Hello - this is the last blog entry of 2009 - so I would like to take the opportunity to wish all our customers and friends a very Happy Christmas and all the very best wishes for the New Year!
The nursery will close at 1pm on Wednesday December 23rd - and re-open on Monday January 4th 2010 at 9am.
UNTIL NEXT YEAR,
RICHARD
Friday, December 18, 2009
THE SNOWMAN COMETH!
Hello - the world of Crown Nursery is very white just now!! Between 4 and 6 inches of snow fell on most of East Suffolk causing the usual traffic chaos.
It does look pretty as a picture - but shows little sign of going anywhere fast. Underneath it there is quite a thick layer of ice making for some very slippery roads.
Outside work is difficult at the moment - but it does give us time to step back a bit - and take stock of the past year. It has been an interesting year!! Again, as so often in this part of the UK, it is the extremes of weather that give us headaches.
Early snow in February did not last very long - and it was an excellent spring - with some of the best blossom I have ever seen after the cold spell. The real headaches set in about the end of March when it stopped raining altogether for pretty much the next 7 months!! While most of the country had a fairly wet and dismal summer - Suffolk enjoyed conditions similar to Tuscany - hot,dry and windy!!
This set some plants back - especially those that were planted late in spring. It does go to prove that autumn planting - which gives them time to establish has huge advantages over spring work. It is strange in that there seems to have been a move away from autumn planting lately - which us nurserymen find very odd - in favour of the spring option. While accepting some items do prefer spring planting - from a moisture and establishment point of view planting at nature's time in autumn does convey huge benefits.
The Suffolk Show back in May gave us a real opportunity to show the locals what we are all about - and we were both proud and honoured to receive the Nottcutts Cup for Best in Show.
But back to the drought - it carried on right up until October. The watering burden dragged on for longer than I have ever known. Autumn colour was excellent though - as it often is when plants are a little stressed - and our Apple Day was an incredible success.
Now here we are under the white stuff - but prior to that it had really turned very wet.
As we look foward to 2010 - we are now planning our grafting list. It has always been a case of looking at least 3 years in advance on a tree nursery - but trying to guess what people will want to buy in several years time can be quite a guessing game!!
We know the items that remain ever popular - but it is always worth having one or two new ones up your sleeve - and with the ever changing climate here in Suffolk - particularly in terms of drought - one or two old favourites may well have to disappear.
All in all - 2009 has been a good year - but full of challenges - still at least it keeps us on our toes!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
It does look pretty as a picture - but shows little sign of going anywhere fast. Underneath it there is quite a thick layer of ice making for some very slippery roads.
Outside work is difficult at the moment - but it does give us time to step back a bit - and take stock of the past year. It has been an interesting year!! Again, as so often in this part of the UK, it is the extremes of weather that give us headaches.
Early snow in February did not last very long - and it was an excellent spring - with some of the best blossom I have ever seen after the cold spell. The real headaches set in about the end of March when it stopped raining altogether for pretty much the next 7 months!! While most of the country had a fairly wet and dismal summer - Suffolk enjoyed conditions similar to Tuscany - hot,dry and windy!!
This set some plants back - especially those that were planted late in spring. It does go to prove that autumn planting - which gives them time to establish has huge advantages over spring work. It is strange in that there seems to have been a move away from autumn planting lately - which us nurserymen find very odd - in favour of the spring option. While accepting some items do prefer spring planting - from a moisture and establishment point of view planting at nature's time in autumn does convey huge benefits.
The Suffolk Show back in May gave us a real opportunity to show the locals what we are all about - and we were both proud and honoured to receive the Nottcutts Cup for Best in Show.
But back to the drought - it carried on right up until October. The watering burden dragged on for longer than I have ever known. Autumn colour was excellent though - as it often is when plants are a little stressed - and our Apple Day was an incredible success.
Now here we are under the white stuff - but prior to that it had really turned very wet.
As we look foward to 2010 - we are now planning our grafting list. It has always been a case of looking at least 3 years in advance on a tree nursery - but trying to guess what people will want to buy in several years time can be quite a guessing game!!
We know the items that remain ever popular - but it is always worth having one or two new ones up your sleeve - and with the ever changing climate here in Suffolk - particularly in terms of drought - one or two old favourites may well have to disappear.
All in all - 2009 has been a good year - but full of challenges - still at least it keeps us on our toes!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
BUSY - BUSY - BUSY!!
Hello, we are enjoying an extremely busy period on the nursery at the moment. With the weather changing, everybody is rushing to get their plants in.
There are large numbers of parcels going out all over the country daily - the girls are working very hard, busy packing and wrapping as fast as they can! Fruit trees again proving very popular.
The hedging is going out - and plums and greengages are selling like hot cakes!
If you are still not sure what to give a loved one for Christmas - why not give them a living gift?
A fruit tree will get better year - after year - and what could be nicer than when those first fruits are picked!
Failing that - we have some lovely items in the shrub line - and if you still cannot decide we can offer a Crown Nursery Gift Voucher that can be exchanged at the nursery for a plant of their own choice.
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
There are large numbers of parcels going out all over the country daily - the girls are working very hard, busy packing and wrapping as fast as they can! Fruit trees again proving very popular.
The hedging is going out - and plums and greengages are selling like hot cakes!
If you are still not sure what to give a loved one for Christmas - why not give them a living gift?
A fruit tree will get better year - after year - and what could be nicer than when those first fruits are picked!
Failing that - we have some lovely items in the shrub line - and if you still cannot decide we can offer a Crown Nursery Gift Voucher that can be exchanged at the nursery for a plant of their own choice.
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
BARE-ROOT HEDGING AND SOFT FRUIT NOW AVAILABLE!
Hello - we have just about got all our bare-root stock in now.
We have a wide range of bare-root hedging - from Hawthorn to Beech and much more besides. Our popular Mixed Hedging Packs are proving just as good as ever - if you are not really sure what to plant - but you want a hedge then this is the answer. A pack of mixed native English hedging - 50 plants - will give you a good colourful effect - in both berries and density.
We also have a wide selection of Soft Fruit - from raspberries to currants to gooseberries to blackberries.
And just in last week - we have a selection of plums,damsons, almonds,pears and greengages.
These are going very fast - so if you want to get a fruit tree into your garden pop in and grab one!!
The nursery is open Monday-Saturday - 9-4.
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
We have a wide range of bare-root hedging - from Hawthorn to Beech and much more besides. Our popular Mixed Hedging Packs are proving just as good as ever - if you are not really sure what to plant - but you want a hedge then this is the answer. A pack of mixed native English hedging - 50 plants - will give you a good colourful effect - in both berries and density.
We also have a wide selection of Soft Fruit - from raspberries to currants to gooseberries to blackberries.
And just in last week - we have a selection of plums,damsons, almonds,pears and greengages.
These are going very fast - so if you want to get a fruit tree into your garden pop in and grab one!!
The nursery is open Monday-Saturday - 9-4.
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
IT'S PLANTING TIME!
Hello - I am back!
Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that there has been a long gap since the last entry - and that is because I have been recovering from an operation in hospital - but I am back on the road of recovery!
Well, we have had one of the wettest November's on record in Suffolk - I know it is small fry compared to our friends up North - but we have had nearly 5 inches of rain since the end of October - that is a lot for Suffolk - especially when you think that it is actually more than for the entire previous 7 months.
It has meant that the ground is now perfect for planting - before the weather gives in - trees and shrubs and hedging plants can now be planted - they will make a lot of root growth while the soil remains warm - and be partially established by next year - giving them a head start on spring plantings.
What are you waiting for - get out there!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that there has been a long gap since the last entry - and that is because I have been recovering from an operation in hospital - but I am back on the road of recovery!
Well, we have had one of the wettest November's on record in Suffolk - I know it is small fry compared to our friends up North - but we have had nearly 5 inches of rain since the end of October - that is a lot for Suffolk - especially when you think that it is actually more than for the entire previous 7 months.
It has meant that the ground is now perfect for planting - before the weather gives in - trees and shrubs and hedging plants can now be planted - they will make a lot of root growth while the soil remains warm - and be partially established by next year - giving them a head start on spring plantings.
What are you waiting for - get out there!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Friday, November 6, 2009
CROWN NURSERY ONLINE STORE NOW AVAILABLE!
Hello - we are very excited here at the nursery this week - our first set of products is now ready and available to buy online!!
We have waited a long time to be able to offer our customers the option of buying online through the website - we know there is a demand for it - and now at last we have got the ball rolling. At this stage, it is only our popular hedging packs that are available to buy online - but if this proves as successful as we think it will - then more items will follow in the future!
Do have a look at our online store - and do let us know what you think!
You can follow the link on our home page - or click below.
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
We have waited a long time to be able to offer our customers the option of buying online through the website - we know there is a demand for it - and now at last we have got the ball rolling. At this stage, it is only our popular hedging packs that are available to buy online - but if this proves as successful as we think it will - then more items will follow in the future!
Do have a look at our online store - and do let us know what you think!
You can follow the link on our home page - or click below.
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Sunday, November 1, 2009
THE JOY OF AUTUMN COLOUR!
Hello, - what a superb season this has become for autumn colour. A combination of blue skies - and mild nights have provided the ideal weather in Suffolk for the leaves to change in the last few weeks.
Outstanding at the nursery at the moment has got to be Liquidamber - the name alone just describes it so well. A gorgeous mix of red-purple and orange - and back to green - and each branch changes colour at a time - no wonder it is one of our most popular trees.
Also great is the Persian Ironwood - Parrotia persica - Kevin has been finding some superb specimens to put outside the office - and they have been selling like hot cakes! This has a glorious mixture of yellow through to reddy orange - a most beautiful tree or can be kept as a large shrub.
The Prunus - the flowering cherries - have also been very good lately. Their fiery orange tints give them a much-needed second moment of glory after the blossom in spring.
It has been a very good year for the Red Oaks too - Quercus rubra - those large flat leaves look simply stunning when bright red. The Pin Oak - Quercus palustris - is looking the best at the moment - a smaller much more lobed leaf - but it gives a really bright shiny scarlet-red colour - a joy as a specimen with plenty of space.
