Plants seasonal calendar
Spring and autumn planting bulbs
Waitrose spring and autumn prepack bulbs originate from Dutch bulb stock which is field grown in Holland in their ideal sandy soils and allowed to 'bulk up' over a number of seasons before being lifted from the ground, cleaned, graded, packaged and brought into the UK by our long standing suppliers. These are then displayed in store at the appropriate time of year (autumn bulbs September to mid-December and spring bulbs February to end April) and should remain dormant in their packaging until planted out by customers. Among many others Waitrose will stock the favourite tulips, daffodils and alliums in the autumn and such lines as peonies, freesia and lilies in the spring.
Care and uses
Bulbs tend to be purchased by the keener gardeners amongst our customers as self purchases but our new packaging also makes them highly suitable as gifts. At Christmas, bulb products will be available in altogether more decorative product concepts for use as presents. Our pre-pack bulbs vary greatly in their growing requirements depending on the particular variety. Full instructions are provided with each pack detailing where and when to plant them, how deep to plant them and how to orientate the bulbs in the soil. In general, a free draining soil is best for bulbs and it is true that the display will improve with each coming year as the bulbs build up in the soil.
Trends for the future
As is the case with pot plants, work is being carried out to develop new and improved bulb varieties and regular visits are made to trial beds in both the UK and The Netherlands. Waitrose aims to refresh the range each year to provide a mix of old favourites and also some interesting newer varieties that customers may not have encountered before.
Azaleas
Waitrose azaleas are grown on from cuttings (sourced from Belgian mother plants) in a glasshouse environment in Belgium. The best plants are typically available in the spring but Waitrose will stock this plant from late September, through Christmas until late March the following year. It can be presented as a single plant or very often worked into attractive combinations in decorative pots.
Care and uses
Waitrose azaleas are great plants to brighten up any location, perfect for windowsill positions and ideal as gifts. They require very basic care which involves keeping them out of extremes of temperature and the fiercest of direct sun, keeping the compost moist (water from below - they can be quite thirsty plants), removing dead flower heads and keeping out of draughts. The azaleas that we sell are indoor azaleas which mean they are not the hardy outdoor varieties that will get best results in the garden. Keen gardeners can harden them off and keep them outside but our advice is to use them indoors only. Like their outdoor cousins however the indoor azaleas do appreciate a more acid soil and this should be kept in mind if customers aim to keep them longer term.
Trends for the future
New plants are currently being developed that last longer in store, retain their flowers for longer, do not drop the brown sheaths to the buds, resist drought and have glossier foliage. There are also upcoming varieties with both variegated foliage and flowers.
Begonias
Waitrose begonias are grown on from cuttings (sourced in Brazil or Kenya) in a glasshouse environment in the UK where all the external conditions in terms of heat, light, water and feeding can be closely controlled and manipulated to provide a year round crop on a 14-week cycle. Our supplier is working towards producing cuttings in-house so that this will eventually remove the need to airfreight them in from abroad. The plants are produced on benches, and watering is carried out from underneath so that the flowers do not become wet. The production of our begonias is mechanised to a point to enable efficient production but there are still three stages performed by hand (pinching, caning and spacing) where each plant is appraised and high standards of quality observed. Waitrose stock this plant most of the year but will take a break at key times such as Christmas to provide a varied offer for customers.
Care and uses
Waitrose begonias are great plants to brighten up any location, perfect for sunny or part sun windowsill positions and are ideal as gifts. They require very basic care which involves keeping them out of extremes of temperature and the fiercest of direct sun, keeping the compost moist but not waterlogged (watering best achieved from below), removing dead flower heads and keeping out of draughts. They can be placed outdoors in the summer or in conservatories, but will not tolerate frost.
