This, the most handsome of all the Meadow Sages, makes flat rosettes of crinkled leaves from which, in its second year onward, are carried metre tall stems of lilac-blue flowers. Happy in any sunny well drained spot which gets a little extra water during very dry spells. more... about Salvia pratensis Haematodes Group
This is one of the best new plants we have in our dry garden with all the virtues of the nemorosa salvias but with a startlingly different flower colour. Stiff leafy spikes of bright magenta rose flowers are in bloom from spring onwards. more... about Salvia x superba ‘Rubin’
An import from Europe with particularly elegant spikes of rich violet-blue flowers enclosed in persistent purple bracts. One of our best new plants. The first flush of flowers is in the spring and early summer. more... about Salvia x superba ‘Tanzarin’
This is a welcome new addition which we imported recently from Olivier Filippi’s Mediterranean plant nursery in the South of France. Santolina insularis is endemic to the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean and makes a tough and drought tolerant garden plant. more... about Santolina insularis
Scabiosa ‘Pink Lace’ is an easily grown, shrubby pin cushion with large soft pink flowers from spring until winter. Its blooms are more heat tolerant than other selections on the market which have been bred to look as smug as a bug in a 6 inch pot. more... about Scabiosa ‘Pink Lace’
Beginning in mid-summer the large cauliflower shaped flower heads change from pale green in bud to soft baby pink then to deep pink through deep salmon-pink to dark coral-pink and finally, as autumn progresses into winter, rich mahogany brown. more... about Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Thought by some, including me, to be the best of all the taller growing Sedum. Handsome the year round it makes 90cm or more tall stiff maroon stems clothed with waxy blue leaves. more... about Sedum ‘Matrona’
The ground seeds of this beautiful grass from California and the western states are believed to have been widely used as a food source by the Hopi Indians of North America. more... about Sporobolus airoides
This Lamb’s Ear has very large leaves, up to 20cm long, felty grey rather than the more normal woolly white. It hardly flowers with us but occasionally produces an 80cm tall woolly stems with whorls of soft mauve purple flowers. more... about Stachys byzantinus ‘Big Ears’
This beautiful little plant will suit areas in the garden where the typical Lamb’s Ears would grow too big. It has the usual felted silver Lamb’s Ear leaf but is smaller in all its parts than the type and there is no time during the summer when it looks scruffy. more... about Stachys thirkei
This grass has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Fergus Garrett of Great Dixter fame sang its praises in recent years on the BBC's Gardener's World program. more... about Stipa gigantea
A plant of the Eastern US woodlands the Celandine Poppy has grown in the same spot in my garden for 15 years. It is in complete shade during summer but gets more light during its early spring until early summer flowering period. more... about Stylophorum diphyllum
This native of the province of Gansu in northern China was “...one of the first oriental lilacs to travel. Crossed somewhere on the way, it found its way as the hybrid S. X persica into Persia long ago”, writes Fr. John Fiala in his fine monograph Lilacs:The Genus Syringa. more... about Syringa laciniata
Tagetes lemomnii, with its fragrant leaves smelling of tropical fruit salad when brushed against, has rich yellow typical French marigold like flowers from late autumn through to mid winter. Sun loving and superbly drought tolerant. more... about Tagetes lemmonii
Hot dry rocky mountain slopes in Turkey is the home of this beautiful little evergreen grey foliage plant. A compact near prostrate sub shrub covered by intense silver, Prince of Wales Feather leaves. more... about Tanacetum densum ssp. amanum
This is a first release of this dark flowered form of Coastal Germander which makes a striking small shrub with oval green leaves and one sided loose spikes of deep rose flowers during summer. A butterfly attracting plant for sun or part shade. more... about Teucrium divaricatum ‘Epidaure’
Whilst all thymes flower few flower as handsomely as this one. A native of hot dry Mediterranean hillsides from Portugal to Turkey it is an especially important part of the flora of Crete where the bees make a fine honey from its nectar. more... about Thymus capitata
Lambley is slowly building up a collection of unusual thymes especially those that are native to hot dry areas of the world. We imported Thymus ciliatus last year and it has done well here at Lambley. more... about Thymus ciliatus
This is another new import from Olivier Filippi. In one year it has made a dense mat about 70cm across of small glossy green leaves, and as I write in mid-October is producing clear pink flowers which are held just above the foliage. more... about Thymus hirsutus
Spanish Thyme grows into a low woody based plant with grey leaves and white flowers. In the Iberian Peninsula this thyme is used to make a fragrant essential oil. The form that we grow here at Lambley makes a sub shrub about 60cm across by 25cm tall. more... about Thymus mastichina
When I was younger, much younger, in fact 45 years younger, I maintained an Edna Walling designed garden in Melbourne. The garden was really well made and the stone work was brilliant. more... about Thymus ‘Westmoreland’
There can’t be many better evergreen ground cover plants than this woodland plant from East Asia. As long as it is watered it will grow quite happily in sun and shade. It makes dense mats of dark glossy green leaves and exquisite fragrant jasmine like flowers. more... about Trachelospermum asiaticum
A mat forming perennial with short grass like leaves. In late spring and summer 30cm stems are covered with tiny pink Dianthus like flowers. Cut back when finished for another blooming. A good plant for the rock garden it is drought tolerant and prefers sun. 10cm x 30cm. more... about Tunica saxifraga
