This hardy South African shrub grows to about 3metres over time, is deciduous in colder climates and has its spikes of brilliant red flowers for months during the spring. The leaves are large and bright green looking very like those of a zonal pelargonium, what some would still call a geranium. The shrub itself has …
This amazing Genus of deciduous and mainly winter flowering shrubs are a joy in any sheltered garden in the cooler climates. I have a specimen of ‘Pallida’ in my nursery display garden that was planted in 1986 and it is now about 4metres tall and with its spreading horizontal branches at least 6metres across. I …
The Genus is a smallish one and usually this species is missing from gardens and I think it is a shame. It is a fairly hardy quick growing deciduous shrub to about 2metres and as the name suggests comes from Japan as well as Korea and China. In summer it produces clusters of tiny fluffy …
This is a rarer tree Dahlia that I find in many ways better suited to my garden and climate that the common D. imperialis. For a start it is usually slightly smaller topping out at about 3.5 metres tall with smaller and more interesting leaves. The flowers are a richer mauve and with a flatter …
How could I ever live without Viburnums and this one has to be close to the top of the list of must have forms. I well remember seeing it for the first time at the Chelsea Flower Show in full bloom and it blew me away. But why is it so good? Its lace cape …
The Genus of Sea Hollies contains a fair few that seem to have little visually in common with Holly and this one from South America proves the point. It is an evergreen perennial with long strappy leaves to 1.5metres long with fine sharp spines along the edges so that dead leaf removal needs to be …
This Genus has almost everything! Some are scented some and deciduous,some are evergreen,some have huge flower clusters, some have great berries. In fact if you ever wanted to collect a Genus without it dominating your garden then this could be it! My selected species is a rarely seen one from China and its assets are …
This plant has to be elegance personified so obviously you need one! I grew it some years ago from imported seed having never seen it but I was already in love with the Genus as I already stock S. praecox, S. himalaicus, and S.yunnanensis. This plant grows to about 2metres with long arching stems clothed with evergreen …
This is a stunning perennial to about 1metre each way that will get to full size in the one growing season. The main point is the foliage which is a dark plum colour with silvery V shaped patterns on each leaf. It does flower and these are an added bonus in the autumn as these …
I love the flora from South America and having had the chance to visit Peru, Argentina and Chile over the years has only stimulated this interest. I have however been growing this evergreen shrub for about 35 years and never loose interest in it. The leaves could easily be mistaken for those of a holly …