There are few sights and smells more arresting in the garden than a Katsura or 'Toffee Apple' Tree in mid autumn. Its heart-shaped green leaves turn shades of yellow, purple and red before falling to the ground and releasing a distinctive and intoxicating fragrance thats similar to fairground candy floss or sweet toffee apple, hence it's name, Heavenly! Peter experienced this last Autumn while walking in a lovely parkland setting, where the scent truly filled the air, as the Autumn colours were at their very best and richest, and now he is a big fan too! Growing to around 5m in a decade, this tree can eventually reach 15m and will do well in a really sunny spot or light shade. For a breathtaking display of autumn colour, plant in moist, well drained soils, and making a perfect speciment tree, plant Katrusa trees for years of pelasure.
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.
'Conference' Pear produces a large crop of fruit with clear white flesh that are ready to pick each September. The long, tapering fruits are packed with an irresistible sweetness and lip-smacking juice that will drip from your chin when you bite into one that is perfectly ripe! Because of its outstanding flavour, it remains the most popular pear grown in Britain by a long measure, both in commercial orchards and home gardens. It is ideal for you to grow because it is very heavy cropping and when picked unripe it's great for keeping for 2 or more months. 'Conference' is largely self-fertile, so you'll always get a great crop of the most delicious pears, and it'll won't grow too large, as it is supplied grafted onto dwarfing Quince rootstock. 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 and enjoy a wonderful crop. Supplied as a bare root dormant tree 1.2m tall, to plant straight out from November to May, and reaching a height and spread of 2.5m (8ft).
Named in honour of the much-loved Queen, 'Victoria' Plum is the UK's favourite plum variety by a mile and deservedly so! The delicious fruits are ready to pick year late in the summer and taste simply mouth-watering when eaten straight from the tree. With the remaining fruit you can make jams and preserves and of course, eat them stewed with custard! Having been discovered in Alderton, Sussex in 1844 and grown and enjoyed by gardeners every year since, 'Victoria' really has stood the test of time - undoubtedly because of its sublime flavour and productivity - a fully established tree of this 'self-fertile' variety will produce up to 100lbs of fruit in a bumper season! Supplied on a 'dwarfing' rootstock. Fruits are ready to pick each July and taste simply mouth-watering straight from the tree. A fully established tree of this self-fertile variety will produce up to 100lbs of fruit in a bumper season! Supplied as a bare root dormant tree on a dwarfing rootstock, approx. 1.2m tall, to plant straight out from November until May, reaching a height and spread of 2.5-3m tall. With light pruning height will be maintained at 2.25m. I just had to tell you that I bought a Victoria plum tree and a sweet cherry tree earlier in the year. Both arrived in wonderful condition, spent some time in a bucket having a good drink as recommended, then planted. I was fascinated to see blossom appear on both trees. Considering they were young dwarf stock I hardly expected to see that. I expected they would spend their first few years putting down roots. I have just eaten the first plum of 6 my little tree produced. Oh my, what flavour, what sweetness! It truly stopped me in my tracks. Anyway I thought I just had to tell you what joy my little tree has brought. Thank you. A very satisfied customer! Julie, Warwickshire, September 2016
There are few sights and smells more arresting in the garden than a Katsura or 'Toffee Apple' Tree in mid-autumn. An elegant, ornamental tree, its heart-shaped green leaves turn shades of yellow, purple, pink and red before falling to the ground and releasing a distinctive and alluring fragrance that's similar to fairground candy floss or sweet toffee apple, hence its name, Heavenly! Our Head Gardener Peter experienced this last autumn while walking in a lovely parkland setting, where the scent truly filled the air, as the autumn colours were at their very best and richest, and now he is a big fan too! Supplied as an established plant in a 5L pot, ready for planting out, the Katsura Tree will grow to around 5m in a decade, and can eventually reach 15m so should be planted where it has room to show off. It will do well in either a really sunny spot or in light shade and for a breathtaking display of autumn colour, plant in moist, well drained soils. Making a perfect specimen tree, plant Katsura trees for years of pleasure.
