Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
sevenbark
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: moist, well-drained, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to September
- Hardiness: fully hardy
One of the loveliest hydrangeas, this has huge globes of tightly packed, creamy white bracts that look like giant snowballs in late summer. As autumn progresses, the blowsy flowerheads fade to pale lime and the dark green, pointed leaves turn soft yellow. It has an upright habit and makes a breathtaking feature in a wide, partly shady border, particularly when planted in groups or with other hydrangeas. The flowerheads are a popular choice for dried flower arrangements. Contact with the foliage may aggrevate skin allergies. - Garden care: Hydrangeas do not like to dry out. In dry weather, soak the roots with a hose and the plant will usually recover. Remove faded flowerheads in spring after the danger of frosts, cutting back the flowered stems to a strong pair of buds. Take out misplaced or diseased shoots. Mulch young plants with a well-rotted manure or compost in spring. Once established, remove a quarter to a third of the shoots to the base of the plant.
Ceanothus 'Burkwoodii'
Californian lilac
Bright blue flowers in summer
£12.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Liriope muscari
big blue lily-turf
Purple, wand-like flowers and evergreen foliage
£8.99
1.5 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Dryopteris erythrosora
buckler fern
Desirable fern for partial shade
£9.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'
butterfly bush
Sumptuous deep purple flowers
£8.99
3 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Flake'
oak-leaved hydrangea
Lavish double white blooms
£19.99
2 litre pot
available to order from summer 2013
March pruning of trees, shrubs and climbers
Use the following notes as a guide when pruning trees, shrubs and climbers in your garden during the month of March. I’ve included timely advice on Abeliophyllum, Artemesia, Brachyglottis, Brunfelsia, Buddleja, Ceanothus, Clematis, Colutea, Cotinus, Daphne, Eccremocarpus, Elsholtzia, ...
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Cool-green, level heads open to cool-white in summer before gently fading to lime-green -then winter reduces them to a radiating set of tiny umbrella spokes upended
Val Bourne - Garden Writer