While we receive lots of kind compliments for our range of plants few that we offer receive the same scale of effusive praise as Dowdeswell's Delphiniums!
Dowdeswell’s Delphiniums is a family owned Delphinium nursery in Whanganui New Zealand that is recognised worldwide for their superb breeding work. Plants raised from their hand pollinated seed are much better than cheaper strains such as Pacific Giants or Magic Fountains. Dowdeswell’s delphiniums have all the beauty of the best English varieties and are soundly perennial and will give joy for many years to come if their few wants are satisfied.
Dowdeswell’s delphiniums are repeat bloomers and make exciting cut flowers. They are best planted in a well drained position in full sun. Plant 90-100cm between plants. We offer strong flowering size plants. These dormant plants are deeply frost hardy, ideal for planting now to maximise growth and available only while stocks last.
These good strong well-grown plants will be supplied in their winter dormancy with vigorous new shoots ready to emerge. Read more about Dowdeswell’s Delphiniums
We grew these perennial New Zealand bred Delphiniums in our garden last year and visitors were besotted by their beauty. Their immense spires grow up to 180cm or more tall and are amongst the glories of the horticultural world. Read more about Delphinium ‘Royal Aspiration’
We grew these perennial New Zealand bred Delphiniums in our garden last year and visitors were besotted by their beauty. Their immense spires grow up to 180cm or more tall and are amongst the glories of the horticultural world. Read more about Delphinium ‘Green Twist’
We grew these perennial New Zealand bred Delphiniums in our garden last year and visitors were besotted by their beauty. Their immense spires grow up to 180cm or more tall and are amongst the glories of the horticultural world. Read more about Delphinium ‘Sweethearts’
We grew these perennial New Zealand bred Delphiniums in our garden last year and visitors were besotted by their beauty. Their immense spires grow up to 180cm or more tall and are amongst the glories of the horticultural world. Read more about Delphinium ‘Black Eyed Angel’
We grew these perennial New Zealand bred Delphiniums in our garden last year and visitors were besotted by their beauty. Their immense spires grow up to 180cm or more tall and are amongst the glories of the horticultural world. Read more about Delphinium ‘Purple Passion’
We grew these perennial New Zealand bred Delphiniums in our garden last year and visitors were besotted by their beauty. Their immense spires grow up to 180cm or more tall and are amongst the glories of the horticultural world. Read more about Delphinium ‘Lilac Ladies’
‘Pink Punch’ bears strong broad spikes of rich mulberry pink flowers with a brown bee. The flowers are often frilled. Plant in full sun to part shade. Read more about Delphinium ‘Pink Punch’
This variety produces tall stately spires of deep purple flowers. Removing spent flowers encourages repeat blooming. Growing in full sun to part shade, this plant will impress. Read more about Delphinium ‘Pagan Purple’
This variety produces tall, stately spires of flowers with fluffy double petals of clean snow white. Thrives in full sun to part shade with a second flush of flowers after cutting back. Read more about Delphinium ‘Innocence’
These grow about half the size of other delphiniums that we list making so 50- 60cm tall. They have exceptionally strong stems too. Suited to growing in a deep 20cm plus pot as well as in the garden. Read more about Delphinium ‘New millennium Mini Stars ’
We grew these perennial New Zealand bred Delphiniums in our garden last year and visitors were besotted by their beauty. Their immense spires grow up to 180cm or more tall and are amongst the glories of the horticultural world. Read more about Delphinium ‘Dusky Maiden’
Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit Winner
The best of the yellow flowered yarrows first sold during the year of the Queen’s coronation. It makes well behaved evergreen mounds of feathery grey leaves. Read more about Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’
A superb variety of shade loving groundcover. Its evergreen glossy dark purple almost black foliage makes a dense carpet in any shady spot which doesn’t parch during summer. Showy spikes of deep blue flowers on 25 cm tall stems are produced in spring. Read more about Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’
This Californian bred plant is one of the best ground covers for shade. We grow it under a Washington Thorn by the side of a brick path. It makes evergreen mats of large glistening bronze leaves, dense and weed proof. During spring rich violet flowers cover 35cm tall spires. Read more about Ajuga ‘Catlins Giant’
This Gold Medal Winning groundcover makes dense mats of cream and purple leaves with glowing pink edges. During spring and again in autumn spikes of royal blue flowers are produced in profusion. Read more about Ajuga tenorii ‘Princess Nadia’
I’ve grown Anthemis ‘Susannah Mitchell’ for many years and it is as good a plant as anyone could want. A few years ago one of its stems had deeper coloured flowers on it. This sport was propagated and I named it Anthemis ’Alice Glenn’ for my late mother. Read more about Anthemis ‘Alice Glenn’
It’s a long time since we sold this Anthemis which came to Lambley from Cruden Farm more than 20 years ago. The evergreen mounds of mossy green fernlike leaves, much cut and divided, are smothered in warm soft lemon daisies from mid spring until mid summer. Read more about Anthemis ‘Mrs E. C. Buxton’
This, one of the best silver foliage plants, has been a mainstay of our double borders for years. It's planted next to the deep violet flowered Salvia nemorosa ‘Mainacht’. Artemisia ‘Valerie Finnis’ makes a dramatic suckering thicket of large jagged silver leaves. Read more about Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’
One of the best evergreen plants for shade, even dry shade, this is a superb clone with wider, longer, waxier and more arching leaves than the type. Masses of white shooting star, lily like flowers are produced in spring and summer. Read more about Arthropodium cirrhatum ‘Matapouri Bay’
‘Ruby Buttons’ is one of a new breed of Easter Daisy bred for the commercial cut flower trade as much as for the garden. 100cm tall stems clothed in glossy green, pointed leaves carry heads of full double ruby purple flowers in autumn. Read more about Aster ‘Ruby Buttons’
This beautiful, vigorous carpeting bell flower can be grown in light to full shade where it will soon cover a fair area with its pale green evergreen foliage. Sprays of pure white thimbles make a terrific show during spring and early summer. 15cm tall by 50cm wide. Read more about Campanula poscharskyana ‘Alba’
We grow a lot of clematis here at Lambley and it’s hard to imagine the garden without them. Don’t be tempted when you see Clematis flowering in the big hardware stores as they really are best planted from now. They aren’t difficult to grow once the cultural differences of each type are understood. Mind you, all need a good depth of soil to be happy and a good dusting of lime helps if like us your soil is acid. Clematis prefer a sunny or lightly shaded spot in the garden and are not bothered by frosts. Most varieties need some extra summer irrigation too. Our Clematis are very competitively priced and available only while stocks last.
