Achillea always stand out in gardens because of their large, flat-topped flowerheads that look quite unlike anything else, and their finely divided fern-like leaves. It takes its name from Achilles, who in legend is reputed to have used it to heal his soldier's wounds after the siege of Troy, hence its other name 'Soldier's Wound Wart'. 'Paprika' is a fantastic variety with huge, plate-like flowerheads, each one made up of hundreds of individual blooms that are bright red with yellow centres when they first open. As they age, they fade to pale pink and then to a rich, creamy yellow creating a multi-colour effect that's a truly stunning sight. Recommended by the RHS as a 'Plant for Pollinators', the summer flowers are a favourite with butterflies and bees. Flowering from May to August, they're a welcome contrast to the more usual rounded or spike shaped flower heads of most perennials and they look incredibly dramatic as cut flowers, lasting well in a vase, and can even be dried. 'Paprika' will grow in sun or partial shade, and any soil is suitable as long as it's well drained. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready for planting, and growing to a height of 70cm (2½ft) and width of 50cm (20in).
The 'Six Hills Giant' is a beautifully bushy perennial of aromatic green-grey leaves that sit below eye-catching lavender-blue floral spikes during the summer months. This low-maintenance perennial thrives in full sun and should be planted in moist and well-drained soils. Extremely versatile, it will stand out in most situations from, borders, cottage gardens and even gravel gardens and typically grows in clumps that spread up 90cm tall and 45cm wide. The interesting blooms are very attractive to wildlife such as butterflies and hummingbirds. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready to plant.
Coreopsis is a naturally rugged prairie plant and ideally suited to today's low maintenance gardens. 'Moonbeam' forms compact mounds of dense thread-like foliage and its delightful golden centred pale-yellow flowers are carried on tall stems, above fine, feathery foliage - which gives them another alternative name of threadleaf, while their more common name, 'tickseed,' refers to the seeds which are said to resemble ticks, and these are a great favourite of garden finches. Easy to grow, drought tolerant, and long blooming, Coreopsis certainly earns their keep in a sunny flower border, rewarding you with plenty of flowers for very little effort on your behalf. Recommended by the RHS as a 'Plant for Pollinators', the flowers are produced through the summer and are a favourite with butterflies and bees. Compact and robust, it's a plant for the front of the border or a mixed container - versatile and easy. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready to plant out.
Orchids are one of the most popular plants in the UK and when you see their exotic blooms, it's easy to see why. The ones that we are used to seeing are houseplants and need to be grown inside - however there is a hardy orchid that you can grow in your own garden! Bletilla, or the Hyacinth Orchid, is one of the hardiest and easiest to grow garden orchids in the UK, slowly forming clumps which produce their gorgeously detailed violet-pink flowers in early summer. When grown in light, dappled shade, bletilla is quite unfussy so it can be grown in the ground under trees, in lawns, or even in patio pots (in shade). B. striata forms a clump of attractive, ribbed, sword-shaped leaves, with erect stems bearing many violet, fragrant, orchid-shaped flowers in spring and early summer. Blooms can reach up to 5cm wide, and each has a ruffled lip in a slightly darker shade, making them a stunning addition to your garden. Although hardy to -10, we recommend growing them in a container where they can be moved to a conservatory or unheated greenhouse during winter, and in mild areas a generous layer of dry mulch should be applied in autumn to provide protection for the corms. Alternatively, lift the corms in autumn and store it in a dry, frost-free place. One thing you need to remember is that bletilla should be kept dry during their winter dormancy, as they will not survive cold, wet soil. An easy to grow plant, which if left undisturbed, will naturalise and spread out to form good-sized clumps. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready for potting on or planting out when the soil warms, plants can reach 50cm high and 50cm wide. NB - Plants are dormant October to March so there may be no leaves on your plant when delivered.
A cottage garden favourite, Alchemilla Mollis 'Thriller' is perfect for filling your displays with gorgeous blooms and delightful fragrance. Commonly known as 'Lady's Mantle', the foliage of this Alchemilla has large, fanned leaves with almost scalloped edges that catch falling rain drops and hold them so they can twinkle in the sun, looking like tiny jewels. Contrasting against its gorgeous foliage are the clusters of bright, lime green blooms that are adored by beneficial pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Make sure you plant yours close to a window or doorways where you can enjoy the deliciously sweet honey fragrance of 'Thriller'. With more of an upright growing habit compared to other varieties of Alchemilla Mollis. However, 'Thriller' is still a low growing perennial that is ideal when planted en-masse for groundcover or as edging plants along your pathways and borders. It will also make a fabulous addition to a wildlife garden where its blooms are a magnet for beneficial wildlife such as bees and butterflies. In Arabic, Alchemilla Mollis meaning little magical one and it is believed that water that was collected on its fanned leaves has healing properties. Easy to grow and requiring very little maintenance, this gorgeous perennial is a perfect choice for beginner or gardeners that have little time on their hands. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready to pot on or plant out.
