ECHINACEA
These fine sturdy plants are a must for any late summer border. Strong stems have large daisy flowers with prominent cones at their centres, a stunning sight and a magnet for bees and insects.
angustifolia - Long drooping petals in pale pinky-red with a brown cone, tall elegant and very unusual 3ft/1m
purpurea 'Doubledecker' - The commercial selection of indiaca below. Big purple-pink flowers with a brown cone and a prominent topnot of extra petals. Unusual and very hardy, 2-3ft/80cm
- * ‘Indiaca - Rosy-pink flowers, occasionally double but usually producing a ‘top-not’ of secondary petals, very unusual, 2-3ft.
- 'Lucky Star' - One of the very best white echinaceas with horizantal petals in a soft white around a honey-coloured cone. Very elegant and very hardy. 2-3ft/80cm
- 'Rubinstern' [Ruby Star] - Tall, reliable and hardy with big deep pink flowers and a brown cone. 3ft/90cm
- ‘Ruby Giant’ - The flowers are fragrant and a sumptious purple-red. The short petals are held out horizantally emphasizing the enormous honey brown cone, 2-3ft / 90cm
EPIMEDIUM
These tough clump-forming perennials are excellent as ground cover in difficult shady conditions, such as under trees or walls, where the dry conditions mean few plants will perform.
I now have a wide range of these, including some very choice chinese species. As they are now being propagated and grown on, I will do a full list in the new year.
ERYNGIUM
The sea hollies all have extrememly decorative spiny cones of flowers, beloved by flower arrangers and seaside gardeners. Given a hot well drained spot their long tap roots will find a home in even the poorest soil. Especially nice combined with grasses, achilleas and daisies of any kind.
agavifolium - Rosettes of wide, long jagged edged pointed leaves sits close to the ground and is evergreen. In early summer the tall flower stems thrust up to 3ft high topped by large green teasel-like flowers on branching stems.
alpinum - 'Blue Star' - Vigorous growing and profuse flowering with lots of deep blue thimble flowers, surrounded by a nice ruff. 3ft/90cm.
x tripartitum - Compact but airy. The wide spread branching stems are covered in metallic blue flower heads. 3ft/90cm
EUPATORUM
Excellent, hardy structure for prairie style plantings but also an invaluable source of late nectar for many insects.
maculatum 'Red Dwarf' - A good alternative for smaller gardens, but still with a great impact. Strong red-tinged stems, green leaves and substantial heads of dark pink flowers. 4ft/1.2m.
maculatum 'Riesenschirm' – The best tall eupatorium about at the moment with dark red stems and big heads of fluffy purple/pink flowers. 5ft/1.4m
rugosum ‘Chocolate’ - A fine new eupatorum with a much more branching habit than maculatum. The leaves are a striking shade of deep brown/purple in an open sunny site - they show more olive green in part shade - and compliment and accent most flower colours. The typical white, fluffy flowers come late, almost into autumn. Excellent as a late nectar source, 4ft.
EUPHORBIA
Euphorbias give year round evergreen accents in the border. The striking bracts surrounding the insignificant flowers add a real zing to the spring/early summer show. As the sap can be irritant, wear gloves when handling/pruning euphorbias.
griffithii 'Fireglow' - A deciduous euphorbia, spreading by rhizomes. It shows itself in spring with striking red tinged shoots to 3ft, the leaves suffused with plum and the veins and stems red, topped with flat heads of orange bracts. The whole plant continues to keep most of its colour until the leaves turn bright red and gold in autumn.
martinii - A very useful accent plant for a border, shorter than wulfenii, with more compact heads of lime green bracts with a dark eye. Evergreen and hardy, 3-4ft.
polychroma - Another late spring early summer flowerer, the flowers last for ages and an established clump is magnificent in sun or shade. Very tolerent of difficult soil and sites. Cut off the spent flower stems to encourage fresh foliage, 18ins-2ft
FILAPENDULA
vulgaris hexapetala - A native form of meadow sweet with cut lacy leaves and tall stems of open frothy, honey-scented cream flowers. Very effective in a meadow or wilder garden patch but goes well in a modern scheme with grasses and gravel too, 3ft.
