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Key for symbols
new in 2010	grass	shade
liked by bees	likes boggy areas	semi-shade
ready in July	likes troughs	happy anywhere
bulb	sun

Plant list for this page Click on a genus to go straight to that position on the page

ACANTHUS	ANTENNARIA
ACHILLEA	ANTHEMIS
ACONITUM	ANTHYLLIS
ADONIS	ANTIRRHINUM
AETHIONEMA	AQUILEGIA
AGAPANTHUS	ARABIS
AGASTACHE	ARENARIA
AGERATINA	ARISAEMA
ALCHEMILLA	ARMERIA
ALLIUM	ARTEMISIA
ALSTROEMERIA	ARUM
ALYSSUM	ASPERULA
AMSONIA	ASTER
ANDROSACE	ASTILBE
ANEMANTHELE	ASTRANTIA
ANEMONE	AUBRIETA
ANGELICA

acanthus

SPINOSUS
Beautifully architectural plant – deeply cut, glossy green, spiny leaves. Large prickly spikes of purple flowers with white lower lips from July to September. 1.3 m

ACHILLEA

'CARMINA BURANA'
Flat heads of deep wine-mulberry coloured flowers, from midsummer. Seems a stronger grower than Achillea 'Summerwine'. 60 cm

The Mead Nursery - Achillea clavennae (syn. achillea argentea)

CLAVENNAE (syn. A.ARGENTEA)
Wonderfully silver woolly foliage, with small white daisy flowers. Hardy if in very well-drained soil. 15 cm

‘FANAL’ (syn. A. ‘THE BEACON’)
A spreading carpet of feathery green foliage with large flat heads of scarlet flowers with yellow centres from June to August. 60 cm

The Mead Nursery - Achillea 'Hella Glashoff'

‘HELLA GLASHOFF’
Large flat heads of buttery-cream flowers, for weeks, from midsummer. 40 cm

The Mead Nursery - Achillea X Lewisii King Alfred

‘KING ALFRED’
A low mound of silvery-green foliage with flat heads of primrose-yellow flowers, during the summer. 10 cm

The Mead Nursery - Achillea 'Terracotta'

‘TERRACOTTA’
Flat heads of soft terracotta coloured flowers which age to palest yellow. The old with the new flowers makes a lovely combination, greyish leaf. Lasts for weeks in summer. 70 cm

ACONITUM

All Aconitum are poisonous.

CARMICHAELII (syn. A. FISCHERI)
Tall spikes of blue monkshood flowers in autumn, a valued splash of colour for the borders at that time of year. 1.2 m

The Mead Nursery - ACONITUM NAPELLUS 'BERGFURST'

NAPELLUS 'BERGFURST'
Tall spikes of violet-blue flowers, for weeks from late June. 1.2 m

ADONIS

AMURENSIS
Rich yellow flowers nestle in a crown of feathery leaves, during early spring. A slow growing woodland plant.
20 cm

AETHIONEMA

'WARLEY RUBER'
Pretty rich pink flowers, over glaucous foliage, in late spring and summer. Prefers well-drained soil, in sun.
12 cm

AGAPANTHUS

We thought it might be helpful to give some tips on how to get your agapanthus to flower, especially in containers. Well, we can only tell you what works for us and hope it does for you! We keep them dry over winter, put them in a shed or cold greenhouse. In about February-March they get a really good watering and then they are left until they start to shoot. After that, they are given fairly frequent watering (without drowning them!) during the spring, with a liquid feed of something like tomato feed every so often.

HEADBOURNE HYBRIDS
Large heads of blue flowers, from August to September. Best grown in a sunny position and mulched well in winter, often flowers better if grown in a container.
75 cm

The Mead Nursery - Agapanthus 'Lilliput'

‘LILLIPUT’
Round heads of deep blue flowers, in July. A nicely compact plant. Good in tubs or in a fairly well-drained, sunny border. 30 cm

The Mead Nursery-Agapanthus 'Midnight Blue'

‘MIDNIGHT BLUE’
Round heads of dark blue flowers from mid to late summer. Demand always outstrips supply! 50 cm

The Mead Nursery - Agapanthus 'Purple Cloud'

