This has to be about the best self seeding biennial or perhaps triennial I have ever introduced into my garden! It has only two seed leaves the first season then Italian parsley like leaves after that and then when it decides to flower it grows to about 60cms tall and looks like a cross between …
The smaller anemones make great plants for semi-shaded aspects in moist soil and as such make good bed fellows with such choice things as Trilliums and Erythroniums. Certainly plant the European wood anemones of the nemorosa persuasion and don’t miss this little Japanese beauty. It flowers first every year for me so extends the season …
This small winter growing tuberous perennial was until recently known as Ranunculus ficaria ‘Cupreus’ if you are wondering! It comes up with its green leaves that are marbled with grey and centrally blotched which bronze in mid winter and quite soon after it produces its soft orange buttercups that will continue to erupt until the first warm …
Of all the woodland plants that one could grow this Genus must be the creme del a creme with their stunning flowers and wonderful foliage and I guess the only down side is the remarkably slow growth rate of most of them!! This is the first time after about 15 years of having this particular …
At this time of year when the last autumn leaves are shedding I start to notice some of the more subtle plants around the garden and this is definitely one of them. It is an evergreen perennial or sub-shrub grown basically for its pretty chocolate foliage. The flowers are small and the same colour as …
This group of hardy perennials is well known for the mauve flowered species T. violacea commonly called society garlic even though its oniony flavour is perhaps marginally useful in cooking. The plant however is a good thing in the garden. Perhaps even less useful in the kitchen because of its tiny stature but none the …
We can never have enough tough shade tolerant shrubs that can also take it dry and with this in mind I imported this bizarre cross between Mahonia aquifolia and Berberis sargentii in 2003, so I thought it about time I promoted it! It will grow to about 1.5metres each way with stems erupting from ground …
I love herbaceous perennial climbers as I can grow them over other plants getting double value for the one spot. By their very nature they can only get so big in one growing season and then will die back again. This South American species grows throughout the summer flowering as it goes well into the …
I have grown to love cannas over the years although one has to say that seeing them in beds of mixed colours with nothing to soften them can be off putting, think council bedding. These statuesque plants should be used as features amongst other things such as ornamental grasses et.al. Canna glauca could be said …
This form of Columbine or Granny Bonnet if you prefer is one that I have selected and it now makes a telling feature in my home garden. Like all other forms of A. vulgaris it is as easy as pie to grow but is also promiscuous so that it will come truer from seed if …