The Pitchoune range of agapanthus has been grown to have a much more compact habit than most others, but still retaining the large flower clusters and sturdy stems of their taller cousins. Strap-like bright evergreen leaves form in low clumps and give rise to gorgeous, exotic looking sky blue flowers in June and July, and the naturally compact nature of 'Scarery Blue' make it the perfect plant for growing in containers, where it'll look fantastic on a patio or balcony and it's also quite at home toward the front of a border or in a rockery. Like all agapanthus, Pitchoune varieties love rich, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade, and they tolerate drought well. Although hardy to -5°C, some protection will be needed during the coldest winters. Provide a thick mulch in autumn to protect the plants again the hardest frosts, or bring container grown plants under cover. Supplied as an established plant in a 9cm pot, ready for planting, growing to a height of 30cm (1ft) and spread of 50cm (1½ft).
With their intense indigo blue colour and sweetly fragrant perfume, Scilla nutans - English bluebells - boldly herald the arrival of spring and the onset of warmer weather. These bee-friendly blooms are great for attracting wildlife to your garden. A perennial woodland favourite, the bulbs will naturalise easily to form clusters of cheerful, nodding flowers on bright-green foliage each spring. Scatter the bulbs through grass or wooded areas and plant them where they fall for a naturalistic effect; or place them in a shady spot at the base of a hedge or around the bases of trees, where they will naturalise easily, just like in the wild. Reaching a height of 25cm, this truly native British bluebell makes an attractive addition to garden beds and borders - a punchy contrast to other spring-flowering bulbs or perennials and a great choice for a traditional cottage garden feel. They look equally stunning in containers for your patio or decking and are wonderful in a vase. They will return with bigger and better displays every year. Fully hardy, they can be left in the ground or lifted after flowering to divide large clumps for replanting. Supplied as a pack of 15 bulbs, size 7/8 ready for planting in the autumn.
Scilla campanulata Blue, better known as the Spanish bluebell, is a long-standing favourite that will strike a cheerful note in your garden in spring. It produces clumps of lavender-blue, bell-shaped flowers, each with a centre of pretty blue anthers and a darker hue to the petal spines. Flowers grow around the whole stems, which are tubular and upright. Blooming in April and into May, these hardy bulbs can create an enchanting carpet of nodding blue flowers when naturalised in drifts through grassy or wooded areas. They are equally effective as underplanting for hedges or shrubs, or for adding interest to borders before summer interest appears. Scilla campanulata Blue is also ideal for growing in containers and makes a beautiful cut flower. Fully hardy, resilient and easy to grow, the bulbs form clumps with a height and spread of up to 45cm. By early to mid-summer, the foliage dies back and the plants lie dormant through autumn and winter, re-emerging the following spring in ever-greater numbers. The clumps produce small offsets, which can be divided and replanted in the summer to encourage a wider spread or for populating new areas. Best planted in groups, combine your Scilla campanulata Blue with bright yellow daffodils for a wonderful contrast. Supplied as a pack of 20 bulbs, size 6/7 ready for planting in autumn.
Iris reticulata Blue is a dwarf, early flowering iris that is a native of mountainous parts of Russia, Turkey and Iran. Narrow, erect foliage gives rise to richly coloured flower stems with vibrant cobalt blue blooms that have a bright golden yellow and white markings along the centre of each petal, giving them an orchid-like look. Appearing in March and April, the flowers are loved by bees and a host of other pollinators that appreciate the early source of nectar, and each one carries a wonderful fragrance. Iris reticulata make a wonderful display when planted together in pots and they also work well in rock and gravel gardens or try them as a gorgeous centrepiece for your patio table. Preferring well drained soil and a sunny location, they will happily naturalise and spread, returning bigger and better every year. The bulbs can be lifted and divided in autumn. Supplied as 25 bulbs, size 5/7 ready for planting in autumn, growing to a height of 15 cm (6 in) and spread of 10 cm (4 in).
Not your ordinary fern, the Bears Paw Fern (Plebodium 'Blue Star) is an attractive and vigorous houseplant with a subtle deep blue-green leaf colour, looking almost like an exotic indoor seaweed! Evergreen, it does not lose its leaves and retains its wonderful colour all year, making it a decorative and striking plant to decorate your home - perfect to give as a gift or a housewarming present. As the plant grows, the fronds develop finger-shaped lobes as they mature, held on long stems and looking very much like an outstretched paw, hence its more common name of Bear's Paw or Rabbit Foot. Easy to grow and look after, your Bear's Paw will tolerate low light and as a natural inhabitant of tropical rainforests, Plebodium does like its humidity high so is perfect for a bathroom or kitchen where it will thrive in a bright spot, out of direct sunlight. An interesting and unusual fern, Blue Star is also perfect for cutting and flower arranging so don't be afraid to conjure up your inner designer! Supplied as an established plant in a 12cm pot, growing to around 30cm x 30cm. Note Decorative pot in images is for display purposes only and is not supplied.
