Hardy ferns are a hidden gem of the gardening world and should be grown much more widely. Graceful and airy, with a whole range of colours, textures and sizes available, there is a fern for every garden and every gardener! We've hand-picked a select trio of ferns which we think are really special - they're all hardy and will stand out in your garden with their unique leaf colouring. Some of the best to grow, these ferns will reward you with colourful foliage interest, and are perfect together as a small fernery in the border or in a large pot, or even in mixed planters. They all prefer cool, fertile soil that doesn't dry out and are best in light shade where their colours really shine. This collection includes three plants in 9cm pots, one each of: Athyrium otophorum var. okanum (AGM): Yellow green, glowing foliage with contrasting red veins and stipe. Very good in a pot and prefers shade. A deciduous fern, so leaves die back in the winter before emerging again next spring. H45cm (18in). Dryopteris erythrosora (AGM): The buckler fern, this striking deciduous fern has triangular-shaped fronds, which are copper-red when young and slowly mature to dark green. H40cm (16in) x W60cm (24in). Athyrium niponicum var. pictum 'Ursula's Red': The painted lady fern, the newly emerged fronds of this beautiful fern have rich purple-bronze tones. This two-tone effect fades as the fronds mature - the purple tones diminish, and they become greener with a silver dusting. Striking in a large pot and placed on a shady terrace. H40cm x W120cm.
This tropical, architectural beauty will add that holiday feel to your patio for years to come! With its spectacular fan-shaped foliage, Phoenix canariensis will provide an incredibly dramatic impact to your garden. Amazingly, this superbly exotic plant thrives in the UK and is winter hardy to -6°C! Abundant across the Canary Islands and Spain, it's perfect for patio pots and will provide a stunning centrepiece for your garden. Your palm will grow rapidly to form a thick trunk, with the distinctive, deep-green leaves fanning out above to form wonderful shadows on your patio this summer. You'll truly feel as if you've been transported to the Canary Islands! As soon as your palm arrives, you'll be able to achieve an instant Mediterranean feel - we supply an established plant 1.2m tall (inc pot), ready to be placed wherever you want for immediate results, no need to wait! Please note: While your palm tree will be tolerant of dry conditions when fully established, in very hot, dry weather it will need to be watered every day along with the rest of your plants.
Hostas are one of the best perennials here in UK gardens, forming mounds of attractive, often colourful foliage, which is topped with sprays of bell-shaped flowers in summer. Growing virtually anywhere, and particularly valuable for those awkward shady spots, they are available in a wide range of colours and forms to suit any garden.Also known as Plantain Lilies, Hostas are great for filling gaps in beds and borders, and they also look fabulous planted up in patio pots and containers seperately for a more formal look. Their attractive foliage creates interest all year round and their stunning, often fragrant flowers really wow in the summer.They love the sun but will perform just as well in the shade - they're a great choice for planting underneath trees and shrubs in dabbled shade, acting as great groundcover plants. We've put together a great collection for you, featuring three of the best types (and some holders of the RHS Award of Garden Merit) in a good selection of colours to give the best display in your garden, whether in the border or in pots. This collection includes a mixture of 3 varieties: Hosta 'Blue Angel'(AGM): forms a clump of wavy-edged, large blue-grey leaves. Bell-shaped, pale lavender-white are produced from June. One of the largest and most reliable of the Blue hostas. H75-80cm (30-32in) W90-120cm (35-47in). Hosta fortunei var. albopicta: has broad, creamy-yellow, heart-shaped leaves with contrasting green margins. Mauve flowers are borne on leafy stems in July. H45-55cm (18-21in) W80-100cm (31-39in). Hosta 'Wide Brim' (AGM): heart-shaped, puckered dark green-blue leaves with a cream margin. Pale lavender flowers in June-July. H40-45cm (16-18in) W80-100cm (31-39in). Please note that we reserve the right to substitute varieties, depending on seasonal availability.
Without doubt, the toughest and hardiest of all ornamental bananas in the UK, it is grown for its dramatic and tough leaves, and, once mature, its amazing and long-lasting golden-yellow flowers - hence its name. From high up in the Chinese mountains of Yunnan, it is naturally very tough, and is exposed to temperatures well below freezing. It forms a much thicker and sturdier trunk-stem than other bananas, which is very tough and hardy. Even if leaves are damaged by frosts, more and new leaves emerge in spring, as well as numerous 'pups' round the side. The flower is in fact its last hurrah, as the 6 month epic flower display is a sign the plant will die - but fear not, you will have plenty of established pups round the side in a clump, each of which will grow and develop to maturity too. It is thus best regarded as a clump forming perennial. It is also much shorter and less vigorous than other huge banana plants too at around 4-5ft tall maximum, making it ideal for large pots in small gardens - grow in full sun or shade, it makes a great talking point. Note - it does not produce any edible banana fruit, or even tiny ornamental ones. Very easy to grow, and a great, exotic-looking patio focal point.
Often called Princess Lilies, Peruvian or Inca Lilies, Alstromeria's stunning displays make it one of the most popular summer flowering perennials of all time. Often seen in expensive bouquets, Alstroemeria also make spectacular additions to any garden. Their gorgeous, delicate blooms come in one of the widest and brightest ranges of colours imaginable. Flowering from early June onwards, Alstroemeria will go on right through until early Autumn and just get better and better every year. Once planted, these bare-root beauties will quickly establish and go on to produce strong stems that will grow up to 2-3ft tall this year. Completely covered in flowers along their top half, Alstroemeria are perfect for cutting and creating the most stunning indoor display.
