Snowdrops In The Green - the guaranteed way to succeed with these early spring flowering beauties! The earliest and bravest of all flowering Spring bulbs, the delicate snowdrop with its tiny white petals and green-tinged centres bursts in bloom when the weather is at its very harshest. While all around it lies decidedly dormant, this cheery, fresh-faced little fellow brightens the gloomiest of looking gardens. Difficult to grow from just the dry bulbs found in garden centres, the best way to ensure success is to plant Snowdrops while they are still in leaf otherwise known as in the green. The soil surrounding the bulbs contains a special fungus encouraging a strong and vigorous new root system. By planting in this way you can look forward to a stunning display in your garden from the very first season!
Snowdrops In The Green - the guaranteed way to succeed with these early spring flowering beauties! The earliest and bravest of all flowering Spring bulbs, the delicate snowdrop with its tiny white petals and green-tinged centres bursts in bloom when the weather is at its very harshest. While all around it lies decidedly dormant, this cheery, fresh-faced little fellow brightens the gloomiest of looking gardens. These beautiful 'Double-flowered' snowdrops take the snowdrop to the next level - inside of the flower head, you'll find another, smaller, delicate flower creating ruffles of pure white petals with pale green details. Difficult to grow from just the dry bulbs found in garden centres, the best way to ensure success is to plant Snowdrops while they are still in leaf otherwise known as in the green. The soil surrounding the bulbs contains a special fungus encouraging a strong and vigorous new root system. By planting in this way you can look forward to a stunning display in your garden from the very first season!
With their intense indigo blue colour and sweetly fragrant perfume, Bluebells boldly herald the arrival of Spring and the onset of warmer weather. You can now create your own carpet of these pretty woodland favourites in your garden. Simply plant them in a shady spot at the base of a hedge or around the base of a tree where they will naturalise just like in the wild. As is the case with Snowdrops, planting Bluebells 'in the green', when they are in leaf and still growing, is by far and away the most successful method of establishing them and is much more successful than planting dry bulbs in the Autumn.
Emerging like bright yellow stars from the soil, at the same time as snowdrops, Aconites herald the start of lengthening days in the garden. Perfect for mixing with snowdrops, and for colonising and naturalising under trees, or shady spots. Once planted, they will die back this season, and emerge stronger and better every February, slowly spreading out to gently cover small areas.
What a cracker this lovely peony is, and a one off too. It's an Intersectional Peony, a hybrid between traditional perennial varieties and the tougher tree peony, combining beauty, colour and robustness in one, also known as an Itoh Peony after Dr. Toichi Itoh. Created in 1986, Paeonia Itoh 'Bartzella' produces beautiful lemon-yellow flowers with frilly, ruffled centres and unique magenta streaks at the petal base. This created quite a stir at the time, with an individual root selling for over $1000.00! Fortuantely now much more affordable, Bartzella quickly forms a neat mound of deep-green foliage that acts as the perfect backdrop for its giant flowers, this superb peony with flower its socks off in April and May, and even into June. What's more, the blooms carry a wonderful lemon-citrus scent which is a joy on those sunny spring days! Long lived and easy to grow, this fully hardy peony is especially vigorous with sturdy flower stems that don't require staking - making them exquisite cut flowers. Being a perennial, each autumn Bartzella retreats underground, only to emerge bigger and more floriferous next year. Perfect in mixed borders in sun or light shade, it's not a plant that enjoys the confines of a pot for too long - if you must grow them in a container, use a large one and after a few years unpot the plant and relocate to a bed or border. Plants will produce dozens of flowers when happy and because they grow wide rather than high, they are an excellent choice for a border hedge, with a wave of flowers which add to the overall planting scheme. Consider growing them in several groupings of three or more at intervals along the length of a flower border for an early wave of romantic colour tones. Supplied as a bare root plant ready for potting up and growing on or planting straight out when the soil has warmed.
Hardy Geraniums, or 'Cranesbills' as they are commonly known, are one of the easiest and best garden performers for low maintenance, flowering displays and versatility to growing conditions. Everyone should find space for them! Not to be confused with bedding Geraniums, more correctly called Pelargoniums, these really are one of the most versatile plants - sun or shade, wet or dry, pots or garden, they just keep doing their thing year after year. From their dormant state over-winter, in spring they produce neat and tidy small domes of leaves, which are smothered in flowers in Summer. A mecca for bees, they will be buzzing with activity on sunny days. In Autumn, the leaves often turn red orange too. A simple trim off of old growth in Autumn is all they need - what could be easier.
