This pink, scented, climbing rose is exclusive to our garden centre and will be available from early March.

The great charm of ‘The Lakeland Rose' is to be found in the simplicity of its scented, apple-blossom blooms. In a sometimes over-elaborate world, simple things can offer much needed relief. The natural prettiness of ‘The Lakeland Rose' is a welcome change from the fat, indulgent flowers often seen in today's gardens, over-ornate with their preposterous crush of petals. In the garden we can choose to go back to basics, and grow plants that are not so obviously the product of a stylised world. The uncomplicated grace of simple flowers fits well into any garden, bringing a refreshing breath of fresh air with it.

Not that ‘The Lakeland Rose' is short of essential modern attributes such as easy-growing habit, healthy foliage and abundant blooming. These characteristics are all linked: good resistance to diseases of the foliage helps the plant to keep growing, and whilst it keeps growing it can continue to produce blooms. ‘The Lakeland Rose' normally produces two main flushes of blooms per season, once in early summer, and again in autumn.

‘The Lakeland Rose' is at its best grown in full sun or dappled shade. Its growth is compact but rapid; the whippy, basal shoots grow readily to a manageable size. They are easy to train into place against a trellis, or to fan out on a small space against a wall or fence. For best results when training on posts or pillars, aim for a maximum height of 6ft.

Besides excelling when planted directly in the soil, ‘The Lakeland Rose' is also an ideal rose for container gardening. For best long-term performance, use a container at least 2ft wide by 2ft deep. Choose a soil-base growing medium, and be sure to maintain constant moisture level during the growing season. All roses grown in pots will benefit from regular fertiliser applications, preferably using a product that contains the correct trace-elements for roses, such as ‘Toprose'.

New Garden Plants for 2010

Agapanthus 'Midnight Star'

Agapanthus ‘Midnight Star' - is a semi evergreen herbaceous perennial with dark-green, strap shaped leaves forming at its base. In late summer, it bears large, spherical heads of tubular dark violet-blue flowers on strong upright stems. It prefers an open sunny site in a well-drained position.

Agapanthus originates from Southern Africa and is a summer-flowering herbaceous perennial with showy heads of flowers which are commonly seen in shades of blue but also in white and pink. They are both deciduous and evergreen; some having thick, strappy leaves and others grass-like foliage. They range from fully hardy to half hardy, with the evergreen varieties generally being the most tender.

Agapanthus thrives in fertile, well-drained, but moisture-retentive soil in full sun and can be grown in containers to make a wonderful addition to your patio display. For the best flower displays, feed weekly or fortnightly with a balanced liquid feed during the growing season until flowers begin to show some colour.

If you want to grow deciduous or tender, evergreen varieties they will need winter protection with a mulch of straw or covering of horticultural fleece. If your soil is prone to winter waterlogging, or you live in a very cold area you may be better growing your agapanthus in large containers. Choose pots 20-23cm (8-9in) in diameter and fill with John Innes No.2 or No.3 potting compost. Place in a light, dry, frost-free place in late autumn such as a cold frame, greenhouse or conservatory.

Agapanthus are easy to propagate by division. Divide between spring and early summer, or in early autumn, after plants have finished flowering. There is a common misconception that agapanthus flowers better when pot-bound and although they dislike being split too often they will flower poorly if excessively pot-bound. Common reasons for a failure to flower include too little water after flowering, too much shade, cold weather and lack of winter protection. Try repotting, plus watering and feeding in spring, to improve flowering and keep plants moist until autumn, after flowers start to fade, which will encourage the development of new flower buds.

Dahlia 'Chic Red'

It is gorgeous in pots on the patio or in the garden, producing a stunning splash of colour at the front of the border. Masses of flowers develop freely from June until early frosts and are complemented perfectly by the dark foliage. It excels in sun or partial shade and has the added advantage that there is no need to lift the plant in winter. The approximate height and spread is 30cm x 40cm.


The dark foliage of Dahlia ‘Chic Red' is a perfect foil for its bright flowers and also makes a great backdrop for flowers in complementary colours. This late summer, tiered arrangement has Helenium and Rudbeckia in golds and rusts highlighted by the purples of Michealmas daisies and the dainty blue spires of Agapanthus. The dark strappy leaves of a Phormium and the solid chunky succulents add different textures to what is mainly a display of similar shaped flower heads. The introduction of white at the front of the display lifts it from being too sombre and gives it a bit of a wow factor.