‘PURPLE CLOUD’
Good deep purple flowers in late summer. Not as hardy as some of the others we grow, so probably best in a pot and taken under cover in winter. 80 cm

The Mead Nursery - Agapanthus 'Streamline'

‘STREAMLINE’
Large heads of pale blue flowers in summer, on shortish stems. 30 cm

WHITE
We do not know the correct name, but we have decided it is too good to leave out of the catalogue each year. Seems a good hardy Agapanthus with white flowers in late summer. 75 cm

AGASTACHE

AURANTIACA
Silvery aromatic foliage with spikes of orange flowers from midsummer. Needs a very sheltered position in the garden or grow it in a pot and give it winter protection. 45 cm

FOENICULUM
Anise Hyssop. An upright, aniseed-scented perennial, with downy leaves, whitish-green underneath. Dense spikes of purple-blue flowers, from June to September. Prefers sun and a fairly sheltered position.
1 m

AGERATINA

ALTISSIMA ‘CHOCOLATE’
(syn. EUPATORIUM RUGOSUM 'CHOCOLATE')
Good dark purple foliage, with small white flowers in autumn. 1 m

ALCHEMILLA

ALPINA
Palmate, glossy green leaves with a silvery looking outer edge. Small sprays of yellow flowers. 10 cm

The Mead Nursery -Alchemilla erythropoda

ERYTHROPODA
Slightly more glaucous leaves than A. mollis – otherwise very similar, only in miniature. Sprays of tiny yellow flowers in summer. Self-seeds gently. 15 cm

ALLIUM

These can be grouped together in the onion family. All have that distinctive smell, especially when the stems are crushed or cut. The ones listed below all thrive in a sunny, fairly well-drained soil, unless otherwise stated.

'AMBASSADOR'
Very dense heads of violet-pink flowers on tall sturdy stems in May and June, a showy allium. 1 m

The Mead Nursery - Allium angulosum (syn. A. PYRENAICUM)

ANGULOSUM (syn. A. PYRENAICUM)
Broad, slightly curved foliage at base; strong stems of rounded heads, lilac-pink in summer. A butterfly favourite. 40 cm

CAERULEUM
Blue balls of flowers on tallish slender stems, in July. Likes dry soil. 45 cm

The Mead Nursery - Allium carinatum 'Pulchellum'

CARINATUM ssp. PULCHELLUM
Interesting heads of lilac-pink flowers, some flowers on the heads standing upright some cascading down, in July-August. Prefers moisture-retentive soil. 40 cm

The Mead Nursery - Allium carinatum ssp. pulchellum Album

CARINATUM ssp. PULCHELLUM f ALBUM
White flowered form of the above. 40cm

CERNUUM
A more herbaceous clump-forming Allium with nodding umbels of dark pink flowers during summer. Does well in a sunny, dry situation. Self-seeds. 40 cm

allium

CRISTOPHII (syn. A. ALBOPILOSUM)
Giant heads of starry purple-pink flowers on fairly short stems in summer – very dramatic! Slow to increase.
30 cm

‘GLOBEMASTER’
Wonderfully large heads of violet-purple flowers on tall stems, in early summer. Lasts for weeks, as the new flowers cover the old ones when they go over. 1 m

The Mead Nursery - Allium 'Purple Sensation'

HOLLANDICUM ‘PURPLE SENSATION’
(syn. A. AFLATUNENSE ‘PURPLE SENSATION’)
Round heads of deep violet flowers on tall stems in early summer – good for drying. Self-seeds. 1 m

allium

KARATAVIENSE
Grown especially for their attractive, broad strap-like leaves which are glaucous, tinged with purple. Has large palish-pink drumstick flowers on short stems, in early summer. Self-seeds. 15 cm

The Mead Nursery - Allium karataviense 'Ivory Queen'

KARATAVIENSE ‘IVORY QUEEN’
Broad, showy foliage in early spring. Round heads of ivory- white flowers in May, on short stems. 15 cm

‘MONT BLANC’
Upright stems topped by round balls of creamy white flowers, in May and June. 1.3 m

allium

ROSEUM
Nodding heads of soft pink flowers in early summer. Often forms new bulbils on top of the flowers. Fairly invasive in a nice kind of way! 30 cm