Sumptuous, colour-changing, semi-double flowers will bring an opulent show of magnificence to any garden. Topping slender, blushed flower stems, the large, showy flowers of Peony 'Coral Sunset' bud up a fabulous deep salmon-pink before breaking into full blooms of the most amazing salmon. Gradually transitioning to a subtle pastel coral-orange and finally a pale, creamy pastel orange, the opulent show of blousy blooms really must be seen to be believed! A garden designer's dream, this luscious peony has been one of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show darlings in recent years, with designers practically falling over themselves to incorporate it into their plans and it's easy to see why. Superb as a garden plant and perfect as a cut flower, the buds stay tight for days before opening up into goblets of pure joy, adding spectacular drama to a vase or hand-tied bouquet - a florist's dream! Coral Sunset certainly lives up to its name, with the cupped blooms topping 8in across and going through a series of subtle colour changes as they mature. Supplied as a bare root with 2-3 eye buds, so you'll get 2-3 stems in the first year.
Peonies are a cottage garden must-have and are becoming increasingly popular as both a cut flower and a specimen plant in a large patio pot, where they add romance and glamour to any setting. These reliable perennial plants have huge, blousy flowers which fill the garden with colour and scent and can be brought into the home as cut flowers to brighten up the dullest windowsill. 'Sarah Bernhardt' is an outstanding herbaceous peony producing large, highly fragrant, rose-pink double-ruffled flowers on sturdy plants throughout summer. The plants themselves form an upright bush of dark green leaves, remaining attractive all season. Often available as smaller plants, we have been lucky enough to secure some premium quality, large bare-root herbaceous peony plants. Sold by specialist Paeony growers and RHS Exhibitors at much higher prices, you can secure yourself a classic English border plant that will flourish and delight for 30 years or more - simply getting bigger and better. Suppllied as a single bare-root for planting in autumn or early spring as the soil warms, where they can remain in active but slow growth. They really are very easy to look after and make very fashionable cut flowers every summer.
Galanthus nivalis is one of the first flowers to poke its head above ground in winter through to early spring. These hardy dwarf perennials, with delicately fragrant, nodding, snow-white blooms bursting open from narrow, dark grey-green stems, are one of the most wonderful sights in the winter months.They love the dappled shade under trees and look even better when planted in drifts through grass, where they will naturalise easily and increase in number year after year. Alternatively, plant in groups in the fronts of borders and beds, or underplant amongst roses and shrubs. At a time when little else is in flower, they also make an attractive feature in rock gardens and pots.An eternal favourite and fully deserving of its RHS Award of Garden Merit, this versatile snowdrop is suitable for any size of garden and will thrive in exposed or sheltered positions.Supplied as a pack of 25 bulbs for planting in the autumn, they will flower from January to March the following year, and your displays will get better every year!
The perfect patio shrub in softest powder pink, Lavatera 'Barnsley Baby' has taken the huge flower power of its vigorous cousins, and focussed it all on a much smaller and naturally compact form. It is very very easy to grow, very tough and robust in rain and shine, and in summer produces lovely candyfloss-pink flower displays that smother the plant, as the strings of buds open from bottom to top of each and every stem. Perfect in 20-30cm patio pots, simply keep watered and fed monthly, and cut back once a year before new growth starts - a very low maintenance but high reward plant indeed. Supplied as an establishedplant in a 9cm pot, ready for plantin out. Grows to 1.5m, flowers July to September.
Dahlia Figaro is one of the best-selling bedding Dahlias and simply perfect for bright and zingy summer and autumn displays and bees love it too. The mix contains a whole host of colours from yellows, oranges and red, to pink, white and purples - all set off by dark purple-tinged foliage. Each plant produces a mass of double and semi-double flowers, and are perfect for larger pots and planters together, or in borders dotted around to fill in gaps. Dead-head for longer flowering, these little gems form neat clumps, are very easy to manage and deliver good performance come rain or shine through the summer. This bushy half hardy perennial (Treat as HHA) has a height and spread of 30cm (12in) and flowers from July to October. Supplied as a pack of approx. 40 seeds.
Zinnia Jazz is perfect for summer and autumn displays, with bright colours and large flowers to light up your garden. Each plant produces a mass of bi-coloured flowers in pinks and oranges, and are perfect for larger pots and planters, or in borders where they provide useful height. They make great cut flowers too, so you can enjoy them indoors as well as in the garden. Dead-head for longer flowering, these plants are very easy to manage and deliver amazing performance all the way into autumn. This half hardy annual has a height and spread of 75cm (30in) x 30cm (1ft), flowering from July to October. Supplied in a pack of approx. 75 seeds.
