Blooming for up to 6 months of the year, Hydrangea paniculata 'Polestar' (R) (syn Ophelia) is a delightful hydrangea that will change colour through the year. Unique in that it will grow to just 50cm tall, 'Polestar' is perfect for container growing so you don't even need a garden to appreciate its beautiful, colour-changing blooms. The delicate blooms emerge green-white and take on a pink hue as they age, becoming pinker as the seasons progress. Coming into flower from late May and lasting well into October the faded flowers can remain on the plant right through the winter bringing extended interest across the seasons. Easy to grow and hardy right down to -25°C, this is a hydrangea suitable for anyone to grow and it will even double as a houseplant for the spring - just remember that ultimately it prefers to be outside. Supplied as an established plant in a 1.5L pot, ready for immediate planting.
The beautiful, red throated pink flowers of Rhododendron 'Cosmopolitan', appear in large, extravagant clusters in May and June. Beautifully glossy, dark green leaves form a dense, compact evergreen shrub. The perfect backdrop for showing off the fabulous flowers. A great choice for an exotic planting scheme on acid soils, or for adding colour and structure to mixed borders, 'Cosmopolitan' is great as a specimen in a large pot where you can get up close to it. The soil should be on the acidic side and rich in humus and always moist which will allow established plants to withstand direct mid-day and afternoon sun. Use ericaceous compost if growing in a pot, or add it to the planting hole in the border. Rhododendrons are low-maintenance shrubs that prefer bright to dappled shade or partial shade, avoiding morning sunlight which can damage buds. Keep well watered. Supplied as an established plant in a 17cm pot, 'Cosmopolitan' will grow to H2.5m (8ft) x W1.5m (5ft).
A stunning Rhododendron grown in standard form, the beautiful, red throated pink flowers of 'Cosmopolitan' appear in large, extravagant clusters in May and June. Beautifully glossy, dark green leaves form a dense, compact evergreen shrub. The perfect backdrop for showing off the fabulous flowers. A great choice for an exotic planting scheme on acid soils, or for adding colour and structure to mixed borders, 'Cosmopolitan' is great as a specimen in a large pot where you can get up close to it. The soil should be on the acidic side and rich in humus and always moist which will allow established plants to withstand direct mid-day and afternoon sun. Use ericaceous compost if growing in a pot, or add it to the planting hole in the border.Rhododendrons are low-maintenance shrubs that prefer bright to dappled shade or partial shade, avoiding morning sunlight which can damage buds. Keep well watered. Supplied as an established standard plant in a 19cm pot.
Begonia Maculata commonly referred to as the Polka dot Begonia, is undoubtedly one of the most strikingly gorgeous species of indoor plants. This is not your average hanging basket begonia but a tropical talking point! The long leaves have a lovely red backing as well as the striking symmetrical patterning on the front. Warmth is the key with these plants this along with some light and they will thrive. Light and Water The Polka dot Begonia prefers a bit more shade than most indoor plants. Placing it in a bright, well-lit room away from direct sunlight is advisable to keep those silvery-white olive leaves vibrant. If the leaves start to appear scorched, you should move it to a less sunny part of the room. If you like to take your plant outside during summer, make sure to place it in the shade away from direct sunlight. This plant is highly susceptible to root rot. As such, it is always best to add a layer of pebbles and on a tray to allow better drainage. Make sure the pot drains fully between watering. The soil should be kept damp but not overly wet. Like most tropical plants, they like high humidity so regular misting is best.
A striking and beautiful houseplant, Alocasia Amazonica is a robust evergreen perennial with dark green, narrowly arrow-shaped, wavy-edged leaves, growing up to 2 ft. long (60 cm). When grown in preferred conditions and given proper care, this hybrid Alocasia will grace your indoors with its lush growth and distinctly coloured leaves for years to come. Light and Water For the best performance and for the foliage to retain its deep green colouring, it is best to situate your Alocasia Amazonica in a location that receives bright indirect light. If you live in an area where the temperatures and light conditions are not intense can place it in a location that receives direct sunlight. If placed in a location lacking enough light the plant loses its colour, including the leaf veins and can eventually die. Even when placed in a location that receives a medium amount of light, the plant won’t be happy and won’t produce the best growth and leaf coloration as when placed in a brighter location. So, experiment on locations and keep an eye of its health and change locations where necessary. As with most tropical plants, maintain evenly moist but not soggy soil during the growing season, watering when the surface begins to dry. Reduce watering significantly in winter.
Add that cottage garden feel to your borders and pots with Cosmos Apollo. It's very free flowering with extra large petals and is, quite simply, the best Cosmos on the market for patio containers giving a succession of pastel blooms in shades of white, blush, light and dark rose pink. It's pollen rich centres are thronged by bees on warm sunny days as well. The stems of this new introduction are strong and compact meaning it will need little or no support in the border unlike other varieties. With it's delicate feathery foliage Apollo makes a lovely cut flower too. Supplied as a mix of 12 plug plants ready to grow on before planting out.
The latest and best Polyanthus around; a 'multiflora' variety and therefore incredibly prolific in flowering displays, fully winter hardy and will flower non-stop from midwinter through to late May every year. The foliage is lusciously deep green, allowing the bright fragrant blooms to stand out brilliantly on their strong stems and for you to even take some cut posies of flower if you want to! Easy to grow, they work best in sunny or lightly shaded spots in tubs, baskets and planters, or the front of garden borders. Supplied as 20 garden-ready plants, to be planted straight up into their flowering positions.
'Polka' is simpy the best garden grown raspberry you can get. That's a bold claim, but it combines quick first year fruiting being a primocane variety, with exceptional large fruit sizes and big big yields well into the Autumn. Primocane raspberries are the big gardeners' breakthrough - they produce fruit on NEW stems, so you get fruit in the same year as you plant them, rather than wait a year for old-fashioned types. And planting them as 'short cane', where they are cut back to 25cm or so above ground level means they require less support to get going. 'Polka' yields up to 5lbs (2.2Kg) PER plant once establsihed, so you can look forward to picking big juicy crops of raspberries form August well into October, as this Autumn fruiting special keeps on fruiting. If you are going to grow raspberries, make sure it's 'Polka'...
Here's a chance to grow something unique with this brand new variety of blackberry with stunning, almost translucent creamy white berries. Polar Berry grows strongly with an upright habit meaning it needs minimal support and is easy to manage in the garden. Grow it in the border against fence or trellis or give it a sunny spot on the patio in a large pot supported by an obelisk. Ready to pick in July and August - the fruits are juicy and very sweet and delicious cooked or in mixed fruit salads. With just a few thorns they're easy to pick and because of the colour they are much less attactive to foraging birds. Delivered as well established plant in 9cm pots
This delightful cherry variety not only tastes sensational, it will look spectacular in your garden, wherever you plant it. Once the gorgeous spring blossom has faded away, 'Bigarreau Napoleon's' very large, slightly elongated fruits ripen to a warm, golden colour, blushed with deep, cherry-red, providing a beautiful contrast with the lush green foliage in mid-summer. When you pick one of these cherries from your own tree and pop it into your mouth, a rich sweetness will explode from the creamy flesh - simply tantalising for the tastebuds! The flavour is sweet but not as sugary as dark sweet cherries such as 'Stella'. They taste so divine that you will want to pick the whole lot and eat them straight away - so it is a good job it is such a heavy cropper! Growing your own cherries at home is not only deeply rewarding, it will also save you an absolute fortune compared with supermarket prices. And, of course they taste so much better!