Here we’ve rounded up a selection of the best climbing plants, perfect for your garden. We’ve divided the list into climbers for walls, borders and vigorous examples.

Climbing plants, including favourites such as honeysuckle and jasmine, all share the successful strategy of relying on the support of other plants or objects to reach the sunlight. This obviates the need to invest much in producing supportive tissue, such as the wood in trees, and means climbing plants aren’t subject to the usual restraints on growth.

Here are the best climbing plants

How to choose a climbing plant

A climbing plant can be a wonderful addition to your garden planting, and there are plenty more out there to choose from than just the regular honeysuckle or clematis or passion flower. The way to choose your climbing plant depends a lot on the space you have and what you want your plant to be used for. Here are some tips on how to choose the best climbing plant:

• What do you want it to grow up? If you’re using your climbing plant as a screen, then you will want a vigorous climber that provides good, evergreen coverage, with hopefully flowering bonuses at some point too. If it’s something you’ll be looking out onto, make sure you pick a climber you love. They tend to dominate wherever they are.

• Do you have the right supports? A climber needs the right support, so make sure you invest in the correct plant support, or your wall, trellis or even tree is suitable for the particular climber.
• Do you have time to look after it? Lots of climbers are fussy and lots of climbers need work to prune it at the right point in the year. If you’re looking for something that you can chop once a year and then leave to do it’s own thing, consider a Clematis ‘francis rivis’ or Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’.

Luxuriant growth brings its own problems – vigour must be matched carefully to the appropriate space, and abundance restrained where necessary. If you need some climbing supports, we have rounded up our favourites,  and don’t miss our guide to pruning climbing plants like wisteria.

The best climbing plants for your garden in 2023

Climbing plants with flowers

Rhodochiton atrosanguineus

This ‘purple bell flower’ produces beautiful flowers along the length of its twining stems, and looks effective growing along horizontal twigs or branches. This climbing plant can be sown late April, or August and overwintered frost free. 2.5m AGM. RHS H2.

Jasminum nudiflorum

© Jason Ingram

This jasmine can be persuaded to adopt the semblance of a climber by training and cutting back immediately after flowering. If allowed some freedom, this winter jasmine will flower abundantly in winter and early spring. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.

Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’

A climbing plant that’s Perennial in a Mediterranean climate, it can achieve sufficient bulk here to make its presence felt from a late April sowing, without causing too much of a nuisance. Will flower until frost cuts it down. 3m. AGM. RHS H1c.

Ipomoea lobata

An intriguing member of the bindweed family, with flowers that are simultaneously an intense orange and yellow in the early bud stage, maturing to cream. Sow Spanish flag in late April and plant after all danger of frost. 3m.

Bomarea multiflora

Twining herbaceous climber, a relative of Alstroemeria, that arises from a tuber. The trailing lily may come through the winter protected by a thick mulch. Something this gorgeous deserves some effort. 6m. AGM. USDA 10a-11.

Lonicera x tellmanniana

A climbing honeysuckle lacking scent, but abundant, vivid-orange flowers offer excitement enough. Tolerates shade and may be pruned by removing flowered growth annually. 4.7m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7b-10b. Don’t miss our plant profile for more honeysuckle suggestions.

Solanum laxum ‘Album’

A twining climber with abundant clusters of flowers that look fragile and fresh right up to the first frosts. Trim lateral branches to around 15cm in winter. On the tender side, so site carefully. 6m. AGM.

Evergreen climbing plants

Pileostegia viburnoides

Self-clinging, evergreen climbing plant thats shade tolerant with frothy white flowers in late summer. This climbing hydrangea has a slow rate of growth, but this makes it less work to restrain once established. 6m. USDA 8a-10b.

Climbing plants for shade

Clematis ‘Frances Rivis’

A good early flowering clematis with nodding flowers of great charm in spring. Works well in partial, deciduous shade as part of a woodland scheme. Prune lightly after flowering, if at all. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4b-9a.

Lapageria rosea

Achingly beautiful climber, but requires shade, shelter, good drainage (yet plentiful summer moisture), is slow to establish and an apparently ambrosial beacon for slugs. 7m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 9b-11.

