An attractive grass variety with year-round interest, Miscanthus ?Gracilimus' is well worth serious consideration. It's a clump forming perennial which is easy to grow and after a long hot summer it really comes into its own with tall flower spikes topped with feathery textured copper coloured plumes which, along with the foliage arch over gracefully. The plumes will remain during the winter so that you can enjoy them left in situ or cut them for winter displays indoors. Height: 130cm (51). Spread: 120cm (47).
Enjoy the vibrant flowers of Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' from late spring. These boldly coloured Blanket flowers are drought tolerant, thriving in hot, dry summers and coastal positions as well as cooler conditions - so you can be sure of a superb display whatever the weather. The large red blooms each sport a contrasting bright yellow margin that makes them stand out from the compact clumps of bushy foliage. Easy to grow and trouble free, this hardy perennial will re-grow and bloom year after year - ideal for filling gaps in patio containers and the front of borders.
Deutzia 'Tourbillon Rouge' is a great addition to cottage and low maintenance gardens. It looks particularly lovely when grown in a sunny, mixed border, where its arched stems and star-shaped flowers will surely make it the star of the show. These pink and white blooms will fill the surrounding area with a sweet smell throughout the month of June, meaning that the plant can also be used in scented gardens. In the autumn, the hardy shrub's peeling, orange-red bark offers late season structure and interest. Height: 2m (6'5). Spread: 2m (6'5).
This Shrubby Cinquefoil is a nice plant for cottage or alpine gardens, even small ones. Potentilla fruticosa 'Limelight' is a hardy deciduous shrub with pretty white flowers, with yellow centres, and remains in bloom from May, all the way thorough to September. It is easy to grow and is low maintenance, but is best planted in a full sun position. The RHS have awarded this plant its Award of Garden Merit. Height: 1m (39). Spread: 1.5m (59).
Shrubby Cinquefoils are native to the Northern Hemisphere, often found at high altitude and sub-arctic regions. This makes them ideal for alpine gardens and rockeries. Potentilla fruticosa 'Mango Tango' is a variety with delicate yellow-orange flowers, that have a long flowering season, from May until September. A low maintenance and easy to grow hardy shrub, that is best planted in a sunny position. It has good drought tolerance, so does not need much water. Height and spread: 60cm (24).
A compact, hardy shrub with good drought tolerance, Potentilla fruticosa 'White Lady' is ideal for borders in smaller gardens, or an alpine rockery. This variety of Shrubby Cinquefoil, which are native to sub arctic and mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere, has pure white flowers, that fill the bush from May to September. It is a wildlife friendly plant and attracts bees and butterflies to the garden. Low maintenance and with good drought tolerance, its a great choice for those without much time for gardening. Height and spread: 1m (39).
Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' forms mounds of silver-green foliage, and lilac-blue flower spikes from early summer. These nectar-rich blooms attract bees and pollinating insects, and cats adore the aromatic foliage. One of the most widely-grown Catmints, 'Six Hills Giant' is a tall variety, wonderful planted in generous swathes and allowed to spill from borders and soften path edges. A cottage garden favourite, it also makes a lovely cut flower.
Whilst most garden plants are drab and flowerless during the winter months, this attractive shrub flowers from December until April, making it a great backdrop to early spring bulbs such as crocus and daffodils.
Specially trained as a standard with a head of glossy foliage, this unusual shrub will create a spectacular feature for patios and balconies. The roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and tenacity to life - you?ll enjoy this fascinating tree for several years. Height supplied 40-50cm (16-20).
Broad plates of tiny pink blooms are held on tall wavering stems that are clothed in ferny foliage. This showy Yarrow produces plenty of stems throughout the summer giving it a pleasing bushy appearance.
Fothergilla major is covered in an abundance of scented, white, fluffy bottlebrush flowers in May, just as the leaves are beginning to unfurl. This compact, deciduous shrub, a relative of the witch hazel, features dark green, shiny, textured leaves that turn to well-known vibrant orange and red shades as autumn approaches. Also known as Mountain Witch Alder, this shrub has a neat, slow-growing habit, making it a favourite for the edges of woodland gardens, cottage gardens and in mixed borders. Winner of an RHS AGM, Fothergilla major grows happily in partial shade but produces the best leaf colour when situated in a sunny position. Height: 2.5m (8?). Spread: 2m (6.5?).