SCHUBERTII
The ultimate exploding firework flower! Dramatic heads of lilac flowers in early summer. May not flower the first year, so either buy it when the bud is showing, or be prepared to wait a year. Needs a very sheltered spot in well-drained soil, or could be grown in a pot and kept inside until the worst frosts are over. 40 cm

The Mead Nursery - Allium senescens ssp. montanum var. glaucum

SENESCENS ssp. GLAUCUM
Slightly twisted, glaucous linear leaves with rounded heads of lilac pink flowers in late summer. The flowers are attractive to Small Tortoiseshell butterflies. 20 cm

The Mead Nursery - Allium sphaerocephalon

SPHAEROCEPHALON
Egg-shaped flowers of deep crimson-purple, from mid to late summer. 75 cm

VIRGUNCULAE
Thin grassy leaves with slightly nodding heads of lavender pink flowers in October and November. Prefers well-drained soil. A valuable plant for late colour in the rockery. 12 cm

ALSTROEMERIA

PSITTACINA
Peruvian Lily. Upright stems, with green and dark red tubular flowers, for weeks in midsummer. Prefers a fairly sheltered situation, in good soil. The sap may cause a skin allergy. 1 m

ALYSSUM

SPINOSUM ‘ROSEUM’ (syn. PTILOTRICHON SPINOSUM ‘ROSEUM’)
A slightly prickly mound of small silver foliage, covered in masses of tiny pink flowers in summer. Prefers well-drained soil. 10 cm

AMSONIA

ORIENTALIS (syn. RHAZYA ORIENTALIS)
Similar to an herbaceous Phlox, with ice blue flowers in midsummer. Seems to run a bit. 60 cm

ANDROSACE

This genus is impervious to cold but dislikes winter wet, so plant in a well-drained, gritty soil in full sun.

LANUGINOSA
Hairy grey leaves on trailing stems. Pink flowers with a darker eye from mid to late summer. Very pretty. 5 cm

The Mead Nursery - Androsace studiosorum 'Salmon's Variety'

STUDIOSORUM ‘SALMON’S VARIETY’
(syn. A.SARMENTOSA ‘SALMON’S VARIETY’)
A mat of hairy rosettes of leaves with deep pink flowers in early summer. 10 cm

ANEMANTHELE

LESSONIANA (syn. STIPA ARUNDINACEA)
Arching habit of leaves which are a mixture of olive green, rusty brown and orange. Looks wonderful with the sunlight shining through the leaves. Will grow in dry shade but leaves will be more green. 70 cm

ANEMONE

All anemones are poisonous.
BLANDA These corms are ideal for growing under deciduous trees; they have sunlight during their flowering period and then the shade from the trees is ideal through the summer when they like to be kept more dry. It must be said though that they are very good-natured plants and will thrive almost anywhere.

BLANDA BLUE
Blue flowers from February to the end of April. 10 cm

BLANDA var. ROSEA ‘RADAR’
Carmine pink flowers with white centres, from March to April. Slower to establish than the other Anemone blanda types that we grow. 10 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anemone blanda 'White Splendour'

BLANDA ‘WHITE SPLENDOUR’
White flowers with a pink flush to the back of the petals, from March to May. 15 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anemone coronaria 'Lord Lieutenant'

CORONARIA (ST BRIDGID GROUP) ‘LORD LIEUTENANT'
Semi-double, deep blue anemone flowers in late spring, early summer. Prefers well-drained soil. 30 cm

anemone

HUPEHENSIS and HYBRIDA VARIETIES
These are wonderful gently spreading plants for late summer and autumn flowering. They do like their roots in the cool, so are ideal for shady situations – but if their roots are shaded by shrubs or paving, they will grow happily in the sun.