Parthenocissus henryana

Native to China, this Virginia climbing plant has tastefully variegated leaves that turn vibrant shades of red in the autumn. It self-clings and will tolerate the shade of a north-facing wall. 4.7m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

A climbing plant that’s deciduous, but in season it completely clothes its space with large, green leaves and white, lace-cap inflorescences. Another climbing hydrangea that will cover a shady wall fast. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b.

Schizophragma integrifolium

• Buy now from Thompson & Morgan (£35.99)

Similar to Hydrangea anomala, although you will need more patience. This climbing hyrdrangea is distinguished  by the shape and size of the sterile florets that encircle the inflorescence. 6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-10b.

Low maintenance climbing plants

Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’

Good for lighting up dark walls without any fuss. A vigorous, self-clinging, adaptable variegated ivy climbing plant, with smart, glossy leaves tinged with white. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-10b.

Ipomoea coccinea

Delicate in growth with striking scarlet flowers, this true annual is rarely seen and deserves to be grown more frequently. A climbing plant that’s straightforward from seed sown in late April and then planted out after all risk of frost is over. 6m.

Clematis ‘Prince Charles’

A prolific blue-flowered clematis, similar to Sissinghurst’s ‘Perle d’Azur’ but with slightly smaller flowers and improved resistance to powdery mildew. Cut back hard in spring and watch it go. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Here’s our profile on clematis montana. 

Cobaea scandens

The most vigorous of all annual climbers, and perennial in a frost-free climate. In one year, from seed, the ‘cup and saucer vine’ can cover an astonishing area with bell-shaped flowers from late summer to first frosts. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H2, USDA 9a-10b.

Fragrant climbing plants

Trachelospermum jasminoides

The scent of ‘false jasmine’ is not that similar to true jasmine, but equally powerful. The star jasmine is quite hardy, although the similar Trachelospermum asiaticum is said to be hardier. A climbing plant that’s best on a sunny wall. 12m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 8a-11.

Rosa ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’

Vigorous rambling rose, with delicate flowers. Perfect for hoisting up a large tree. Will take time to establish itself, but once it does you will be rewarded with grace, scent and a profusion of flowers. 9m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b.

Fast growing climbing plants

Clematis ‘Alba Luxurians’

One of the most vigorous of the viticella cultivars. Cut back hard every spring, you’ll be amazed at the coverage you get over the course of one season. This climber flowers profusely July to September. 3.6m. USDA 3a-9b.

Read our expert guide to pruning clematis.

Rosa ‘Wedding Day’

The scrambling rose flowers have the agreeable quality of changing colour as they mature, from pale primrose to almost white. The different stages appear side by side in each many-headed inflorescence. 9m. USDA 7a-9b.

Clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’

A tough, vigorous, climbing clematis, offering both striking flowers and seedheads over a long period. It’s tolerant of drought and extreme cold, but does best in full sun. 6m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5b-9b.

Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’

Honeysuckle, with vivid colouring and a long flowering season. A vigorous and at times untidy grower; it can be kept within bounds by carefully removing flowered shoots in winter. 6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Rosa ‘Chevy Chase’

A climbing rose with a touch of opulence. The flowers are small double and crimson, with tightly clustered petals. Great in combination with the dark, glossy leaves of a mature holly, which makes a suitable host. 7m. USDA 5a-9b.

Rosa ‘The Garland’

Trained to cover an archway, this climbing rose has always been the most arresting sight in the garden where I’ve been working for the past four years. Now it’s happily rambling on to a neighbouring yew tree. 7m.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’

Often grown in spur-pruned tiers on a wall, although if you allow it the freedom to romp into trees, this climbing plant will seek out the sunshine to flower well, and assume something of its natural character. 12m. USDA 5a-10b.

Vitis coignetiae

A vine in the more precise sense of the word: a close relative of the grape. This climber is grown for its large leaves, which turn spectacular colours in autumn. A wonderful way to enliven evergreen trees. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Clematis montana var. grandiflora

Well known for its extraordinary vigour, which makes it difficult to contain. This climbing plant’s stemmy growth can look rather untidy, especially in the winter. All will be forgiven when it flowers. 12m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 6a-9b.