One of my favourites is the dear old common Spindle tree - Euoynmus europaeus. This has lovely autumn colour - but it is those strange fruits - pink on the outside - splitting to reveal orange seeds - that is the eye-catcher on this one.
We are selling trees fast now - there has been decent rainfall in the last few weeks - and a lot more is forecast - it is an ideal time to get trees planted - while the soil is still warm - they will establish quickly - and provide you with years of colour.
Go on - Get Out There!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Outstanding at the nursery at the moment has got to be Liquidamber - the name alone just describes it so well. A gorgeous mix of red-purple and orange - and back to green - and each branch changes colour at a time - no wonder it is one of our most popular trees.
Also great is the Persian Ironwood - Parrotia persica - Kevin has been finding some superb specimens to put outside the office - and they have been selling like hot cakes! This has a glorious mixture of yellow through to reddy orange - a most beautiful tree or can be kept as a large shrub.
The Prunus - the flowering cherries - have also been very good lately. Their fiery orange tints give them a much-needed second moment of glory after the blossom in spring.
It has been a very good year for the Red Oaks too - Quercus rubra - those large flat leaves look simply stunning when bright red. The Pin Oak - Quercus palustris - is looking the best at the moment - a smaller much more lobed leaf - but it gives a really bright shiny scarlet-red colour - a joy as a specimen with plenty of space.
One of my favourites is the dear old common Spindle tree - Euoynmus europaeus. This has lovely autumn colour - but it is those strange fruits - pink on the outside - splitting to reveal orange seeds - that is the eye-catcher on this one.
We are selling trees fast now - there has been decent rainfall in the last few weeks - and a lot more is forecast - it is an ideal time to get trees planted - while the soil is still warm - they will establish quickly - and provide you with years of colour.
Go on - Get Out There!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
RHS FOCUS ON FRUIT COURSE REPORT
Hello, on Wednesday October 28th - 8 adventurous gardeners joined Graeme and myself for the Royal Horticultural Society's Partnership Nursery Course 'Focus on Fruit'.
Still on cloud-nine from Saturday's Apple Day - an excellent day was had by all. Unlike Apple Day - the sun shone - blue skies - 20c - an astounding temperature for late October - the colours just standing out.
As usual the course followed our tried and tested format - first of all we had a session in the classroom - learing the theory - tools for pruning - the complexity of pollination - and the problems of pest and disease.
Then it was onto rootstocks - and some theory on pruning. After lunch - and with everyone's heads hurting with too much technical stuff -it was time to get out in the orchard - and actually put that theory into practice. I pruned a couple of trees first- and then it was the usual 'Ask the Panel' job - with one person pruning - and the rest of the group watching - or critiscising - the operation.
After that - a quick nursery tour - and back to the classroom for apple tasting. All in all, another excellent day - Graeme and myself both enjoy doing these courses - you get to meet such a wide range of people - all with different questions and ideas - great for stimulating the mind!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Still on cloud-nine from Saturday's Apple Day - an excellent day was had by all. Unlike Apple Day - the sun shone - blue skies - 20c - an astounding temperature for late October - the colours just standing out.
As usual the course followed our tried and tested format - first of all we had a session in the classroom - learing the theory - tools for pruning - the complexity of pollination - and the problems of pest and disease.
Then it was onto rootstocks - and some theory on pruning. After lunch - and with everyone's heads hurting with too much technical stuff -it was time to get out in the orchard - and actually put that theory into practice. I pruned a couple of trees first- and then it was the usual 'Ask the Panel' job - with one person pruning - and the rest of the group watching - or critiscising - the operation.
After that - a quick nursery tour - and back to the classroom for apple tasting. All in all, another excellent day - Graeme and myself both enjoy doing these courses - you get to meet such a wide range of people - all with different questions and ideas - great for stimulating the mind!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
APPLE DAY 2009 - THE BEST YET!!
Hello - well we have survived another Apple Day for another year - and this one was the very best yet!
Although the weather forecast spoke of heavy rain - we only really got drizzle at the nursery - and the heavy rain stayed inland - and the people came down in their droves!! We had over 120 cars - and over 500 people - we were almost snowed under!
To all of you who came down - a big thank you - for all of your kind comments on how good the nursery looked - thank you.
We sold countless trees - not all apple - and a lot of very happy people played the games and won prizes.
A true team effort - our thanks goes to Brian and Jak for a sterling job parking all those cars - to Max,Janet and Sue for the superb fun that people had with the games - and also to Sue for her excellent 'meeting and greeting people as they came in' - to Liz - the top salesperson of the day for selling and constantly restocking the apples -to Kevin - for being his usual brilliant self - just calmly selling trees left right and centre despite queues of people everywhere - to Graeme for helping me to fend off constant questions and queues of people - to Jill and Karen for battling on with teas and cakes - and to Dick - our superb maintenance man for all his behind-the -scenes work.
Together as a team - we all made the day as special as it was for everyone - a big WELL DONE and an even bigger THANK YOU!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Although the weather forecast spoke of heavy rain - we only really got drizzle at the nursery - and the heavy rain stayed inland - and the people came down in their droves!! We had over 120 cars - and over 500 people - we were almost snowed under!
To all of you who came down - a big thank you - for all of your kind comments on how good the nursery looked - thank you.
We sold countless trees - not all apple - and a lot of very happy people played the games and won prizes.
A true team effort - our thanks goes to Brian and Jak for a sterling job parking all those cars - to Max,Janet and Sue for the superb fun that people had with the games - and also to Sue for her excellent 'meeting and greeting people as they came in' - to Liz - the top salesperson of the day for selling and constantly restocking the apples -to Kevin - for being his usual brilliant self - just calmly selling trees left right and centre despite queues of people everywhere - to Graeme for helping me to fend off constant questions and queues of people - to Jill and Karen for battling on with teas and cakes - and to Dick - our superb maintenance man for all his behind-the -scenes work.
Together as a team - we all made the day as special as it was for everyone - a big WELL DONE and an even bigger THANK YOU!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
APPLE DAY 2009 DAWNS!
Hello - we are almost there - it is very nearly time for our annual Apple Day Celebration 2009!
The nursery has been spruced up - not that it is not always! - and all is ready.
We have put up the Marquee - and we are now just crossing our fingers on the weather forecast - it does not look good - but the apple tasting and games are all undercover - so do come down and see us - we have 80 varieties of apple for you to taste - there are games to play - and prizes to win - our experts are here to help answer your questions - there is a 10% discount on all apple trees ordered or bought on the day - there is ample parking - and tea and apple refreshments will be available.
The day is Saturday Ocotber 24th - 10-4 - signs everywhere!
SEE YOU THERE!
RICHARD
The nursery has been spruced up - not that it is not always! - and all is ready.
We have put up the Marquee - and we are now just crossing our fingers on the weather forecast - it does not look good - but the apple tasting and games are all undercover - so do come down and see us - we have 80 varieties of apple for you to taste - there are games to play - and prizes to win - our experts are here to help answer your questions - there is a 10% discount on all apple trees ordered or bought on the day - there is ample parking - and tea and apple refreshments will be available.
The day is Saturday Ocotber 24th - 10-4 - signs everywhere!
SEE YOU THERE!
RICHARD
STARTING THEM YOUNG - SCHOOL VISIT TO NURSERY
Hello, I had a lovely day the other Wednesday. 12 9-10 year-olds from the local Montessorii school came over to the nursery for the day to further their education on fruit. Yes, at first thought the prospect of 12 9-10 year-olds seemed a bit daunting - and indeed, it was rather noisy at times - but I was so impressed by their enthusiasm and their interest.
They are doing a project on fruit and all had the most wonderfully-illustrated journals of their project so far - they had visited a fruit grower the previous week - and picked a few apples - and now they were at a commercial nursery to learn a bit more.
I started their day with herbs - looking at all sorts of different items - all taken from the companion planting in the fruit sales area - so a nice link in with the fruit. They knew most of them - but again how nice to see real interest in the different types - with Chives and Lemon Thyme definitely the favourites!!
After lunch - we picked a load of Pear 'Doyenne du Comice'- 48 pears picked in record time - and only ONE without a stalk - how's that for efficient picking! A tour of the nursery followed - and then back to the classroom - for some apple tasting. I had picked out 5 very different apples for them to taste - and they had a little chart to rate each one for flavour, juiciness, sweetness e.t.c - great fun - and a very mixed set of results - the boys favouring sharper apples than the girls. The day was almost over - but there was just time for me to show them one or two other fruits - they were all impressed with Quince 'Vranja' - we had found a particularly huge one - but none of them had ever seen a Medlar before! One young lad describing it as a 'tree turnip'!!
After a few photos for their workbooks - it was back to their school. I would like to thank their teachers for bringing them over and looking after them - but mostly to the youngsters themselves for their incredible enthusiasm.
In an uncertain world - it made a refreshing change!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
They are doing a project on fruit and all had the most wonderfully-illustrated journals of their project so far - they had visited a fruit grower the previous week - and picked a few apples - and now they were at a commercial nursery to learn a bit more.
I started their day with herbs - looking at all sorts of different items - all taken from the companion planting in the fruit sales area - so a nice link in with the fruit. They knew most of them - but again how nice to see real interest in the different types - with Chives and Lemon Thyme definitely the favourites!!
After lunch - we picked a load of Pear 'Doyenne du Comice'- 48 pears picked in record time - and only ONE without a stalk - how's that for efficient picking! A tour of the nursery followed - and then back to the classroom - for some apple tasting. I had picked out 5 very different apples for them to taste - and they had a little chart to rate each one for flavour, juiciness, sweetness e.t.c - great fun - and a very mixed set of results - the boys favouring sharper apples than the girls. The day was almost over - but there was just time for me to show them one or two other fruits - they were all impressed with Quince 'Vranja' - we had found a particularly huge one - but none of them had ever seen a Medlar before! One young lad describing it as a 'tree turnip'!!
After a few photos for their workbooks - it was back to their school. I would like to thank their teachers for bringing them over and looking after them - but mostly to the youngsters themselves for their incredible enthusiasm.
In an uncertain world - it made a refreshing change!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
COUNTDOWN TO APPLE DAY 2009 BEGINS!