Trends for the future
New varieties for colour, shape and longevity are currently being trialled and work is being carried out in particular to develop new varieties that give good results outdoors. Because Waitrose keep in close contact with our growers and their trial plants, this means that Waitrose customers may well be among the first to see some of the newer begonia developments in the marketplace.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen are grown from seed and is one of the slowest growing seed crops, taking around 12 weeks from sowing until potting. The young plants are potted and can take another 18 weeks until flowering. The secret to producing a high quality cyclamen is to give it plenty of air movement and grow it slowly, as this will give a robust plant. To do this the crop is grown at low density and at low temperatures; this increases production time but maximizes quality. Cyclamen grown at much warmer and higher densities produces a soft plant, which is highly likely to succumb to disease and damage in transit. This plant is strongly associated with autumn, Christmas and early spring and Waitrose will therefore stock this plant from late September through Christmas until late March the following year. It can be presented as a single plant or worked into attractive combinations in decorative pots.
Care and uses
Waitrose cyclamen are great plants to brighten up most locations, perfect for shaded windowsill positions and ideal as gifts. They require very basic care which involves keeping them out of extremes of temperature and any direct sun, keeping the compost moist, removing dead flower heads and keeping out of draughts. The cyclamen that we sell can be planted out in the garden in the spring and they should then harden off over the summer and naturalise outdoors.
Trends for the future
Cyclamen breeders are working on new varieties with different shades of the pastel colours that cyclamen are renowned for and also examples where the flowers are frilly and aberrant shapes. We are seeing more plants with beautiful silver variegation on the leaves and we can expect more variegated plants to come through. Customers are most likely to find the newer cyclamen varieties worked in to our arrangements. We are also seeing more cyclamen in larger formats than before with bigger better established plants being offered in larger pots.
Orchids
Orchids of the phalaenopsis varieties found in Waitrose stores are developed by a series of breeders in the Far East who each specialise in a particular form or colour of plants. Varieties are then trialled with the good performers being propagated larger scale in tissue culture.
These young plants are then shipped to the UK or Holland where they are planted into pots using moss (or in some cases bark) and grown on into finished plants. Approximately 50% of Waitrose orchids will be grown in the UK rather than continental Europe and going forward this figure is expected to increase.
Care and uses
Orchids are very easy to look after and provide long lasting displays with minimal effort. In their natural habitat they grow in the branches of trees and over rocks where there roots will be largely exposed, taking moisture and nutrients from the air and this is why they are grown in bark or moss. Orchids are best kept out of direct sun and draughts but otherwise can tolerate most situations. Watering is best achieved by submerging the root mass of the plant in water for an hour, then removing from the water, allowing to drain and replacing in its position. Flowers should last for eight weeks but once flowering is over, the flower spike can be cut back down to the first stem joint and if the plant is then maintained at 10˚C for 14 weeks a new flower spike may follow.
Trends for the future
There are more and more orchids being produced each year to satisfy sustained consumer demand and this has prompted much in the way of new product concepts. Rather than a single flower spike there are plants which are multi branched, plants that have fewer larger flowers or a profusion of small heads. There are orchids which have been trained in a cascading curve with flowers all along the length of the stem and also more compact multi headed plants. Arrangements planted up with many individual orchids are highly decorative and becoming more readily available.
Poinsettias
Waitrose poinsettias are grown on from cuttings in a glasshouse environment where all the external conditions in terms of heat, light, water and feeding can be closely controlled and manipulated to make the crop available at Christmas when customers expect it. Our poinsettias are grown slowly at cooler temperatures producing stronger plants. Waitrose customers will purchase so many poinsettias over the festive period that sourcing is required from a number of sources including Warwickshire, Scotland and Sussex. Waitrose will stock this plant from late November up until Christmas and customers can buy them in a variety of sizes as a single plant or worked into attractive arrangements in decorative pots.
Care and uses
Waitrose poinsettias are festive plants to brighten up any location at Christmas, suitable for most positions and ideal as gifts. Poinsettias are quite sensitive plants and do not respond well to shock. They should therefore be kept out of extremes of temperature, kept moist (they have large leaf area and they can be quite thirsty plants), and kept out of draughts. To get the most out of your plant, place in a warm position above 16˚C with as much light as possible but not direct sunlight. Water from below if possible. Poinsettias are indoor plants only.
