Butterfly Garden

Verbena hastata 'Blue Spires' is the blue form of this lovely perennial, with multi-branching candelabra-like flower heads, the flowers slowly expand as they ascend the stems like burning sparklers. The flowers appear in mid-late summer and will last into late autumn.

Verbena bonariensis 'Vanity' is a new compact cultivar of a perennial favourite. This Fleuroselect Gold Medal winning variety has an open habit with gorgeous, intense purple-blue clusters atop branching thin, wiry stems. Its garden friendly, neat habit makes it sturdier and easier to maintain while you create a pollinator paradise in your garden.

Verbascum nigrum is one of the most reliable and long-flowering verbascum, it is also one of the truly perennial species. The variety ‘Album’ bloom profusely in late spring with masses of white flowers with attractive violet filaments, held on candelabra like branches. They bloom throughout the summer, with a few sporadic flowers still in September to early October.

Verbascum nigrum is one of the most reliable and long-flowering verbascum, it is also one of the truly perennial species. This European native bloom profusely with masses of golden-yellow flowers. First thing in the morning, the flowers are alive with bees getting on with their day’s work. Take time to stand and admire them for a few minutes. They will pay you no heed, they’re far too busy.

Valeriana officinalis is a graceful wildflower that is native to Europe and Western Asia. The tall, branched flower stalks are held atop a low mound of foliage, the densely clustered flowers are sweetly scented and usually white with a hint of pink.

Nasturtium “Peach Melba Superior” is a gorgeous variety, with bright cream, semi-double flowers with mahogany-red markings in the throat. Uniform and compact in habit, this dwarf plant is good excellent in containers, the beautiful flowers are carried well above the foliage for maximum effect.

Tropaeolum ‘Tip Top' is a premium series that provides uniquely coloured flowers that are a great addition to the nasturtium family. ‘Pink Blush’ sports tender, vintage-cream flowers, finely veined with apricot-pink. The subtle palette gives a relaxed, modern look to borders and larger containers alike.

Glowing cherry-coral blooms give this variety a warm, tropical quality, and the versatile colour mixes well with so many things. Nasturtium 'Jewel Cherry Rose' has a more mounding growth habit than other trailing nasturtiums, but stem length is sufficient for arranging, and it won’t overtake the garden.

Tropaeolum 'Salmon Baby' is a very striking and attractive nasturtium that produces an abundance of semi-double salmon-pink flowers which contrast beautifully against the dark foliage. Extremely easy to cultivate, this neat and compact variety has edible flowers and is an excellent companion plant.

Tropaeolum 'Purple Emperor' is an exciting brand new palette of nasturtium, with a vintage colouration that is quite unique to nasturtiums. The buds initially open a dusky, antique burgundy and fade in the most beautiful way to a vintage lavender-rose.

Nasturtium 'Bloody Mary' is an award winning Nasturtium with a unique flower pattern. Dramatic 5cm flowers in shades of dark red, coral red, cream, and unique bicolours, make a melodramatic scene in the flower bed, container or vase. Highly decorative they are in flower from May right through to October.

Brilliant sizzling, orange-scarlet flowers cover this vibrant ornamental plant, Tithonia produces one of the best flowers for attracting butterflies to the garden. Very easy and rewarding and perfect for new gardeners and children, sow direct in May and June for fast and furious, fabulous flowers.

As they say, white goes with everything and among theme gardens, the white garden may be the most popular. The White Garden Flower Mix gives a selection of spectacular, bright white annual flowers. Calm, soft and serene this beautiful mix will carry borders into early winter with panache.

Thalictrum lucidum is a less well known species of meadow rue, it sports luscious deep green, fern-like foliage. In mid-summer the plant is festooned with a superb array of fragrant flower stems, topped with airy puffs of soft cream flowers each with bright yellow stamens.

Summer-blooming spiky flowering plants - in garden design parlance ‘the verticals’. We all need some, and there are lots of contenders, but a plant that can go just about anywhere in the garden, cope with almost all situations and bloom with copious plush spikes over several weeks is a very rare treat.

This pretty little wildflower is a slow growing, long-lived plant with attractive spikes of rich pink-mauve flowers that are very attractive to bees and butterflies as a nectar source. The flowers, which rise from dark green crinkly leaves, keep their colour throughout summer and look stunning when growing en-masse.

Solidago canadensis 'Golden Baby' is an easy to grow hardy perennial that bears flat-topped clusters of golden-yellow plumes. Growing to around 60cm tall they are perfect for borders or containers and provide end-of-season colour. Given an early sowing they will bloom in their first year.

Sedum ussuriense is at its best in late summer and through autumn, the blue-green succulent, rounded leaves are followed by a glowing display or carmine-red flower clusters. It even pleases the eye in winter when its seed heads turn into a stage for dew drops and ice crystals.

Hugely impressive in any garden, Sedum telephium ‘Emperors Wave’ boasts succulent, blue-green foliage and masses of star-shaped flowers in glorious shades of deep pink and purple. They are popular with late season perennials and ornamental grasses. The extreme contrast in flower shape enhance each other, adding to the textures and colours of the late season garden.

Our native Figwort is one of the most prolific nectar producers in the plant world, the long-lasting flowers attract more pollinators than any other plant around. The flowers, similar to tiny snapdragons ripen into egg-shaped seed pods, which are just the perfect bouquet filler for interest and movement!