Category: Perennials
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Pachyphragma macrophyllum
This woodland perennial has become one of my favourites. In late winter and spring its newly erupting leaves surround the clusters of pristine white flowers and as it builds into sizable drifts via self-seeding it is very telling in the deciduous tree shade afforded it in my garden. The rounded wrinkly foliage gets larger during
Stephen Ryan
Erythronium multiscapoideum
These stunning North American bulbs are called Trout Lilies amongst other common names due to the lovely mottled leaves. The only European species E. dens-canis is known as a Dog toothed Violet due to its bulbs looking somewhat like a dogs canine tooth(they however look nothing like a violet to me!) all the species of
Stephen Ryan
Ranunculus ficaria ‘Brazen Hussey’
This form of lesser Celandine was discovered by Christopher Lloyd and his head gardener of the time in a nearby wood and what a find it was! This varies from the wild form in that its heart shaped ground hugging leaves are a rich deep brown almost black which in early spring set off the
Stephen Ryan
Impatiens omeiana
Those of you that don’t have a cool shaded and moist aspect may wish to stop reading now however this plant is worth some effort to grow well and really does well in a pot in a saucer of water in the shade so really we can all grow it even if we don’t have
Stephen Ryan
Cyclamen hederifolium
There can be no more useful Genus of small plants for a shady spot than the species Cyclamen and this species has to be the best and easiest to grow. Flowering from mid February to May and then having lovely leaves through to the spring what more could you ask. I have written a full
Stephen Ryan
Canna ‘Grande’
If you still think of Cannas as those old things then you are definitely behind the times! I know that for years we were inflicted with large beds full of nothing but in council plantings with no colour coordination what so ever and these beds are still out there! But as great tropical looking foliage
Stephen Ryan
Miscanthus ‘Giganteus’
Tis the season to jolly fa la la la la la. If you want a different festive look for your garden you need to start early. First buy a plant of this impressive ornamental grass and let it rip. When it becomes dormant in winter instead of cutting down its 3metre stems just remove all
Stephen Ryan
Matteuccia struthiopteris
If you can get beyond or even say the botanical name of the Shuttlecock Fern you are well on your way to being elected as the president of the local garden club! It is however a fabulous herbaceous fern from the Northern Hemisphere rarely grown in Australia unfortunately. Unlike evergreen ferns this plant goes through
Stephen Ryan
Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’
The Golden Hop has to be one of the most useful climbers I grow. Its lovely leaves are attractive from spring till autumn and it will quickly soften or disguise any garden eyesore. Because it is herbaceous it won’t smother host trees or shrubs and if it is grown over a pergola it will be
Stephen Ryan
Ruscus hypoglossum
This is the plant if you need something for the darkest,driest, spot in the garden, you could probably grow it in a cupboard, in fact it won’t like you if you try growing it in a sunny spot! It is actually an evergreen perennial although it looks more like a shrub and it grows to
Stephen Ryan