This Achillea was raised by the great English nurseryman Alan Bloom whom I had the privilege of meeting before he died a few years ago. To my mind it is one of, if not the best of all Achilleas as it is beautiful both in flower and in foliage. Read more about Achillea ‘Moonshine’
NEW From evergreen basal rosettes strong 2 metres tall spires produce large butter yellow, hollyhock flowers about 10cm across. Read more about Alcea rugosa
Featured in our pear walk and one of the loveliest of all the flowers in the garden this outstanding cultivar makes metre tall stems topped by glistening pure white flowers from late summer until well into the autumn. Cut back all the way to the ground after flowering. Read more about Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’
‘Marchenfee’ is a single soft pink, compact growing variety of Japanese Windflower. Like all of its kin it will make a terrific display during late summer and autumn as long as it is well watered. Read more about Anemone x hybrida ‘Marchenfee’
This perennial snapdragon from the hills of Morocco and Spain which, during late spring and summer, carries rose pink flowers on short stems over mounds of blue-green fuzzy foliage. In hot districts a little light shade is beneficial otherwise it is happy in full sun. Read more about Antirrhinum hispanicum ‘Roseum’
Aquilegia ‘Denver Gold’ was selected by the Denver Botanic Gardens for its ability to produce a second crop of flowers after the first flush is finished. Large, elegant, long spurred lemon yellow flowers are produced on 60-80cm tall stems during spring and summer. Read more about Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Denver Gold’
This Manzanita can be kept clipped to a metre tall, or allowed to become a 2m shrub. Producing pure white lily-of-the-valley flowers during late winter spring. Rarely offered in Australia. Drought tolerant when established and will grow happily in sun or light shade. Read more about Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’
From the dry western areas of the USA beautiful in all its parts from the burnished copper-bronze twisted trunks to its wonderful large grey-green leaves and exquisite lily-of-the-valley flowers. Thoroughly drought tolerant when once established. Read more about Arctostaphylos manzanita ‘St Helena’
A relatively dwarf New Zealand Rock Lily with handsome arching sword shaped leaves and produces masses of shooting star, lily-like flowers during spring and summer. Read more about Arthropodium cirrhatum ‘Te Puna’
A plant of mostly dry ground in the eastern parts of the USA, this species does well for us. Aster ‘Calliope’ was raised in the 1890s at the RHS gardens and is more elegant in flower than most Easter daisies. Read more about Aster laevis ‘Calliope’
Aster ‘Lady in Black’ was raised by Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf. It is a dramatic plant with black leaves clothing stiff upright 80cm tall stiff stems. Read more about Aster lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’
The best white flowered Bergenia we know with good tough foliage and the old leaves colouring well in winter. The flower stems are held well above the leaves and have horizontal secondary stems which display the white flowers beautifully. Read more about Bergenia ‘Bressingham White’
A new selection of Bergenia which makes mounds of dark green leathery leaves each with a pencil line red edge which is more pronounced during winter. Early spring brings clusters of purple pink bells carried on strong 35cm tall flower stems. Height 35cm. Spread 50cm. Read more about Bergenia ‘Eden's Dark Margin’
This beaustiful drought tolerant shrub is grown as much for its handsome foliage as for its flowers, pretty though they are. In our dry climate garden it has made an upright shrub some 200cm x 180cm. Read more about Buddleja crispa
David S. Stuart in his monograph on the genus wrote that ‘Lochinch’ was one of his favourite varieties. This hybrid popped up in the garden of the Earl of Stair at Lochinch in Wigtownshire, Scotland during the Second World War. Read more about Buddleja ‘Lochinch’
In his superb book Guide To Plants Paul Bangay writes that this ornamental grass, which he has planted in his own garden, is "a stand-out plant that makes a huge statement when planted en masse...the first to flower and the last to finish". Read more about Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
A distinctive Japanese sedge with arching green leaves. Carex oshimensis 'Evergreen' is beautiful in a pot as well as making a dense groundcover. It will grow in a difficult courtyard and small city garden if well irrigated. Read more about Carex oshimensis ‘Evergreen’
These new carnations have been beautifully bred to produce a wealth of long-stemmed and perfumed cut-flowers for the vase from spring until autumn. These grow very well in a sunny border with only modest watering in the driest of times. Read more about Carnations
‘Ambrose’ carries large classical carnations in a beautiful pink shade on long stems. When planted 30cm apart in full sun or light shade ‘Ambrose’ will grow 60-80cm tall. Read more about Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Ambrose’
‘Carole’ carries large classical carnations in a beautiful burgundy shade on long stems. When planted 30cm apart in full sun or light shade ‘Carole’ will grow 60-80cm tall. Read more about Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Carole’
‘Liberty’ carries large classical lemon carnations on long stems. When planted 30cm apart in full sun or light shade ‘Liberty’ will grow 60-80cm tall stems. Read more about Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Liberty’
‘White Liberty’ carries large classical white carnations on long stems. When planted 30cm apart in full sun or light shade ‘White Liberty’ will grow 60-80cm tall. Read more about Dianthus caryophyllus ‘White Liberty’
The dense carpet of silver grey leaves is smothered by pure white flowers during the warmer months. Happy in any sunny well drained spot and is drought hardy once established. 10cm tall by 60cm across. Read more about Cerastium tomentosum var. columnae ‘Snow Carpet’
Famously the leaves of this plant are the source of Labdanum Essential Oil which has a warm sweet, musky, amber scent. Large white flowers with purple brush strokes at the centre are produced on an evergreen shrub well clothed in dark green sticky leaves. Read more about Cistus ladanifer
This tough climber has been cultivated in England for 400 years. Vigorous, long lived and easy to grow some plants in our garden are 20 years old. We grow it both on a trellis and climbing through a Rubus ‘Benenden’. Read more about Clematis viticella
A new US import bred for its stunning early flowers that appear in October here, many weeks ahead of most cultivars of the type. There can hardly be a better carpeting plant for Australian gardens than Convolvulus sabatius. Read more about Convolvulus sabatius ‘Early Blue’
There can hardly be a better carpeting plant than this north African plant. Convolvulus ‘L.A. Form’ is an especially large flowered variety imported from California. The silvery-blue, moon shaped, upward facing flowers cover the trailing stems from spring until late autumn. Read more about Convolvulus sabatius ‘L.A. Form’
This late winter flowering gem carries fragrant soft yellow catkins on gracefully arching bare stems. Its soft green leaves turn to butter yellow in autumn. Best in a well watered shady spot in hot districts although happy in full sun in mild hills gardens. Read more about Corylopsis sinensis
