Container Planting

Awarded a Fleuroselect Medal for striking colour, plant habit, and flowering performance, Penstemon barbatus 'Twizzle Blue' is a first year flowering perennial that will add height and high-impact colour to the border, giving superb flowering performance from mid to late summer.

The pure bloom power of Nicotiana Crimson Bedder makes it a winner for every garden. The well branched and bushy plants grow to around 50cm tall. These free-flowering little gems will bloom from early summer to autumn, every inch packed with crimson blooms.

Nicotiana alata 'Tinkerbells' is a stunningly colourful plant for borders and containers. The dwarf, bushy habit and the hybrid vigour combine to produce a carpet of colour. To get the most enjoyment from the sweet evening fragrance, plant near patios, decks, or under windows to best enjoy their sweet perfume.

Recognised as having the largest flowers of all the nepetas and only one with white flowers, Nepeta subsessilis 'Snow Panther' flowers during the first year and can be grown as an annual or as a flowering perennial. This award winning variety is extremely attractive to bees and butterflies they are also excellent for containers.

Nepeta subsessilis 'Pink Panther' is the pink form of large-flowered Nepeta which is grown from seed and flowers during the first year. It can be grown as an annual or as a flowering perennial. Flowering from June until the end of September, they work well as an informal low hedge or mixed in the border with other annuals or perennials.

Nepeta ‘Dark Blue Panther’ is the dark blue flowered variety and sister to 'Pink Panther' and the beautiful white 'Snow' Panther. This award winning variety starts to flower just 15 weeks after sowing and can be can be grown as an annual or as a flowering perennial.

The development of bananas is a source of both pride and amazement to those unfamiliar with banana culture. Musa acuminata is a 'dwarf variety' with broad, long, graceful leaves, and is extremely suitable for containers or gardens.

Fragrant, free flowering and heat and drought tolerant. Lavandula angustifolia ‘Vicenza Blue’ bloom the first year from seed. This especially fine lavender has bold clustered flower spikes of deep lavender-blue from mid July to early September.

'Ellagance' are first year flowering lavenders, 'Ellagance Ice’ is the white flowered variety. The deliciously perfumed, pure white blooms make an enchanting informal aromatic hedge in the garden. The flowers are produced from July onwards and are highly attractive to bees.

Munstead Lavender is a fragrant robust English lavender that, due to its short size and tightly held blooms, makes a great hedge. It flowers profusely in the spring, after which a good pruning will provide an attractive grey bush with highly aromatic leaves.

The Kniphofia hybrids have extended both the flower colour and height range. The usual fiery reds and oranges work particularly well in a planting scheme based on 'hot' colours - use them to light up sultry August borders. The cooler yellow, cream, ivory and sometimes green flowers is more restful.

This heirloom morning glory originated in Bavaria in Germany and named for the original Seed-saver Baptist John Ott, Ipomoea purpurea 'Grandpa Ott' flowers of intense violet-blue, with a ruby red star. It is a good climber for walls, trellis work or if allowed to scramble through other plants or trees.

Ipomoea pennata is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful of all annual vines. The feathery foliage with thin, thread-like leaves give the plant a light, airy texture. In summer the plants burst into flower and are covered with hundreds of scarlet red, star shaped flowers.

Ipomoea nil ‘Blue Picotee’ produces large, ruffled cobalt-blue blooms that are edged with bright white surrounding a deep rose throat. This extremely carefree and free-blooming, annual climbing vine will grow to around 120 to 180cm (4 to 6ft) tall. It will bloom early and load itself with masses of attractive funnel shaped flowers up to 10cm (3in) wide all summer long.

Iberis umbellata is a popular and easily-grown annual plant that is perhaps more versatile than you might imagine. Considered one of the best for edging purposes, they are also invaluable for underplanting, for rock gardens and containers. Easy to grow and fast to flower, this fragrant hardy annual will quickly cover any unsightly bare spots in the garden.

Iberis umbellata 'Rose-Cardinal' is quick to grow and is in bloom within two months from a spring sowing. Extremely easy to grow, they are invaluable for underplanting and for use in rock gardens and containers. They are considered one of the best plants grown for edging purposes.