Geranium sanguineum, the hardy geranium or Cranesbill, is a clump-forming perennial growing to around 20cm (8in) tall, with spreading roots that easily establishes wherever it's planted. The lightly ruffled magenta flowers that are produced from late spring to early autumn, making it one of the most prolific and long blooming geraniums that you can buy and these contrast beautifully with the deeply lobed leaves that redden into the autumn. Ideal for tubs or mixed containers, 'Tiny Monster' is a vigorous and floriferous variety that makes excellent ground cover as it's tolerant of sun and partial shade. Easy to grow and virtually maintenance free, this tough little beauty is rarely bothered by pests such as snails and rabbits. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready to be planted out.
Transform your garden into a tropical paradise with this fantastically exotic Fan Palm! Chamaerops humilis (also known as the Dwarf Fan Palm) are the palms you will see growing all across the Mediterranean - and if ever there was a plant to give your garden a holiday feel, then this is it ! Despite their exotic good looks, fan palms are frost hardy to -5C! so will withstand frost but benefit from going undercover if the temperature drops too low. With their large round leaves that are cut into linear, fan-like segments growing abundantly in a round, compact bush, these Chamaerops humilis are perfect for pots on your patio, or they'll make a striking spectacle in a sunny border. Like all palms, Chamaerops are very easy to grow and love hot sunny weather plus they are drought tolerant when established so a great option for those who tend to forget to water now and again!
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.
This fabulously attractive, exotic plant is hardy down to -10C and very drought tolerant too! Originating in Chile, Fascicularia bicolour is a rare and unusual plant that forms an impressive and tough mound of long, thin, grey-green foliage. In summer, the inner leaves turn bright red and a ball of electric blue and yellow flowers are formed at the centre of mature plants. This striking combination of colours will be an astonishing contrast to your autumn garden, bringing an exotic twist right through to November! It grows to about 50cm so it is perfect for containers or pots put it in a sunny spot on your patio and it will thrive for years to come.
More commonly seen in ceramic pots and planters on windowsills and sideboards indoors, these new hardy Amaryllis can be planted straight into the ground or pots outdoors!Using cold resistant species, breeders in Holland have created a unique bulb resistant to the cooler climate of the UK that is fully winter hardy, so you can bring the joy of Amaryllis from the indoors, to the outdoors. 'Sonatini' produces classic, trumpet shaped blooms, protruding from tall, glossy green stems creating a colourful contrast. Flowering in a rainbow of shades, from bright primary colours to crisp whites and baby pinks, the 'Sonatini' mix is guaranteed to rejuvenate gardens tired by the winter.
This collection of Peony flowers isthe perfect choice if you are looking to create a gorgeous show of coloured blooms. Producing a simply stunning display of huge, double flowers throughout mid-summer, they will add impact and vivid colour to your beds and borders. For timeless, elegant beauty, peonies are almost impossible to beat! It's easy to see why they are so popular; as a perennial they will come back year after year with bigger, better displays - all with the absolute minimum of effort! Easy to grow and low maintenance, they will reap rewards for both beginners and experienced gardeners. Peonies will die back after flowering each year, only to burst into life again the following spring. You will get bigger, better displays each year for many years to come. Perfect for growing in beds, borders, pots or containers. This collection includes: Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' - Huge and fragrant, rose-pink double flowers with white edges. Peony 'Karl Roseenfeld'- Eye-catching, rose-shaped red double-blooms. Peony 'Bartzella' - Beautiful lemon-yellow flowers with frilly, ruffled centres. Peony 'Bowl of Beauty' - Huge and striking, two-tone blooms of pink and cream petals. Peony 'Duchesse de Nemours' - Beautiful and fragrant double ivory blooms. Supplied as 5 established plants in 11cm pots, ready for planting.
Hardy Lupins are a staple perennial for cottage gardens and are becoming increasingly popular for cut flower displays too. With their tall, stately spires of bloom, lupins are a real summer garden classic and certainly have the wow factor. Smothered in pea-like flowers, right to the top of their stems, their palmate, sage green foliage creates the perfect backdrop for the eye-catching blooms making a stunning statement in your garden. Traditional lupins need a lot of room and can get tall and leggy, but not the Gallery series! Far more compact and robust, they reach just 60cm tall, yet will still fill your garden with incredible flower power. Perfect for growing in pots and great for creating focal features on patios and decking, you don't need a garden to get the most out of these amazing perennials. Flowering throughout June and July, the perfect blooms of Lupin 'Gallery' open in succession from the bottom of the spire upwards, prolonging the flowering season, and are a magnet to butterflies, bees and other beneficial pollinating insects making your summer garden a haven for wildlife. Easy to grow and totally winter hardy, Manhattan Lights is also easy to maintain and makes the perfect cottage garden plant - it's perennial so comes back year after year with an ever-increasing amount of blooms and works spectacularly when planted alongside old fashioned English roses and hardy geraniums. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots and ready to plant out, these lupins are easy to grow and care for and will grow to around 60cm x 60cm, flowering in June - July.