These have become very popular over the last few years and new varieties are being bred all the time with some wonderful colour breaks. They can sometimes prove slightly tricky to get established. We find that they do best in not too dry a situation in a sunny spot, but the most important thing is to watch out for marauding slugs early in the year when the fresh new shoots are trying to come through the soil. It is worth taking that extra bit of trouble early on, so you can enjoy their wonderful flowers later, which are very attractive to butterflies and bees.
PALLIDA
Very distinctive Echinacea with narrow and pink, reflexed petals which hang down, from July. 80 cm
PALLIDA ‘HULA DANCER’
Same as above but with white flowers, flushed pale pink. 80 cm
PURPUREA 'FATAL ATTRACTION'
One of the showiest pink Echinaceas, with rich deep pink flowers and dark centres on dark stems, for weeks from July. (PBR) 1 m
PURPUREA ‘JADE’
White daisy flowers, flushed green, with dark green centres, for months
from July. 65 cm
PURPUREA ‘KIM’S
KNEE HIGH’
Clear, bright pink daisy flowers on sturdy stems, from July onwards. (PBR
protected) 50 cm
PURPUREA ‘RUBINSTERN’
Dense, almost semi-double rich pink daisy flowers, from July. Much requested
last year on the nursery when seen. 80 cm
'sunrise'
Cream and pale apricot flowers on sturdy stems. (PBR
protected)
75 cm
TENNESSEENSIS ‘ROCKY
TOP’
Narrow, pale pink daisy
flowers with dark centres, from July. The petals bend upwards curving around
the centre. 60 cm
echinops
RITRO
Globe thistle. Thistly looking foliage with stems of blue globe thistle flowers from July. 1 m
TJANSCHANICUS
(syn. E. TIESCHANICUM)
A giant Globe Thistle. Large round heads of palest blue, almost white globe thistle flowers in summer, on stout stems. 1.8 m
CURVULA
Slightly glaucous tinge to the green grassy leaves. Tall arching stems of slightly
feathery awns (grass flowers!). Looks wonderful in a large tub. 90 cm
ERANTHIS
HYEMALIS
‘Winter aconite’. Looks wonderful in a mass under deciduous trees.
Best bought in growth, not as dry corms. Cheery yellow buttercup flowers, from
late
January to early March. Poisonous. 5 cm
EREMURUS
Eremurus
is known as the ‘foxtail lily’– and very apt it
is too. A tapering spire of flowers in June and July. Best planted
as growing plants, in deep, well-drained soil, in full sun. Keep the crown just above the surface, and do not allow other plants to overcrowd them. They seem to benefit from exposure
to sun in the summer.
X ISABELLINUS
RUITER HYBRIDS
Like a lucky dip! You could choose a white, yellow, bronze, orange or pink one
if you pick them before they flower in late June and July. I love an element
of the unknown... who cares
about colour schemes! 1.3 m
ROBUSTUS
Tall spikes of deep pink flowers; not so often grown as the other Eremurus. 2
m
ERIGERON
‘DIMITY’
An attractive peachy-apricot daisy flower which ages to lilac-pink. Flowers for
weeks in summer, and prefers
a well-drained soil. 15 cm
'DUNKELSTE ALLER'
(syn. ERIGERON 'DARKEST OF ALL')
Semi-double, dark violet daisy flowers, with yellow centres, from May to July. Prefers fairly well-drained soil. 60 cm
ELEGANTULUS
Another little alpine cutie, does well in a trough. A small mat of needle-like
leaves with small mauve daisy flowers in summer. 5 cm
karvinskianus
Wiry stems of dainty pink buds, opening to white daisy
flowers, for months. Often seen growing at the bottom of old walls
or stone
steps, especially in Cornwall. Self-seeds when happy. 20 cm
SCOPULINUS
A mat forming daisy with white flowers that age to pink, in late spring and summer. Prefers well-drained soil. 4 cm
‘WHITE
QUAKERESS’
Branching stems of narrow-petalled white daisy flowers which age to pink in midsummer.
Prefers well-drained soil. 60 cm
ERIOGONUM
UMBELLATUM var.TORREYANUM
Forms a low dome of round grey leaves with yellow balls of flowers in summer. 10
cm
ERODIUM
‘Stork’s
bill’ – closely related to the Geranium family. Often
having a darker blotch on two of the five-petalled flowers. We only
grow one fully herbaceous Erodium, E. manescavi. The rest are much
smaller and either semi or fully evergreen. The plants should be
ready in early May.
'CAROLINE'
Shell pink flowers, with slightly darkened stems. 25 cm
‘COUNTY
PARK’
Ferny green foliage; covered in single pink flowers throughout late spring and
summer. 25 cm
‘FRAN’S
DELIGHT’
Mauve-purple flowers, with central blotches, throughout summer. Silver foliage.
