An herbaceous perennial for tough positions requiring minimal watering. Adaptable to a range of soils though limey calcareous well-drained soils are particularly suited. Long-flowering from mid-summer. 100cm x 60cm Read more about Linaria genistifolia ssp. dalmatica
A beautiful wildflower for posies, this upright herbaceous perennial has lemon-cream snapdragon like flowers in abundance during the summer and well into autumn. One for very tough positions where it will spread via runners with just a little watering in hot dry spells. Read more about Linaria vulgaris
Intense true blue flowers smother the mat of dark green leaves during spring. Intolerant of soils with a high pH it will grow happily in any other sunny, well drained, humus rich spot and, at least here at Lambley, it tolerates drought pretty well. 20cm x 60cm. Read more about Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward’
This beautiful form of Ragged Robin has been a revelation in our garden. The species is a wildflower of the English hedgerows as well as being native to most of northern Europe and parts of Asia. Read more about Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Jenny’
This rarely offered dwarfing cultivar makes a 60cm tall tussock of narrow arching leaves and during summer 100cm tall flowering stems produce coppery gold feathers. Good reddish foliage in autumn. 100cm x 80cm. Read more about Miscanthus sinensis ‘Yaku Jima’
All of our plants are offered in a 10cm diameter pot unless otherwise indicated. Plants grown here are frost hardy to at least minus 5C unless stated otherwise. Many are hardy to much colder temperatures. They may be evergreen or deciduous, or herbaceous and overwintered by being cut back to near pot level.Read more about Standard Pot Size
This evergreen small shrub has intricately dissected foliage which gives it a lacy fern like appearance. The new leaves are reddish and during winter the leaves turn rich oranges and purples. Read more about Nandina domestica ‘Filamentosa’
Almost identical in its grey leaves and ethereal mauve flowers to Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’ but the habit of this plant makes it so different and so desirable. It is very neat, upright and tidy in growth not at all lax. Read more about Nepeta ‘Dropmore’
Walkers Low catmint has been growing in our double borders for a dozen years or so. Stiff upright stems, clothed in greyish leaves, carry spikes of lavender-blue flowers of a similar colour to N. Read more about Nepeta racemosa ‘Walkers Low’
This is the catmint featured in the English coffee table gardening books. Sadly a second rate plant is still being sold as this in Australia. We grow it in front of a stone wall in a bed that is never watered. Read more about Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’
From a very tough evergreen mat of dark green leaves, stiff twiggy leafy stems carry heads of rich purple pink flowers from summer to autumn. Happy in any sunny spot and very tolerant of drought needing only a very occasional watering in the driest of summers. 30cm x40cm. Read more about Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’
The ornamental origanums are not used enough in gardens and shouldn't be confused with the culinary forms. Originally from Greece and Turkey they are drought tolerant and take both our hot summer sun and our very cold winters. Read more about Origanum ‘Rosenkuppel’
The oriental poppies are amongst the most sumptuous of all temperate climate plants rivalling the showiest tropical flowers. We grow them in a bed in the kitchen garden picking them for the house and for Criss to paint. Read more about Papaver orientale ‘Bloody Mary’
One of my favourite Penstemon with the loveliest blue-mauve white throated flowers beautifully poised on long pedicels. Flowering as it does from late spring until winter it has been a mainstay of our double borders for many years. Read more about Penstemon ‘Alice Hindley’
Humming birds pollinate this native of Arizona, Utah, Texas, Colorado and Mexico. Different in habit from most Penstemon grown here, P. barbatus makes basal rosettes of glossy fresh green leaves. Read more about Penstemon barbatus
Penstemons are among the most robust of garden plants showing excellent frost and drought tolerance. ‘Chester Scarlet’ is a medium sized evergreen perennial with large leaves and erect panicles of deep crimson – scarlet flowers. Flowering summer- autumn. Read more about Penstemon ‘Chester Scarlet’
A fabulous import from the USA where it is very highly rated. It is very upright in growth and has long spires of rich violet flowers which combine well with its grey foliage. Read more about Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spires’
During spring huge jagged bronze leaves emerge like peacock feathers. The leaves turn dark green as the season develops and in late spring stiff maroon stems carry large panicles of pink flowers. Read more about Rodgersia podophylla ‘Bronze Peacock’
One of the wonders of the plant world, the Californian Tree Poppy has huge pure white flowers with a rich yellow central boss (The flower has been likened to a giant poached egg) on top of stiff branches clothed in handsome large grey cut leaves. Read more about Romneya coulteri
This newly imported rosemary is grown for its interesting and unique growth habit. Growing 60cm tall and wide, forming a dense mound with arching outer branches, which are highly effective spilling over a wall, bank planting, or container. Read more about Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Boule’
We have lined a broad brick path, which leads to a beautiful old garden seat, with ‘Mozart’ which is a fairly new variety. I think it is by far the best rosemary I have ever seen. The glossy dark green leaves, on upright stems, make a perfect foil for the deep blue flowers. Read more about Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Mozart’
The garden varieties of Salvia nemorosa are amongst the most beautiful and obliging of all garden perennials. They flower for a good half of the year in the tough windswept plains of the Central Victorian Goldfields where I garden. They are frost hardy down to -20C and didn’t show any signs of distress when we had four days of 47C a couple of years ago. Read more about Meadow Sage
Softer and more nearly true blue than other Salvia nemorosa types this is a wonderful addition to the group. Gentle mauve-blue flower spikes are produced on a tidy low growing plant from spring until winter. Read more about Salvia nemorosa ‘Blauhugel Blue Hills’
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. Read more about Salvia x superba ‘Rubin’
A German bred plant which I bought from Beth Chatto’s beautiful nursery in the UK and brought through Australia's stringent quarantine requirements. Salvia ‘Viola Klose’ is a relatively dwarf plant with spikes of the darkest violet blue flowers. Read more about Salvia nemorosa ‘Viola Klose’
This stunning new Salvia is a seedling of S. ‘Alegria’ which is itself a hybrid between S. microphylla and S. dichlamys. ‘Alegria’s Child’ carries flame pink flowers in dark calyces on 30cm stems held well above a leafy plant some 120cm tall by as much across. Read more about Salvia ‘Alegria's Child’
This wonderful new Salvia was discovered at a plant market in Argentina in 2005. It makes a leafy plant which from spring until winter produces rich royal purple flowers set in black bracts. It will be happy in any sunny or lightly shaded, well drained position. Read more about Salvia ‘Amistad’ PBR
