ALL GOOD THINGS.......

Hello - wow what a hectic week it has been here at the nursery!! To all of you who came last Saturday and helped to make our APPLE DAY 2010 such a success - we say a big THANK YOU!! It was definitely our best yet - and with 120 apple varieties to taste - from the comments received most of you thought so too!! I would personally - like to say Thank you to all those people who made such kind comments about this blog - it is nice to know that somebody out there is reading it!!! We had over 300 people across the day - and although it was a little damp in the morning - the sun did shine in the afternoon - for those who were unable to make the day - the above photo taken early in the morning gives an idea of the vast array of apples that were on display!

I would also like to say a big Thank you to the entire CROWN NURSERY TEAM for all their hard work - and all the HELPERS who served teas and refreshments - we could not have done it without you!!

I am still restocking the fruit sales area - filling all the gaps that were made!

We have also had the first of our popular AUTUMN FRUIT COURSES - FOCUS ON FRUIT - and 15 keen gardeners had a most enjoyable morning on Thursday - learning all about the huge subject of fruit growing - our next two PRUNING COURSES are sadly fully-booked - but we are now compiling a list of interested people - and intend to run additional courses in February 2011 - so if you wanted to come -and missed out this time round - do ring the office and get your name on the list for the new courses.

This week - has seen the real arrival of AUTUMN COLOUR in the countryside - the hedges are now turning yellow and amber more and more each day - most of that colour is coming from the common FIELD MAPLE - ACER CAMPESTRE - and they really do make a stunning hedge. Combine that with the bounty of berries that are everywhere this year - and hedges have a lot going for them - we expect our NEW-SEASON BARE-ROOT HEDGING in mid-November - but if you know what you are after - do ORDER IN ADVANCE - to ensure you get the pick of the crop.

RHUBARB CROWNS are now in stock - the superb virus-free varieties we offer are a huge improvement on the old types of years ago - we have BRANDY CARR SCARLET and STOCKBRIDGE ARROW - nice fat crowns ready for planting now.

Our BARE-ROOT FRUIT TREES - plums,gages,cherries,damsons and others are also expected mid-November - so again these can be pre-ordered to ensure no disappointment - contact the office for details.

On a sadder note - we have said Farewell to two members of our nursery team recently - KEVIN and JANET - who will be known to many of you - we wish them well as they move onto pastures new - and new challenges.


As someone once said - ALL GOOD THINGS MUST SURELY COME TO AN END.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

APPLE DAY 2010 - IT'S HERE!!

Hello - well - all the final preparations are made for our main event of the year!!

Tomorrow - Saturday 23rd - is APPLE DAY 2010!!

A celebration of all things apple - from fun and games - to tasting - to advice - to trees to buy - it's one of the highlights of our year.

I can confirm that there are 120 apple varieties available to taste!! - yes I did manage to squeeze in those extra two!!

We are also very excited this year to formally launch our own new variety - CROWN PIPPIN - discovered here at the nursery - ,bright red,crisp,sweet and juicy - everything you could want from an apple!!! - and proving very popular with those who have been lucky enough to try it - we will have trees for sale for the first time on the day -(and apples to taste of course) - be one of the first to grow it!!

Entry to the event is free - and the day runs from 10am to 4pm at the nursery - teas/cakes e.t.c will be available to sample in return for a small donation to charity - and various varieties of apples will be available in bags to buy as well - along with just about everything else under the sun connected with the word apple!!

The apple tasting and the games are all under cover - so no matter what the weather - the show will go on!!

SEE YOU THERE!!!
UNTIL THEN,
RICHARD

COUNTDOWN TO APPLE DAY 2010!!

Hello - we are on the Countdown to our biggest event of the Year!!

Saturday October 23rd is the day - 10-4 - a free-event CELEBRATING ALL THINGS APPLE !! From apple-related games to apple tasting - this is the event to come too - if you love fruit as much as we do!!

I have just about finished apple picking - and I can reveal that so far there will be 118 different varieties available for tasting!!!!

I suppose the big question is will I make it to 120??!!

On a related subject - our WINTER PRUNING COURSES are filling up very fast - if you want to come down to the nursery - and learn all about pruning your fruit trees - then book with the office ASAP - the dates are WEDNESDAY 10th NOVEMBER - or THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER - 10-12.30ish.