Large satiny, silver-mauve flowers, 15-20cm across are displayed for many months from late spring until the autumn. Can be grown in a pot as well as covering a fence, an arbour or trellis or clambering through trees and climbing roses.
‘Allanah’ is a strong vigorous growing Clematis furnished with very large ruby-red flowers with a slightly darker bar and dark red anthers which turn green as they mature. As ‘Allanah’ flowers on the current year’s growth cut down to 15-30cm during winter. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Allanah’
An exceptional clematis uniquely coloured lavender striped rich pink. Quite vigorous, growing some 2.5-3 metres, it prefers to be given a light trim during winter and not cut down to hard.
‘Charissima’ has exceptionally large cerise-pink flowers with a deeper pink bar and veins. The blooms are 15-20cm in diameter and have wavy margins. This clematis prefers to be given a light trim during winter and not cut down too hard. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Charissima’
The large pale mauve-blue flowers edged in deeper mauve and have cream anthers. Blooms are freely produced from December until April on a vigorous plant which can in the right spot grow 4 metres into a tree although generally it will only make 2-3 metres. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Dominika’
Introduced in 1877, 'Gipsy Queen' is a vigorous, deciduous climber which gets covered with a profusion of large, 12-14 cm, remarkably velvety, violet-purple flowers with dark red stamens. The exquisite blooms hold their colour best in dappled shade. 2.1mtr
The shell pink flowers have contrasting chocolate anthers. As the flowers have a tendency to fade during hot weather ‘Hagley hybrid’ is best planted where it gets some shade from the afternoon sun. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Hagley Hybrid’
Depending on light intensity ‘Louise Rowe’ will have pale mauve, pink-mauve or grey mauve satiny flowers. The blooms are fully double at the start of the season and are followed by semi-double and then single flowers. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Louise Rowe’
A compact growing clematis suited to both pot and garden culture ‘Mrs James Mason’ has 12-15cm violet-mauve flowers with a deep pink stripe in the centre of each petal. This clematis prefers to be given a light trim during winter and not cut down too hard. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Mrs James Mason’
This captivating Clematis has really dark dusky purple flowers which are almost black when they first open. As the flowers age they turn reddish purple. The 7-12cm flowers are freely produced on a 240-300cm vine. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Romantika’
“Large, flat or flattish bright purple flowers with a lustrous bar flushed red, especially towards the base, tepals becoming paler with age. Filaments mainly white, red-purple towards top, with violet=purple connectives; anthers white’. Read more about Clematis x jackmanii ‘Vancouver Starry Nights’
Delightful reddish, mauve flowers approximately 14-16cm in diameter produced on a vigorous vine growing to 3-3.6mt in size. Flowers late spring to autumn. A deciduous climber.
Small 5-7cm cream flowers edged pale mauve are freely produced on a vigorous climber to 3-4metres. First flowering from November until early January it will rebloom late February, March and April if cut back hard after the first flush of bloom is spent. Read more about Clematis x viticella ‘Little Nell’
One of the best of the montana group Clematis ‘Elizabeth’ is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. “Slightly scented pale pink flowers with a satin sheen to 6cm in width have pale yellow stamens.” It grows into a vigorous vine and flowers mid spring here at Lambley. Read more about Clematis montana ‘Elizabeth’
We’ve had this growing on a fence for some years now and appreciate it more and more. It produces its deep rich lemon waxy flowers from early summer until autumn. Each flower gives way to a showy silver haired seed heads. Read more about Clematis ‘Golden Tiara’
A very attractive variety bearing deep rosy-purple flowers with reddish-purple anthers from early summer to autumn. Raised by the famed Grange of Orleans in 1875.
