretending that it is anything other than difficult to overwinter in this country. It has traditionally been grown from divisions imported form warmer climes but this year we are experimenting with seedlings (also imported), which will be available as liners in early June. It doesn’t leave a very long selling season, but they do sell on sight. These are not on the availability list yet, but I would prefer to sell them in advance so that there is no delay in shipping them out.

New Availability List

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Bearded Irises

In our pricing review this year we reduced the price of bearded irises (I. germanica) and coupled with a better balance of varieties,. in terms of the range of colour, our offering is much more attractive. Although some will flower in 9cm pots they are difficult to handle like this, so if you want them for show selling you need to plan ahead by one year and have show plants flowering in larger pots. If you are simply growing them on for sale they are best in full sun and should flower next year. We have a complete list of descriptions available and pictures of most varieties.

Hoheria sexstylosa ‘Crataegifolia’

Hoheria sexstylosa ‘Crataegifolia’ is a (clumsily named) juvenile form of the species with small, dark green, toothed leaves. Its growth is vigorous and upright, making an attractive foliage plant, which is happy to be trimmed. I do not know if it will ever mature into the adult flowering form, the books imply that it does not, but are not too specific.

Ugni moliniae

Following on from the pink and white variegated Ugni moliniae ‘Flambeau’ (which is all right if you like that sort of thing, and fortunately the public do) we have the more restrained species, U. moliniae, in plain green. Its claim to fame, apart from being a neat little evergreen with myrtus type flowers, is its small, dark red, edible fruits that taste not entirely unlike strawberries. Just the thing for these grow your own food times. 

New on the website

Newly uploaded to the website we have a crib sheet for Irises and Notes for February.

Caryopteris

Over the last 15 years a lot of new varieties of Caryopteris have appeared and where we once grew all there were we no longer can. They all need well drained soil (not Sussex clay) and thrive on chalk. Of the traditional varieties C. x clandonensis ‘Arthur Simmonds’ is the typical pale blue that you expect and it flowers from late July making plants about 1.5m high with long, silvery grey foliage. Compared with this, C.c ‘Heavenly Blue is very similar but the flowers are a slightly deeper blue, and then all the other varieties are much deeper in colour and the foliage is less grey. ‘incana’ is a long established type and is much more compact while ‘Ferndown’ is also compact and starts to flower a month later than all the others. ‘First Choice’, ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Grand Bleu’ are all larger growers with darker blue flowers.

Yellow foliaged varieties are proliferating – we are currently offering ‘Sunshine Blue’ which is a sport of C. incana so has shorter, broader leaves which are lobed rather than serrate and the flowers are deep blue. The foliage is a true gold rather than the lemony colour of ‘Worcester Gold’, which we could grow if anybody wanted us to. If the hardiness of Caryopteris is an issue for you then ‘Sunshine Blue’ should do better than the C. clandonensis types. This sport arose on a plant we had supplied and has netted good royalties for the nurseryman who noticed it, so keeeeeep looking! 

Epimediums

We have grown a limited range and quantity of Epimediums for the first time. Although they will grow in sun or shade they are really woodland plants and will do best in a cool position. In order to appreciate the flowers, which are borne on wiry stems in the spring, it is best to remove all the foliage in the autumn. The colour range is white, yellow, pink and red and after flowering the new foliage is delicately attractive.

New Availability list & GAN

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And

Nick will be attending GAN so if you want a chat you know where to find him.

New Availability List

A 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.

Catalogue 2009

Our catalogue 2009 is now available on our downloads page www.jackdawsfield.co.uk

Bushel boxes

Any of you lucky enough to far enough away from us to have received orders packed in bushel boxes on pallets should google “bushel boxes” and see just how mad people can be. If you burnt them you will be cross!

robinssalvias.com/

If you want something to while away a dark afternoon in the winter try www.robinssalvias.com. It is a well illustrated mine of information about a group of plants we want to grow more of. If you have no web access then I can’t help you with this one, but I am curious as to how you now cope with the world without this tool (or prop).  

Colocasia ‘Black Magic'

I really should write about something truly hardy at this time of year but I won’t. Colocasia ‘Black Magic' needs to be treated like Cannas or Dahlias but it is a stunning plant in the summer with huge black leaves. www.hardytropicals.co.uk/Aroids/Colocasia/Colocasia_Black%20Magic.php. The species is cultivated for its edible roots so there’s a fall back position.

Holboellias & Stautonia

I have never been quite so confused as when trying to ascertain whether we had our Holboellias and Stautonia correctly named. When I realised the books not only contradicted each other but themselves I gave up; I think we are correct. All (H. latifolia, H.coriacea and S. hexaphylla) are Z9, vigorous, twining climbers with large waxy, white flowers with an overpowering fragrance. The unisexual flowers may be flushed green or purple or may indeed be purple if they are the other sex, and are borne on either the upper or lower parts of the plant, accordingly. Whatever, sometimes you get two-inch long blue fruits that are edible. 

A Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to all our readers.

A Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to all our readers. 

Miscanthus ‘Etincelle’

I mentioned before, in passing, Miscanthus ‘Etincelle’ as being a new, golden-banded variety and it has since shown one claim to fame in that it flowers freely which the other banded varieties do not in my experience. 

Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’

Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’ is a real improvement on S. r. ‘Plumosa Aurea’ (which we no longer grow). Both are vigorous, soft, golden-leaved shrubs but ‘Sutherland Gold’ has much more finely divided foliage, and, most importantly, will not scorch in hot sun. It will grow anywhere (well, it is an elder), including shade, and is tolerant of hard pruning when necessary.

Dodonea viscosa ‘Purpurea’ & Olearia macrodonta

Dodonea viscosa  ‘Purpurea’ is hardy for many of you (Z9) and wind tolerant, including salt wind. It is a vigorous evergreen shrub (or even a small tree) with long purplish leaves, inconspicuous flowers followed by attractive, hop-like, pink capsules. Also salt-wind tolerant is Olearia macrodonta which has large, grey, leathery toothed leaves and can be used to make an informal hedge or windbreak. It is a Z8 which means that it is unlikely to succumb to a modern English winter. If you have lost (tut, tut) the hardiness rating cribsheet it is on the website or I can send you a fresh one. 

Stipa ‘Wind Whispers

Stipa ‘Wind Whispers’ is not another marketing name for Stipa tenuissima but a subspecies which is slightly different. It is slightly less smooth to the touch and will grow to 36” while S. tenuissima will never make more than 24”, so it could more suitable for some situations. (By the way if anybody is offering you Stipa tenuissima ‘Pony Tails’ ask them if they are propagating a selected form by division. If they are not, what they are offering is Stipa tenuissima and that is it. Pony Tails is the common name)

New Catalogue

Our new catalogue will be sent out early in the New Year and that shows most of what we are planning to grow next year. There are things in the catalogue that will never appear on the availability list (because they are very popular or so unpopular that we never actually propagate them) and things will appear on the availability list that aren’t in the catalogue. That is just the way it for us, but it does mean that you cannot use just one or the other if you want to take full advantage of the range we offer. 

Communication over the holidays

We are closed for two weeks from after Friday 19^th – starting again on Monday January 5^th, but we will be checking e-mail and fax and making sure that any orders received can be dealt with in rotation when we resume. We don’t have an answering machine on the telephone, so if you want to phone in an order you may or may not get an answer through this period.

The Christmas Availability List

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.

Website fixes

A number of fixes have been completed on our web site www.jackdawsfield.co.uk

These include fixing the bugs that stopped the downloading of availability lists for some people .

All should be well now so if you've had a problem in the past give it another go, it will work now ;)

Availability updates

A 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.