These are always fun - we are very informal - but you will go away inspired and with bags of new knowledge!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

AUTUMN FOLIAGE AND BERRY BONANZA!

Hello - autumn is well under way now - and here at the nursery, we are enjoying some fabulous AUTUMN COLOUR. The warm nights are producing some spectacular colour on trees and shrubs as the old foliage begins to decay.

One particular superb tree at the moment is the FLOWERING ASH - FRAXINUS ORNUS -this seldom-seen tree scores on two points - and also has the added bonus of excellent late spring flowers - a fluffy candy-floss type flower - but now it wears a coat of PURPLE-RED foliage - an excellent all-round tree for a small garden.

On the berry front - the SORBUS - ROWANS or MOUNTAIN ASHES - are studded with berries in every colour from red to white - we even have a dark purple one!!

Many of the ornamental CRAB APPLES - the MALUS have started to colour up - again a huge choice is available from the yellow fruits of GOLDEN HORNET to the red polished cherry-like RED SENTINAL.

But almost threatening to overshadow these all at the moment is CRATAEGUS CRUS-GALLII -THE COCKSPUR THORN - this is one smashing tree - the berries are large like rose hips -produced in great profusion - and the foliage is also large - quite unlike the normal hawthorn types - put those red berries against golden yellow autumn foliage and you have a winning combination!!

And on the shrub front - well - we are spoilt for choice!! From the incredible BLUE BERRIES of CALLICARPA to the well-known PYRACANTHAs - there is plenty of choice!!

Any of these planted in the next few weeks will establish in the warm soil and get away to a flying start in the spring - what are you waiting for?? - get out there!!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME - (IF WE ARE SPARED!)
RICHARD

COMING SOON - NEW WEBSITE AND ONLINE-SHOP!

Hell0 - we are delighted to announce that we are about to embark on a relaunch of our website - and online shop.

With new features and user-friendly ideas - we hope that this will inspire everyone into the world of trees and shrubs that is at the heart of Crown Nursery.

All the new season 2010-2011 catalogues will be available to download as PDF files - the blog will move there - and we will also be launching a new newsletter service - offering our latest top tips on a range of different subjects. There is even a rumour that we are going on Twitter!!

Our online shop will re-appear with an expanded range of products - more user-friendly than ever before - we are very excited about all these developments - so WATCH THIS SPACE - ove the next few weeks - we should be merging into the new site.

Exciting stuff!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

AUTUMN - NATURE'S TIME FOR PLANTING

Hello - what a week!! A lot of water has fell out of the sky at the nursery this week - nearly an inch and three-quarters - and parts of the nursery have returned to their 'Battle of the Somme' status!

But - it has remained pretty mild - and this is excellent planting weather - trees and shrubs planted now will root quickly while the soil remains warm - and get off to a flying start in spring.

In recent years - there seems to have been a move away from autumn planting in favour of spring - but - particularly in East Anglia - this can lead to problems of establishment when springs turn dry. Far far better to copy dear old Mother Nature - she ripens her fruits now - and as they fall onto warm soil - they swell up and often produce small root systems before the cold weather comes.

The pace is starting to quicken at the nursery, as the new planting season dawns - I have spent most of my week gathering apples for long-term storage - running on about 75 varieties picked so far - all in preparation for our APPLE DAY CELEBRATION on SATURDAY OCTOBER 23RD.

If you have never been before - it is a great fun day out - we have a lot going on - from games to advice and of course there are over a hundred different apples to taste!!

Definitely one to put in your diary!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

NEW SPECIMEN STOCK NOW IN!

Hello - we have just had the first of our new season stock delivered by a colossal lorry - we have now topped up the SPECIMEN AREA with all sorts of goodies.

From blue and yellow CONIFERS to three types of MAGNOLIA, black and green BAMBOOS - evergreens for screening purposes - multi-stemmed silver BIRCHES - to standard LIQUIDAMBARS,EUCALYPTUS and EVERGREEN OAKS.

We also have got in some super WISTERIAS - quality grafted plants - some with flower buds - in pink, white and dark blue.

And the ever popular evergreen Jasmine - TRACHELOSPERMUM has arrived on the shrub sales area!!!

All of these plants are now in the sales areas - plus many others just waiting for a new home - why not come down to the nursery and see them??

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD