BLACKBERRIES

KOTATA

One of the finest flavours of all blackberries. An early mid-season variety with a heavy crop of high quality fruit that produces its main crop the same time as Bedford Giant. The canes are thorny but easy to manage. Growth is vigorous and the long purple-black fruits are well displayed. An established plant in full yield is a magnificent sight. Kotata was bred in Oregan, USA and has the typical bright glossy fruit. A lovely new variety that has given excellent results in our trials.

SYLVAN

An early fruiting thorny hybrid. The large long dark purple-black fruits have a superb flavour and are ready in early-mid July.

HELEN: a new very early Season Thornless Blackberry

A welcome addition to our lists, in trials Helen has provided good sized fruits of firm attractive appearance which ripen very early in late July. The flavour has been rated as Very Good, and this in commercial trials, not normally too bothered with the flavour of a new variety, so it must be impressive. The growth is completely thorn-free and, although early indications are that it is not as compact as Waldo and Loch Ness, it is certainly far less vigorous than most blackberries and a planting distance of 5-6ft should certainly be adequate. With its fine fruit quality, natural earliness, excellent flavour and compact growth habit, Helen is an attractive addition to the range of Garden Worthy Blackberries. Recommended £8.95 each.

WALDO

A recent variety and the first Western American type to be bred without thorns. Raised in Oregon, USA, Waldo is very outstanding, the fruits are large, an intense black in colour, and have a very attractive gloss. The quality of the fruits is outstanding, the flavour is even more outstanding. The canes of Waldo are trailing but very compact and should be planted as close as 4' apart. A perfect variety for the small garden with its compact, easy to manage growth. The crop is heavy and ripens in July before the traditional earliest variety; Bedford Giant. The fruits have small seeds which is an added advantage for preserves. With its early high quality fruits, magnificent flavour and compact growth, Waldo is the perfect variety to grow before Loch Ness. Very highly recommended.

The very latest new Scottish Blackberry - introducing LOCH TAY

Following in the illustrious path blazed by the highly popular ‘Loch Ness’ and easily the equal of that superb variety, Loch Tay features the advantage of a much earlier fruiting season, its rounded jet black fruits start to ripen in late July and continue through most of August. They are quite firm in texture so manage to shrug off summer downpours with ease and will last well in good condition on the bush if you don’t get around to harvesting them. The flavour is very good and sweet, and the completely smooth spine free canes feature the same semi-upright, compact habit of Loch Ness. Can be grown quite simply as a self supporting bush on its own, planted 4’ apart, incorporated into a row of raspberries or even grown in a container. Loch Tay is a highly worthwhile accompaniment to the Loch Ness and also the best early season thorn free compact Blackberry.
High quality pot grown plants supplied

BEDFORD GIANT

Early crop of large, sweet, juicy berries, season late July and August. Prickly but recommended, superb for freezing and all other purposes. Crops well under all conditions, giving an exceptional yield of quality fruit. The round bright black fruits hang in large clusters, making picking easy.

*ADRIENNE *NEW*

An early fruiting spine free blackberry with vigorous growth and superb fruit quality Adrienne usually starts to ripen a week after Silvan and a week before Waldo. In Southern England this is usually early July. The fruits are large, rather similar to Silvan, and are firm, long and conical. They have a bright and attractive appearance and the juicy fruits have a truly excellent flavour. Cropping potential is very high with the strong canes that are vigorous for a thornless variety. The fruit is well displayed to make picking easy from the short, stout, fruiting laterals. Bred by Medway Fruits, Adrienne is a hybrid between Silvan and an un-named seedling. If you require more vigorous cane growth than Waldo supplies then this is the variety for you. £7.95 each 2 plants £14.90

*ASHTON CROSS

Raised by Long Ashton Research Station. A very heavy cropping blackberry with the real blackberry flavour. The fruits are medium sized, bright attractive and borne in heavy clusters. Juicy fruits hang in abundance with the real wild blackberry flavour. Superb for freezing, pies, desserts, jams and all purposes. Ashton Cross has given exceptionally heavy yields of quality fruit at the National Fruit trials over a 5 year period and has cropped at 50% more than Bedford Giant, the standard heaviest cropping variety. The fruits are normally ripe the first week in August and continue until the end of September giving an 8 week picking period from the vigorous canes. Ashton Cross was selected from a collection of wild blackberries at Long Ashton Research Station and a virus tested clone was prepared by the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Our stocks are propagated from this initial release of FOUNDATION MEDANA STOCK. Very popular.