HUPEHENSIS var. JAPONICA ‘PAMINA’
Rich-pink, double flowers with prominent golden stamens from August onwards. 60 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anemone hupehensis 'Praecox'

HUPEHENSIS ‘PRAECOX’
Single, reddish-pink flowers from late July onwards.
60 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert'

X HYBRIDA ‘HONORINE JOBERT’
Single white flowers from August onwards. Brightens up a shady corner. 1.2 m

The Mead Nursery - Anemone x hybrida 'Loreleyi'

X HYBRIDA ‘LORELEY’
Single pink open flowers from July onwards. 1.2 m

anemone

X HYBRIDA ‘WHIRLWIND’
(syn. A. X HYB.WIRBELWIND)
Semi-double white flowers from August onwards. 1 m

The Mead Nursery - Anemone multifida 'Major'

MULTIFIDA ‘MAJOR’
Neat clumps of palmate leaves, with upturned cups of creamy-yellow flowers in spring. Forms cotton wool seed heads in midsummer. 25 cm

MULTIFIDA 'RUBRA'
Carmine red flowered version of the above but with smaller flowers. 25 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anemone ranunculoides

RANUNCULOIDES
Small cheery yellow anemone flowers in spring which gently spreads. 10 cm

RIVULARIS
Branching stems of white flowers with blue backs to the petals, from May to July. Prefers moisture-retentive soil. 60 cm

SYLVESTRIS
‘Snowdrop windflower’. Like a dwarf version of white Japanese Anemone, only it flowers in early spring, and then again later on. Quite a vigorous spreader. 20 cm

ANGELICA

‘EBONY’
Wonderfully dark, almost black, divided leaves, with heads of dark buds opening to pink flowers in summer. Biennial, so collect seed, which is best sown fresh. Prefers moisture retentive soil. 90 cm

ANTENNARIA

‘RED WONDER’
Ground-hugging mat of silver foliage, with pinky-red flowers in late spring. 10 cm

ANTHEMIS

MARSCHALLIANA
Mat-forming with dense silky-grey leaves. Solitary yellow daisy-like flowers from May to July. 20 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anthemis punctata ssp. cupaniana

PUNCTATA ssp. CUPANIANA
Low hummocks of silver-grey divided foliage covered in white daisy flowers from early April to autumn. It is worth trimming once or twice during the season to stop it getting straggly. 25 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anthemis tinctoria 'E.C. Buxton'

TINCTORIA ‘E. C. BUXTON’
Cut-leaf green foliage, with lemon-yellow daisy flowers throughout summer. 75 cm

The Mead Nursery - Anthemis Tinctoria 'Sauce Hollandaise'

TINCTORIA ‘SAUCE HOLLANDAISE’
Cream daisy flowers, for weeks in summer. Will flower for longer if dead-headed. 75 cm

anthyllis

VULNERARIA var. COCCINEA
Ground-hugging plant with bright orange-red clover-type flowers from May to August. 15 cm

ANTIRRHINUM

HISPANICUM ssp. HISPANICUM 'ROSEUM'
Rounded and hairy glaucous leaves on rather brittle stems. Pink snapdragon flowers in summer. Needs a well-drained, sunny and sheltered situation. Often self-seeds in gravel. 15 cm

AQUILEGIA

Dainty-looking plants with attractively divided foliage. They seed themselves enchantingly amongst other plants. Harmful if eaten.

ALPINA
Dark blue flowers from late spring to early summer.
60 cm

BARNEBYI
Glaucous foliage, with delicate salmony, pale lemon spurred flowers in late spring, early summer. Sometimes self-seeds 45 cm

BERTOLONII
A lovely little columbine with deep violet flowers in early summer. Gently seeds itself about in the gravel, on our raised bed. 20 cm

FORMOSA
Short spurred, orangey-red flowers with dangling yellow stamens, from late spring. Likes fairly damp soil. 75 cm

LONGISSIMA
Long spurred, pale yellow flowers in early summer.
75 cm

The Mead Nursery - Aquilegia vulgaris var. alba

VULGARIS var. ALBA
White flowers which lighten a shady corner. 60 cm

ARABIS

FERDINANDI-COBURGI ‘AUREOVARIEGATA’
Flat mats of golden variegated foliage sending up stems of delicate white flowers in early spring. 15 cm

ARENARIA

MONTANA
A good hummock of narrow dark green leaves, covered in a mass of white flowers all summer. 15 cm

