See this shrub in in its wispy flowering finery, or its fiery autumn colours, and you'll understand why it is loved by so many gardeners. Even when it's not putting on a special display, Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' is a beautiful sight with its neat form and rounded rich purple leaves. It's the feathery, smoke-like flowers, pink in summer and turning tan in autumn, which give the plant its popular name of the Smoke Bush. This large, deciduous shrub is easy to grow in almost any soil and thrives in sun or shade. It can be allowed to grow unchecked, or alternatively can be pruned hard every few years to keep it as a smaller shrub with larger leaves. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height and spread: 5m (16').
A bushy deciduous shrub with the most attractive;colour-changing leaves. Emerging fresh green in the spring;the leaves mature to a golden yellow in summer before maturing to a fiery red in the autumn. Flushes of smokey yellow flowers appear in summer. Will make a striking addition to your garden borders;particularly when planted next to bronzed-leaved plants.
A lovely contrast to the usual greens , this medium sized bush has stunning deep purple rounded leaves. It's a deciduous shrub so bare in winter, in spring the young leaves quickly deepen in colour with a waxy sheen before turning deep red in autumn. Feathery flowers appear in summer, singly they are insignificant yet together they give the plant a hazy look leading to it's common name - Smoke Bush. Fully hardy, it thrives in most soils but needs a sunny spot to do best. Cotinus is easy to maintain needing just an occasional light trim to encourage new growth which enhances the display of foliage. Delivered as an established plant in 3L pot ready for immediate planting out..
Gladiolus communis byzantinus, also known as the Byzantine gladiolus, is a reliable cottage-garden perennial, with striking sword-shaped leaves. Erect spikes of magenta trumpet flowers are produced from late spring Easy to grow, plants can be left to naturalise where they will spread freely and produce a mass of gorgeous colour - the perfect way to get larger displays year after year. Plus they won't need staking so really easy to look after! Perfect to grow as a cut flower, byzantinus can also be dotted about between shrubs and other herbaceous perennials where they add height and a dramatic colour contrast in flower beds and even pots. Holder of the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a garden-worthy plant sure to perform - giving you years of glorious colour. Supplied as a pack of 50 bulbs, size 7/8 ready to plant out i autumn.
This species Gladiolus is graceful and elegant ? a far cry from the flamboyant Sword Lilies found in many UK gardens. Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus produces its slender swaying stems of cerise pink blooms in late spring and early summer, bridging the colour gap between fading spring bulbs and budding summer perennials.
For a shrub that provides winter interest in the garden, Viburnum tinus is hard to beat. From December until April the bush is filled with scented white flowers, that are then followed by dark blue-black fruit.
Viburnum tinus 'Lisarose' is one of few shrubs that flowers in winter, between December and April, so it is an excellent choice for providing colour when so much of the garden is dormant. It has evergreen foliage and creamy white florets open from deep pink buds, on compact flowerheads, which are then followed by shiny black fruits. It is an ideal shrub for wide borders in larger gardens, especially those with a woodland setting. Planted in a line, Laurustinus makes a lovely hedge. Height and spread: 3m (10?).