Spiraea 'Arguta' is a beautiful, large and bushy shrub, covered in arching sprays of small white flowers in May. Commonly known as Bridal Wreath or Foam of May, Spiraea 'Arguta' is very easy to maintain and well suited to both cottage and modern style gardens. A perfect choice for ?white gardens?, it also makes a great specimen in a large border alongside other flowering shrubs, or a wonderful informal hedge. Height and spread: 2.5m (8.2').
Like precious jewels, the goblet shaped petals of winter flowering crocus burst from the soil to welcome the spring. Crocus flowers in shades of saffron, white and purple look particularly effective when planted in drifts or naturalised in lawns.
Bold flowers of yellow and flaming red with distinctive ruffled petals. Plant tulips in groups and delight as they open to reveal their superb colouring.
With a really 'heavenly' perfume, this is a rose that delivers big impact! 'Scent from Heaven' is a climbing rose, which will clamber up walls and trellis to a height of 3.6m. Dense and glossy dark-green foliage contrasts beautifully with the stunning semi-double, salmon-pink-orange flowers, which bloom on upright flower trusses ? often with up to 7 hybrid-tea-rose-shaped blooms on each truss.
Wow! Here's a real show-stopping clematis with tons of fantastic big blue violet flowers ? they're 12-14cm (5-6in) across! You'll only believe it when you see it. Outer petals are decorated with a pretty pink blush on their tips to prompt further amazement at this truly spectacular and energetic climber.
Flowering during January and February, Hamamelis provides a much needed display of colour during the winter months. Sweetly scented, lemon yellow flowers smother the bare winter stems of this elegant vase shaped shrub.
The world?s tiniest tomato is the next big thing! Tomato ?Tomberry Red? produces large trusses of ?pearl? tomatoes that need no slicing. Simply sprinkle them onto salads and pizzas, or eat them as a tasty snack. With a deliciously sweet flavour, they are
It is the heart-shaped silver leaves, veined with green and with a metallic sheen, which make this hardy perennial so desirable. Perfect in a cottage garden or amongst ferns at the front of a woodland border, Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' forms unusual and attractive ground cover for a shady spot. This Siberian Bugloss has dainty sprays of sky blue forget-me-not like flowers in spring. Height: 45cm (18). Spread: 60cm (24).
Choisya ternata 'Sundance' will make you dance with joy when it produces pure white, scented blooms in the late spring, late summer and early autumn. You won't stop dancing even when the sun disappears behind wintry clouds, for Mexican Orange Blossom's unusual yellow leaves are evergreen, so add a splash of colour to the garden all year round. They look especially stunning against a backdrop of other plants' darker foliage in flowerbeds and borders. As if its aesthetic appeal wasn't enough, this hardy shrub, also known as Choisya ternata 'Lich', is exceptionally tolerant. It can be grown almost anywhere, even in tricky, coastal areas, and clipped into a low hedge or grown as a specimen due to its neat, compact habit. With so many benefits, it's easy to see why Choisya ternata 'Sundance' holds a well-deserved RHS AGM. Height: 2.5m (8'). Spread: 2.5m (8').
Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight' is one of the darkest coloured butterfly bushes available, producing magnificent panicles of rich, purple-black blooms. These sweet, bubblegum-scented flowers attract clouds of butterflies and beneficial insects - this is an ideal plant for wildlife gardens. Fast growing, 'Black Knight' is an easy-to-grow deciduous shrub, needling little attention once established. Height: 3m (10?). Spread: 4m (13?).
Plants with architectural interest are often quite large but Euphorbia 'Glacier Blue' is just 60cm wide and 60cm tall so everyone can find a space for it. The blue-green leaves are highlighted with cream edges so will give a silver effect that will be very welcome in winter gardens. From March to June tall stems of nectar-rich creamy green flowers will emerge to stand proud over the contrasting variegated foliage. With the extra feature of being drought resistant Euphorbia ?Glacier Blue' makes the perfect compact plant for low-maintenance borders and as cut flowers too. Height and spread: 60cm (24).
Photinia x fraseri 'Pink Marble' is a unique, variegated Photinia, named for its leaves that emerge flushed with pink. In mid to late spring clusters of mildly-scented, white flowers appear, and this eye-catching evergreen shrub works well in mixed borders. Photinia x fraseri 'Pink Marble' is hardy and low maintenance, and has been awarded an RHS AGM for outstanding garden performance. It responds well to pruning and can even be planted as an informal hedge. Height: 5m (16'). Spread: 2m (6.5').
Also known as the Cape Fuchsia or Cape Figwort, this small semi-evergreen shrub originates from South Africa and is perfect for bringing a touch of the exotic to your garden. Pendent tubular, coral-orange flowers adorn tall stems throughout the summer months, providing long lasting colour in beds, borders and patio containers. Phygelius also look fantastic in mixed herbaceous borders and cottage style gardens. Phygelius 'Pheeges Festive Orange' is hardy in milder parts of the UK but may require some winter protection in colder areas. Height and spread: 60cm (24).
Eremurus x isabellinus 'Cleopatra' is popular with professional garden designers, adding height and colour to borders. This Foxtail Lily is similar in style to Red Hot Pokers, but bears wispy multi-flowered heads on stems a metre tall. Perfect for planting amid low-lying plants in a cottage garden or contemporary borders, Eremurus x isabellinus 'Cleopatra' will form a dense clump once established. Although they look exotic, Foxtail lilies originate from Central Asia, and are nicely hardy. Height: 1.2m (3.9'). Spread: 1m (39).
Also known as Meadow Rue, Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' is a tall herbaceous perennial with attractive feathery foliage and contrasting purple-black stems. In June and July hundreds of delicate, spidery mauve flowers appear which create a purple haze of colour. Favouring moist soils and part shade, Thalictrum thrives in woodland gardens and difficult shady spots. It is also equally at home in herbaceous borders where it adds height and attracts bees. Height: 200cm (79). Spread: 75cm (30).
Spindles are renowned for their attractive, evergreen foliage and vigorous spreading habit, making them a great choice when it comes to providing year-round ground cover. Euonymus fortunei 'Harlequin' offers interest as well as coverage: in Spring, it sprouts pure white shoots, which gradually unfurl to become variegated green leaves, flecked with splashes of silver. At the end of the year, the hardy shrub will help combat winter blues by taking on a subtle, red tint. This plant is particularly suitable for beginner gardeners because it requires minimal maintenance and can withstand almost anything including sunlight, shade and all weather conditions. It's versatile, too, for it can be grown in a border, patio container or even up a wall. Height: 60cm (2'). Spread: 90cm (3').
With its architectural form and dense green needles, this miniature tree makes a fine evergreen feature in the rockery, at the edge of the patio, or in a container. Neat and slow growing, the Dwarf Mountain Pine will remain compact for many years. With maturity, it will form a mound of spreading branches and will produce female cones at the tips of the stems. Pinus mugo 'Pumilo Group' gives interest all year round in return for hardly any maintenance. It copes well with urban pollution and tolerates windy coastal locations. Height: 3.5m (11'). Spread: 5m (16').
Good ground cover doesn't always have to mean creating a high maintenance border or flowerbed. Low-growing plants such as Microbiota decussata, an easy-to-maintain, evergreen conifer, provide excellent, year-round coverage and require little effort. What's more, Siberian Carpet Cypress can be grown on steep slopes and in other problematic but sunny areas. Wherever it's planted, Russian Arbor-Vitae will add interest to the garden, especially when it turns an attractive bronze-purple colour in the winter. Height: 1m (3'3). Spread: 1m (3'3).