Tender Plants

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.

Luffa acutangula is a very versatile plant. As a vegetable, the leaves can be eaten in a salad, the very young gourds, known as Chinese Okra they taste like aubergine. The matured dried gourd develops into a fibrous netting. It is an excellent sponge and makes a wonderful exfoliator.

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.

Musa Balbisiana is a fruit bearing variety and one of the progenitors of the present-day commercial bananas. The clumps of lush, dark foliage make it ideal for creating a jungle landscape. It develops large colourful inflorescence of bright red and maroon.

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.

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 Sensation is tall and elegant, with a mix of beautiful star-shaped flowers in shades of lavender, purple, rose, red and white, with a heavenly evening scent that is heavy and penetrating and unlike old varieties, they stay open all day.

A Passiflora that produces very fragrant, unusual flowers. The flowers are white, except the base of the corona which is purple; the filaments are curly, as long as the petals, 5 to 7cm across. The edible fruits possess pleasant flavour, kind of sweet and a little tart.

Spreading petunias soon became the buzz in the industry after introduction a little over ten years ago. With large grandiflora-type veined blooms with wavy edges, the F1 Daddy series is one of the all time best selling seed raised petunias. It is probably the best veined grandiflora type.

The Ultras are an exciting hybrid Grandiflora series that feature characteristics growers can depend on. With a compact and spreading habit they are early flowering. The blooms each have slightly ruffled margins, some are veined and some bi-coloured, either striped or edged in contrasting colours.

Ricinus communis 'Carmencita' is an outstanding new variety with shiny dark brown foliage. The palmate leaves have deeply incised lobes and grow 30 to 75cm (12 to 30in) across. The plants have red stems and in late summer clusters of bright red blooms are followed by stunning scarlet seeds pods.

This is a new and rather spectacular version of the Castor Oil Plant. Ricinus communis 'Zanzibarensis' is a fast growing, palm tree-like plant, it sports large green leaves and would be a splendid specimen for the back of the border. Be warned ... this remarkably architectural plant can grow up to 12 ft tall.

Ricinus communis is one of the best ways to quickly create a tropical effect in the garden. This remarkably architectural, fast growing plant. The huge leaves and interesting flower spikes add drama to borders and beds. The variety, gibsonii grows to around 150cm with gorgeous dark red, metallic foliage.

Ricinus communis is fast growing, tall and dramatic with huge leaves and interesting flower spikes that add drama to borders and beds. 'Impala' grows to a reasonable garden height of around 90 to 120cm with gorgeous copper-red palmate leaves with vibrant red veins.

Salvia farinacea ‘Fairy Queen’ is an attractive new variety that bears multiple spikes of bicolour blue and white flowers on dark distinctive flower stems from June to October. With a bushy, compact habit and thick stems. A small white spot on each sapphire blue flower creates the illusion of fairy dust.

Salvia patens is undoubtedly one of the very best blue flowering plants, the large, double-lipped blossoms are one of the truest blues found in nature. 'Blue Angel' is one of the smallest of the 'Gentian Sages', there is little else that can compete with the richness of its colour.