Trends for the future
New poinsettias are being developed all the time to satisfy consumer demand and find better coloured varieties that perform better in Waitrose stores and our customer's homes. They are on sale at a time of year when it is cold outside and hot inside and so good plants are the ones which stand up to these conditions without dropping leaves or wilting. While red may be the most popular colour and sell in biggest numbers, there are shades of pinks, creams and whites which are proving popular. We are also seeing alternative shaped leaves where the edges are anything from gently scalloped to oak or holly shaped.
Pot bulbs
Waitrose pot bulbs originate from the bulb fields of Holland, are brought into the UK and 'forced' by manipulating their surroundings in terms of treatment with cold and light. Pot bulbs could be produced at any time of year but their strong association with Spring means that they are more commonly seen early in the year. Waitrose will stock pot hyacinths, pot narcissi and often others in single pots and added value combinations from January through until April.
Care and uses
Pot bulbs make attractive and seasonal gifts or can provide cheerful displays in the home. They should preferably be kept in cool conditions with subdued light to prolong the display, as keeping them warm and light will accelerate their development. They should be kept moist but not waterlogged since bulbs appreciate a free draining growing medium. Bulbs can be planted out in the garden once the flowers have passed and should reshoot the following year.
Trends for the future
New varieties of bulbs are emerging continually with variation in flower colour, shape and performance in the garden. Waitrose work closely with our suppliers to monitor the latest developments and make the right bulb selections for our products.
Pot chrysanthemums
Waitrose chrysanthemums are grown on from cuttings (sourced from Kenya) in a glasshouse environment in West Glamorgan, where all the external conditions in terms of heat, light, water and feeding can be closely controlled and manipulated to provide a crop on a 14 week cycle. Customers like to buy these plants all year round and Waitrose will therefore stock this plant for most of the year. Waitrose select different varieties to reflect the seasons.
Care and uses
Waitrose chrysanthemums are great plants to brighten up any location, perfect for sunny windowsill positions and ideal as gifts. They require very basic care which involves keeping them out of extremes of temperature and the fiercest of direct sun, keeping the compost moist (watering best achieved from below), removing dead flower heads and keeping out of draughts. They can be placed outdoors in the summer or in conservatories, but will not tolerate frost.
Trends for the future
New varieties for colour, shape and longevity are currently being trialled and at certain times of the year Waitrose will be selling chrysanthemum varieties which are not available elsewhere. Because Waitrose keep in close contact with our growers and their trial plants, this means that Waitrose customers may well be among the first to see some of the newer chrysanthemum developments in the marketplace. Look out for large headed varieties of chrysanthemums which typically appear around September/October.
Outdoor patio range
Seasonally, Waitrose present a range of flowering pot plants of larger format and suitable for the patio including such varieties as betulia, lavender and hydrangea. These have been chosen for their long lasting flowers and dramatic effect, and are grown from cuttings in a glasshouse environment in Sussex. Certain of these crops may be 'stood down' outside to harden them off before being delivered to Waitrose. The plants are set on the floor of the greenhouse to grow with watering carried out via pot drippers so that the flowers do not become wet. The production is mechanised to achieve efficiencies and minimise handling and the pinching, caning and spacing processes are automated. Waitrose will stock a range of patio plants from May to September.
Care and uses
Waitrose patio ranges are ideal to make a colourful statement on the summer patio but are also suitable for use in the home or conservatory where will serve to brighten up most locations. They are perfect for sunny windowsill positions and ideal as gifts. They require very basic care which involves keeping them out of extremes of temperature and the fiercest of direct sun, keeping the compost moist (watering best achieved from below) and removing dead flower heads. They can of course be placed outdoors in the summer or in conservatories but with the exception of lavender they will not tolerate frost.
Trends for the future
Work is being done by plant breeders to develop new, more colourful and longer lasting plants and Waitrose keep up to date with the latest advances. Waitrose aim to stock more exotic plants such as dipladenias and impressive large flowering hibiscus to make a real statement.
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