NEW GIANT!! BLACKBERRY ‘BLACK BEAUTE’

A very notable introduction from Oregon, U.S.A. Black Beaute has the most enormous berries, which weigh in at a hefty 11 grams each - that's twice the weight of an ordinary cultivated blackberry. With their glossy black colouring and pleasant aroma, these collosal berries provide a most attractive sight at the tea table and are sure to win prizes at any show. But Black Beaute is also a superb eating variety with very good flavour and fleshy, juicy fruits. These make an outstanding pie or preserve and are also ideal for juicing. Black Beaute is a pleasure to grow and pick, the vigorous trailing growth is easily trained and relatively sparsely prickled. We seldom introduce any new variety of exceptionally large fruit size as other qualities are often lacking. Not so Black beaute, the flavour, yield and eating qualities are all very impressive and we can recommend this quite unique new giant Blackberry to you with every confidence.

BLACK SATIN

The canes are completely thornless and its main advantage is that it ripens earlier than the other thornless varieties. The fruits are bright, juicy and attractive and provide an excellent crop, excels in a sunny position.

*MERTON THORNLESS

Raised at the John Innes Institute, Compact grower, completely thornless, the large fruits are beautifully flavoured, often 1'' in diameter, with the real blackberry taste. Season August/September. Compact growth makes this variety ideal for the small garden, a very generous cropper.

*LOCH NESS

This marvellous variety was raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Loch Ness is a breakthrough in blackberry research and has a different type of growth to the standard varieties. The canes are vigorous, spine free, semi erect and very easy to manage. This new type of growth is ideal for the smaller garden where Loch Ness can be grown against a single post or even in a row of raspberries. The fruits are very large for a blackberry (4g) have a good colour and a lovely flavour. Picking is very easy from the thornless upright canes. Loch Ness crops from mid-late August to mid-late September. Plant just 3’ apart. A superb new compact
variety and a must for gardens everywhere. Highly recommended. The ideal variety to follow Waldo.

JOHN INNES

An old hybrid blackberry raised by crossing two wild blackberries at the John Innes Institute in approximately 1923. Vigorous thorny canes, giving heavy crops of very large fruits in September and October. Good sweet flavour.

SMOOTHSTEM

A heavy crop of sweet berries, completely thornless. Season - September. The large, bright berries are easily picked when fully ripe. Prefers a full sun position to produce of its best. The quality fruit has an excellent flavour but somewhat acid. Superb for jam.

MARION

The Marion berry is a hybrid berry and the fruits are well presented for picking, large and juicy, with a succulent loganberry-type flavour that is perfect for dessert and freezing. The picking season is long and often lasts in excess of 9 weeks from mid-July until very late September, making it the longest picking of all hybrid cultivars. The canes are vigorous and thorny. Previously classified as a hybrid berry, but now considered a true blackberry.

OREGON THORNLESS

very handsome foliage, providing large fruit of very good flavour. Season - September in to October. Ripening in large clusters to give a very heavy, attractive crop. Derived from the wild European blackberry Rubus Laciniatus.

THORNFREE

Completely thorn free canes that produce a very good crop in the late season. The fruits are very large and jet black. Good flavour and very high quality fruit, similar to Smoothstem.

HIMALAYAN GIANT

A very heavy crop of medium sized fruit from late August to October. Very vigorous, very prickly. Suitable for barrier or windbreak. Not a variety for general garden use, but suitable where sufficient room is available. 20-301b fruit per plant is normal. Derived from the wild European form of Rubus Procerus.

CHESTER

Cropping late to extend the season the fruits are produced to cover a long picking season, the yield is exceptionally heavy equal to Silvan and Waldo. The quality of the fruit is superb and they have a sweeter flavour than most blackberries. Cane growth is semi erect with the advantage that less space is required. A real exhibition quality variety with a very remarkable flavour. Suitable for all purposes.

PRICES ALL ABOVE VARIETIES UNLESS PRICED SEPARATELY
£9.95 each
2 plants £18.95
3 plants £25.95
4 plants £33.40
6 plants £51.95
10 plants £75.95

Prices quoted for that quantity of the same variety.

Blackberries are also ideal for training against walls, fences, sheds etc, and will provide a very useful crop on sunless walls where few other fruits will grow. Thornless varieties plant 8' apart, thorny varieties plant 10' apart. Himalayan Giant 15' apart. Loch Ness 3' apart.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OF OUR BLACKBERRIES ARE VERY HIGH QUALITY AND NOT JUST ROOTED TIPS!

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES

For flavour: ASHTON CROSS, LOCH NESS, WALDO HELEN and KOTATA.
For the smaller garden: MERTON THORNLESS, LOCH NESS and WALDO.
Variety with very vigorous, thorny growth: HIMALAYAN GIANT