These unusual Slipper Flowers will certainly attract attention in spring. Their vibrant, orchid-like blooms are borne above a neat mound of evergreen foliage April right through to mid-summer.
Agastache is an upright, bushy hardy perennial with a long flowering season that blooms in spikes that rise from the foliage on stiff triangular stems. The aromatic foliage is mid-green and serrated with heavy veining, resembling catmint. Agastache is a member of the mint family, and the leaves can be used to make tea. Although many varieties of Agastache flower in shades of blue and lavender, 'Apadana Orange' bears clusters of golden orange tubular florets that completely cover the top 10cm its flower spires and open from the top downwards between May and September. Recommended by the RHS as a 'Plant for Pollinators', they are a favourite with butterflies and bees and other beneficial insects, and they make great cut flowers too! Preferring dry conditions, Agastache loves to grow in full sun and poor, well drained soil that's moderately fertile, so it's happy growing in dry conditions such as gravel gardens and coastal locations. It looks fantastic in a patio pot, perfect if you have heavy, rich soil. It is also very hardy and requires no additional feeding. Supplied as an established plant in a 9cm pot, ready to plant. Reaching a height of 50cm (20in) and spread of 35cm (14in).
An award-winning hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens Candybelle Bubblegum has large domes of light salmon-pink flowers that will delight everyone who sees them. The perfect plant to attract attention to your garden, and deserving pride of place in your designs, this addition to the popular 'Annabelle' series of hydrangeas has the same dramatic flowerheads but with an added bonus - gorgeous, colour-changing, bubblegum-pink blossom. hydrangeas are definitely in vogue at the moment, where their showy blooms make for the perfect cut flowers both fresh and dried - after the flowers have faded and fallen, a skeleton of fine filigree remains to catch the frost and sparkle in the low winter sunshine - adding to its year-round interest. Fully hardy to -25°C and really easy to grow this is a great plant for a those new to gardening. 'Candybelle' blooms on new wood, unlike older varieties so there's no complicated pruning - it'll continue to bloom year on year, all throughout the summer, regardless of pruning or extreme weather. An invaluable addition to the mixed or shrub border - as well as a large patio pot - this is a hydrangea that you don't want to be without. Supplied as an established plant in a 12cm pot. H80cm x W90cm. flowers July to September.
Just like the legendary Greek hero famed for his strength and endurance, Hydrangea Hercules will excel in your garden with a display of strength and endurance, rewarding you with an exuberant display of power. A typical paniculata type, Hercules erupts into bloom from July with enormous XXL-sized blooms that are held aloft on strong, upright stems right up to the first frosts. The massive panicles of starry flowers, each a subtle green white, develop a rosy hue as they age, adding a multi-tonal effect to your garden. Impressive in both size and strength, the large branches thrust upwards through mixed borders and erupt into bloom with sprays up to 40cm in length, standing proud against its neighbours. Perfect for cutting, the magnificent 40cm+ blooms make elegant cut flowers, and will last well into autumn if left on the plant to shine wondrously in the autumn frosts. Exceptionally hardy, Hercules stands up to the British weather with ease and will shrug off temperatures as low as -30°C plus it's incredibly easy to grow, giving great results for any level of gardener and not even needing a massive garden - they're just as happy in a container on a balcony or terrace. Supplied as an established plant in a 12cm pot, ready to plant out. H2m x W2m. Flowers July - October.
Blooming for up to 6 months of the year, Hydrangea paniculata 'Polestar' (R) (syn Ophelia) is a delightful hydrangea that will change colour through the year. Unique in that it will grow to just 50cm tall, 'Polestar' is perfect for container growing so you don't even need a garden to appreciate its beautiful, colour-changing blooms. The delicate blooms emerge green-white and take on a pink hue as they age, becoming pinker as the seasons progress. Coming into flower from late May and lasting well into October the faded flowers can remain on the plant right through the winter bringing extended interest across the seasons. Easy to grow and hardy right down to -25°C, this is a hydrangea suitable for anyone to grow and it will even double as a houseplant for the spring - just remember that ultimately it prefers to be outside. Supplied as an established plant in a 1.5L pot, ready for immediate planting.
This extraordinary shrub bears enormous spherical flower heads that contrast wonderfully with the dark green foliage. 'Pink Annabelle' is perfect in shady borders or a woodland garden, and the huge flowerheads can be used to create elegant dried flower arrangements. Height and spread: 250cm (98).
