Informal / Cottage

Hardy geraniums are undoubtedly one of the most popular groups of plants. Today’s hybrids are the modern flag bearers, they are beautiful, reliable and endlessly various produces jewel-tone, saucer-shape flowers for months at a time. Exceptionally good value this mix always contain a few real rarities.

Galega officinalis is an ancient ornamental plant that produces a delightful natural effect in the garden. The plants have handsome foliage and they errupt in spring to produce countless sprays of fragrant lavender-blue flower spikes, each with mini-sweet pea shaped flowers.

Used in many culinary dishes, the leaves and seeds of Fennel have a sweet aroma and an aniseed flavour. The fine clouds of feathery, bronze-purple leaves are wonderful in the herb garden or among tall perennials and grasses. The foliage acts as a delicate veil through which flower heads of plants can be seen.

A beautiful and sophisticated variety, Eschscholzia californica Thai Silk produces extra double silky flowers, 'Pink Champagne' in a unique shade of soft champagne-pink on a cream base. Very easy to grow, they are attractive to pollinators and perfect for cutting.

Eschscholzia 'Thai Silk' boasts large semi-double blooms in breathtaking jewel tones and a chiffon-like texture reminiscent of glorious oriental silks. This exotic mix contains the Thai Silk series of colours: Appleblossom, Rose, Apricot Chiffon, and Pink Champagne.

This is a lovely cultivar of the California poppy, the blooms of 'Ivory Castle' boasts single, creamy white blooms. One of the easiest and most colourful annuals to grow from seed, they bloom profusely from mid summer until frosts. Extremely attractive to bees, they are breathtaking in massed plantings or containers.

What spring garden would be complete without a bed of delightful, sweet-scented Wallflowers, harbingers of warmer weather to come? Erysimum cheiri, formerly Cheiranthus cheiri 'Ivory-White' is a fabulous form. A compact variety with a bushy habit which is ideal as an underplanting to tulips and other spring bulbs.

Erysimum ‘Fire King' is another old and tried variety, with striking, flame-like, glowing orange-scarlet flowers. They are especially valuable because they bloom in the period between primroses and summer annuals and will supply the household with an abundance of cut flowers for many weeks.

Siberian wallflowers are at their best in early to mid-May. With cheerful deep orange blooms, they are very easy to grow and combine well with other plants; indeed wallflowers demand companions and set the mind racing regarding potential planting combinations.

Eryngium variifolium ‘Miss Marble’ is a spectacular evergreen perennial. The neat mound of basal leaves are attractively marbled with silver veining. In summer upright stems bear silvery-blue flowers, each thimble is surrounded by long, slender bracts which splay outwards, adding to the prickly appearance.

This fabulous range of Edible Flowers and Herbs give decorative petals and leaves for use as garnishes and flavourings. Some are spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant, the range is surprising. They will bring a stunning finish to the food and drinks you that you love.

Echium vulgare is a valuable native plant and is exotic enough to earn a place in a flower border. The plant is much loved by almost all bee species. If you don’t want plants that honeybees simply visit, but want to select plants that honeybees clearly love, choose Echium for your garden.

Echinacea pallida is one of the more rare members of the Echinacea family. They have much longer, ray flowers than those of the more familiar purple coneflower, the plants bloom earlier and continue to bloom sporadically through the autumn months.

Digitalis thapsi 'Spanish Peaks' foxglove is a lovely compact foxglove that produces elegant, apricot-cream to raspberry-rose blooms with interior markings. A superb perennial species that can be counted on for a glorious floral show each spring. Very easy to grow in virtually any location, it is often the first foxglove to flower.