August

It is only within the past decade that a number of new noteworthy members of the genus Agastache have emerged from botanical obscurity. ‘Apricot Sprite’ is an outstanding perennial that provides a sizzling blast of tubular, peachy-apricot flowers. Compact and quick growing, they flower in the first year from seed.

Agastache aurantiaca ‘Tango’ was bred specifically to tolerate wet or humid summers better than other cultivars. Dense flowering spikes of sizzling hot red-orange bloom steadily from about mid-summer and continue deep into autumn. The only problem is that if you are inclined to collect Agastache, they’re very seductive. You start with one, and the next thing you know, you’ve got ten in the flowerbed and are wondering where you can sneak another one in.

Agastache 'Golden Jubilee' has one of the most remarkable leaf colour of any plant. This bright gold-chartreuse beauty offers late season punctuation and purple bottle-brush flowers which are a powerhouse source of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.

Agastache ‘Arcado Pink’ is a magnificent first year flowering perennial. An extremely floriferous variety with lovely purple-pink flower spikes and fresh green aromatic foliage. This Fleuroselect Novelty Award Winner is both vibrant in colour and stamina. The aromatic leaves are edible, young growth can be sprinkled in salads, used to decorate cakes, to make a tea or floated in drinks. Agastache added to your Pimms lifts it to a higher sphere altogether.

Agastache 'Astello Indigo' is just about the most exciting breakthrough yet and it's got the award to prove it - Europe's coveted Fleuroselect Gold Medal. Compact and quick growing, they flower in the first year from seed with fabulous, upright spikes that are fully covered with deep indigo-blue flowers. The masses of fragrant blooms throughout the summer are ideal for cutting. They produce copious amounts of nectar for bees and butterflies to feast upon.

The latest introduction and additional colour in the series, Agastache ‘Asturo White’ feature spires of scented white flowers with fresh lime green spikes. Extremely long blooming, it will bloom the first year from seed, from mid-summer, right through autumn until first frosts. The plants are ideal for Northern European-type climates, at their best in more temperate conditions. A fabulous addition to beds and containers, for gravel gardens and wildlife borders.

Agastache ‘Liquorice White’ has tall spikes of white lipped flowers and like all Agastache produces copious amounts of nectar for bees and butterflies to feast upon. Flowering late in the season, it is a boon for building up bees’ honey reserves before winter and will produce a honey surplus where drifts are grown.

Agastache 'Liquorice Blue' has tall spikes of lavender to rich purpley blue lipped flowers, above toothed dark green arrow shaped foliage. When brushed past or crushed, the foliage emits a sweet liquorice perfume. A wonderful plant for attracting bees and butterflies to the garden.

Alcea ficifolia is reliably perennial and unlike the biennial forms which produce a single spire, they produce many upright stems, resulting in a bushy form. ‘Happy Lights’ is a beautiful strain, a bold blend of white, pink, purple, red, and yellow blooms. If sown early they will bloom in their first year.

Alcea ficifolia is a lesser known perennial hollyhock species native to Siberia, it is a substantially more robust plant than the common hollyhock and unlike the biennial forms which produce a single spire, Alcea ficifolia produce many upright stems emerging from the base, resulting in a bushy form.

Hollyhocks are almost as easy to grow as sunflowers and would probably be grown as often if more gardeners were aware of their good nature. Highly valued for their vigour, reliability, long bloom and upright bushy habit, the 'Henry Vlll' series produces huge, saucer shaped flowers that grow up to 15cm (6in) wide.

Alcea ficifolia is a most impressive plant, reliably perennial, it produces many upright stems resulting in a bushy form. The 'Henry Vlll' series is highly valued for its vigor and reliability, they produce huge, single butter-yellow, saucer shaped flowers that grow up to 15cm (6in) wide.

Alcea ficifolia is a less-known variety of hollyhock. Reliably perennial, with attractive palmate foliage, the plant produces many upright stems and has a bushy form. 'Single Mix' produces large, single saucer shaped flowers that appear from May to October in a gorgeous variety of shades - cream, gold, rose pink, copper and plum.

‘Chater’s Double’ give a wonderful mixed colour range of large, fully double flowers that are nearly pom-pom in appearance. Rosettes of big hairy leaves will develop by autumn then die back before winter. It will bloom the following summer .... the word bloom being an understatement!

This gorgeous award winning Hollyhock has the distinction of being the shortest in the Alcea rosea family. 'Queeny' is a dwarf Hollyhock that reaches only 60cm in height with fully double blooms. Unlike the tall varieties, it is a perennial that can also be used as an annual as it will bloom in its first year.

Hollyhocks are a mysterious and prolific flower with a long and rich history. Traditionally associated with cottage-style borders, the dramatic, near-black flowers of Nigra work equally well in a contemporary, minimalist garden. This unique variety creates an impressive impact against most backgrounds.

Until a few years ago you would never have seen wild garlic on a menu, but these days is definitely a chefs' favourite. The whole plant is edible. The flavour is softer, more pleasant than cloves from garlic bulbs. The leaves have a vibrant colour that brings food to life.

Incredibly easy to grow the Annual Dwarf Flowers Mix grows to around 30cm (12in) tall. Flowering just 10 to 12 weeks from sowing, these fast-growing plants provide an easy and cost-effective way to give naturalistic planting, plug gaps and fill the border with a summer full of colour.

The Semi-Tall Flowers Mix is a richly flowering mixture of that produces large quantities of 50cm (20in) tall annual flowers for the border or for cutting. As well as being ornamental, they will provide nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other insects from early in the year to late in the season.

Composed of a finely balanced selection of annual flowers designed to provide a long succession of flowers from June to September, the Tall Flowers Mix grows 60 to 70cm (24 to 28in) tall and produces large quantities of flowers that are ideal for the border and for the vase.

In addition to having one of the most unusual names, Antirrhinum braun-blanquetii, is also one of the few hardy perennial species of snapdragon. Named for Josias Braun-Blanquet an influential 20th century Swiss botanist it bloom the first year from seed producing numerous spikes from which delicate yellow, large snapdragon blooms appear.