Hello, well I congratulate the brilliant girls in this blog - Sue and Janet. With me laid low with 'flu - they stopped their usual shrub area work - and picked all the apples in the orchard ready for the apple tasting on Apple Day.
And of course - Janet and Sue have labelled and stacked the Apple Store with military precision - with 78 varieties in - they really have done a superb job - it took them two days to do - but it is a huge weight off my mind as I return to full fitness after the 'flu - well done to you both!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
And of course - Janet and Sue have labelled and stacked the Apple Store with military precision - with 78 varieties in - they really have done a superb job - it took them two days to do - but it is a huge weight off my mind as I return to full fitness after the 'flu - well done to you both!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
NEW SPECIMEN STOCK IN
Hello, - we have had a whole load of smashing new specimen stock in at the nursery recently. Graeme's shopping trips have paid off - and we have stacked our sales area with loads of goodies ready for the autumn planting season.
We have specimen crab apples - Malus 'Red Sentinel' - and 'Evereste' loaded with fruit - we have Liquidambers now starting to colour up - we have some cracking shrubby Arbutus unedo - the Strawberry Tree. There are some very nice bamboos - both in the green and the black variety - just coming into flower is Osmanthus aquifolium - a Holly-like shrub - but not prickly - and producing the most wonderfully-scented flowers at this time of year!!
We have a number of Eucalyptus gunnii cones - nice and bushy with that lovely juvenile rounded foliage - as well as specimen trees. Graeme has managed to get hold of some lovely Magnolia grandiflora - really luxuriant leaves - so glossy - and with that furry,felty brown underside - just gorgeous! Some large specimens of the more usual spring-flowering Magnolias as well.
We have several upright conifers in - from the yellow Cupressus 'Goldcrest' to the blue Juniper 'Skyrocket' - these really come into their own in the winter months.
On the evergreen standard tree front - we have some very large Privets - both the variegated and the ordinary green - these are excellent for providing height without getting too tall - there are just so few evergreen trees - we also have a few Quercus ilex - evergreen oak standards - this is such a tough chap -so we also have these as multistemmed shrubs - rather nice for screening.
On the smaller front - a delicious batch of Callicarpa 'Profusion' - dripping with those peculiar purple berries - and loads of Viburnum tinus 'Eve Price' - stuffed with flower buds for a few weeks time - yes, there is a lot to see - why not come and have a look for yourself - if you are looking for instant evergreen screening we can help!!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
We have specimen crab apples - Malus 'Red Sentinel' - and 'Evereste' loaded with fruit - we have Liquidambers now starting to colour up - we have some cracking shrubby Arbutus unedo - the Strawberry Tree. There are some very nice bamboos - both in the green and the black variety - just coming into flower is Osmanthus aquifolium - a Holly-like shrub - but not prickly - and producing the most wonderfully-scented flowers at this time of year!!
We have a number of Eucalyptus gunnii cones - nice and bushy with that lovely juvenile rounded foliage - as well as specimen trees. Graeme has managed to get hold of some lovely Magnolia grandiflora - really luxuriant leaves - so glossy - and with that furry,felty brown underside - just gorgeous! Some large specimens of the more usual spring-flowering Magnolias as well.
We have several upright conifers in - from the yellow Cupressus 'Goldcrest' to the blue Juniper 'Skyrocket' - these really come into their own in the winter months.
On the evergreen standard tree front - we have some very large Privets - both the variegated and the ordinary green - these are excellent for providing height without getting too tall - there are just so few evergreen trees - we also have a few Quercus ilex - evergreen oak standards - this is such a tough chap -so we also have these as multistemmed shrubs - rather nice for screening.
On the smaller front - a delicious batch of Callicarpa 'Profusion' - dripping with those peculiar purple berries - and loads of Viburnum tinus 'Eve Price' - stuffed with flower buds for a few weeks time - yes, there is a lot to see - why not come and have a look for yourself - if you are looking for instant evergreen screening we can help!!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
THE DREADED 'FLU STRIKES
Hello, welcome to our blog.
You may well have noticed a lack of blogging on this site lately - primarily down to yours truly going down with a nasty bout of 'flu for three weeks! Apparently it was not swine flu - a very similar thing to it though - and it laid me low for a long time. As many people will know I don't do ill - and I don't do laying in bed - but I was forced to do both!!
Where did I get this? - I had been up in the Lake District on the Saturday before Helmingham -and got very wet on a cruise across Lake Ullswater - but I get wet all the time -so who knows but I am jolly glad to be rid of it - I would not wish that on anyone!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME (HOPEFULLY)
RICHARD
You may well have noticed a lack of blogging on this site lately - primarily down to yours truly going down with a nasty bout of 'flu for three weeks! Apparently it was not swine flu - a very similar thing to it though - and it laid me low for a long time. As many people will know I don't do ill - and I don't do laying in bed - but I was forced to do both!!
Where did I get this? - I had been up in the Lake District on the Saturday before Helmingham -and got very wet on a cruise across Lake Ullswater - but I get wet all the time -so who knows but I am jolly glad to be rid of it - I would not wish that on anyone!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME (HOPEFULLY)
RICHARD
PLANT SALE SUCCESS!!
Hello - well we enjoyed an excllent Plant Sale at Helmingham Hall. The weather simply could not have been better - and several thousand people took full advantage to stock up their gardens for autumn planting.
Interesting though - the topic of conversation remained the same - everybody bemoaning the lack of rainfall in Suffolk. There were over 40 different nurseries attending - and it was surprising that very few people were selling the same thing!! - a definite problem of a few years ago.
The organisation by Helmingham and the NCCPG (Plant Heritage) was excellent - well-advertised in advance - and it did pay off for them. We took a very general range of plants - I got out far more than could be taken of course - but we had a mix showing all of the Crown Nursery range.
And what was the top selling item you may ask? - well there were two really -anything with autumn colour - particularly Viburnum sargentii 'Onadonga' - and Acer ginnala 'Flame - and also Figs!! We sold every fig we took - both Graeme and myself were quite surprised by that.
Most of the standholders seemed happy by the end of the day - and no doubt so were those wives who had dragged their husbands round each stand weighed down with bag and bags of plants!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Interesting though - the topic of conversation remained the same - everybody bemoaning the lack of rainfall in Suffolk. There were over 40 different nurseries attending - and it was surprising that very few people were selling the same thing!! - a definite problem of a few years ago.
The organisation by Helmingham and the NCCPG (Plant Heritage) was excellent - well-advertised in advance - and it did pay off for them. We took a very general range of plants - I got out far more than could be taken of course - but we had a mix showing all of the Crown Nursery range.
And what was the top selling item you may ask? - well there were two really -anything with autumn colour - particularly Viburnum sargentii 'Onadonga' - and Acer ginnala 'Flame - and also Figs!! We sold every fig we took - both Graeme and myself were quite surprised by that.
Most of the standholders seemed happy by the end of the day - and no doubt so were those wives who had dragged their husbands round each stand weighed down with bag and bags of plants!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Friday, September 18, 2009
ALL READY FOR THE PLANT SALE!!
Hello, a busy couple of days here at the nursery - preparing for the Suffolk Group of the National Conservation for Plants and Gardens (NCCPG!!) Autumn Plant Sale at Helmingham Hall.
This is an annual event - well-supported by local gardeners and nurseries alike. I have been busy collecting together as much nice stuff as I can - a very easy task with all the lovely stuff on the sales areas!!
If you are in the local area do come and see us - I am sure you will find something nice for your own garden!! The sale is from 10.30 - 4.00 - at Helmingham Hall which is on the B1077 near Debenham.
Hope to see you there!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
This is an annual event - well-supported by local gardeners and nurseries alike. I have been busy collecting together as much nice stuff as I can - a very easy task with all the lovely stuff on the sales areas!!
If you are in the local area do come and see us - I am sure you will find something nice for your own garden!! The sale is from 10.30 - 4.00 - at Helmingham Hall which is on the B1077 near Debenham.
Hope to see you there!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
RAIN AT LAST!!
Hello - well, I got my wish! Obviously the raindance paid off!! We have had a very nice dull wet day here at Crown Nursery - I think the first for many months. It has been a steady rain too - just right to penetrate the ground and not run off.
As I type this, it is pouring down - hooray, hooray!! Of course, we need a lot lot more -but it is a start - and it has eased our watering burden considerably - for a few days at least!!
The strange nature of our weather sysyems nowadays was illustrated by a couple of customers from Gloucestershire - on holiday in Suffolk - who visited the nursery this afternoon - they were astonished by how dry and wilted everything is up here - compared to a very wet summer they have experienced in their beautiful part of the world - it just goes to show how a few hundred miles makes all the difference!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
As I type this, it is pouring down - hooray, hooray!! Of course, we need a lot lot more -but it is a start - and it has eased our watering burden considerably - for a few days at least!!
The strange nature of our weather sysyems nowadays was illustrated by a couple of customers from Gloucestershire - on holiday in Suffolk - who visited the nursery this afternoon - they were astonished by how dry and wilted everything is up here - compared to a very wet summer they have experienced in their beautiful part of the world - it just goes to show how a few hundred miles makes all the difference!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
Saturday, September 12, 2009
STILL CRYING OUT FOR RAIN!!
Hello - I do not know what we have done wrong in Suffolk this year - but we are seriously suffering in drought conditions at the moment. It is ridiculous - because the rest of the country has had nothing but rain all summer - but any visitor to this part of the world - will see that we are in deep need of that liquid gold!
The rivers are dried up - even larger trees are showing stress - many of the Hazel nuts are about to lose their leaves - and autumn is definitely coming very early to East Anglia this year. As I write there is a Tuscan blue sky - and 20C - yes, it is lovely to sit in - but I am a plantsman and countryman through and through - and I want rain - and lots of it!!!
Anybody know a good raindance?!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
The rivers are dried up - even larger trees are showing stress - many of the Hazel nuts are about to lose their leaves - and autumn is definitely coming very early to East Anglia this year. As I write there is a Tuscan blue sky - and 20C - yes, it is lovely to sit in - but I am a plantsman and countryman through and through - and I want rain - and lots of it!!!