Californian Poppy 'Monarch Art Shades' is a compact and wonderfully colourful addition to the summer garden. The plants produces double or semi-double flowers in powerful shades of orange. Perfect in pots and at the front of borders, or scattered amongst your planting to give intense highlights. They thrive in poor, dry soil and will self seed freely in borders, gravel and any cracks in the pavement. These hardy annuals will grow to H30cm (1ft) x W15cm (6in). Flowers from June to August. Dead-head for longer flowering, or if you want to prevent self seeding.
Sweet Peas have always been amongst a garden lovers favourite flowers, and this 'Galaxy' is no different. Early flowering inlusciou s colours from reds to pinks to blues from late spring through to autumn, they'll produce a fabulous succession of beautifully fragrant stems that just keep on coming the more they're cut, so your vases can be as full as your garden with these prolific, long lasting star performers. Once planted out, provide a sturdy support such a cane wigwam or decorative obelisk that the plants can cling to as they grow upwards. A hardy annual, reaching 180cm (6ft), flowering from May to October. Supplied as a pack of approx. 35 seeds.
Bring a cottage garden feel to your borders and large pots with Cosmos 'Candy Stripe'. Exceptionally free flowering, giving a succession of white blooms with an edging of the deepest pink. With its delicate feathery foliage 'Candy Stripe' makes a lovely cut flower too. Its pollen rich, yellow centres are a magnet for bees on warm sunny days. This half hardy annual will grow to 120cm (48in), flowering between June and October. Supplied as a pack of approx. 100 seeds.
Lobelia 'Cambridge Blue' is the perfect filler plant for pots, planters and tubs, or even large scale border plantings. 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. Very easy to grow, its hundreds of sky-blue flowers will wind their way through the gaps in plants, filling them in with ease. A great little essential plant for all planting schemes. This compact half hardy annual will grow to be 15cm (6in) high Supplied as a pack of approx. 1500 seeds.
Very reliable performer. Early to bloom and the large double flowers appear freely providing a tall mixture of brightly coloured heads in oranges and yellows. It is an ideal space filler adding great height and colour in the border, and dramatic when mass planted into a large container, especially when companion planted with bright blue flowers. 'Crackerjack' looks spectacular when block planted into a border about 30cm (1ft) apart. Try the flowers in a salad, they taste of citrus! Dead-head to keep the flowers coming throught the summer and into autumn. This half hardy annual will grow to H75cm (30in) x W30cm (1ft) and flower from June to October. Supplied in a pack of approx. 200 seeds.
Bring a classic cottage garden feel to your borders and large pots with Cosmos 'Sensation'. Exceptionally free flowering, giving a succession of blooms. With it's delicate feathery foliage 'Sensation' makes a lovely cut flower too. It's pollen rich, yellow centres are a magnet for bees all summer long. This half hardy annual grows to 120cm (48in), flowering between June and October. Supplied as a pack of approx. 200 seeds.
Use this exceptionally tall, graceful grass to give height to the back of a mixed border or for pond side planting, where the stems will dance in the breeze but won't block you view and the leaves will cascade out like a fountain. A hardy perennial, flowering the year after sowing with feathery silver plumes which give wonderful winter structure and look fabulous in the frost. Mature plants can be trimmed to ground level in early spring, encouraging fresh new growth. Dig up and divide to increase your stock. Growing to H210cm (7ft) x W120cm (4ft), flowering August - October. Supplied as a pack of approx. 30 seeds.
A native of British meadows and fields, this gardeners' favourite is loved by butterflies & bees. Relive childhood memories of golden fields of corn, peppered with the bright blue cornflowers and the gentle hum of busy pollinators on a bright summer's day. Quick and easy to grow, this colourful British favourite is ideal for naturalising and will attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Also known as Batchelors Buttons, 'Blue Ball', is a showy annual is a slender, dainty plant with sky-blue flowers. Perfect for punctuating wild gardens or meadows with colour. Ideal too to get kids interested in gardening or for time-strapped gardeners who want results without the effort! A hardy annual, cornflowers will grow and flower in the same year (or the following year if sown late in the year). Excellent as a cut flower, you can add a bunch to a vase or use them in mixed bouquets. Never before has it been so important to protect pollinators such as bees, and this wildflower is ideal to encourage them into your garden. Bees are invaluable for pollinating a whole range of plants and especially useful for kitchen gardens to enable the formation of many fruits and vegetables. Take a look at our bee book for more details on these fascinating insects. Growing to 60cm (24in). Sow outdoors, March-May or August-October, directly where they are to flower. Flowers July - September. Supplied as a pack of approx. 180 seeds. Native grown seed not taken from the wild.