Dahlias make great cut flowers and the more you cut them the more they will flower, it saves you dead heading which is a must if you want to keep them flowering into the autumn. Dahlias look good when cut with a short stem and placed in a small vase, or collection of vases, of coloured glass. If you find they are not lasting very long you can also cut them with about 1" of stem and float them in a shallow bowl with some tea lights, this makes a great centre piece on the dinner table.

Echinacea 'Mistral'

An excellent garden plant which will add a splash of colour to any patio pot or border. It has a fantastic compact and upright growth habit, producing masses of soft pink flowers with large bronze orange central cones. It will produce up to 80 flowers per plant in its second year and flowers from July - September, providing continued interest until late Autumn. It is frost hardy, low maintenance and suits sun or partial shade in well drained soil. Height and spread after 4 yrs 50cm x 50cm.

Fuschia 'Delta's Sarah'

Fuchsia Delta's Sarah is a hardy bush variety with semi-double blooms, approximately 4-6cm (1½-2½ inches) in diameter that are freely produced from midsummer into autumn. It has an elegant, open habit with fabulous semi-double flowers with a pure white calyx and striking cobalt-blue petals, fading to lilac-rose with age. It likes sun or partial shade in a free draining soil and grows up to 1m. The dainty bi-coloured pendant flowers of this upright fuchsia make it ideal for a large container, or plant it in pride of place close to the front of a sunny border. Although hardy, some protection from very low temperatures is best, using straw pinned down with netting or a thick mulch of bark or compost around the base of the plant.

Rhododendron ‘Everred'

The beautiful combination of dark red flowers and stunning reddish-purple foliage make this slow growing semi-dwarf rhododendron so alluring. The plant is equally happy in a container or in the border.

Rhododendron ‘Everred' likes full sun or partial shade and flourishes in moist but well drained acidic soil. It has a height and spread of 60cm and carries red flowers in April. Feed in spring with fertilizer for acid-loving shrubs and remove spent flowers. Clip wayward growth lightly after flowering. Hardy down to -5°C.

Veronica 'Inspires'

Dianthus 'Passion'

Primula  'Champagne'

Primula Champagne will add beautiful spring colour to any garden.


Primula Champagne looks superb not only in pots but also at the front of borders and rockeries. From early spring it produces an eye catching display of beautiful pale peach flowers with pale orange - yellow hues complimented by gorgeous mid green leaves.

Primulas do best in neutral / slightly acid soil. They are essentially woodlanders and like a partially shaded position and large quantities of organic matter. They will survive on thin, alkaline soils as annual bedding plants if you grow them in partial shade and incorporate as much humus as possible but they will not form fat clumps. In this case, try them in pots or the conservatory.

Primula's like cool or even cold conditions, if you have plants indoors it is best to place them in the conservatory or on a cool windowsill. Make sure you do not over water your plants, remove any dead flowers regularly and a regular liquid feed will help promote more flowers.

Frost hardy, ‘Champagne' will flower year after year, suits sun or partial shade and the approximate height and spread is 20cm x 30cm. This plant is now available in 1L pots.

Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve'

Wallflowers are nectar rich plants, which encourage benefical wildlife, such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies into the garden. Named after plantsman E.A. Bowles, 'Bowles' Mauve is one of very few Erysimums to have received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. This is a compact perennial wallflower with mauve to purple subtly scented flowers, set off beautifully by the glaucous grey foliage. It is an excellent, quick growing perennial for flower borders or patio containers. Attractive to bees and butterflies, it can also be used in flower arranging.

It flowers from late winter to early autumn and prefers a sunny position, sheltered from the wind, with well drained neutral to alkaline soil. Light clipping after flowering will lead many to repeat flower in the autumn, some varieties going right on till the severe frosts start. Propagate by summer or autumn cuttings. Height and spread after 4 years 75 x 60cm (30" x 24").

This spring we have Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve' on offer whilst stocks last - A 2L pot is £4.99 (RRP £7.99). We will also be stocking Erysimum 'Fragrant Sunshine' and Erysimum 'Treasure' F1 Mix. Both are compact, branching, semi-evergreen perennials.  'Treasure' F1 Mix has lush, green leaves and erect racemes of fragrant, yellow, red, primrose and bronze flowers in early spring to late summer. 'Fragrant Sunshine' has dark green, linear leaves and clusters of fragrant, bright yellow flowers in early spring and summer.

Clematis Diamantina ^TM Evipo039^(N)

Other Clematis cultivars from Raymond Evison