Anybody know a good raindance?!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
PLUM PRUNING TIME!
Hello, - now really is your last chance to get your stone fruit trees pruned before they shut down for winter.
Ideally, they should have been pruned at the end of August - or as soon as the last fruit has been picked - but there is still just about time. The critical thing is that the tree still has leaves on it - and is still actively working so can heal the pruning cuts before the bad weather. It is worth bearing in mind that plums,gages and damsons crop perfectly well without pruning - but the crop is better when the branches are thinned out - as with other fruits -the best crop occurs on 2 year-old wood - and at the base of 1 year-old stuff - so a thin-out will promote the new growth.
I did my trees last weekend - and I suppose that over half the foliage has gone - but the cuts do heal in the warm sun - and the tree will bear better fruit next year as a result.
There still remain a lot of brown mummified fruit on people's plum trees - a left-over of brown rotted fruit from early on in the summer - this must be removed - not left on the tree - otherwise it will cause re-infection next year. The other final thing I do with my plums is to rake up and dispose of the old leaves as they fall - they are frequently smothered in rust - and will simply cause problems next year.
There now - my plum trees are ready for winter - but luckily my freezer is full of Czar and Victorias - so I can still enjoy the fruit of the summer in pies for a long time yet!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Ideally, they should have been pruned at the end of August - or as soon as the last fruit has been picked - but there is still just about time. The critical thing is that the tree still has leaves on it - and is still actively working so can heal the pruning cuts before the bad weather. It is worth bearing in mind that plums,gages and damsons crop perfectly well without pruning - but the crop is better when the branches are thinned out - as with other fruits -the best crop occurs on 2 year-old wood - and at the base of 1 year-old stuff - so a thin-out will promote the new growth.
I did my trees last weekend - and I suppose that over half the foliage has gone - but the cuts do heal in the warm sun - and the tree will bear better fruit next year as a result.
There still remain a lot of brown mummified fruit on people's plum trees - a left-over of brown rotted fruit from early on in the summer - this must be removed - not left on the tree - otherwise it will cause re-infection next year. The other final thing I do with my plums is to rake up and dispose of the old leaves as they fall - they are frequently smothered in rust - and will simply cause problems next year.
There now - my plum trees are ready for winter - but luckily my freezer is full of Czar and Victorias - so I can still enjoy the fruit of the summer in pies for a long time yet!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Saturday, September 5, 2009
THE JOY OF SEPTEMBER!
Hello - here we are - it's September - my favourite month of the year! It is amazing how the weather seems to change from the August Bank Holiday Weekend - the nights are definitely pulling in now and there is a slight nip to the morning air.But, that should not be a reason to shudder and think winter is on the way! September - at least in Suffolk - often has beautiful warm afternoons - and is the beginning of the autumn colour on many trees and shrubs. It also is the real kick-off for apples and pears - every week now a variety will be ready for picking - it is one of the real pleasures of my job!
At last - after weeks of drought - we did actually have some rain the other night - yes, only a quarter of an inch - but it is a start! And amazingly it did make a difference - (if you are reading this and are under floodwater - you have my sympathy - but it is like a desert here in Suffolk) - the grass actually has a tint of green - and the leaves are slightly plumper. That was until we caught the tail end of Hurricane Bill on Wednesday -a real Gale-Force 7 wind - which of course dried up some of that moisture - and we have had to put up with that wind all week - knocking things over - but hey - that is nursery life!
Time moves on - and a lot of members of staff are on holiday -but we have an excellent addition to our ranks for a few weeks - young Harry is with us on work experience. A smart lad - and very enthusiastic - he is spending time with all the members of nursery staff - to get a flavour of nursery work. During his day with me yesterday - we picked several more varieties of apples - and a few pears for the Apple Tasting Shed. The huge apple in the photo above left fascinated Harry - such a large apple hanging from such a small tree!! It is Charles Ross - a seldom seen old variety - used as a cooker or a sharp desser
t apple.That is in stark contrast to the photo opposite - this is one of our popular local apples - SAINT EDMUND'S PIPPIN - raised in Bury St Edmunds. Techically an early russet type - it is extremely sweet - if a little dry. As with so many of these early types - they will not keep - maybe a month in the fridge if you are lucky.
We also picked James Grieve - that classic Scottish variety - and a few GREENSLEEVES - plus RED DEVIL. The latter has been very popular at Crown Nursery recently - the red-stained flesh is very attractive. We also had a few of the early pears - namely BETH and WILLIAMS BON CHRETIEN. It is a superb year for pears it seems - with bumper crops on all varieties. These are all in the apple shed for tasting - along with DISCOVERY and TYDEMANS EARLY WORCESTER from last week. Do come along and try them!!
We are currently proof-reading our new fruit catalogue - which should be available in a few weeks time. From now on, I will be picking and storing the apples as they come into season - also picking for long-term storage - and for our annual APPLE DAY on OCTOBER 24th - hope to see you there!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Friday, August 28, 2009
LATE SUMMER COLOUR!!
Hello, well here we are - August Bank Holiday Weekend - and with the dry conditions many of our gardens look rather parched. Don't worry about the lawn though - that will recover with cooler temperatures and rain - but there are still a number of shrubs and also a few trees coming into their season of berry that can keep your garden looking good far into September and beyond.Firstly there are the Mountain Ashes or Rowans - ( see photo above) - their berries seem to have coloured early this year - possibly due to the drought - but they are always one of the first trees of the year to ripen their fruits - blackbirds adore them - particularly the red or orange berried forms. We have a huge range here at the nursery -you can also get yellow, white and pink berried forms - and these tend to retain their fruits long after Christmas.
Also looking fab is another one of my favourites - the first Crab Apple to colour up - MALUS 'JOHN DOWNIE' - these fruits are like little shiny flagons - a lovely orangey-red colour - and produced in great profusion. ( see photo below)
As well as this - remember in blossom it would have also looked wonderful too ! The blackbirds also adore that one! Many of the other crab apples do not start to colour up until a little later.
All of these are relatively small trees - suitable for small gardens and bring good value - providing a long season of interest.
But now into the shrub world -
There are still plenty of good-looking items about - the lovely little BLUE SPIRAEA - Caryopteris 'Heavenly Blue' is one of them - ( photo above) - a small sub-shrub with aromatic grey-green leaves - and clusters of small blue flowers loved by bees and butterflies. This flowers right into September. I have always adored Abelias -( photo below )
but they are still not widely seen -
but they are still not widely seen - I don't know why because they are lovely semi-evergreen dwarf shrubs - that flower right into October. With glossy leaves and small pink-white flowers with a slight scent -they really are jolly nice!!
Another seldom seen plant we have at the nursery looking really stunning at the moment is the so-called Wall Germander or Teucrium lucidrys. (Photo below) This is evergreen - and smothered with small purple-pink flowers - not unlike Catmint in size and shape - lmuch loved by bees - and also makes an excellent hedge.
There now, that little selection will bring colour to any tired borders!!
Into the apple shed - and I have picked a few more varieties - so new in for tasting this week - are Tydemans Early Worcester and Summered. These are all wonderfully shiny red - although they are a little lacking in flavour but that is always the way with the early apples. Just to pick a red apple off the tree- still warm from the sun is one of the late summer pleasures, so perhaps August is not so bad after all!!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
P.S - REMEMBER THIS IS A BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND - AND DUE TO LOCAL PLANNING RESTRICTIONS - THE NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED FROM SATURDAY 29TH TO MONDAY 31ST AUGUST INCLUSIVE. WE RE-OPEN ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER IST.
OH FOR SOME RAIN!!
Hello - what a dry old time we are having at the moment. It is good for the farmers to finish their harvesting - but here at the nursery we would love to have some rain!
We are fortunate in having an excellent irrigation system - and with some 5,000 trees and plants we need it! In the last few days - we have had temperatures up to 29.5C and nicely accompanied by a strong gale-force wind - the old NURSERYMANS' NIGHTMARE again!! Here in this part of Suffolk - we are used to drought - the average rainfall is just 19 inches - but most of that seems to come between November and March - I would not really say we have any decent rainfall since the end of March - and some of the plants in the ground - and in our gardens are really beginning to suffer. The Limes and Silver Birches seem to show it first - we think that is due to a relatively shallow root system - and a thin leaf- although again birch is a native of dry sandy soils. I recently saw some newly-planted trees in Peterborough that were virtually in full autumn tint - and on a visit to London the other day- 45 newly-planted Plane Trees along the M25/M11 corridor were completely bare of leaf.
I know it is obvious -but do give your poor old trees a couple of buckets of water in these testing conditions. They also love to have their foliage sprayed over with water late at night - it refreshes them and they can absorb a lot of water through their leaf - we love a shower at the end of a hot day - and so do they!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
We are fortunate in having an excellent irrigation system - and with some 5,000 trees and plants we need it! In the last few days - we have had temperatures up to 29.5C and nicely accompanied by a strong gale-force wind - the old NURSERYMANS' NIGHTMARE again!! Here in this part of Suffolk - we are used to drought - the average rainfall is just 19 inches - but most of that seems to come between November and March - I would not really say we have any decent rainfall since the end of March - and some of the plants in the ground - and in our gardens are really beginning to suffer. The Limes and Silver Birches seem to show it first - we think that is due to a relatively shallow root system - and a thin leaf- although again birch is a native of dry sandy soils. I recently saw some newly-planted trees in Peterborough that were virtually in full autumn tint - and on a visit to London the other day- 45 newly-planted Plane Trees along the M25/M11 corridor were completely bare of leaf.
I know it is obvious -but do give your poor old trees a couple of buckets of water in these testing conditions. They also love to have their foliage sprayed over with water late at night - it refreshes them and they can absorb a lot of water through their leaf - we love a shower at the end of a hot day - and so do they!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
THE 'DOG DAYS' OF AUGUST
Hello, I hate August!! - it is as simple as that. Anybody who works on the nursery knows that Richard does not like the month of August! I never seem to be at my best- the long hot sultry, heavy days - tend to bring on my migraines - and it makes me feel tired and sometimes rather irritable!
The Romans thought much the same - they called the middle of August - the 'dog days' - when it was too hot for anything but a dog to go out in the midday sun - bit harsh on dogs I think - but otherwise I am in total agreement!
