Interesting Foliage

Muhlenbergia lindheimeri is a warm-season grass that has a strong vertical form with effusive, arching, blue-green foliage. It sends forth slender, perfect-for-cutting inflorescences on upright stems. Panicles of muted purplish grey tones that age to an antique silver and festoon the winter landscape.

The development of bananas is a source of both pride and amazement to those unfamiliar with banana culture. Musa acuminata is a 'dwarf variety' with broad, long, graceful leaves, and is extremely suitable for containers or gardens.

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.

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.

Ricinus communis 'Carmencita' is an outstanding new variety with shiny dark brown foliage. The palmate leaves have deeply incised lobes and grow 30 to 75cm (12 to 30in) across. The plants have red stems and in late summer clusters of bright red blooms are followed by stunning scarlet seeds pods.

Sagina subulata is one of the best low growing ground covers. Irish moss is most often used as a ground cover, softening paths and stepping-stones. It gives a lush accent to rock garden and terraces. For a luxurious carpet of green, few plants can match Irish Moss.

Santolina, commonly known as Lavender Cotton is a small shrub with soft, woolly, finely divided foliage, that make neat, rounded bushes. They are valuable for mass planting, ideal for knot gardens and small hedging around herb gardens etc. It will stand any amount of clipping and shaping - a perfect plant for control freaks.

Saxifraga x arendsii 'Purple Robe' are compact, free-flowering, and easily raised from seed. These charming perennials quickly form an evergreen verdant mat. Excellent as alpine plants for a rockery or trough, use them spilling over low walls, as a path edging or green roof.

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!

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.

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.

Sporobolus displays a magnificent fountain of fine textured, emerald-green leaves which develop rich shades of reddish-gold or deep orange in the autumn, but the great joy of this plant is that it produces a great cloudy haze of tiny flower heads. Numerous stalks with delicate, open panicles shoot up and over the clump.

What can I say? Its a plant you can pet!...Bees love it…children love it….and you just have to stoke it on the way past! Lambs' ears is a well-known ground-covering perennial, popular for its soft, fluffy foliage, plus, it’s a great silver accent in between all the green going on in the garden.

Ranging from pale baby blue to deep midnight shades and growing to an average height of 70cm (28in), this mix of annual flowers is ideal for the garden and the vase. Blue flowers are associated with serenity and calm - plant them in spring and then tell me that your pulse rate slows just a little bit!

In the garden or in an arrangement, pinks are the easiest colours to combine. From rose to magenta, there are more flowers that bloom in these shades than any other colour. Easy to grow and fast to flower, these hardy annuals can be sown directly outdoors where they are to grow. They are unrivaled for bringing summer colour to the garden.

Red flowers are much prized in the garden. They stand out, enlivening the foliage with a burst of colour. Even on the dreariest day, red flowers have a dramatic visual impact. Easy to grow and fast to flower, hardy annuals can be unrivaled for bringing summer colour to the garden.

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.