Considered by many to be a gourmet treat, asparagus is grown for its succulent tasty spears that can be harvested for up to eight weeks from mid-spring onwards. Traditionally grown from bare root plants, known as crowns, Pacific is one of the sweetest tasting varieties available. Asparagus will thrive if planted in a sunny, well-drained spot and will reward you with lots of tender spears that can be added to many dishes or simply eaten on their own try gently steaming, drizzling with olive oil and dressing with a few flakes of parmesan cheese. Yummy! Good preparation is essential for asparagus to thrive. Dig an 8in deep by 12in wide channel, spread some well-rotted mature along the bottom and cover with a 2in layer of excavated soil. Make a 4in high ridge of soil down the centre of the trench and place the crowns on top, 12in apart, spreading the roots evenly down each side. Carefully fill the trench with soil and water. Do not harvest any spears in Year 1, to build up strencgth of root systems for longer and bigger cropping. Enjoy the taste of freshly cut Asparagus in your garden - it's worth the wait!
No one could accuse Pacific Giants of being shy and retiring with stately spires of flower in shades of purple, lavender, blue and white, these Delphiniums flowers are a great success. The flowers are borne on 2 metre long stems that rise elegantly above clumps of divided green foliage and provide a vertical spectacle between June and late summer. Due to their lofty stature they are perfect at the back of beds and borders, and will instantly provide your garden with a 'cottage garden' look. Loved by bees and other pollinating insects, the flowers are ideal for cutting so you can create wonderful floral displays indoors.
This fabulous Liquidambar styraciflua 'Thea' tree will transform your garden with spectactular year-round colour. A truly impressive ornamental tree, it is in the gloomier months of the year when this stunning tree really comes into its own - in autumn, the foliage starts to change colour spectacularly, literally engulfing the tree in shades of fiery-orange and brilliant-red. Commonly known as 'Sweet Gum', Liquidambar produces attractive, glossy green maple-like leaves in spring and summer, along small, yellow-white flowers which are followed by burred fruit capsules affectionately known as monkey-balls! A useful addition to your garden, both for colour and form, the tree's bark is also very unusual, with corky scales that become wonderful deep ridges as the tree ages - perfect for the kids to take bark rubbings. It produces a sticky, sweetly fragrant resin when cut, hence the name. This really is one of the very best trees for autumn colour, making both a wonderful feature tree, and a useful addition to the back of a border where it will shine. Supplied as an established plant in a 1L pot, ready to plant out.