IMPORTANT NOTE: 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 016
Clematis tangutica
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…
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.…
Originating in Australia, where it is perennial, this quirky hardy annual has a long flowering period, producing bright-yellow, ping pong-shaped flower clusters (glomerules), about an inch in diameter, on strong, straight, unbranched stems rising from basal rosettes of leaves. Excellent for use in both fresh and dried flower arrangements.
I don't know where this variety of crocosmia came from... it seems to have appeared out of nowhere, but was probably given to me by my mother or one of her gardener friends. It has possibly been sitting there, sulking for years, but this year the hot bed has been…
A lovely, sunny plant with sprays of rich-yellow flowers which open sequentially and are borne on arching stems above long, strap-like foliage. Flowers are followed by attractive tapering seed heads.
An heirloom variety, dating back to 1895, which has stood the test of time and is very suitable for growing in the UK. The fruits are ribbed, dark-green with heavy white netting and the deep-orange flesh is very sweet and fragrant.
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.
The golden-yellow fruits of this variety are particularly sweet! Pick when young, but allow some to develop to full-sized 'marrows' at the end of the season... they will keep in a cool, airy place all winter and are delicious stuffed with a Mediterranean-style filling, the base ingredients being onions, sweet…
A tall, dynamic variety of rusty foxglove that looks spectacular when grown en masse! Much recommended. Although listed as a perennial, it is generally short-lived and may not survive after flowering, so it is best to sow every year.
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.
A lovely plant for woodland areas. Small yellow blooms with speckled throats 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…
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…
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…
Unusual and attractive, down-pointing candelabras of white flowers, yellow and black at the tips, appear in Spring on straight stems, arising from a rosette of rather fleshy, mid- to light-green leaves. They seem to be very shade-tolerant - mine are sited under an apple tree and put on a beautiful…
Much-loved by butterflies and other pollinating insects, the white version of this dynamic plant produces clumps of dark-green, rather hairy leaves from which large, daisies with rather lax, white petals and brown, conical central discs grow, on tall, straight stems. Echinacea prefers full sun, but will tolerate part-shade. Echinacea is…
Delicate sprays of soft-yellow flowers appear on slender, straight, stems from early Spring, followed by somewhat heart-shaped leaves which quickly develop beautiful bronze markings and are retained throughout the winter. This is a rather shorter epimedium than most and is a perfect choice for the front of a dry border…
This most unusual and exotic looking plant looks as though it should need a heated conservatory to survive, but it is in fact quite hardy. A straight stem topped with clusters of spiky, greenish-white flower heads grows from a pineapple-like rosette of fleshy, toothed leaves. The picture really does not…
This drought-tolerant plant, with its finely divided grey-green foliage and very bright, shiny orange petals, looks wonderful near the edge of the border. Cut quite hard back after the first flush of flowers and it will quickly regenerate to provide further colour on well into autumn without becoming too straggly.…
A bold architectural plant, making a large dome of bright green leaves with central white veins. The small flowers, which appear in spring, have a reddish-orange tinge and are followed by interesting seed heads with pretty, textured pods.