These gorgeous Hyacinth Blue blooms will make a perfect addition to your spring floral displays. Hyacinths are very easy to grow both indoors and outdoors too, filling your home or garden with amazing colour and fabulous, heady scent. An iconic spring flower, for best effect your pot of hyacinths is absolutely ideal in a cool room, where they will release their delicious scent for everyone to enjoy. In fact, they'll last twice as long as when grown in a warm room! Ideal to bring early spring colour into your home, simply slip the planted pot into a decorative container whey they will come into flower from February. Once the flowers have finished, they can be planted into the garden. When planted in beds or borders, they will fill your garden with powerful fragrance each April (naturalised bulbs flower slightly later than their pot-grown kin) and of course these beautiful flowers can be cut to make magnificent indoor cut flower displays too! They are really easy to grow; once planted, leave them in the ground and they will flower for many years getting bigger and better each year. Supplied as a pack 7 bulbs, size 14/15 ready to plant in autumn, growing to a height of 40cm and width of 10cm.
Large-flowered Blue Crocus, the name says it all! Providing early colour, the cup-shaped blooms are abundant and striking in a deep shade of violet-blue. This wonderful variety is great for container displays on your balcony or decking. In fact, these crocuses will grow almost anywhere in the garden too, even happy in light shade and prefer a free-draining soil. Good for naturalizing as they return reliably and are perfect for planting under shrubs and trees. Leave the bulbs in the ground after the flowers have died back, and they will reward you with bigger, better displays, each year for many years to come. Supplied as a pack of 20 bulbs, size 7/8 ready for planting in autumn.
There's nothing finer than a large Agapanthus in full flower at the height of summer, creating an eruption of brilliant blue. It's the perfect plant for an ornate container and with a little care will last a lifetime. Even before the 1m flower stems appear the bright green strap life leaves are a lovely sight and heighten the expectation of the blooms to come from mid summer. Agapanthus do best when their roots are restricted so don't be tempted to pot into too large a container - just a little wider than the nursery pot they arrive in will be fine. Place in a sunny spot and enjoy this African native in your garden over summer!
This little gem of a hardy palm adds a new colour dimension to exotic and tropical gardening, with its steel blue grey fan palm foliage. The colour can be variable but is stronger in full sun. Reportedly even hardier than the plain green species, they originate from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, so get extreme cold there and will survive -10C in the UK once established. Very slow growing, so makes an excellent specimen in a large pot for patios and decking, requiring little maintenance in the year. Stock is limited at this price, and is rarely sold in this size, so please order early.
There's nothing finer than a large Agapanthus in full flower at the height of summer, creating an eruption of brilliant blue. Its the perfect plant for an ornate container and with a little care will last a lifetime. Even before the 1m flower stems appear the bright green strap life leaves are a lovely sight and heighten the expectation of the blooms to come from mid summer. Unlike smaller specimens which can take a year or two to flower, these fully mature specimens are will give a good display this summer. Agapanthus do best when their roots are restricted so don't be tempted to pot into too large a container - just a little wider than the nursery pot they arrive in will be fine. Place in a sunny spot and enjoy this African native in your garden over summer!
Himalayan Blue Poppies will produce striking bright blue, poppy-like flowers in early summer each year, each one with a gorgeous contrasting golden centre. These little beauties will add stunning impact and a definite wow factor to your flower beds and borders this summer! As they are perennial plants they will die back in autumn and come back each year with bigger better displays for many years. Highly unusual and still very rare, you're unlikely to find them in garden centres, so grab your chance to get something your friends won't have at a great price! Awarded the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit for their all-round garden performance.
Dating back to the late 19th century, this heirloom variety is justly popular for its flavour and its heavy crops of round, stringless pods. With consistently good results over a long cropping season, this prolific climbing French bean produces clusters of fleshy pods that have a superior texture and taste and are rich in vitamins and fibre. As well as being easy to grow, 'Blue Lake' makes an attractive feature whether grown in the veg garden or nestled amongst herbaceous plants in your beds and borders. They look particularly good when grown up a trellis or 'wigwam' of canes, not least for their pretty white flowers. Plant them with sweet peas for a pleasing contrast of colours. 'Blue Lake' is generally grown as a green bean for cooking. In fact, they should not be eaten raw as they contain toxins that are destroyed in the cooking process. The pods are best picked young to increase yields, and steamed or boiled rapidly to make the best of their flavour and texture, as well as to retain the most nutrients. Inside the rich green pods are white seeds or beans, which can be harvested from pods that are left to mature for longer on the plant. They can then be dried and stored to be used as haricot beans in soups and stews. This climbing bean will thrive in neutral, humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in a sunny position. Sow the seeds indoors from April to May to plant out May to June; or sow outdoors from May to July, directly where they are to crop. Harvest from July to October. Supplied as a pack of 100 (approx.) seeds ready to sow indoors into individual pots or outdoors directly into their cropping position. Grows to 180cm height x 45cm spread.