Important For Bees

'Rosetta’ is an outstanding new variety of Cosmos that has earned the Fleuroselect Award for colour pattern, flower size and shape. Subtle, delicately striped blooms in romantic shades of blush pink and rose, some with an inner collarette of smaller fluffy petals, over light airy foliage.

Cosmos 'Purity' is a well-named newer hybrid, pure white large blooms on a plant that grows only 3 to 4 ft. tall. From June to October the large, graceful, saucer-shaped flowers are handsomely offset by the masses of mid-green feathery foliage. An excellent addition to the cutting garden.

Dwarf cosmos are very easy to grow, quick to flower from seed and thrive even on poor soil. 'Dwarf Sensation Mix' bloom over an extended period of time in shades of carmine, pink, pink blush and white. Growing to only 60cm they can be grown in beds or even large containers.

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Cosimo’ is a series of colours and forms that and give a wonderful effect when planted in combination or in large drifts. 'Cosimo Collarette' blooms with voluptuous semi double flowers, in light pink with white stripes to pure white edged with pink.

This beautiful highly versatile, aristocratic border plant has become very much in vogue in recent years. Oval, fleshy blue-green leaves spiral up the stem with tightly packed, sea blue bracts - and then the finale - small clusters of rich purple-blue tubular, nodding flowers which are adored by bees.

Cephalaria gigantea is a gentle giant that has an informal look that is perfect for looser planting styles. With pretty pale butter-yellow scabious shaped flowers, use it as you would Verbena bonariensis planted at the back of a mixed or herbaceous border. The stems are tall but airy and 'see-through'.

Centranthus ruber is a Cottage garden favourite that’s made it into the style books. Sweetly-perfumed, dense clusters of reddish-pink flowers appear from July to October. They are ideal for attracting bees and butterflies and other pollinating insects into the garden and lovely when used as a cut flower.

Centranthus 'Snow Cloud’ produces airy clusters of white flowers that appear from July to October on tall, fleshy stems with glaucous leaves. Very long flowering, sweetly-perfumed and easy-to-grow from seed, given an early sowing Centranthus will flower from July right through to October.

Native to the meadows and woods of the mountains of Europe, Centaurea montana flowers from late spring with large flowers that are fringed in an intense violet-blue with deep purple centres and most attractive, very deeply cut petals. Easy to grow, it is an excellent garden plant as well as cut flower.

Centaurea macrocephala is a magnificent perennial that ideal for providing vertical interest in a sunny, well-drained herbaceous border. The golden-yellow shaggy thistle-like blooms are on strong stems and mid-green, lance-shaped leaves are followed by attractive seed heads.

Persian Cornflower is an attractive clump forming cornflower, with bushy, branched plants and the unusual characteristic of being perennial and flowering in the first year. Very adaptable to both dry and moist locations. Large deep lavender-pink blooms adorn the divided foliage throughout summer.

Today cornflowers are rare in the wild, they flourish instead in our gardens. They are the most splendid of annuals. Aside from their electric blue, which is breathtaking when they're grown in dense drifts, they are easy to grow, they flower all summer, make great cut flowers and bees adore them.

Cornflowers are great plants for the cutting garden or border, and this fine cultivar is no exception. Centaurea 'White Boy' is a double flowered cultivar with wonderful fluffy, white flowers on densely branched upright plants. This is the white member of the series which is also known as White Ball and Snowman

The Ball series, also known as the Boy series, feature double flowered blooms on tall stems for garden or cutting. This pink flowered cultivar boasts wonderful full flowers on densely branched upright plants and produces many flowers from early summer until frost. Well suited for cutting, drying, and pressing.

A favorite annual flower and cottage garden staple, Centaurea 'Blue Boy' has piercing, bright blue flowers with ruffled petals and violet-blue centres. The blooms appear from early to late summer. These beauties grow well as border plants and are wonderful in a cutting garden.

The Boy Series feature double flowered blooms on tall stems which appear from late summer. Perfect for the garden or for cutting, they can also be dried and preserved. 'Black Ball' also aptly named 'Witching Hour' bloom in a lovely rich dark-chocolate hue, almost black on cloudy days.

Calendula officinalis ‘Ivory Princess’ is a tall show stopper with giant buttery flowers. The petals are a mix of creamy buff-yellow with tips of the serrated, buttercream petals having the tiniest outline of brown, giving a ruffled, lacy effect which beautifully compliments the dark brown eye.

Cheerful and bright, use Calendula in beds, borders or containers. Calendula is prolific and durable, and like most hardy annuals it is easy to grow, simply sow where it is to flower. It is currently one of the top herbs used for medicinal use. Sprinkle salads and decorate cakes with the edible tangy petals.

Calamintha nepeta is a very attractive bushy, perennial that should be in every garden. Clouds of tiny, lilac-mauve flowers appear in early summer and flower continuously from early June right through to late September. The leaves exude a lovely minty scent when crushed and the flowers are true bee pasture.

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.

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.

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.