PURPURASCENS
Grows wild in dampish rocky places in the Pyrenees so probably a shady rockery would suit. Bright green mound of foliage is covered in starry pink flowers in summer. 15 cm

ARISAEMA

CILIATUM var. LIUBAENSE
Striking, dark striped aroid flowers over palmate foliage. Likes a cool woodland situation to gently spread. Poisonous. 25 cm

ARMERIA

JUNIPERIFOLIA (syn. A. CAESPITOSA)
‘Dwarf thrift’. The plant is like a green pin cushion, covered in round heads of pink flowers in early spring and then on and off later on. 7.5 cm

The Mead Nursery - Armeria juniperifolia 'Alba'

JUNIPERIFOLIA 'ALBA'
White flowered form of the above. 7.5 cm

The Mead Nursery - Armeria maritima 'Rubrifolia'

MARITIMA ‘RUBRIFOLIA’
Purple tinted foliage, makes a darker hummock for the pink thrift flowers, in late spring, early summer. 12 cm

The Mead Nursery - Armeria maritima 'Vindictive'

MARITIMA ‘VINDICTIVE’
Round heads of rich pink flowers in early summer, over a green mat of needle-like leaves. 15 cm

The Mead Nursery - Artemisia 'Nifty Thrifty'

‘NIFTY THRIFTY’
Worth having just for the clever name! A golden variegated thrift with pink flowers in spring. 10 cm

ARTEMISIA

LACTIFLORA GUIZHOU GROUP
A basal clump of serrated leaves with reddish tints especially in spring. Thin arching spikes of creamy white flowers from July. Looks good next to the dark stems of Aster laevis ‘Calliope’. Prefers a moisture-retentive soil. 1 m

The Mead Nursery - Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana'

SCHMIDTIANA ‘NANA’
Prostrate mat of filigree silver foliage. Likes a well-drained sunny position. 6 cm

arum

CRETICUM
Like a special form of 'Lords and Ladies with glossy dark green sagittate foliage and yellow spathe flowers in spring. Needs a sheltered position because it grows through the winter. It is dormant in summer. Poisonous berries. 40 cm

ASPERULA

GUSSONEI
Makes a green mossy mat, covered in tiny starry pink flowers, in summer. 3 cm

SINTENISII
Small, greyish felty leaves form a low mat with tiny pink flowers in early summer. Needs well-drained soil. Suitable for a trough. 3 cm

ASTER

These are an easy-to-please group of herbaceous plants with the great advantage of having late summer flowers. All like a sunny position, with the exception of A. divaricatus which is happy in sun or shade. Butterflies and bees love the flowers.

DIVARICATUS
Useful plant for dry shade. Cordate, green leaves attached to nearly-black wiry stems. Sends up sprays of small white daisy flowers from July onwards. Quite a floppy habit, but this does not detract from its appeal. 60 cm

The Mead Nursery - aster ericoides prostratus 'snow flurry'

ERICOIDES PROSTRATUS ‘SNOW FLURRY’
(syn. A. SEDIFOLIUS ‘SNOW FLURRIES’)
A very prostrate Aster, with branching stems covered in a mass of small white flowers in autumn. Looks effective growing over rocks or logs. 10 cm

The Mead Nursery - aster X Frikartii 'Monch'

X FRIKARTII 'MONCH'
Masses of large single mauve flowers on upright stems, for months from the end of July until late autumn. Mildew resistant. 1 m

The Mead Nursery - Aster laevis 'Calliope'

LAEVIS ‘CALLIOPE’
This is a tall one for the back of the border. Glossy, dark green leaves on almost black stems. Sprays of lavender-blue flowers for weeks, from September. Don’t be put off by it benefiting from a strategic stake or two! 1.5 m

The Mead Nursery - aster lateriflorus 'lady in black'

LATERIFLORUS ‘LADY IN BLACK’
Purple-tinted foliage, which is attractive even when not flowering. Open, branching stems of small white flowers with dark pink centres in autumn. 1.1 m

aster

‘LITTLE CARLOW’
An Aster cordifolius hybrid, with panicles of good pale blue flowers on sturdy, upright stems in late summer and autumn. A lovely addition to the garden, seems to need no staking and does not get mildew. 1.1 m