Cherry Stella and Morello Duo Tree - Now everyone can grow fruit trees in the minimum of space! These incredible duo fruit trees have been meticulously grafted by highly skilled nurserymen, to create 2 different trees growing on one rootstock! What's more, the rootstocks are dwarfing meaning that your trees will always remain compact! You will get 2 different varieties of fruit from 1 tree so are perfect for anyone who loves the idea of picking their own home-grown fresh fruit, but has limited space. Each of the varieties will produce bumper crops of delicious full sized fruit! Because they are already trained into a V shape, they are perfect for growing up a wall Cherry Stella. 'Stella' Cherry is 'Self-Fertile' (which means it does not need a second variety of cherry tree to pollinate it) and is a really heavy, reliable cropper because it has good resistance to late frosts. Unlike most other sweet cherry varieties, it will thrive in slightly exposed locations but can also be grown in a pot on your patio. The sweetly flavoured dark-skinned, plump and juicy, aromatic fruits will be ready to pick from mid late July each year and from the third growing season onwards you can expect upwards of 5kg (11lbs) of sweet fruits per tree, which will save a small fortune compared to paying supermarket prices! Morello Cherry. 'Morello' Cherry is often referred to as 'The Cooking Cherry' because it is the variety most frequently used for making the delicious fragrant pies and jams we all know and love! The fruits are packed with juice and the skin colour is dark red. It is one of the most reliable croppers of all the sour cherries because it is self-fertile, late flowering and so less susceptible to frost damage, plus it is incredibly disease resistant - a real winner for any garden! 'Morello' Cherry is also a great tree to grow on a north-facing wall because even in a cooler position with low light levels it will still grow and thrive and fruit as normal. You can usually expect to pick the fruits from late August onwards. Supplied as an established plant in a 7.5L pot, ready to plant out.
Peach and Apricot Duo Tree. Now everyone can grow fruit trees in the minimum of space! These incredible duo fruit trees have been meticulously grafted by highly skilled nurserymen, to create 2 different trees growing on one rootstock! What's more, the rootstocks are dwarfing meaning that your trees will always remain compact! You will get 2 different varieties of fruit from 1 tree so are perfect for anyone who loves the idea of picking their own home-grown fresh fruit, but has limited space. Each of the varieties will produce bumper crops of delicious full sized fruit! Because they are already trained into a V shape, they are perfect for growing up a wall. Peach Redhaven. Perfectly suited to UK growing as it fruits early in the season ripening in August and also has some resistance to peach leaf curl. This is a sweet juicy yellow fleshed variety that loves a sunny spot. It has a great taste ans is easy to eat as the flesh comes away from the stone easily. Apricot Early Orange. This very hardy and disease resistant apricot will do well in your garden producing large juicy red flushed fruits in August. Like it's Peachy partner it's self fertile meaning it'll crop reliably every year.
Evergreen trees that suit the British climate are few and far between and this is a perfect example of one that will give all-round interest. With shiny, deep-green, leathery leaves, pretty cream autumn flowers and colourful fruit, the Strawberry tree deserves to be far more widely grown. This is an easy tree to grow anywhere and suits coastal regions too. It grows steadily, forming a nicely proportioned medium-sized bush, which is covered with lustrous foliage throughout the year. In autumn you'll enjoy panicles of creamy bell-shaped blooms, which are not unlike Lily of the valley in appearance and are are particularly welcome as winter approaches. The orange-red, globe-shaped fruits ripen in autumn from the previous year's flowers, giving the whole tree a very decorative look at this time of year. Fruits are edible but sharp-tasting when raw so best left on the tree for their ornamental value - although they can be used in preserves.
