Winter Interest

Pulmonaria obscura is an extremely rare species. Known from just three small locations in adjacent ancient Suffolk woodlands, covering an area of 18 square metres it has only 600 individual stands. One of the first perennials bloom in spring, the flowers are light red, changing to purple and to blue at maturity.

Ranunculus ‘Bloomingdale’ is an indispensable plant, and a lovely option for late winter to early spring colour. Flowering in only five months from seed, this stunning variety produces large, densely petaled blooms that resemble small peonies.

The wild rose bursts with lightly scented, usually flesh pink flowers (though they can be pinker or whitish) in summer. They are followed by a terrific show of bright red hips, they can be used to make jam, jelly, syrup, marmalade and wine. Delicious and an excellent natural source of vitamin C.

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.