Description for Dahlia 'Labella® Grande Orange Bicolour' not available
One of the 'Magical' series of Hydrangeas, 'Pink Ruby' is an abundantly flowering, compact, multi-stemmed and beautifully formed mophead variety. 'Pink Ruby' stands out from the crowd, producing masses of large, intense flowers is luxurious shades of pink and red during the summer that fade to green in autumn. The deep green foliage takes on red and orange tones in autumn before falling, leaving behind the faded flower heads that make a striking feature over the winter. Compact enough for container gardens and small spaces 'Pink Ruby' will grow into a loose mound of large leaves, making a statement wherever it is planted. When grown in a pot, this magnificent Hydrangea will bring a touch of drama to your patio or balcony. Being a mophead, the large flower heads consist of sterile coloured bracts which look like flowers and these are super as cut flowers for both summer colour and dried winter arrangements. Easy to grow and relatively compact - it reaches just 1.5m (5ft) high and wide - this is a hydrangea which can be grown by anyone whatever their level of experience. Supplied as an established plant in a 14cm pot, ready for planting.
The exuberant flower heads of Hydrangea 'Vanille Fraise' are what transform an ordinary paniculata hydrangea into an extraordinary paniculata hydrangea! Turning from vanilla-white, through shades of pink as they age, to a sumptuous rich raspberry pink, these cones of starry flowers are an absolute dream! With flowers of many different shades of pink present on this hydrangea at any one time, Vanille Fraise is perfect for adding colour to in the late summer border and is particularly useful for north facing gardens where it will add colour and light. Vanilla Fraise also makes a great cut flower and the glorious heads can also be dried and sprayed for a stunning winter decoration. Very hardy and easy to grow, the loose cone-shaped clusters of blooms form at the tips of red-stemmed branches in summer. Supplied as an established plant in a 9cm pot ready for planting out.
A beautiful striking fiery orange coloured tulip, with unique lily-like pointed petals, 'Synaeda Orange' will really make a bold statement in your beds and borders next spring. Flowering from April through to the end of May, 'Synaeda Orange' is a vigorous and incredibly versatile variety of tulip that will flourish in a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden or on your patio. 'Synaeda Orange' looks fantastic planted up en masse in a large gap in the border, or why not mix things up and plant alongside varieties such as 'Washington' for an even louder display, or 'Apricot Fox' to tone things down a little. Tulips are one of the most popular bulbs, not only because they look spectacular creating accents of vibrant colour within spring displays but because they're just as great in beds and borders as the are in pots and containers. They're also fantastic as cut flowers that can be brought inside and displayed in vases to brighten up the indoors as well as the outdoors. Plant in autumn for stunning spring displays.
Beautiful five-petalled, softly coloured blooms and intricately marbled leaves are what make this nasturtium a superb choice to complement any garden scheme. The pretty salmon-orange flowers have darker veins flushing from their centres and stand above foliage that forms attractive, globe-shaped mounds. A winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, 'Alaska Salmon Orange' is noted for its reliability and good performance. This hardy annual is easy to grow and versatile, with a long flowering season from early June until the first frosts in October. They look fabulous when trained up a trellis or fence, tumbling out of window boxes and containers, or cascading over the sides of hanging baskets. Plant them as groundcover in a mixed border or rock garden, where they will add pleasing interest amid other flowers and foliage. They also look great as a cut flower in a natural arrangement. A worthy addition to a kitchen garden, nasturtiums are loved by bees and butterflies, so are good for pollination. They will attract hover flies, which prey on aphids, so make a great companion for brassicas, pumpkins, radish, tomato and potatoes - even roses - to help control pests. When they die back they will replenish the soil, adding nutrients and minerals to help other plants thrive. Being native to South and Central America, which were known as the Indies, the flowers were once commonly called 'Indian cresses'. Indeed, the leaves and flowers are edible, with a pleasant, slightly peppery flavour reminiscent of watercress. Mix them into your salads and garnishes for a pop of extra colour and flavour, or add last minute to a stir-fry. They are rich in vitamin C, too. Supplied as a packet of 25 (approx.) seeds ready to sow indoors in pots, from February to March, or outdoors from April to June directly where they are to grow. Nasturtiums will flower most prolifically in a sunny position in free-draining soil. They are drought tolerant but appreciate an occasional watering in warm weather. Regular dead-heading will encourage continuous flowering.
Spring bulbs in our gardens are a sure sign that winter is behind us and we can look forward to longer days and pleasant weather, and daffodils play an incredibly important part in this, with there showy, brightly coloured flowers popping up everywhere. With its classic daffodil shape, this beautiful Narcissus with delight as its buds open to reveal bright orange trumpets surrounded by golden yellow petals. Happily growing in sun or partial shade, plant them is groups for maximum impact in beds, borders and planters or scatter them across lawns to give a stunningly naturalistic effect, they will quickly naturalise, returning in greater numbers year after year. Supplied as 12 bulbs, size 12/14, ready to plant in autumn, growing to a height of 40 cm (16 in) and width of 15 cm (6 in).