First Year Flowering

A prodigious bloomer and a tough, hardy garden performer Scabiosa atropurpurea grows quickly and is fast to flower. Rose-pink petals surround a domed, dark centred cushion, this invaluable plant will attract many butterflies and bees to the garden and would look as happy in a wildflower meadow as in a manicured border.

Scabiosa atropurpurea is one of the longest-flowering and most glamorous of flowers that you can grow from seed. Easy to grow and fast to flower, this invaluable plant will attract many butterflies and bees to the garden and the long, straight stems will supply you with cut flowers throughout the season.

Boasting the most desirable of deep blue flowers, Scabiosa ‘Oxford Blue’ is a reselected form that stands out from other varieties. The large, domed, dark centred cushions with contrasting white 'pins', bob atop strong stems. A prodigious bloomer, they will supply you with excellent cut flowers.

Salvia patens is undoubtedly one of the very best blue flowering plants, the large, double-lipped blossoms are one of the truest blues found in nature. 'Blue Angel' is one of the smallest of the 'Gentian Sages', there is little else that can compete with the richness of its colour.

The physostegia has prolific dazzling tubular flower spikes which are arranged on distinctly square stems. This oddly named perennial is perfect for the middle of a mixed or herbaceous border. The flowers are on swivels that can be bent right or left on the stem - a useful feature for floral displays.

Tall garden phlox are a beauty to behold, the large, dense flower clusters, produced in abundance during summer. Phlox Hybrids Mix is a perennial, cultivated strain. The colours are wonderful, the sweetly fragrant, evening scent is captivating and they are very easy to grow.

Russian Sage is one of the great garden plants of all time, but if you've been frustrated by their floppy nature, this new variety will be a welcome addition. Growing to about 60 to 75cm tall, Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Taiga' is also the first Russian sage available as a first year flowering perennial.

Penstemon barbatus 'Twizzle White' adds a graceful twist to the garden. A first year flowering perennial, that is hardy and vigorous, it boasts twice the length of flowering stems, giving longer, more elegant wands for the vase while preserving the natural elegance of Penstemon barbatus.

Awarded the Fleuroselect Gold Medal for striking colour, plant habit, and flowering performance, Penstemon barbatus 'Twizzle Scarlet' is a first year flowering perennial that will add height and high-impact colour to the border, giving superb flowering performance from mid to late summer.

A winner of both an AAS and Fleuroselect Awards, Penstemon ‘Twizzle Purple' is a first year flowering perennial that boasts twice the length of flowering stem. Strong, trouble-free plants produce trumpet shaped magenta-violet blooms that flutter all along tall, slender stems.

Penstemon barbatus 'Twizzle Coral' adds a graceful twist to the garden. A first year flowering perennial, that is hardy and vigorous, it boasts twice the length of flowering stems, giving longer, more elegant wands for the vase while preserving the natural elegance of Penstemon barbatus.

Awarded a Fleuroselect Medal for striking colour, plant habit, and flowering performance, Penstemon barbatus 'Twizzle Blue' is a first year flowering perennial that will add height and high-impact colour to the border, giving superb flowering performance from mid to late summer.

Pennisetum alopecuroides var. viridescens has broader leaves and darker flower heads than the regular species and, growing to around 60cm tall, it is also slightly smaller. It has graceful smoky purple-black plumes that contrast nicely with the slender arching, glossy, deep green foliage.

Pennisetum alopecuroides is an especially appealing species, it changes its appearance and colour throughout the growing season. In late summer graceful fountain-like plumes emerge in profusion, they slowly change colour to a blend of green, soft pinks and light-colored maroons before maturing to light tan.

The Iceland poppies have large, luscious petals in an array of shades.The single papery, lightly fragrant blossoms flowers unwrinkle their petals into a wide-spreading saucer shape 3 to 4 inches across. Flowering early in summer they produce dazzling splashes of colour when planted en masse.

Recognised as having the largest flowers of all the nepetas and only one with white flowers, Nepeta subsessilis 'Snow Panther' flowers during the first year and can be grown as an annual or as a flowering perennial. This award winning variety is extremely attractive to bees and butterflies they are also excellent for containers.

Nepeta subsessilis 'Pink Panther' is the pink form of large-flowered Nepeta which is grown from seed and flowers during the first year. It can be grown as an annual or as a flowering perennial. Flowering from June until the end of September, they work well as an informal low hedge or mixed in the border with other annuals or perennials.

Nepeta ‘Dark Blue Panther’ is the dark blue flowered variety and sister to 'Pink Panther' and the beautiful white 'Snow' Panther. This award winning variety starts to flower just 15 weeks after sowing and can be can be grown as an annual or as a flowering perennial.

Nepeta grandiflora is one of the best garden plants in this family. 'Border Ballet' is a striking new catmint, lusher than true catnip, with dark green leaves. It flowers in shades of blue and pink in perfect harmony. This easy to sow and grow perennial flowers in the first year of sowing.

Veteran gardeners are probably already aware of nepeta’s versatility in the garden. From its popular partnering with roses to the softening effect it has on hard edges. Nepeta is an ideal perennial for new gardeners and, of course, cats adore it.