We all seem to have a particular month we do not enjoy - for all sorts of reasons. Here on the nursery Kevin always seems to dislike January for it's long dark days - Janet and Liz seem to hate July for different reasons - and Miss Potter - well she seems to thrive in any month and any weather!!
One good thing about August though - it leads onto September - and that IS my favourite month of the year!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
The Romans thought much the same - they called the middle of August - the 'dog days' - when it was too hot for anything but a dog to go out in the midday sun - bit harsh on dogs I think - but otherwise I am in total agreement!
We all seem to have a particular month we do not enjoy - for all sorts of reasons. Here on the nursery Kevin always seems to dislike January for it's long dark days - Janet and Liz seem to hate July for different reasons - and Miss Potter - well she seems to thrive in any month and any weather!!
One good thing about August though - it leads onto September - and that IS my favourite month of the year!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
APPLES - A NEW SEASON DAWNS!
Hello, - despite the wretched wasps - one of my favourite events of the year has just taken place. The first pickings of the new season apple crop. Today apple DISCOVERY has gone into the apple shed - bright scarlet skin - superb aroma - and a pink-tinged flesh.Actually - there were two other varieties before the DISCOVERY ripened - but both fell to the wasps and I was not able to save any apples for our customers to try. There was VISTA BELLA - a small red apple - with a delightful strawberry scent to the skin - rather insipid flavour - but for an apple in July - what more could one expect?
The other one that fell to the critters before I could get to them was the old BEAUTY OF BATH. This used to be the first English apple for many a moon - but was very prone to pest and disease before DISCOVERY came along.
The apple shed is situated in the fruit sales area - and is open for anybody to come down and sample the apples that are in season - subject to them all being eaten by customers of course!! We grow nearly 200 different varieties of apple - so actually tasting them for yourself can make it a lot easier to make your selection!!
Over the coming weeks and months - I will add each variety as it comes into it's season of ripening - that is of course assuming the wretched wasps don't get there first!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
WASP CITY!!
Hello, first it was ladybirds then it was butterflies - now it is wasps!! We are plagued with them - I have been up in the orchard surveying the promise of the new apple crop - and almost every tree seems to have a cluster of the beasties munching away at the fruit.
They seem to be following on from peck marks made by our feathered friends - this is occuring on even unripe fruit. Trouble is it leads to brown rot if they do not hollow the apple out first!!
We have jam jars of sweet stuff hanging from several trees in an attempt to trap them - we are trying various mixes from treacle to raspberry jam to lemon curd - they seem to prefer the lemon curd - actually come to think of it - so do I!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Friday, August 7, 2009
IT'S BLUEBERRY MUFFIN TIME!!
Hello, well into August we go - and a couple of really hot, heavy stifling days here at the nursery. I loathe days like that - everything seems to be an extra bind - and the high humidity just makes everyone feel lethargic.
But - there is always a flip side - and with us it is the beginning of another crop - BLUEBERRIES!! These remain as popular as ever! Despite having been around a few years now - they still feature regularly in magazines - and are considered by some people to be the greatest thing since sliced bread!
I personally would not go that far - but they certainly do taste great in the famed muffin!! We grow several different varieties - from the compact evergreen 'SUNSHINE BLUE' to the upright 'HERBERT' through to the old but popular variety 'BLUECROP' - they are now starting to ripen. We find they pretty much look after themselves - their only requirement being an acid soil or container of ericaceous compost - and some protection from our feathered friends - who do not care whether they are in a muffin or not - and just scoff the lot!!
Wow - doesn't this photo of a blueberry muffin make your mouth water?? Sometimes a photo never really seems to do something justice - but this one captures the very essence of a tasty muffin!!
Just look at that lovely moist centre!!
I really must stop - and concentrate on something else that we have had a bumper crop of here at the nursery this year - and that is MULBERRIES!! So many people have never tasted a mulberry - let alone seen a tree - but they are one of the most under-rated fruits going. You can get black and white varieties - and if you have the space it is one of those quintessentially english trees that you must have!! (The photo below is of BLACK MULBERRIES). They have a strange 
sort of dry texture - very sweet in the white form - a larger fruit in the black - you always know when they are beginning to ripen - as the trees will seem to rock backwards and forwards with the weight of blackbirds attempting to feast on the crop! We have a pair - who I swear check the fruit every day from late July onwards!! - they certainly frequently beat me to the first ripe fruit - just leaving a little purple 'stain' on the ground below the tree to inform me of their skill!!
sort of dry texture - very sweet in the white form - a larger fruit in the black - you always know when they are beginning to ripen - as the trees will seem to rock backwards and forwards with the weight of blackbirds attempting to feast on the crop! We have a pair - who I swear check the fruit every day from late July onwards!! - they certainly frequently beat me to the first ripe fruit - just leaving a little purple 'stain' on the ground below the tree to inform me of their skill!!Ah, well such is the joy of fruit growing. You know what, that muffin picture has made me peckish - it's time for tea!!
Until the next time then,
RICHARD
THE WORKING LIFE!
Hello, we have been delighted to have an extra pair of hands on the nursery this week. Tom - 15 years old - has been with us for a bit of work experience - sampling the delights of the many different tasks we do.
From getting soaking wet on irrigation testing to potting and weeding - and of course endless hours of watering!! - it is all great fun - and just goes to show there is a lot going on here no matter what the time of year.
We hope we did not frighten young Tom too much - the world of work is a very different life to school!!
Until the next time then,
RICHARD
From getting soaking wet on irrigation testing to potting and weeding - and of course endless hours of watering!! - it is all great fun - and just goes to show there is a lot going on here no matter what the time of year.
We hope we did not frighten young Tom too much - the world of work is a very different life to school!!
Until the next time then,
RICHARD
Friday, July 31, 2009
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF SUMMER
Hello, what a topsy-turvy summer this is turning out to be! One minute it is pouring with rain at the nursery, the next it is blue sky and sweltering heat. Now that the Met Office have revised their prediction for the rest of the summer - perhaps we can simply take it as it comes!!Here at the nursery, the air is heavy with the scent of LIME trees in flower - if you have not experienced this before - it is a rather musty scent - very sweet - produced from a very small yellow flower(SEE PHOTO ON LEFT). Bees adore it, and get quite hooked on it - definitely one of the high points of late summer.
On the down side - a lot of customers are reporting problems with pest and disease on their plants - particularly MILDEW on apples and roses. This is linked in with the weather - predominantly caused by dryness at the roots - so always worth giving your plant a good soak and a mulch - and removing as many of the worst affected leaves and destroying them. Another continual problem is that of the poor old conker trees or HORSE CHESTNUTS - they are now starting to suffer very badly again with that wretched leaf-miner. I have already seen trees that are almost completely defoliated - we were rather hoping that this year would not be so bad - but that does seem to be a false dawn now - although the problem has appeared later than normal. It does not seem to kill the trees - they re-leaf in the spring as normal - but it must weaken them with a reduction in their food source. This can often leave them open to the other more serious BLEEDING CANKER menace - when the trunk oozes black resin - this is often fatal for the tree. I was reading an interesting piece in a magazine that a compound based on a garlic compound is being trialled by the RHS and FORESTRY COMMISION as a prevention for the dreaded canker - and has the side-effect of making the leaves smell of garlic putting off the leaf-miner - can you imagine us all spraying our conker trees with garlic in the future!!??
Until the next time,
RICHARD
Friday, July 24, 2009
FLIGHT OF BUTTERFLIES!!
Hello - well, I am back from Scotland - after a glorious week - when the weather up in the Highlands was actually better than in Suffolk - and that must be unusual!!One of the first things to strike me, upon my return to the nursery - apart from how good everything looked - was the amount of butterflies around. We seem to have everything from Red Admirals to Peacocks and Painted Ladies to Commas - and of course the dear old Cabbage White.
They seem to simply be everywhere - on the Catmint - and all over the Buddleias as you would expect. We are, of course lucky on the nursery to have large quantities of some of their favourite plants such as the Buddleias all concentrated in a small place - so that undoubtedly helps - but many of our customers also report large groups in their gardens. They do seem to favour one particular Buddleia above the others here at the nursery - and that is 'LOCHINCH'. (Pictured Above) This must rank as one of the best - with silvery leaves and mauve-violet flowers with a lovely 'eye' to the flower.
To watch one of these delicate creatures sipping the nectar on a summer's evening is surely one of the delights of the horticultural year - it seems an absolute world away from all the worries over swine flu and the recession.
Let's just sit back and enjoy it while we still can!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
A SUMMER'S EVENING
Hello - on one of the few decent summer evenings in the last few weeks, we were very pleased to welcome the Great Glemham Ladies Gardening Club for an evening visit to the nursery.The sky was Tuscan Blue - actually really nice and very warm, with the last rays of the sun still warming the sales areas. A great night was had by all - Graeme and myself took the group on a nursery tour - taking in many of the areas that are not normally open to the public. There was much interest in the new shrub cuttings - and also in our compost mix -one of the many 'trade secrets' that just give commercial nurseries 'the edge'. The large range of shrubs and trees available also drew many comments - particularly the climbers - with the Honeysuckles and Potato Vine looking at their best.
As often, the size of Crown Nursery surprises people - as does the amount of the site that is actually behind the scenes. Following on from the tour, there was still time for the ladies to browse the sales areas - which they certainly did with relish!! The favourite plant of the night was most definitely the Russian Sage - PEROVSKIA 'BLUE SPIRE' - closely followed by the delightful honeysuckle - LONICERA 'MINT CRISP'.
All in all a very enjoyable evening - here at Crown Nursery - we are proud of all that we have - and we enjoy sharing it with other people too!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Saturday, July 11, 2009
HIGH SUMMER
Well, we are almost into the middle of July - and it's High Summer at Crown Nursery. What an incredible change in the weather as well - from last week when the temperature in one of the tunnels topped 42c - to this week when the mercury is stuck on about 22c - it's a topsy-turvy summer.