GALTONIA
candicans - Hardy bulbs liking a sunny spot in good, moisture retentive soil. The alternative name of summer hyacinths doesn’t really prepare you for the magnificent display of white bells held high on stout 2-3ft stems. Very easy and soon bulks up into a showstopping clump.
viridiflora - Not as 'in your face' as the above, with very subtle palest green lacy bells. 2ft/60cm
GERANIUM
Hardy geraniums come in all sizes and flower colour ranging through every shade of pink, blue, violet and white; while even out of flower the foliage is decorative and in some cases, scented. There are varieties for every garden situation from dry shade to full sun and any moist bits inbetween - they are in fact almost indispensible in the garden.
‘Black Beauty’ - The leaves of this choice new variety are dark purple and attractively cut. In the warmer months they will show more green but still admirably compliment the blue open flowers. Long flowering season and compact, 12ins.
clarkei ‘Kashmir White’ - Delightful large pearly white flowers held well above fine cut foliage, will spread into a large clump. Shear over for a second flush of flowers and fresh new foliage late in the season, 18ins.
- ‘Kashmir Blue’ - As above but with sky blue flowers.
- ‘Kashmir Pink’ - As above but mid-pink flowers.
- ‘Kashmir Purple’ - As above but violet/purple flowers.
himalayense plenum - rather like Buxton’s Blue’ in habit but with double dark purple flowers all summer, sun/part shade.
- 'Kashmir Green' - With no hint of pink in the flowers, this rivals phaeum album for freshness and beauty.
‘Orion’ - Similar to Johnson’s Blue but larger bright blue flowers, doesn’t take over the garden and flowers for most of the summer. By far my favourite blue geranium,18ins.
phaeum - A group of invaluable geraniums, happy in shade and tolerant of dry inhospitable conditions under trees and shrubs. Makes big clumps and excellent groundcover.
phaeum album - Fresh green leaves and strong sprays of pure white flowers over most of spring and into summer. A favourite in my garden for its ability to lift the shadiest corner out of gloom. 18ins/50cm
- 'Samabor' - Very large leaves prominently marked with dark central blotches. The deep purple/plum flowers are a later bonus, but the leaves carry interest through 'til winter.
- 'Sericourt' - As a complete contrast to the above, Sericourt's almost evergreen leaves are bright lime yellow in spring, only softening to lime green later in the year, but still bright. Dark smoky purple flowers as well.
- variegata - Not as strong growing as some of the others, but giving interest through most of the year. The leaves are randomly splashed with pale and dark green, plum and silver and cream. This may sound messy but it is actually most attractive in part shade. This variety prefers better conditions than its more tolerant cousins, but is well worth it.
pratense - All pratense are clump forming with strong stems holding heads of many flowers over a long period in summer, very good for mid border or combined with old-fashioned roses.
GEUM
Indespensable tough perennials for most soils in a sunny border. They flower for most of the summer if dead-headed.
‘Lemon Drops’ - A very special cross from Beth Chatto. The slightly nodding flowers and leaves all say geum rivale but the flowers are the most delicate lemon yellow, fading cream. Copes admirably with dry shade and neglect, but it’s much too pretty for that, 12ins / 30cm
‘Kariskaer’ - The upward facing flowers are a bright, deep yellow-orange with dark stems. Comes into flower very early, 12ins / 30cm
‘Nordek - Deep orange flowers from vigorous clumps which seem to keep producing flowers from spring on. 12in / 30cm [this is still flowering in December!]
‘Prinses Juliana’ - Very vigorous, making good clumps quickly and producing sprays of gorgeous orange/apricot semi double flowers in several flushes, 2ft / 60cm
flora plena 'Blazing Sunset' - To compliment my favourite Prinses Juliana, an equally vigorous and free flowerng double red geum. The flowers are huge and held on strong stems - gorgeous, not garish! 2ft/60cms
rivale? 'Dinah's White' - A chance seedling found on the nursery with large flowers on branching stems in a pale creamy white. One large flush of flowers in early summer and then reblooms at intervals into autumn. Seems to cope with full sun and neglect admirably, vigorous, good ground cover? 18in / 50cm