Half Hardy Annuals

With cascading tassels of the most wonderful coral-pink. Amaranthus 'Coral Fountain' is a great addition to the garden and a superb filler for the vase. With generous treatment, specimens three or four feet or more with enormous drooping tassels of flowers can be obtained.

This ever-popular annual is perhaps more versatile than you might imagine – good in the border, most effective as a cut flower in arrangements, a good pot-plant and, not often appreciated – if carefully dried, the colour of the spikes remains unchanged for a considerable time.

The blooms of Amaranthus caudatus 'Mira' have a unique ombre colour that transitions from light sage green, to lilac, to deep purple. The trailing locks are like jeweled necklaces, thick, pendulous tassels that extend 60 to 90cm long. They add exceptional texture and visual interest to gardens and floral designs alike.

Amaranthus caudatus viridis is the green form of the popular drooping amaranthus. The lime green flowers, which slowly fade to cream as they age, form dramatic tassel-like panicles which can grow to 60cm long and seem to drip from the branches in profusion throughout summer and early autumn.

Blending perfectly into the late summer and autumn landscape, the large plumes of Amaranthus 'Autumn's Touch' combine soft pistachio-green and bronze tones to create restful, airy beauty in the garden and make exciting vase material that hold their colour longer than other amaranths and delight the songbirds who flock to feast on their seeds throughout autumn.

Amaranthus 'Hot Biscuits' is a rather splendid ornamental addition to the garden and the vase. This gorgeous and graceful amaranth feature bold spikes of coppery-bronze branching plumes. They make an excellent cut flower and make exciting vase material that hold their colour longer than other amaranths.

‘Mariska’ is a little known but hardy and compact variety of Dill. With starry bright yellow flower heads, abundant foliage and growing to only 60cm, this well behaved smaller dill is an excellent variety for use as a cut flower filler and is a great variety for the kitchen garden, windowsill or container.

The herb borage is a well known annual. Not so well known is the equally beautiful form 'alba' which boast pure white, perfectly star-shaped flowers. Each flower is centred by five black stamens which heighten the drama. The flowers are edible, garden visitors can be converted to herbal advocates simply by offering a taste of its white flower.

The herb borage is a well known annual with beautiful blue flowers. Not so well known and not often written about is the equally beautiful form 'alba' which boast pure white, perfectly star-shaped flowers. This mixed pack of seeds gives both blue and white forms.

Borage is one of the most reliable sources of blue flowers, often flowering lavishly for weeks after sowing. The beautiful blue star-shaped flowers are edible and very important for bees, providing pollen and nectar in prodigious amounts.

Known for its graceful umbels, Bupleurum 'Bronze Beauty' produces small ochre flowers, each surrounded by showy, petal-like bracts. As the season progresses, the bracts mature into warm, cinnamon-bronze tones that are particularly valued in naturalistic planting schemes.

A classic filler adding colour and texture, Bupleurum provide charming foliage and blooms of chartreuse green for the vase. Developed for the florist trade and recently introduced, 'Green Gold' produces wonderfully upright plants. Its flowers are produced on long, sturdy stems that have an exceptionally long vase life, lasting up to 10 days in a vase.

The Chrysantella series is a magnificent form and is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Aster breeding. 'Autumn Forest' produces captivating, large apricot to salmon blooms that are absolutely stunning. Gorgeous great mounds of glorious recurved petals, they are a must-grow for the exquisite colouring alone.

The Chrysantella series is a magnificent form and is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Aster breeding. Ideal for growing cut flowers, 'Pink Mother of Pearl' are nothing short of spectacular and best described as a delicate cameo peach-pink. The vigorous plants produce a Y-type tall bush. The stems are thick and rigid and just one plant is enough to create a bouquet.

The Chrysantella series is a magnificent form and is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Aster breeding. 'Flamingo at Sunset' is nothing short of spectacular and is ideal for growing cut flowers. Large blooms with petals of an unusually warm, salmon-pink colour with a centre of deep sunset-gold.

Blooming from late summer to well into autumn, annual China Asters are easy and fast to grow, the entire growing process from seedling to flower taking just 10 to 15 weeks to complete. In the most desirable shade of lilac, 'Chrysantella, Lilac Mist' are simply gorgeous.

Considered to be the crème de la crème of cut asters, Chrysantella Limoncello provides a beautiful soft yellow blooms to this popular series. Long-lasting, weather-resistant blooms that don’t drop their petals, they are perfect for commercial cultivation and for use as a cut flower.

Callistephus chinensis, commonly called the China Aster, is a popular and reliable annual that provides large blooms from late June through to late October. 'Chrysantella Living Coral' produces large blooms with petals in a gorgeous deep coral-pink. Each plant is able to produce 10 to 15 flowers per bush.

With large, pale apricot to pink blooms best described as vintage, 'Chrysantella Lotus Flower' is an excellent variety. Cut flowers last much longer than other varieties and the flowers are not damaged by rain. The vigorous plants produce 10 to 15 flowers per bush, just one plant is enough to create a bouquet.

With large blooms of smoky lavender, 'Chrysantella Moonstone' is an excellent variety. Cut flowers last much longer than other varieties and the flowers are not damaged by rain. The vigorous plants produce 10 to 15 flowers per bush, just one plant is enough to create a bouquet.

The large milk-white flowers of Aster 'Chrysantella Phantom of the Opera' are nothing short of spectacular. Perfect for use in wedding work, the entire growing process from seedling to flower taking just 10 to 15 weeks to complete. Cut flowers last much longer than other varieties and just one plant is enough to create a bouquet.