This is an alphabetical listing of the Wildlife Friendly cottage garden plants you selected.
At times, especially during the summer, plants may be cut back or pinched out if they are too far advanced to ship whole. This encourages annuals and biennials to produce extra flowering stems, so no bad thing! Perennials will establish well for next year, but may or may not flower this year, depending on species. In some instances top growth may be woody or sparce (e.g. Anthemis tinctoria), but don't worry, the plants are perfectly healthy and will soon produce fresh foliage! Please contact me if you would like to enquire about specific plants.
NCG 086
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Chaenomeles speciosa 'Geisha Girl' AGM
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Ornamental Quince A very attractive and useful hardy, semi-evergreen shrub with masses of soft peach flowers in Spring. Easy to grow and well worth trying. Flowers are nectar-rich so attractive to bees. Also makes a good hedging plant. |
NCG 320
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Chamaemelum nobile 'Flore Pleno'
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Double flowered Chamomile Limited stock! Delightful in all respects, this highly scented double-flowered form of perennial chamomile has feathery leaves and inch-wide, creamy-white blooms. Best planted in containers or at the edge of borders, where, when brushed against, both leaves and flowers release their strong, sweet, apple-like fragrance. NOTE: Depending on season, plants are sometimes… |
NCG 235
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Chasmanthium Syn. uniola latifolium
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Northern Sea Oats, Spangle Grass The photograph really does not do this delightful grass justice! Growing to a maximum of a metre or so (usually somewhat less), the erect stems resemble miniature bamboo in their growth habit. The seed heads are, however, quite different, being delicate, flat, diamond shapes - almost like spear heads -… |
NCG 509
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Clematis occidentalis | |
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Blue virginsbower, Bell rue A wild form of clematis originating from the US, with nodding, blue-purple flowers with four petals (or, more accurately, tepals). A good choice for scrampling over walls or large shrubs in a spot offering some shade. |
NCG 016
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Clematis tangutica
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Golden Clematis This beautiful perennial climber scrambles happily over trellis or support on a wall and provides a profusion of bright yellow lantern-like flowers throughout the summer, followed by attractive seed heads that resemble silvery tassels. Provision of shade at the roots is advisable, particularly in very sunny positions. If space is… |
NCG 017
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Consolida ajacis
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Larkspur, Annual Delphinium More dainty than the related delphinium, larkspur produces pink or deep blue blooms freely throughout the summer months, on tall stems with finely cut, feathery foliage. Quite variable in height. A good cut flower, if you can bear to remove it from the garden, where it always looks so beautiful!… |
NCG 519
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Cosmea bipinnatus Ex. 'Fizzy Pink' | |
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Cosmos Ex. 'Fizzy Pink' Very pretty! A wonderful addition to the cosmos family, this long-flowering variety has stunning pink, semi-double flowers. For best effect plant en masse as close to each other as 9 inches or so apart. Soil should be reasonably fertile, but if it is too rich, tall, lanky plants may result. As with… |
NCG 019
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Cosmea bipinnatus Ex. Semi-Double White
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Cosmos, semi-double white Masses of pure white, semi-double blooms with yellow centres (with perhaps the odd single) throughout the summer, on tall stems with finely divided foliage. Drought tolerant. Some say it is unnecessary to thin direct sown plants. Soil that is too rich may result in tall, lanky plants. I cannot guarantee… |
NCG 178
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Cosmea sulphureus 'Bright Lights'
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Cosmos 'Bright Lights' Flowers in shades from pale yellow through to deep orange, about 4cm across, borne on stems with attractive divided leaves. Pinch out young plants to encourage branching. May need some support. Jumbo plug plants, when available, will be ready to plant out but may need some protection from slugs, etc.… |
NCG 529
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Cucumis sativus 'La Diva F1'
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Cucumber 'La Diva F1' Sorry - now sold out A delicious and versatile bitter-free, smooth-skinned, ridge cucumber - perfect for growing outdoors. The fruits are plump and 6-8 inches long and are sweet and seedless. The flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinating insects. Note: Externally sourced seeds. |
NCG 297
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Dahlia Ex. 'Bishop of Auckland'
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Dahlia Ex. 'Bishop of Auckland' The seeds or plants on offer are either from 'Bishop of Llandaff' or 'Bishop of Auckland'. Although they are not expected to breed true, all my own sowings have resulted in plants with black foliage and flowers that strongly resembe the parents. Although generally considered tender, dahlias will very often… |
NCG 599
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Delphinium requienii
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Requin's larkspur Very rare! A beautiful plant which is seldom seen in the UK, Requin's larkspur produces spikes of soft, brownish-blue flowers, reminiscent of orchids, above attractive, shiny leaves (which, unlike those of other delphiniums, are said to be of no interest to slugs and snails). Usually grown as a biennial, but will flower… |
NCG 172
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Dianthus gratianopolitanus
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Cheddar pink Sold out for now With its low-growing mat of grey-green foliage studded and fragrant pink flowers with finely toothed petals, this is a perfect plant for an alpine bed or anywhere warm and tending to dryness. The foliage habit and colour can be a little variable, sometimes a little less or more grey-green and… |
NCG 452
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Didiscus caeruleus, Lacy Series
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Lace flower, mixed A most attractive (to pollinating insects as well as humans!), long-flowering annual. The umbels of blooms in soft shades of pink, blue, mauve and white are sweetly scented and make an excellent cut flower. |
NCG 223
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Digitalis grandiflora ambigua/macrantha AGM
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Large yellow foxglove, Cream-coloured foxglove This stunning plant is a perennial, but generally short-lived, so best treated as a biennial. Tall spikes of soft yellow, speckled flowers rise above a rosette of dark green leaves. It is lovely in a woodland setting, where the blooms light up shady corners, but will tolerate sun. |
NCG 180
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Digitalis lutea
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Small foxglove A lovely plant for woodland areas. Small, tubular yellow blooms are borne on delicate spikes - a much more dainty plant in all respects than the common pink foxglove. Although it will tolerate both sun and dry soil, this plant is happiest in rich, moist soil and dappled shade. Digitalis… |
NCG 128
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Digitalis mertonensis
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Strawberry foxglove Currently unavailable This delightful cottage garden plant is a cross between the common digitalis purpurea and a yellow flowered variety, digitalis grandiflora. The result is warm pink, speckled flowers that are larger than the traditional foxglove. This is a short-lived perennial that should come true from seed if common foxgloves are not… |
NCG 455
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Digitalis obscura
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Willow-leaved foxglove, Dusky maid, Sunset foxglove Currently unavailable This rare and most striking, foxglove originates from the mountains of Spain and is also found in parts of Africa. Generally a little shorter than most other digitalis varieties, the flowers are exquisitely coloured in shades of russet, burnt-orange and red, complemented by evergreen, narrow-leaved foliage. In the right environment… |
NCG 362
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Digitalis parviflora Jacq.
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Chocolate Soldier, Small-flowered foxglove Plants sold out - can grow to order A most unusual foxglove, and like most digitalis, usually treated as a biennial, although it can survive as a short-lived perennial. This variety produces flower spikes of densely-packed, chocolate-coloured, tubular flowers about 2cm in length, above basal rosettes of attractive, slightly glossy, dark-green foliage. It will happily self-seed in a… |
NCG 447
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Digitalis purpurea
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Foxglove This, the original, wild form of the traditional cottage garden biennial plant, will be familiar to all, with its tall spires of blooms in a variety of pink shades above rosettes of large, mid-green leaves. The flowers are much loved by pollinating insects, especially bumble bees. |
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