December

Astrantia major “Primadonna” is a splendid and most attractive cultivated variety forming bushy plants, good for ground cover, and bearing long, loosely-branched stems of very lovely flowers in various shades of wine to deep red. The papery bracts remain presentable for months, rustling in every breeze.

Pale greenish-white, pincushion-like flowers surrounded by a ruff of greenish white bracts are produced from June to October. The delicate Astrantia alba is perfect for naturalising in areas of moist, dappled shade. It works equally well in a woodland edge or in a mixed border.

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.

Geranium 'Orchid Blue' is a simply stunning plant, producing clusters of saucer shaped flowers of a rarely seen shade of pure orchid-blue, each with purple-violet veins. This new-on-the-scene plant soon spreads to form low hummocks of deeply cut soft green, leaves.

'Dark Reiter’, is a fairly new cultivar originating from 'Victor Reiter' whose namesake was the legendary California nurseryman. What sets this plant apart is the new leaves that emerge a light maroon colour then fade to a purple-flushed deep green, it produces violet-blue flowers in spring.

'Purple Haze' is one of the discoveries of the century. Grown for its amazing foliage, unique shades rarely seen within in the genus they vary from bronzes, through purples to dark beetroot. Most are deeply divided and make a striking contrast to the blooms, perfectly themed in shades of gorgeous violet-mauve.

Geranium pyrenaicum is a European species and well known for being one of the most floriferous of Geraniums. 'Summer Snow' is an easy to grow, yet hard to find white flowered cultivar which produces profuse quantities of white flowers each with deeply notched petals.

‘Vision Light Pink’ produces masses of large luminescent light pink flowers with red veins from early spring through to late summer. This long-lived, drought-tolerant perennial is useful as a small scale groundcover and in mixed borders. Use it in rock gardens, stone walls or even in container plantings.

A beautiful, robust ground cover variety of the every popular Geranium sanguineum; ‘Vision Violet’ produces masses of large luminescent violet flowers from early spring to summer. The blooms cover this compact, mounding plant with intricately cut leaves.

Hellebore 'Blackthorn Strain' is a carefully selected seed strain, with delicate pink flowers backed with pink and green, the stems, petioles and often the anthers are an enchanting ripe berry rose. The saw-toothed foliage is pewter-blue above, burgundy-grey beneath.

Originating from one of the country's top hellebore breeders. Hellebore 'Black Beauty' is a choice variety. The deepest plums and purples open from slate coloured buds, many plants having the extra bonus of the dark foliage of their parents.

Based on hybrids bred by the doyenne of the Hellebore world, Helen Ballard, these must be some of the finest and most beautiful of the race we have to offer. Large flowers are produced in a variety of colours from dark purple to white - often extravagantly mottled and marked.

Hibiscus syriacus is a very beautiful, hardy deciduous shrub with a lush tropical appearance. Its numerous blooms have a very distinctive form. Luxuriant large trumpet-shaped flowers each with prominent white stamens, it flowers prolifically over a long summer and continue to decorate the bushes until early autumn.