One thing is for sure though - the plants appreciate the cooler weather (and so do the staff!!). The plants can slow down a bit (and so can the staff!!) and are not gasping for water every minute of the day. Nursery life moves on all the same - the girls are still ploughing on taking cuttings of shrubs for the autumn - the mist unit is really starting to fill up - and many of the earlier items have already been potted up. Tree care - pruning and feeding - occupies the rest of the time.
We have just completed a couple of our morning courses - 'The Magnificent Garden All Year Round' and 'Summer Pruning of Trained Fruit Trees'. The first course was held on a scorching hot day - sun hats and cold drinks all round. This course had a detailed look at plants - and how to extend the season of interest in your plot. Graeme demonstrated various techniques from the 'Chelsea Chop' on perennials or plunging pots of Dahlias and Lilies into the gaps in your borders to foliage colour and winter flowering plants - very useful and informative were the comments from those who attended.
Wednesday July 8th saw myself taking the Summer Pruning course - a much cooler day. We looked at the techniques involved with training and pruning fruit trees to maximise cropping potential - and the effects of pruning at different times of the year - again very favourable comments from the attendees.
We have a bit of a break on courses for the summer - but restart in September with 'The Best Tree For Your Garden' - if you have never been on a course before - why not give it a go?? They are only for a couple of hours - hugely informative and great fun - check out the listing on the website.
This is holiday time - and I am off to Scotland next week- but it can also often be a difficult time to maintain colour in the garden - though there is plenty on offer here at the nursery. The Russian Sage - PERVOSKIA 'BLUE SPIRE' is senstional at the moment - spikes of dark blue flowers above serrated silvery foliage. It is a wonderful plant particularly in combination with one of the dwarf POTENTILLAS. Several are looking good at the moment - particularly PRIMROSE BEAUTY and ELIZABETH - they rank as one of the longest-flowering dwarf shrubs about - flowering almost constantly from July-September. And of course mid-July is the start of the BUDDLEIA or BUTTERFLY BUSH season - a gorgeous set of plants - often dismissed as 'common' - but what else flowers at this time - and attracts so many butterflies??
Modern breeding has produced plants that flower over a longer period- and in a range of colours from white to red to purple - there are even dwarf forms that will not get too high - so no excuses - get one in the ground!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
One thing is for sure though - the plants appreciate the cooler weather (and so do the staff!!). The plants can slow down a bit (and so can the staff!!) and are not gasping for water every minute of the day. Nursery life moves on all the same - the girls are still ploughing on taking cuttings of shrubs for the autumn - the mist unit is really starting to fill up - and many of the earlier items have already been potted up. Tree care - pruning and feeding - occupies the rest of the time.
We have just completed a couple of our morning courses - 'The Magnificent Garden All Year Round' and 'Summer Pruning of Trained Fruit Trees'. The first course was held on a scorching hot day - sun hats and cold drinks all round. This course had a detailed look at plants - and how to extend the season of interest in your plot. Graeme demonstrated various techniques from the 'Chelsea Chop' on perennials or plunging pots of Dahlias and Lilies into the gaps in your borders to foliage colour and winter flowering plants - very useful and informative were the comments from those who attended.
Wednesday July 8th saw myself taking the Summer Pruning course - a much cooler day. We looked at the techniques involved with training and pruning fruit trees to maximise cropping potential - and the effects of pruning at different times of the year - again very favourable comments from the attendees.
We have a bit of a break on courses for the summer - but restart in September with 'The Best Tree For Your Garden' - if you have never been on a course before - why not give it a go?? They are only for a couple of hours - hugely informative and great fun - check out the listing on the website.
This is holiday time - and I am off to Scotland next week- but it can also often be a difficult time to maintain colour in the garden - though there is plenty on offer here at the nursery. The Russian Sage - PERVOSKIA 'BLUE SPIRE' is senstional at the moment - spikes of dark blue flowers above serrated silvery foliage. It is a wonderful plant particularly in combination with one of the dwarf POTENTILLAS. Several are looking good at the moment - particularly PRIMROSE BEAUTY and ELIZABETH - they rank as one of the longest-flowering dwarf shrubs about - flowering almost constantly from July-September. And of course mid-July is the start of the BUDDLEIA or BUTTERFLY BUSH season - a gorgeous set of plants - often dismissed as 'common' - but what else flowers at this time - and attracts so many butterflies??
Modern breeding has produced plants that flower over a longer period- and in a range of colours from white to red to purple - there are even dwarf forms that will not get too high - so no excuses - get one in the ground!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Friday, June 26, 2009
CLIMBER CITY!!
We are all enjoying the nice weather at the moment - yes, it creates work by increasing the amount of watering - but it is nice to feel the sun on your back. 
Of course, many of us have a wall or fence in the shade - usually North or East facing - and need something other than Ivy to grow on it. Well, again on the sales area - there is the lovely climbing
The nursery is looking great - particularly the SHRUB SALES AREA. This area is one of the most popular with our customers at the moment - and it is easy to see why. As well as many wonderful ornamental shrubs and hedging plants - a large section is devoted to those upwardly-mobile plants - the CLIMBERS AND WALL SHRUBS. So many people have fences and walls or even trellis - that they fail to utilise in their garden schemes. This is where climbers or wall shrubs come into their own - they do not take up much space - and many are as beautiful as any border shrub. A number are also deliciously scented - like the SUMMER JASMINE - JASMINUM OFFICINALE - in the photo above. A smashing plant for a seating area - or over a pergola where the scent can waft about on those warm summer evenings.
For something a little different, no scent but a simply beautiful flower, why not try the WHITE POTATO VINE - SOLANUM JASMINOIDES 'ALBUM' - a semi-evergreen scrambling/climbing wall shrub - covered in sumptuous white blooms from July to the frosts.
Usually this plant is seen in it's more popular blue form - SOLANUM CRISPUM 'GLASNEVIN' - you can see why it is called the POTATO VINE! Each little blue flower is very much like the flowers of your spuds!! Again very long-flowering - and dead-easy to look after - just take the shears to it in the spring if it gets out of hand.
Of course, many of us have a wall or fence in the shade - usually North or East facing - and need something other than Ivy to grow on it. Well, again on the sales area - there is the lovely climbing HYDRANGEA PETIOLARIS. It has many of the attributes of it;s more familiar shrubby friends - but will grow in far more hostile conditions - particularly good on North or East aspects. Lovely bloom now, and peeling flaky bark in the winter.
These are just a few of the lovely things we have at the nursery at the moment - why not pop down and see them yourself - the nursery is open Monday-Saturday 9-5.
Until next time then,
RICHARD
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
BACK DOWN TO EARTH!!
Well, after all the excitement of the SUFFOLK SHOW - life at Crown Nursery has just about returned to normal. All the show plants are back in their correct places. The nursery is back in it's normal routine. The girls are busy working on the shrub area - taking cuttings of many of the items required for the autumn season. Potting on of the younger trees continues apace - as does the ongoing care of the new grafts. Many of the plants on the specimen area are being potted on - when a plant is held in a pot for a number of years, it does tend to get somewhat restricted - and the constant irrigation leaches out nutrients very fast - so both granular and liquid feeding is also taking place on the nursery at the moment.Many of us at the nursery have been concerned at the plight of our bee population. A worldwide infestation of mites, and constant damp springs and summers have not helped these little chaps - and they are an essential item for pollination - particularly of food crops. We can help, as gardeners by planting as many of their favourite food items as possible. The companion planting beds on the FRUIT SALES AREA contain many items that are ideal for their food source. Bees particularly bumbles, favour blue flowers - and the catmint NEPETA 'WALKER'S LOW' and 'SIX HILS GIANT' are particularly good. - the lovely blue flower shown in the photo top left. There is one bed of pure catmint - and I counted 37 bumble bees on the flowers one day last week - they just dance and flit from flower to flower. Many of the herbs - such as Thyme, Sage and Oregano have flowers that are rich in nectar - so you can help the bees and yourself by planting those!!
On the shrub front - they are particularly fond of Cotoneaster - these have incredibly small flowers, but are very rich in nectar - and they appear over a lengthy period. In my own garden I have a large plant of COTONEASTER SIMONSII which last night, had 49 bees on it - that is no exaggeration - just a constant hum!! And of course, the big bonus is that all that buzzing will lead to a bumper crop of berries in the autumn for the birds - a DOUBLE WHAMMY!! The gorgeous HONEYSUCKLES are also a treat - they just love the deep-throated flowers - and the photo below just shows why!! ( This one is LONICERA JAPONICA 'HALL'S PROLIFIC') And if you have ever watched a bee in a bed of LAVENDER, then you just know that they are enjoying themselves!!
For the honey bees, which are actually in a worse position than the bumbles, their requirements are similar - although they seem to favour flatter flowers - in my own garden again - CALLISTEMON PALLIDUS - a yellow Australian Bottlebrush shrub is in full flower - and last night the honey bees were all over it. In early spring, they adore the catkins of pussy willows, and in late summer, they thrive on the many varieties of BUDDLEIA - the so-called BUTTERFLY BUSH. Finally for their autumn treat, they are especially fond of IVY - so it is not always wise to remove it from all your trees and fences.We must look after our flying friends - without them the world would be very different. Here at Crown Nursery, we are certainly trying to do our bit - what are you doing in your plot??
Until next time,
RICHARD
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
SUFFOLK SHOW TRIUMPH!
Well, we did it!! After several 13 hour days - CROWN NURSERY scored a great victory at the SUFFOLK SHOW!! Our stand in the flower tent - was awarded a LARGE GOLD MEDAL - and to cap it all - the PERPETUAL CHALLENGE CUP FOR THE BEST TRADE EXHIBIT IN THE SHOW!!
The certificates below for the medal and the cup are a testament to all the hard work put in by everybody. The PERPETUAL CHALLENGE CUP that I am holding is for every member of the CROWN NURSERY team. Every single person on the nursery was involved in some way - from growing the plants - to designing the stand - to producing the countless labels and literature - to moving plants up to 5 times in some cases, so ensuring they did not go over too quick. The brilliance of Brian and his landscape gang - ensured that the decking area built into the stand was superb - and also the considerable logistical headaches of transporting hundreds and hundreds of plants to the showground - and back again - were achieved in an incredibly short timescale.