The Mead Nursery - aster novae-angliae 'alma potschke'

NOVAE-ANGLIAE ‘ALMA PÖTSCHKE’
(syn. A. N-A. ‘ANDENKEN AN ALMA POTSCHKE’)
Bright pink semi-double flowers from late summer. Makes a showy splash of colour in the border for the autumn. 75 cm

The Mead Nursery - aster novae-angliae 'harrington's pink'

NOVAE-ANGLIAE ‘HARRINGTON’S PINK’
Semi-double pink flowers from late summer. 1 m

The Mead Nursery - Aster novae-angliae 'Herbstschnee'

NOVAE-ANGLIAE ‘HERBSTSCHNEE’
White Michaelmas daisy which flowers earlier than some, for weeks from August. 1.2 m

The Mead Nursery - Aster n-a. 'September Ruby'

NOVAE-ANGLIAE ‘SEPTEMBER RUBY’
(syn. A. N-A. ‘SEPTEMBERRUBIN’)
Semi-double maroon flowers from late summer. 1.4 m

The Mead Nursery - Aster novae-angliae 'Violet Haze'

NOVAE-ANGLIAE ‘VIOLET HAZE’
A new seedling selected by Duncan Skene (Abraxas Gardens), good violet flowers in autumn. 1.1 m

aster

NOVI-BELGII 'BLUE LAGOON’
A dwarf aster, which makes a dome of good blue flowers in autumn. No staking necessary. 30 cm

‘PINK STAR’
Upright stems of clear pink flowers in autumn. A graceful looking Aster. 1 m

ASTILBE

Ideal marginal plants, for planting in bog gardens, or by water. They will also tolerate drier conditions, if given some shade.

X ARENDSII ‘FANAL’
Spikes of red flowers in early summer. 45 cm

ASTRANTIA

An enchanting group of herbaceous plants with palmate basal leaves and stems of upturned posie flowers for months, from early May until late summer. The flowers can be used for drying. If the soil is moisture retentive they are happy anywhere; if not, they like semi or full shade.

‘HADSPEN BLOOD’
Upturned, deep red posie-type flowers in summer. Seems more susceptible than the others to slug attack as it emerges in spring, but worth growing all the same. 60 cm

MAJOR
Beautiful creamy-green flowers with crimson centres. Flowers for months from May onwards. 75 cm

The Mead Nursery - Astrantia major 'Sunningdale Variegated'

MAJOR ‘SUNNINGDALE VARIEGATED’
Good golden variegated form of A. major. The variegation is more pronounced in spring. 60 cm

AUBRIETA

Ideal for growing down over walls. They flower for weeks, providing valuable early nectar for bees, from early spring and if cut back when getting straggly, they will usually flower again.

‘ALIX BRETT’
Cerise pink flowers. 7 cm

The Mead Nursery - Aubrieta 'aureovariegata'

‘AUREOVARIEGATA’
Golden variegated leaves, mauve-blue flowers from early spring. 7 cm

BICOLOR
A combination of purple and pale lavender flowers, in early spring. 7 cm

‘BLUE BEAUTY’
Double blue-violet flowers in spring. 15 cm

The Mead Nursery - Aubrieta 'Bob Saunders'

‘BOB SAUNDERS’
Semi-double purple flowers. 7 cm

The Mead Nursery - AUBRIETA BRESSINGHAM PINK

‘BRESSINGHAM PINK’
Trailing stems of semi-double pink flowers , slightly paler than A. ‘Rose Queen’, for weeks from late spring. 7 cm

DELTOIDEA ‘GLORIA’
Dark magenta-red flowers in spring. 15 cm

The Mead Nursery - Aubrieta 'Greencourt Purple'

'GREENCOURT PURPLE'
Trailing stems of purple flowers in spring. 7 cm

The Mead Nursery - Aubrieta 'Red Carpet Variegated'

‘RED CARPET VARIEGATED’
Variegated foliage, single red flowers from late spring.
5 cm

aubrieta

‘ROSE QUEEN’
Semi-double pink flowers. 7 cm

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