If you love pears but only have room for one fruit tree, here is the perfect solution, as this tree has three different varieties growing on the same plant. It's not a freak of nature but the result of skilful grafting work by expert nurserymen who have grafted 2 additional varieties onto another pear tree. By careful selection of varieties you can be sure all three parts of the tree will grow in harmony and the fruits will ripen at their natural time, giving a succession of tasty fruits across a much wider cropping window than if just one variety were grown. No need to worry about pollination either, as the three varieties on the tree will pollinate each other! Your Family pear tree will thrive in a sunny border and, far from being just a curiosity, will mature into a highly productive tree. You can expect the first crop as soon as the year after planting. This is also the perfect fruit tree for a large pot on the patio. The main tree is Williams - a classic English pear with meltingly juicy flesh that is ready in mid-September. Onto this have been grafted: Conference - the perfect all-rounder. Elongated fruit are ready to pick in October for ripening through autumn. Deliciously sweet when ripe, they are also the perfect cooking pear. Abbe Fetel - not a familar name perhaps, but widely seen in shops, imported from Italy, where it is the favourite variety. It gives medium-sized pears with an aromatic, honeyed sweetness. Pick in October. Keep cool and bring the fruits in to ripen as needed through to Christmas. Supplied as a Three Variety Family Pear Tree, in a 5L pot, approx. 130cm tall including pot.
If you only have space for one fruit tree, Sweet cherry 'Stella' is the one to grow. 'Stella' Cherry is self-fertile (which means it does not need a second variety of cherry tree to pollinate it) and is a really heavy, reliable cropper because it has good resistance to late frosts. Unlike most other sweet cherry varieties, 'Stella' will thrive in slightly exposed locations but can also be grown in a pot on your patio. The sweetly flavoured, dark-skinned, plump and juicy, aromatic fruits will be ready to pick from mid to late July each year and from the third growing season onwards, you can expect upwards of 5kg (11lb) of cherries per tree, which will save a small fortune compared to paying supermarket prices. Additionally, the beautiful cherry blossom, which appears from early March, will brighten your garden and mark the beginning of spring. Supplied as a bare root tall, grower-quality tree, approx. 1.2-1.4m, grown on a dwarfing 'Colt' rootstock to provide a compact and manageable habit.
Tree ferns were a firm plant hunter's favourite from Victorian times, a symbol of wealth and travel experiences to Australia. They have maintained this sense of mystique ever since. Now you too can grow these surprisingly easy exotic-looking plants too. Harvested under strict license from woodland clearance in Australia and Tasmania, and in very short supply this season, these astonishing plants really will delight and amaze. They grow under the woodland canopy, in the shade, so grow them here in a sheltered spot too. When you water them via the top crown, they will burst back into life, like it's the new rainy season! Because they grow in leaf canopies, most of their food comes from leaves falling into their giant shuttlecock like fronds, funnelling the goodness into the growing crown. Feed and water this crown - rainwater is best if you can collect it. Even at this size of log, new fronds will unfurl spectacularly within a month or so of you watering it. The plant is hardy down to -5 in winter, although the fronds will die back. Cutting these off when they die back is what creates the new trunk, which slowly inches up over many, many years. Keep the crown protected in winter with a layer of straw to keep cold and wet out. When you get it home, plant it in a big pot, or in the garden soil. It takes almost 2 years to root in, so do not be alarmed by this slow growing beauty. Supplied as a 20cm (7in) log ready for immediate potting up.
Tree ferns were a firm plant hunter's favourite from Victorian times, a symbol of wealth and travel experiences to Australia. They have maintained this sense of mystique ever since. Now you too can grow these surprisingly easy exotic looking plants too. Harvested under strict License from woodland clearance in Australia and Tasmania, and in very short supply this season, these astonishing plants really will delight and amaze. They grow under the woodland canopy, in the shade, so grow them here in a sheltered spot too. These '2 foot' (60cm) logs are at least 25 years old, and have been cut back and harvested dormant. When you water them via the top crown, they will burst back into life, like it's the new rainy season! Because they grow in leaf canopies, most of their food comes from leaves falling into their giant shuttlecock like fronds, funnelling the goodness into the growing crown. Feed and water this crown - rainwater is best if you can collect it. Even at this size of log, new fronds of 1M in length will unfurl spectacularly within a Month or so of you watering it. The plant is hardy down to -5 in winter, although the fronds will die back. Cutting these off when they die back is what creates the new trunk, which slowly inches up over many, many years. Keep the crown protected in winter with a layer of straw to keep cold and wet out. When you get it home, plant it in a big pot, or in the garden soil. It takes almost 2 years to root in, so do not be alarmed by this slow growing beauty.