Out of those hundreds and hundreds of plants - in true CROWN NURSERY style - 20ft trees were also included - all moved around - also pallets of turf - and countless barrows of mulch - all coming together to make the stand the sucess it deserved to be. To all those of you who came to see us - a big THANK YOU for your kind comments! And to those of you that did not come to the show - a range of photos of the stand will be appearing on our website very soon.
The name of our stand - was 'THYME FOR TEA' - a deliberate play on the word time. A cottage garden effect with a mature backdrop of large trees and shrubs - a woodland glade at one end - and a decking area with a seat - surrounded by scented plants at the other. A real garden for relaxation after a hard day. Such a range of plants were used - far too numerous to mention - but the CUPS AND SAUCERS filled with herbs drew much admiration.
In reality though, it was probably our ALTERNATIVE HANGING BASKETS that caused the most comment. A quite brilliant idea of Graeme's - we used a roll of turf in the bottom of the basket instead of the usual boring liner - and after just three weeks it had grown through to hide the basket completely. Compost was then added in the normal way - and we used EUONYMUS 'EMERALD GAIETY' as the main plant in the top - incredibly simple - but so many people could not believe their eyes!! You can see them in the photo - mounted on stands - and surrounded by typical cottage garden style planting.
Not content with all this - we also produced yet another incredible stand - this time outside the tent - this one was really GRAEME'S BABY - and he did himself and the nursery proud, despite having to put up with the most incredible gales on the first day of the show. This was the 'EDIBLE GARDEN' - 4 raised beds incorporating a glorious mix of herbs, fruit and easy-to-grow vegetables in the smallest of spaces. Again, thank you to so many people for all the interest shown.These photos are just a taster of an incredible fortnight at Crown Nursery - at times the task seemed endless - and the days never-ending - but in the end we got there - and every single member of the team deserves a huge pat on the back. We are still sorting out the returned plants from the show - and getting them back into their rightful positions on the sales area - it is another whole year - before the next Suffolk Show - but we are already planning what we are going to do!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Friday, May 22, 2009
FULL STEAM AHEAD TO THE SUFFOLK SHOW!!
It's all systems go here at the nursery. We are shipping plants up to the Suffolk Show daily - starting off with the bigger items - and now onto turf, decking and some of the hard landscaping materials. The stand is starting to take shape - but it will be Tuesday before the 'pretty' bits go in. If you are coming to the show - do come into the Flower Show Tent and see us - we are at the far end next to the teas and cakes. We also have an Edible Garden stand - just outside the Flower Show entrance.The show is on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th May at the Trinity Park Showground on the outskirts of Ipswich. It is a real showcase for Suffolk - featuring the traditional elements of the old agricultural show - and many other elements besides.
Back at the nursery, on the shrub front, now is the season of CEANOTHUS - often simply called the CALIFORNIAN LILAC. There are a lot of different varieties - from the large to the dwarf types. They are such useful plants - being evergreen and also jolly tough. The photo at the top shows just how profuse the flowers are - almost smothering the foliage.
On the tree front - in my last post - I talked about the tree of the moment - the MAY trees - ornamental forms of HAWTHORN. They really are looking very fine here at the nursery - there are so many varieties to choose from - but here are a few real crackers with piccs as well!!
CRATAEGUS 'PAUL'S SCARLET' -
I particularly like this one - it is very profuse in flower - and has the most attractive button-like flowers - scarlet-red with just a hint of white. The flowers are fully double - so of course it is not going to set any berries - that is perhaps the only drawback - but if you are looking for a small tree for your garden - that will make a mushroom like shape - what better could you ask for?
Another of my absolute favourites - and very well-named is 'CRIMSON CLOUD'. This has a similar colouring to 'PAUL'S SCARLET' - but it has a single flower - with a beautiful white centre - and of course that means that you get MASSES OF BERRIES in the autumn. Possibly an even better tree than 'PAUL'S SCARLET'.
There are loads of other types - many with the more normal white blossom - particularly good for autumn berries is the aptly-named 'CRATAEGUS AUTUMN GLORY' - with fruits like small red glace cherries. For large leaves - totally different to the usual small types - you cannot fail to be impressed by CRATEGUS MOLLIS - a leaf more like a Hazel in size - and stuffed with red berries in the autumn. If space is really tight - there is even an upright form - ideal for putting in a small corner - called 'CRATAEGUS 'STRICTA'.
There is also a variegated form - 'CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA 'VARIEGATA' - a very subtle variegation - not at all vulgar!! It is such a versatile family - there must be one for your garden!
There, now I really must stop - and get on with getting some more plants out for the Suffolk Show!
HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE SHOW - IF NOT UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
NOTE - THIS IS A BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND - AND DUE TO LOCAL PLANNING RESTRICTIONS, THE NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED FROM SATURDAY TO MONDAY. NEXT WEEK THE NURSERY IS AT THE SUFFOLK SHOW - AND ON WEDNESDAY 27TH AND THURSDAY 28TH MAY - WILL BE ON REDUCED OPENING HOURS - BEST TO RING THE OFFICE ON 01394 460755 TO CHECK OPENING HOURS ON THOSE DAYS.
Friday, May 15, 2009
THE RAINS COMETH!!
Hooray, Hooray, Hooray!!! At last, after SIX WEEKS OF DROUGHT, the rains have come! We have had just over three-quarters of an inch of rain at the nursery over the last two days - a nice steady rain - mostly at night. The difference is incredible - plants look so much fresher and plumped up. It does not matter how much watering you do-NOTHING BEATS A GOOD RAIN-it wets the whole garden, not just small pockets. As you can probably tell I am a VERY HAPPY BUNNY!!!A couple of nice shrubs for the season - the one above on the left is a plant often called the SILVERBERRY or technically ELAEAGNUS COMMUTATA. A very nice plant indeed - seldom seen and beautiful in two distinct ways - SUPERB SILVER FOLIAGE - and tiny yellow flowers that have a KNOCK-OUT SCENT. They are just starting to come out, they may not look much - but boy do they scent the air - I think the fragrance is best described as a heady mix of jasmine and vanilla - quite heavy on a warm evening.
The other shrub on the left is the BEAUTY BUSH - KOLKWITZA AMABILIS 'PINK CLOUD' - again another under-rated beauty. This has very soft foliage - and a real cloud of blossom - with the most delicate markings inside the flower as the photo shows - wonderful when the bees are inside!! On the tree front - this is the season of the ornamental Thorns - better known as MAY TREES. If you want a small ornamental tree for your garden, you will struggle to find anything better than one of the CRATAEGUS types. There are those with double red flowers in great profusion such as 'PAUL'S SCARLET' - or if you prefer pink, then CRATAEGUS 'ROSEA FLORE PLENO' is for you. The only disdvantage with these double types is that lacking stamens - they will set few, if any berries. If berries are your thing - 'CRIMSON CLOUD' is the one - pretty red flowers with a white middle - and being single - masses of berries in the autumn.I am going to focus on these lovelies in my next post - but I can't resist mentioning them now!!
Otherwise - the nursery is heavily involved in planning for the SUFFOLK SHOW STAND - we have pretty much finalised the plants - but trying to work out what will be in flower in a fortnight is proving tricky!! The show is at the TRINITY PARK SHOWGROUND on the outskirts of Ipswich on WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY 27TH AND 28TH MAY. If you are coming to the show - pop into the FLOWER TENT and see us - we are at the far end -near the tea and cakes!!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
THE NURSERYMAN'S NIGHTMARE - HOT AND WINDY!!
No, not a really good curry - but the WEATHER at the moment! Blue skies and BLAZING HOT SUN - sounds great, but for the last two days, it has been accompanied by a 30 mph GALE-FORCE WIND. It comes swooping down the valley into the nursery, knocking everything flat, and sucking the moisture out of the fresh new leaves of all our lovely plants. I HATE IT - AND THE PLANTS HATE IT TOO! The sales areas look like World War 3 - and the nursery staff all seem to have hoses permanently attached to their arms! As a customer very kindly told me today, you do seem to have a wind problem!!! Yep, great, thanks!!
SYRINGA 'PALIBIN' - a nice LILAC - smaller-leaved than it's bigger cousins- but with the same delicious SCENT - and a rather nice colour too. They tend to be much easier to look after as well.
I often find, that they flower again in September - if they are kept well-fed and watered.
It is actually fairly normal in this part of East Anglia at this time of the year- but it does not help my mood - I do feel for my plants when they are battered left, right and centre.
On a more POSITIVE NOTE - there are some very nice shrubs in season at the moment. I mentioned a dwarf LILAC in my last entry, and here is a piccy.
SYRINGA 'PALIBIN' - a nice LILAC - smaller-leaved than it's bigger cousins- but with the same delicious SCENT - and a rather nice colour too. They tend to be much easier to look after as well.I often find, that they flower again in September - if they are kept well-fed and watered.
This is also the season of another of my favourite shrubs - VIBURNUM PLICATUM 'MARIESII'- a superb horizontal tiered plant - with a simply gorgeous flower - consisting of bracts and a central disc - as seen on the right - all against a fresh green leaf - what a cracker!! A wonderful plant for the edges of beds and borders - in my own garden at home, it is sited on the bend of a path - and the effect is simply breathtaking!!
There now, you see I'm starting to feel better already- I almost forgot the gale blowing outside! The weather forecasts suggest that we will actually get some much-needed rain on Thursday and Friday - plus the winds will die down - and then I REALLY WILL BE A HAPPY BUNNY!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Thursday, April 30, 2009
THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY
What a fantastic SPRING we are having this year! Have you ever seen plants looking so good?
A combination of constant night temperature - and a cold period in January have set fair to produce a WONDERFUL SHOW. Here at the nursery, we are still incredibly busy, with many people in a LAST-MINUTE RUSH to get their plants in before the ground get's too dry.
Those of you who came to our SPRING OPEN DAY last Saturday - thank you very much for your kind comments on how good the nursery looked - they were very much appreciated!! Considering the weather forecast, we were incredibly lucky to have sun for most of the day - and it does make a big difference - all that hard work seems just that little bit more worthwhile!!