Also known as Blanket Flowers, Gaillardia are an instantly recognisable cottage garden favourite. These 'Jam Tart Flowers' are invaluable in the summer border due to their long flowering season and their ability to provide a bright and colourful display whatever the British weather throws at them. The plants form a low mound of green, furry leaves, bearing upright stems of large daisy-like flowers on long stems which are perfect for cutting and very attractive to butterflies. Perfect in pots, they will also make fantastic gap fillers in your containers, beds, and mixed borders. 'Arizona Red Shades' produces gorgeous blooms in the most spectacular shades of red, with bright crimson petals that look like the tips have been dipped in yellow paint for a perfect contrast. These daisy-like blooms come into flower during early summer and will last right the way through to autumn. They also make fantastic cut flowers, so you can enjoy them inside the home as well as in your garden. Easy to grow and requiring very little maintenance, just deadhead the faded blooms to prolong the flowering season. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots ready to pot on or plant out.
These Fritillaria are incredibly unusual plants. Stately and statuesque, between March until May tall flower stems rise from clumps of lance shaped, glossy green leaves. At the top, the downward facing bright orange blooms emerge in a ring around the stem, looking like a crown. These are topped by green, leafy bracts, giving a completely unique appearance. Perfect for an early season display, these exotic looking plants are tough and hardy. They will naturalise slowly and are very easy to grow and the fragrance is said to repel moles mice and other rodents! Supplied as a single bulb, size 20/24, ready to plant in the autumn, growing to a height of 1 m (3 ft) and width of 50 cm (16 in).
With so many Coreopsis varieties flowering in yellow colours, 'Sunstar Rose' is a refreshing change with its bright magenta pink flowers edged in white. The flowers of this gorgeous perennial are daisy shaped and begin to open from June, continuing until the first frosts of autumn. Borne in abundance above narrow, dark green leaves, they cover the plant in wonderful, bright colour and with their long, straight stems they're great cut flowers. Bees and butterflies love their nectar and birds will feast on the seeds, making these ideal plants for bringing wildlife into your garden. Also known as tickseed, Coreopsis in a native of North American prairies and is extremely rugged, easy to grow and drought tolerant and resistant to mildew. Grown in patio pots and in flower borders, you'll be treated to month after month of vivid colour with almost no maintenance, just regular deadheading to keep the flowers coming until autumn. Supplied as an established plant in a 9cm pot, ready for planting and reaching a height and spread of 40cm (16in).
Heucheras, also known as Coral Bells, are amazing perennial plants, famed for their spectacular foliage in a huge range of colours with wonderful leaf shapes forming low growing evergreen or semi-evergreen mounds. 'Frilly' is a new variety from the 'Fox' series of Heucheras, bred by Richard and Vicky Fox at their Jubilee Cottage Nursery in Cheshire where they hold the National Collection which currently exceeds 450 varieties. Looking unlike any other Heuchera, the leaves of this new introduction are incredibly deeply ruffled in shades of pink-flushed orange with dark pink undersides, growing in dense mounds. In summer tall magenta stems grow up from the foliage carrying small, bell shaped white flowers that are attractive to bees, butterflies and other flying insects. They're attractive cut flowers too! 'Frilly' is happy growing in pots or planted in borders, particularly in groups with different varieties that compliment each other and create a multi coloured carpet of groundcover. These adaptable plants will thrive in sun or partial shade and aren't too fussy about soil conditions, as long as it isn't heavy and waterlogged as that will cause the crown to rot. Usually evergreen, severe winters may cause leaf loss, but they'll return the following spring. Supplied as an established plant in a 9cm pot, ready to plant, reaching a height and spread of 40cm (16in).
Just picture it, mounds of fragrant, fern-like foliage and the most amazing flat blooms of bright pink all summer. A perfect choice for a cut flower garden, Achilliea produces flat table-tops of small daisy-like flowers that stand tall on long stems above the contrasting bushy green foliage. Growing as tall as 60cm, the bright cerise pink tone of the blooms will contrast effortlessly with other broader plants. The 'Cerise Queen' is an easy-grow perennial that will thrive in full sun and will tolerate even poor soils however well drained soil is essential. These beautiful blooms are a must if you are wanting to attract butterflys. Supplied as an established plant in a 9cm pot.
Bletilla, or the Hyacinth Orchid, is one of the hardiest and easiest to grow terrestrial garden orchids in the UK, slowly forming clumps which produce their gorrgeous detailed striped Pink flowers in early Summer. It is quite unfussy when grown in shade - so it can be grow in the ground under trees, in lawns, or even in patio pots as long as they are in shade. They will slowly spread outwards as they naturalise.
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.