Always very popular. 15 cm
GLANDULOSUM
Dense silvery-grey divided foliage. Pink flowers with purple veins, and two central purple blotches, throughout summer. Forms a good mound. 15 cm
‘JULIE
RITCHIE’
Good silver ferny foliage, with clear white flowers and
two palest purple central blotches. Sometimes reverts. 15 cm
erodium
MACRADENUM
Green ferny leaves, covered in many stems of white flowers with the characteristic
two purple blotches from spring
until autumn. 15 cm
MANESCAVII
Deep pink flowers throughout spring and summer. Ferny foliage, forms a good clump.
60 cm
‘MESQUITA’
Like a really miniature Erodium manescavi with green ferny foliage
and deep pink flowers all summer. Makes a nice compact plant. Will
self-seed. 10 cm
'PIPPA MILLS'
A mound of silver, ferny foliage with a mass of white flowers and no central markings, for months in summer. 15 cm
X VARIABILE ‘ALBUM’
Small round green leaves make a dense mat, which is covered in pretty
white flowers from spring to autumn.
Dislikes very wet winters. 7.5 cm
X VARIABILE ‘BISHOP’S
FORM’
Small round green leaves make a dense mat, which is covered in rich pink flowers
from spring to autumn.
Dislikes very wet winters. 7.5 cm
ERYNGIUM
‘Sea
holly’. The thistle-like flowers last for ages and can be dried
very successfully. Eryngiums like a well-drained sunny situation.
BOURGATII
Glaucous, broad spiny divided leaves with blue thistle-head flowers in midsummer. Sells on sight!
60 cm
GIGANTEUM ‘SILVER
GHOST’
An improved form of E. giganteum (‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’)
with more pronounced silvery bracts to the flowers.
Biennial, should self-seed. 1 m
X OLIVERIANUM
Large prickly blue flowers from midsummer. Very showy. 60 cm
PLANUM ‘BLUE HOBBIT’
A dwarf sea holly with blue thistle type flowers, in summer. 30 cm
planum 'blaukappe'
Good, small metallic-blue sea-holly flowers in summer. Good for drying. 75
cm
variifolium
Round, slightly serrated dark green leaves with paler veining. Striking
white stemmed, small and thistle-type flowers in summer. 60 cm
ERYSIMUM
'BOWLES'S MAUVE'
Perennial wallflower. Makes a small shrub, covered in mauve flowers for months from early spring. Prefers well-drained soil, in a slightly sheltered spot. 70 cm
‘CONSTANT CHEER’
A perennial wallflower with a mixture of colours, orange, pink and purple for months, from early spring. Prefers well-drained soil, in a slightly sheltered spot. 45 cm
‘ORANGE
FLAME’
Low clump of green leaves covered with orange flowers
in spring. 10 cm
'SPRITE'
A low clump of dark green leaves which are covered in primrose yellow
flowers in April and May. Prefers well-drained soil. 10 cm
ERYTHRONIUM
CALIFORNICUM ‘WHITE
BEAUTY’
Broad, glossy leaves and ivory-white ‘pixie’ flowers with browny-maroon
central ring, in March and April.
Clumps up well. A woodland bulb. 20 cm
EUONYMUS
JAPONICUS ‘MICROPHYLLUS
ALBOVARIEGATUS’
Dwarf evergreen variegated shrub, suitable for a sheltered
rockery. Slow growing. 40 cm
JAPONICUS ‘MICROPHYLLUS
AUREOVARIEGATUS’
Dwarf evergreen, golden variegated shrub, suitable for a sheltered rockery. Slow
growing. 40 cm
They
are all valuable garden plants with distinctive foliage topped by
sprays of usually yellow flowers. Most Euphorbias will tolerate very
dry soils which can be useful. It is advisable to wear gloves when
touching these plants as the milky sap is both poisonous and can
be an irritant to the skin.
GRIFFITHII ‘FIREGLOW’
This plant is mainly grown for the striking bronzy red shoots in spring, with
flame-orange coloured flowers. Spreads. 1 m
X MARTINI
An evergreen plant with glaucous, bronzy leaves with lime green flowers in spring.
45 cm
MYRSINITES
Trailing stems of thick, fleshy blue-green leaves, with yellowy, lime-green flowers
for weeks from late spring. Best in well-drained soil. 20
cm
POLYCHROMA
Striking yellow bracted flowers from early spring to summer. Good autumn
foliage colour. 30 cm
EURYOPS
ACRAEUS
Striking silvery-white
bush covered in bright yellow daisy
flowers in early summer. It needs a sheltered sunny spot in very well-drained soil. Not always easy. 30 cm