Attention now begins to turn towards our stand at the SUFFOLK SHOW - this will be at the end of May - and always occupies a lot of time. We have been planning and setting aside plants since the end of January - but even then, you are never actually sure what is looking good until the last moment.
On the subject of looking good - early May is LILAC TIME - and this is proving to be a good year for them - two of our favourites looking good at the moment are 'Firmanent' - with a lavender blue single flower and delicious scent - and the dwarf 'Palibin' with a reddish-pink flower. One particularly nice shrub now flowering in the 'impulse area' outside the office door is a seldom-seen shrubby Honeysuckle - LONICERA SYRINGANTHA - a delicious little plant - I often feel it would be equally home listed as a member of the Daphne family - it has small glaucous-blue leaves and the most HEAVENLY-SCENTED clusters of fresh-pink flowers. Yes, I know you have never heard of it! - most people have not - but it is one of those gems that should not be missed at this busy time in the garden.
On the tree side - the MALUS - THE CRAB APPLES - are still giving a good show. The purple-leaved varieties such as LISET and RUDOLPH are particularly good - and one of our favourites - 'VAN ESELTYNE' is just sumptous with buds like inflated hot-air balloons! Oh, and did I mention that Prunus 'SHIROFUGEN' is looking great - with long stalked clusters of soft pink flowers that hang from bronze leaves??
I think I need to stop now since I am starting to drool at the thought of all these lovely things!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
P.S. = REMEMBER THIS IS A BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND - SO DUE TO LOCAL PLANNING RESTRICTIONS, THE NURSERY IS CLOSED FROM SATURDAY TO MONDAY INCLUSIVE.
A combination of constant night temperature - and a cold period in January have set fair to produce a WONDERFUL SHOW. Here at the nursery, we are still incredibly busy, with many people in a LAST-MINUTE RUSH to get their plants in before the ground get's too dry.
Those of you who came to our SPRING OPEN DAY last Saturday - thank you very much for your kind comments on how good the nursery looked - they were very much appreciated!! Considering the weather forecast, we were incredibly lucky to have sun for most of the day - and it does make a big difference - all that hard work seems just that little bit more worthwhile!!
Attention now begins to turn towards our stand at the SUFFOLK SHOW - this will be at the end of May - and always occupies a lot of time. We have been planning and setting aside plants since the end of January - but even then, you are never actually sure what is looking good until the last moment.
On the subject of looking good - early May is LILAC TIME - and this is proving to be a good year for them - two of our favourites looking good at the moment are 'Firmanent' - with a lavender blue single flower and delicious scent - and the dwarf 'Palibin' with a reddish-pink flower. One particularly nice shrub now flowering in the 'impulse area' outside the office door is a seldom-seen shrubby Honeysuckle - LONICERA SYRINGANTHA - a delicious little plant - I often feel it would be equally home listed as a member of the Daphne family - it has small glaucous-blue leaves and the most HEAVENLY-SCENTED clusters of fresh-pink flowers. Yes, I know you have never heard of it! - most people have not - but it is one of those gems that should not be missed at this busy time in the garden.
On the tree side - the MALUS - THE CRAB APPLES - are still giving a good show. The purple-leaved varieties such as LISET and RUDOLPH are particularly good - and one of our favourites - 'VAN ESELTYNE' is just sumptous with buds like inflated hot-air balloons! Oh, and did I mention that Prunus 'SHIROFUGEN' is looking great - with long stalked clusters of soft pink flowers that hang from bronze leaves??
I think I need to stop now since I am starting to drool at the thought of all these lovely things!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
P.S. = REMEMBER THIS IS A BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND - SO DUE TO LOCAL PLANNING RESTRICTIONS, THE NURSERY IS CLOSED FROM SATURDAY TO MONDAY INCLUSIVE.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
AN INVITATION -JOIN US FOR A CELEBRATION OF SPRING!!
On SATURDAY APRIL 25TH - Crown Nursery will be holding a SPECIAL OPEN DAY to CELEBRATE SPRING.EVERYONE IS WELCOME - the day runs from 10AM -4PM - ENTRY IS FREE - there is AMPLE CAR PARKING - AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE throughout the day with proceeds going to the BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION.
SPRING - Of all the seasons, spring is the one that captures the imagination most, the colour of the new leaves and growth, the blossom on the trees, the scent of the flowers - all part of the rebirth of nature. Here at CROWN NURSERY, we are holding a special day to celebrate that new season - the nursery will be looking at it's best - and there will be many wonderful plants to see - as well as SPECIAL OFFERS on shrubs and perennials. Why not watch our DEMONSTRATIONS OF HORTICULTURAL TECHNIQUES such as cuttings and division - or go on a NURSERY TOUR covering many of the BEHIND THE SCENES production areas not normally open to the public, and including a visit to the HERITAGE ORCHARD which should be in full bloom.
Our trained staff will be on hand all day as always to give you help and advice with your plants - and there will also be an information centre relating to PESTS AND DISEASES - as well as plant-related GAMES AND PUZZLES for you to solve - with a PLACE ON A CROWN NURSERY COURSE as one of the prizes!
WHY NOT COME AND JOIN US - WE CAN CELEBRATE SPRING TOGETHER!! LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD
A TREASURE CHEST OF FLORAL BEAUTIES!!
I do not think I have ever seen such a wonderful spring for BLOSSOM as this year.The Nursery is a feast of FLORAL BEAUTY - just driving down from the road - everywhere you look is another colourful tree. With so many it is difficult to know where to start, but the photo on the right shows the gorgeous SNOWY MESPILUS - AMELANCHIER CANADENSIS - surely one of the most neglected trees around. A real plant for all seasons - superbly contrasting BRONZE YOUNG FOLIAGE and WHITE STARRY FLOWERS now - but following that RED BERRIES -adored by the birds - and finally STUNNING AUTUMN COLOUR -what more could a tree give??
Many of the Prunus are starting to go over now, but there are several star-performers that will keep the show going into May. If your garden is only small - then there is one of these lovelies for you - PRUNUS 'AMANOGOWA' a lovely small tree FOR A RESTRICTED SPACE. As the photo on the left shows it is another SHOWSTOPPER! As well as sumptuous blossom, this one also has FRAGRANT FLOWERS - not many of the Cherries have that - and a very UPRIGHT HABIT - so perfect for NARROW GARDENS!!A tree that is ALWAYS OVERLOOKED is the BIRD CHERRY - PRUNUS PADUS - everybody sees the usual types in the streets - but this one has a far longer season - and also a different shaped flower too - as the picture on the right below shows - a long spike
of blossom - followed by BLACK BERRIES - loved by the birds. As well as the normal green-leaved form, there is also a PURPLE-LEAVED VARIETY as well.
This is known as PURPLE QUEEN - and is a cracker in flower and also foliage as well - taking a bronze-tint all through the summer.
And now starting to join them are the CRAB APPLES - THE MALUS. There will be more pictures of those over the next few weeks - but the buds are just poised to start.
However, it is NOT JUST THE TREES that are at their best - a number of cracking SHRUBS - are entering their time. Everyone at the nursery is busy preparing for our SPRING OPEN DAY - only a week or so away now on SATURDAY APRIL 25TH.
Everywhere is being spruced and tidied, new stock is coming out of the tunnels daily - including one of my favourite climbers -
A fab new HONEYSUCKLE - LONICERA 'MINT CRISP' - as the photo on the right shows, it has the most delicate foliage in spring, with a SUBTLE VARIEGATION - but do not be fooled this is one of the toughest of all - and the foliage is also SEMI-EVERGREEN - and will last the season through. But surely the biggest bonus must be the SWEETLY-SCENTED FLOWERS - particularly in the evening. Got a fence or wall to cover? - plant this - you will not be disappointed!Looking for something a little more shrubby? - why not go for the good old MEXICAN ORANGE BLOSSOM - CHOISYA TERNATA. A long-cultivated shrub - but a good-doer - reliable EVERGREEN SAGE-SCENTED FOLIAGE on a dense bush - easily pruned, but the highlight is the FRAGRANT CLUSTERS OF WHITE BLOSSOM - produced in spring and often again in the autumn.
In all honesty, there are so many floral beauties here at the nursery at the moment, that I do not have the space - or the time to list them all - so better still - WHY NOT COME AND SEE THEM FOR YOURSELF!! We would love to see you!!
Until next time,
RICHARD
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
HAPPY EASTER!!
Well, it's nearly that time again - EASTER! The season ofEaster bunnies - and CHOCOLATE! It also marks the
traditional START OF THE GARDENING SEASON, so there is no excuse not to get out there over the long weekend.
An incredibly busy time on the nursery at the moment - a lot of plants looking good - the shrub on the right is VIBURNUM
BURKWOODII - a semi-evergreen shrub with a a large flower and a KNOCK-OUT PERFUME - really sweet and strong. The plants outside the office door really attract attention!!
They associate so well with all the flowering trees that are looking so good at the moment. Staying on the shrub front - another cracker - and very popular is PHOTINIA 'RED ROBIN' - the photo below shows the LOVELY NEW RED SPRING GROWTH - it is a very versatile plant too - can be used
as hedging - as a standard tree - or the more commonly seen shrub - what most people do not seem to realise is that it is a plant that needs regular pruning - many gardeners seem to have them as a sprawling shrub - but prune them back after the red foliage turns back to green - about May - and feed well - and you will be rewarded with a FRESH SET OF YOUNG RED FOLIAGE - and also a bushy dense plant! We prune some of our plants on the nursery two or three times a year - you could say it is like having two springs in a year!!
as hedging - as a standard tree - or the more commonly seen shrub - what most people do not seem to realise is that it is a plant that needs regular pruning - many gardeners seem to have them as a sprawling shrub - but prune them back after the red foliage turns back to green - about May - and feed well - and you will be rewarded with a FRESH SET OF YOUNG RED FOLIAGE - and also a bushy dense plant! We prune some of our plants on the nursery two or three times a year - you could say it is like having two springs in a year!! WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY EASTER!
Until next time,
RICHARD
- DON'T FORGET - DUE TO LOCAL PLANNING RESTRICTIONS THE NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED OVER THE EASTER WEEKEND - FROM FRIDAY TO MONDAY INCLUSIVE.
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