A new and exciting development in succulent breeding that is taking the gardening world by storm. The 'Pineapple Express' is a fascinating cross between the Manfreda and the Agave, Mangaves are becoming increasingly popular as the interest in Xeric landscaping grows - the process of gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental moisture from watering. Manfredas have rosettes of coloured leaves branching from a very short stem, often with creamy, tubular flowers at the end of a long stalk. Agaves on the other hand are well known for their strong succulent leaves that form large rosettes. These interesting hybrids combine the best features of both types: the better growth rate and the interesting patterns and colours of Manfreda, and the habit and refinement of Agave. Varieties can be spotted, blotched or plain green in various shades and with an interesting texture, they can be a bit pointy, but not as prickly as a cactus. Some of the varieties have interesting leaf shape too, from slim and long to short and broad and wavy or straight too. The 'Pineapple Express' is a beautifully spotted Mangave with light green leaves that during the summer months come to life when the colours are heighten thanks to the sun. Compact in growth and visually stunning, Mangaves make a perfect patio plant, sitting happily in a pot through the summer on your decking or balcony, they will then make a perfect houseplant through the winter in a bright room. All varieties should be watered only sparingly as they are ideally suited to dessert, arid conditions and are lovers of warm temperatures - they make an ideal specimen for a greenhouse or as a houseplant for bright rooms - indeed anything less than 65°F will result in the plant becoming dormant. Supplied as an established plant in a 15cm pot, ready to plant.
Combining four distinct periods of garden interest in one easy-to-grow hardy shrub, 'Kilimanjaro Sunrise' looks lovely as a specimen plant in a mixed border or a grassy area. Awarded the Best New Plant at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2015, 'Kilimanjaro Sunrise' erupts into flower, with tiered layers of white lacecap blooms in April and May - giving rise to its occasionally used common name of the Wedding Cake Tree. These pretty white flowers age to a lovely blush pink, often with many overlapping tones on the plant at once. This is followed in summer by bright red berries, which help feed the birds and other wildlife, before it surprises you again with a smaller autumn reflowering. Then, in a final blaze of glory, its leaves turn to fiery bright red-purple in autumn before falling. Supplied as an established plant in a 3L pot, ready to plant, growing to a height of 2.5m (8ft) and spread of 1.5m (5ft) after 7-10 years.
Primula Belarina 'Mandarin' is a striking primrose with clusters of large, lightly scented double golden orange flowers, creating a lovely bright splash of colour. These wonderful, compact plants have rosettes of beautifully textured leaves and are smothered in flowers between March and June and will look fabulous wherever you plant them. They're great in pots, containers, beds or baskets, in partial shade or sun - they really are easy to grow and bring the spring garden to life with their cheerful colours. Perfectly hardy in the garden, they're perfect when combined with other perennials and underneath trees and shrubs where they'll flower for months, gradually forming large clumps that can be divided every few years to give you more plants. Supplied as 3 plug plants ready for potting on or planting out, growing to a height and spread of 20 cm (8 in).
Enjoy the vibrant colour of these rose-pink blooms set against their glossy green foliage - the Rhododendron 'Germania' is a real show off, welcoming summer with a bang!The perfect backdrop for creating a cottage garden style look, these beautifully ruffled flowers will create a fantastic backdrop at the back of a border. Or why not plant in large pots or containers at the foot of patios, fences, walls or pathways to create a real eye-catching feature. With this beautiful brand new Rhododendron 'Germania' you can expect masses of bold pink, trumpet-shaped flowers during April and May, with approx. 10 buds per plant and 10 - 12 flowers per bud. 'Germania' is a variety belonging to the group of large-flowered evergreen hybrid Rhododendrons and are acid loving plants so will appreciate planting in ericaceous compost. Supplied as an established plant in a 21cm pot, growing to a height and spread of 1.8m (6ft).
Pick your very own delicious fresh mandarin oranges and add a Mediterranean feel to your home or garden! Packed full of vitamin C, these fruits are just like the easy peel fruit seen at Christmas time! Use your fruits in everything from freshly squeezed juices, to yummy desserts, and save tons of money on supermarket prices! Not only that, this superb tree will produce highly fragrant, white blossom during late spring and early summer. Wonderfully sweet juicy mandarins will be ready for you to pick from October each year. This Mandarin is self-fertile. To ensure you'll be picking delicious fruit year after year, we advise you keep your trees in their pots, and place in a sunny, sheltered position. Protect from frost during the winter time either by bringing indoors into a conservatory.
Quite possibly one of the most unmistakable of all the climbing plants and sure to get your garden noticed, Actinidia kolomikta is a vigorous, deciduous climber with twining stems and leaves that look as though they have been dipped in paint. Beautifully fragrant flowers are also produced in summer, giving you an added bonus. Also known as the kolomikta vine or variegated hardy kiwi, actinidia is grown specifically for its heart-shaped leaves which are splashed with a generous helping of pink and white and make a particularly striking feature when grown against a sunny wall or the side of a house. It's a fast-growing plant, that once established, is easy to grow and look after. Actinidia can be kept compact if needed and is easy to prune as mature branches tend to remain just a few inches thick, therefore maintenance is not a chore. Dr. Szymanowski is a fruit-bearing female form of this variety of ornamental kiwi. its fruits will appear in mid to late august and ripen in September. A good choice for covering ugly fences and walls as this ornamental climber is densely leaved and soon covers the offending structure. Young plants tend not to have the attractive variegation so don't worry if your plant remains green for a few seasons, the colour will eventually develop. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready to plant out, growing to a height of 5m in approx. 10 years. *Do bear in mind that young plants need to be protected from cats as they are attracted to the leaves and will quickly decimate them! (just google 'cats and actinidia' and see for yourself!)
Easy to care for, and simple to look after, begonias provide reliable, continuous colour throughout the summer until the first frosts. These brand-new, upright, large-flowered Majestic Patio Begonias are just the thing to create a strong focal point in your patio containers. Producing an abundance of flowers all summer long, the blousy, double blooms are big and bold in vibrant shades of blush and pink, each with a delightful pink picotee edging, and reach as much as 20cm (8in) across. Robust and strong, these begonias grow well in partial shade and will stand up to the worst of any poor weather, providing months of colour. You don't need much space to grow them either and they look great in borders too, flowering right through to October so extending the flowering season in your garden. Supplied as a mixture of 12 plug plants, ready to grow on before planting out. (please note that this is a random mixture and exact colours cannot be guaranteed).
Make Christmas more fun by growing your own non-needle drop Nordmann Christmas tree from these cute starter plants. This 3 year old tree has been nurtured from seed, trimmed twice already to get that all important shape started, and grown in its pot for a year, so is now bursting to romp away in its new home. Perfect for planting into a larger pot such as a 20-25cm (8-10in) diameter pot for 2 years or so, or popping straight into the garden soil and growing it outside for a few years, you can watch this tree grow year after year. Tough, evergreen, very hardy and easy to grow. Perfect for celebrating a new home, a new member of the family, or just so the children can learn a lot growing fun trees.