Category Archives: Plants & Seeds
Acer grosseri var. hersii
Acer grosseri var. hersii is most notable for its beautiful marbled green bark, streaked with creamy white. This majestic Paper Bark Maple boasts long racemes of green flowers in spring followed by conspicuous autumn fruits.
Aesculus hippocastanum
An iconic feature of the British countryside and a childhood favourite! The common Horse Chestnut is instantly recognisable for its distinctive, lobed leaves and large, white candelabra blooms in late spring. The spiky seedcases that follow, enclose the mahogany coloured conkers which are prized by schoolchildren (and some grown-ups too).
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briotii’
Somewhat smaller in stature than the traditional Horse Chestnut but no less impressive. This round-headed deciduous tree has the same palmate foliage with distinctive leaflets, but tends to be darker green in colour. The upright candelabra blooms are a beautiful rosy-red colour, giving rise to its common name of Red Horse Chestnut.
Apricot ‘Tomcot’
This modern Apricot is more reliable than others, and better suited to the UK climate than many traditional varieties. The spring blossom is produced in abundance, followed by large, sweet and juicy, orange fruits with a fabulous red blush.
Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’
Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ is a spreading, deciduous tree for a warm, sheltered position. This eye-catching variety is predominantly grown for its colourful heart-shaped foliage, which emerges bronze and matures to bright gold before fading to green in late summer.
Catalpa x erubescens ‘Purpurea’
Shiny purple-black foliage emerges in spring and slowly matures to a bright shade of green. The leaves are large and showy making an exotic looking display. Catalpa x erubescens ‘Purpurea’ produces upright panicles of white flowers with delicate orange and purple markings.
Rhubarb ‘Timperley Early’ (Spring/Autumn Planting)
Regarded as the earliest maturing variety, Rhubarb ‘Timperley Early’ is ideal for forcing to provide tender pink sticks as early as February, but it can also be grown unforced in the normal way. This RHS AGM variety produces a moderate yield of pink stems streaked with apple green.
Grape ‘Autumn Royal’
Grape ‘Autumn Royal’ ripens late in the season, producing large and juicy, purple-black fruits. The seedless grapes are thin-skinned with a fabulous sweet flavour that makes this an excellent dessert grape.
Grape ‘Lakemont’
Ideal for a sunny, south facing wall in the garden, Grape ?Lakemont? is a white, seedless grape with an excellent sweet, muscat flavour. The oval fruits are produced in large clusters that can be harvested in September.
Grape ‘Regent’
A popular variety that is often found in UK vineyards. Grape ?Regent? is an early ripening variety, producing excellent quality fruits with very high sugar content – ideal for wine and juice making. In good growing years they are sweet enough to be eaten.
Grape ‘Dornfelder’
A prolific and early ripening red grape bred in Germany to add body to flavourless red wines. Grape ‘Dornfelder’ produces good sized, blue-black grapes which ripen well in the UK and have one of the best flavours when used for desserts, or making wine and juice. This easy to maintain variety has medium vigour and
Grape ‘Fragola’
An excellent and productive variety for the garden, where is makes a lovely decorative feature too. Attractive lobed foliage cloaks its stems throughout summer, turning a rich tapestry of gold in autumn.
Grape ‘Phoenix’
Bred in Germany, this white grape hybrid has been selected for its disease resistance and excellent quality fruits. Grape ‘Phoenix’ produces good sized grapes in densely packed bunches. When fully ripe, these grapes have a light Muscat aroma and an excellent flavour, making them ideal for eating fresh from the vine or for wine-making. With
Acer capillipes
A superb ornamental tree with plenty of seasonal interest. Acer capillipes is commonly known as a Snake Bark Maple for its exquisite striated bark, which is green, streaked with silver when young. With maturity the bark ages to grey with the same silvery markings.
Rhubarb ‘Delight’ (Spring/Autumn Planting)
An everbearing variety which is day-neutral, making it possible to harvest two crops per year. Dark green and red stems are produced in abundance. The stems have a fruity apple-like flavour with a good balance sweetness and acidity. Rhubarb ‘Delight’ is easy to grow with good disease resistance.
Rhubarb ‘Champagne’ (Spring/Autumn Planting)
This early variety is ideal for forcing to produce long, slender, pink-tinged stalks. For a deeper, red-coloured stem, leave the stems of Rhubarb ‘Champagne’ unforced – they will still be just as sweet and delicious!
Blackcurrant ‘Big Ben’
The largest blackcurrant we have ever seen – and with a lovely sweet flavour too. The large, glossy, strong-skinned fruits weigh on average 2.9g each, compared to a weight of 1.1g in standard varieties!
Plum ‘Rivers’s Early Prolific’
Plum ‘Rivers’s Early Prolific’ is an early season variety cropping in July. As the name suggests, it reliably produces heavy crops of small, blue-black fruits. When fully ripe, the fruits can be eaten freshly picked as a dessert plum, but they are better used in the kitchen for pies, sauces and preserves.
Plum ‘Marjorie’s Seedling’
Fresh plums don’t store for long, if you want to extend your cropping into in late September, Plum ‘Marjorie’s Seedling’ is for you.
