Hello – a changeable week on the old weather front – but one thing does stand out – it is much milder!! We actually reached the dizzy height of 10 degrees yesterday – and the plants are already starting to respond!

Hello – we have just about finished updating our Shrub Catalogue. This should be available to download from the website in the next few days.

We have spent some time revamping it – and have included all of our Climbers and Wall Shrubs in a separate section for the first time.

The list of shrubs we have is a glorious mix of old-favourites – one or two new kids on the block – and one or two seldom-seen chaps as well.

Our climbing plants and wall shrub range has expanded considerably over the last few years – so is well worth a look!

Do have a browse through our shrub catalogue – you may be pleasantly surprised – Crown Nursery is not just about trees!!

UNTIL THE NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

Hello – another grotty week on the weather front. I think most of us are well and truly fed up with this winter – customers coming into the nursery this week, speak of the frustration of not being able to get jobs completed that should have been done before Christmas – and it is starting to get them down!

It is easy to feel rather negative and down-hearted about this weather – but there is much to look forward too – and things are happening and starting to come into flower out there – so let’s put the weather to one side and cheer ourselves up with some nice winter-bloomers here on the nursery at the moment!!

These photos are of three shrubs looking – and smelling – particularly good at the moment. The first on the left is WINTERSWEET – CHIMONANTHUS PRAECOX – if you have never smelt the flower of this plant – then you really have not enjoyed the fullness of winter gardening!! It has a scent unlike any other plant I know – sweet,spicy and heavy – an astonishing scent really from such a small flower!

The photo below is of one of my favourite winter-flowering shrubs – CHRISTMAS BOX – SARCOCOCCA CONFUSA – a delightful evergreen – flowering a little later than normal due to the cold weather – but again – a really strong scent – quite pervasive and lingering in the air on still days.

The last photo below left is another handsome evergreen – the SILK-TASSEL BUSH – GARRYA ELLIPTICA. This is one on the lovely CATKIN side of the plant world – people are strangely snobby about catkins – but I think they are jolly pretty!! Just look at all the HAZELS in the hedgerows at the moment – again in winter 2009 – they had all finished flowering by now – but due to all that white stuff – they are only now starting to get going this year. And you know what the very best thing about them is?? – six months after those catkins – edible nuts will appear – so you can’t go wrong!!

THERE NOW – WHO SAID CATKINS AIN’T PRETTY!!

The snowdrops and the aconites are approaching their peak – and the little dwarf Cyclamen coum has been in flower for weeks -and very soon the Hellebores will be starting – so as I said earlier – there is much to look foward too – just stay positive!!

On a more practical note – we are now SOLD OUT of plums,greengages and damsons – and our HEDGING stocks are reducing daily – so if you are going to get any BARE-ROOT HEDGING OR SOFT FRUIT planted this winter – THE CLOCK IS TICKING – AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

SO UNTIL NEXT TIME – STAY POSITIVE!

RICHARD

Hello – well I knew it!! In last week’s blog – I talked about getting out and about, making up for lost time – now milder weather has arrived!!

Hello – does the word PRUNING fill you with dread?? Do you spend ages staring at your fruit trees or shrubs wondering what to do to them??

If the answer is YES – and for a great many people, it is – then we may be able to help you!! Due to popular demand, we have added an EXTRA COURSE to our programme this winter – and on THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18TH – you can spend a morning with us here at Crown Nursery – and let us help you to take some of the mystery away from the subject!!

The course will run from 10-12.30 – @ £22.00 per person. We will be looking at fruit and shrub pruning.

ALL PLACES MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE – IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE RING THE OFFICE ON 01394 460755.

OUR ENTIRE 2010 PROGRAMME OF COURSES IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE – CHECK OUT THE COURSES AND EVENTS SECTION ON THE WEBSITE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

Hello – DO YOU LOVE YOUR GARDEN? – but are never quite sure about the design side of it?? DO YOU LONG FOR A CHANGE – but don’t quite know how to go about it??

Well, here at Crown Nursery, we may be able to help you!! We are offering a couple of SPECIAL OFFERS this year, in conjunction with our well-established professional LANDSCAPING TEAM.

OFFER 1 – Use our Landscaping Service and get a free garden-design and plan, and then a 10% discount off the cost of all of the plants as detailed in the plan.

OFFER 2 – Or would you rather do the work yourself?? Let us design the garden for you – and then get a CROWN CARD valid for three months giving you 10% off all plants with every design purchased.

These offers are only valid until MARCH 31st 2010 – and HTA NATIONAL GARDEN VOUCHERS are not accepted in conjunction with this offer.

Our Landscaping Team has many years of experience, and can create the GARDEN OF YOUR DREAMS. From HARD LANDSCAPING features such as patios, ponds, decking and terraces to SOFT LANDSCAPING features such as gravel gardens, shrub borders,trees and orchards – we can help you – or anything else you like.

With over 3,000 plants at our disposal , we can create your own little piece of PARADISE!

WHY NOT GIVE THE OFFICE A CALL ON 01394 460755 AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY?!! YOU CAN HAVE THE GARDEN YOU HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED OF THIS SPRING!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

Hello, a NEW MONTH and a step closer to the end of winter, and the beginning of spring. By the end of this month, we will have gained nearly an extra hour of daylight, compared to the beginning of the year.
The plants are slowly beginning to stir – buds are starting to swell, the bulbs are really pushing through now, and before we know it, a new gardening season will be upon us.

The Victorians were always banging on about getting ahead with work – and they were so right. If you do not make progress this month, come March and higher temperatures the garden will run away with you.
Many of us have not felt much like gardening in January – and in some cases it was not physically possible due to the weather – but decent weather is forecast for this weekend , so now is the ideal opportunity to get ahead with planting those trees,shrubs and hedge plants before they start to come into leaf.
GRAB EVERY OPPORTUNITY AND GET AHEAD!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD