Easy Annuals

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos' is a new cosmos that's causing rather a stir in horticultural circles. It adds a completely new colour to the Cosmos range. Unique soft-yellow blooms are produced in profusion on compact dwarf plants. Growing to a height of 60cm tall, this truly exceptional Cosmos has already been granted one of the most prestigious horticultural awards, a Fleuroselect Gold Medal.

This unique variety of cosmos are early to flower with unusual blooms that have a magical iridescence. Magenta, rose and raspberry pinks are overlaid with an apricot- peach undertone. As each flower matures, the colour fades to a warm, antique rose. This variety works well in creating a gentle vintage look in the garden or vase.

Didiscus caerulea, known as the Blue Lace Flower for its unusual sky-blue flower colour. With delicate lacy umbel shaped flowers, each flower head is composed of tiny, star-shaped, sweetly fragrant flowers. Perfect for the cutting garden and suitable for country cottage style or contemporary arrangements.

Eschscholzia are of the easiest and most colourful annuals to grow, with masses of beautiful silky flowers in shades of gold. They bloom profusely over a very long season, succeed in all soils and garden positions and are heat and drought-resistant. They give a garden performance second to none!

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.

With flowers that resemble a rose, Eschscholzia californica 'Rosa Romantica' is a lovely and quite unique California Poppy, the petals are streaked in the most romantic of shades, soft pink-rose and salmon-fuchsia overlay creamy white on each elaborately painted petal.

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.

'Thai Silk' is a stunning range of California poppies of superb quality with silky flowers. 'Appleblossom Chiffon' produces very double flowers in an ethereal shade of shimmering, dappled silvery-pink. Very easy to grow, they are attractive to pollinators and perfect for cutting.

Summer Icicle adds wonderful contrast to bright summer bedding and container displays and is at home in the border where it performs well in hot and dry soils. The flowers form small white cups at the top and centre of the plant. It is top branching so ideal for use as a cut flower.

You can't see it or touch it. But it's so integral a part of the garden experience that it penetrates the very soul. It's fragrance. And none of our other four senses has the power to trigger emotions as strong or memories as sweet as scent does. Practice your own individual form of 'aromatherapy' in the garden.

If there's one plant that can inject a little razzle-dazzle into the border during gloomy late summers it is Helenium. From late July 'Helena' blooms with masses of vibrant blooms in a spectrum of rich colours from gold to mahogany red. Perfect for the back of the border and wonderful for cutting.

Helenium hoopesii is considered by some to be the most valuable of the species. It blooms with bright golden yellow disk florets that each form a kind of rounded knob that transforms the flower from your typical two-dimensional daisy into something much more interesting and sculptural.

Sunflower ‘Autumn Beauty’ produces numerous long-stemmed flowers from summer to late autumn in a variety of solid and bi-colour bright warm colours - golden yellow, bronze, brown and burgundy. The long stems are excellent for cut flowers and look absolutely stunning in a vase on their own.

Helianthus annuus 'Copper Queen F1' is a professional quality, pollen-free sunflower with golden yellow petals and rich dark brown disks. 150cm (5ft) tall. The golden yellow petals are ‘dusted’ with a layer of translucent cinnamon-red, giving the large flowers a rich orange appearance. Cut the flowers as soon as all the petals unfurl.

Helianthus annuus 'Cut Flower Mixture' offers a diverse range of sunflower varieties that are suited to outdoor cut flower production. In a wide range of shapes and colours, lemon, golds and reds. The heights range from 80 to 150cm (32 to 60in). They are lovely in borders or vases.

Helianthus annuus 'F1 Gemini Summer' is F1 hybrid tall cut flower variety with golden yellow, double flowers. This professional quality sunflower is a pollenless, uniflora type that grows 90 to 120cm tall. Cut the flowers when the petals begin to unfurl from the face.

Great big fluffy golden heads the size of a dinner plate. This whopper of a sunflower has the same stunning densely packed yellow petals as the beloved dwarf 'Teddy Bear' sunflower but on a far larger scale. They make excellent cut flowers, long lasting and are very impressive in a vase.

If you like well-branched, free-flowering, traditional sunflowers that are not too tall, 'Holiday' is the one you've been looking for. At 120cm (4ft) tall, with golden yellow petals and dark centres, it bears armfuls of cheery 15 to 20cm blooms. Irresistible for cut flower bouquets and for a large garden planting.