Flowering in spring and early summer this produces rich, dark red flowers that make an impressive display for their size and abundance. Read more about Clematis ‘Westerplatte’
This early spring flowering Ceanothus is covered in white flowers by the beginning of September. Small dark green wedge shaped leaves are held on grey stems. Ceanothus ‘Snowball’ makes a mounding plant 250cm tall by twice as much wide. Read more about Ceanothus cuneatus var rigidus ‘Snowball’
The exquisite flowers, carried above bronze foliage like a shoal of aqua-blue sea horses, are in bloom throughout spring with a second flush during late summer and autumn. Happy in any moist well drained spot in light to medium shade it also makes a god pot plant. Read more about Corydalis ‘Porcelain Blue’
This upright conifer makes an excellent evergreen specimen tree as well as a useful untrimmed wind break or timber tree. C. torulosa is resistant to cypress canker. Read more about Cupressus torulosa
This is one of the best forms of Italian Pencil Pine. It is very narrow in growth and very fast growing. Plants in our new Mediterranean garden have grown 2.5 metres tall in three years and they are already making a strong architectural statement. Read more about Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’
This superb plant was, which is rarely grown nowadays, is a hybrid between the evergreen D, cneorum and the deciduous D. caucasica. Read more about Daphne x burkwoodii
The Dreamaria sea thrift varieties are the result of a ten year long breeding program by one of Australia’s leading nurseries. Lambley is proud to have been appointed the sole mail order distributer of these remarkably beautiful new plants. The Dreameria series will grow happily in both coastal as well as inland areas so a superb alternative to ornamental alliums for milder regions lacking the frosty weather that Alliums prefer. Read more about New Armeria (Sea Thrift) Varieties
These are a great alternative to Alliums for those living in milder coastal areas lacking the frosts that bulbous alliums require. 'Sweet Dreams' carries softer pink drumstick flowers on stiff 30cm tall stems for many months during spring and summer. Read more about Dreameria PBR ‘Sweet Dreams’
The rich burgundy, spring and summer foliage changes to scarlet and pink during autumn and winter. Lime-yellow flowers are produced in spring and summer. Compact in growth, easy and long for a sunny spot ‘Cherokee’ needs a little supplementary irrigation during dry periods. Read more about Euphorbia dulcis ‘Cherokee’
During winter it develops a rich red growing point from which in spring lime green flowers with a red centre are produced. Drought resistant when once established. A beautiful selection by renowned plantsman David Tristram. Read more about Euphorbia x martinii ‘Rudolph’
Makes a magnificent evergreen foliage plant some two metres tall by two thirds as much wide. The large matt green, red edged leaves have a marked white central vein. In late winter showy clusters of reddish brown flowers are produced. Read more about Euphorbia mellifera
Large crimped leaves form a dense evergreen foliage mound from which, during summer, wands of showy deep lilac pinks flowers are produced. Best grown in a shady spot and will grow in quite dry shade when once established. Foliage mounds 25cm tall by 45cm width. Read more about Francoa sonchifolia ‘Rogerson’s Form’
We apologise that this plant is currently sold out.
A newly imported evergreen making a neat, tidy shrub well clothed with silver leaves. Small lemon yellow flowers are held in clusters above the foliage mound during summer and autumn. A tough, sun loving, drought tolerant plant. Read more about Helichrysum tianshanicum ‘Icicles’
Many plants tolerate shade but may not flower freely in that position. Heucheras have such dynamic and interesting foliage that they make up for the lack of flowers with their extraordinarily diverse colours and textures. Recent breeding work has brought some startling new cultivars to the fore. Read more about HEUCHERAS
A strong grower that makes a mound of large, glossy, heavily ruffled, almost-black leaves. Grow in filtered sun in warmer regions however it will tolerate some shade. 25 cm(H) x 35 cm(W). Read more about Heuchera ‘Black Taffeta’
This vigorous clone makes a gently suckering evergreen carpet of rich ruffled red leaves. Grow in filtered sun in warmer regions however it will tolerate some shade. 30 cm (H) x 45 cm (W). Read more about Heuchera ‘Fire Alarm’
This vigorous growing shade lover makes a 60cm wide 30cm tall mound of frilly leaves with a silvery bloom. Spires of small white bells are held above the foliage mounds during mid to late spring. Read more about Heuchera ‘Marmalade’
The evocatively named 'Obsidian' produces vigorous clumps of dark purple-burgundy almost black foliage, the whole topped with cream flowers on dark 45cm tall stems during late spring and summer. A wonderful contrast plant with some of the more vivid colours. Read more about Heuchera ‘Obsidian’
Clouds of rose-pink bells are held on stiff 40cm tall stems over evergreen mounds of silver sheened plum veined leaves. More tolerant of drier conditions than many of its kin it will still need watering regualary during dry periods. Best planted in a lightly shaded spot. Read more about Heuchera ‘Peppermint Spice’
A strong grower that makes a mound of generous sized lime-edged bright red centred leaves with vivid red bells of flowers in spring. Grow in filtered sun in warmer regions however it will tolerate some shade. 25 cm(H) x 35 cm(W). Read more about Heuchera ‘Red Lightning’