Climbing plants are a great addition to any garden as they not only provide aesthetic appeal but also offer practical benefits such as shade and privacy. With a wide range of varieties to choose from, gardeners have the opportunity to experiment with different climbers to suit their taste and requirements. Whether you have a small balcony or a large garden, there is a climbing plant that can transform your outdoor space. By selecting the right type of climbing plant and providing the right conditions for it to grow, you can create a beautiful and functional garden that is a joy to be in. So why not take the leap and add a climbing plant to your garden today!

If you’re in need of climbing supports for your climbing plants, we have rounded up the best climbing supports for 2023. Or here’s our piece on how to make your own plant supports. 

Lavender is a wonderful plant to grow in the garden. Not only does it have a stunning fragrance, reminiscent of warm summer evenings, but its flower spikes in varying shades of purple are so versatile and will lift any border or container display. Lavenders are low maintenance plants and needing little watering, unless planted in containers. They cope well with both drought and frosts are will reliably come back, year after year. A great choice if you’re time poor but still desire a spectacular display.

Bastin Nursery in the Netherlands has a renowned collection of Mediterranean plants, which includes well over a hundred different lavenders. if you’re thinking of buying a lavender but need some inspiration for which lavender plant to buy, take a look at nursery owner, Roger Bastin’s favourite types.

How to care for lavender

 Pruning lavender

Pruning is essential. At the nursery, we regularly pinch out the new growth on cuttings and young plants to stimulate lateral branching. Keep this up when you’ve just planted young lavenders.

When to prune lavender

Prune in spring to stimulate growth and prune in autumn to retain shape. Make sure you’ve finished pruning by the beginning of October, preferably earlier. Once the flowering season is over, there is no need to wait. One big advantage is the plant will continue to grow and you’ll spend your winter looking at beautiful silvery grey balls rather than bare branches. Be a bit more careful with Lavandula x intermedia, though, as it is much less hardy.

Fertilising lavender

There is hardly ever a need to fertilise lavender. And don’t water them, unless they are in pots.

When to plant lavender

Lavenders can be planted year-round, unless it’s freezing. The best time is October. Before planting, work lots of lime into the soil, about four times as much as the packaging says. Every two to three years add a maintenance dose, as prescribed. Note, however, that Lavandula stoechas cultivars and hybrids don’t want lime and are best pruned in summer.

The best lavender to grow

The Nursery’s own selection, with very pale violet, almost white flowers emerging from the deepest dark violet, almost black calyx.

The palest violet there is. Any paler and it would be white. Looks great when set off against darker colours. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

The best white I’ve ever seen. Well-shaped, compact, but no dwarf. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

Longest bloomer, as classically lavender-coloured as can be. Archetypal lavender at its best.

Fluffy flowers in a very special lilac. This plant is remarkable and in a colour category of its own. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

The best pink flowers. Period. Hardiness rating RHS H4, USDA 6b-11.

The best dwarf cultivar – compact with dark flowers. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

A new and very promising dark cultivar that keeps flowering.

A very full growing, vigorous and healthy plant with dark flowers. Hardiness rating USDA 6a-10b.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Downderry, Pillar Box Ln, Hadlock,
Tonbridge, YN119SW
Tel 01732 810081, www.downderry-nursery.co.uk
Open Thursday to Sunday, 10am-5pm.

Kwekerij Bastin, Nieuwenhuysstraat 29,
6336 XV  Aalbeek, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Tel +31 (0)45 5231475, www.bastin.nl
Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm.

Creating a late summer border is an exciting challenge. It needs vivid colours and textures, a wide range of plants, and a little luck with the weather. On top of all of that there is the hidden desire to make those colours last until the first frost arrives, maybe even longer. Gardener Andrea Brusendorf, who has created this bold design always uses plants that she has worked with before or has seen growing in other gardens. Those with flowers whose colour, height, spread and texture last well past the changing of the clocks.

Many of the plants that she has chosen for this border are ones that she grew in the Inner Temple Garden borders. She has spent many long summer days with them, learning their habits, revelling in their form. Here she explains in more detail how she came up with the plan and offers advice and time on when to plant and where to buy your garden plants from.

Andrea’s top tips for designing a bold planting plan

• Late flowering annuals and perennials are in general sun lovers with strong colours and they need a full solar blast to prolong their flowering period.
• It may be difficult to imagine that yellow, orange, red and blue can harmonise, but they do because the greens and greys in their foliage and stems soften those strong contrasts. Also, the light during the late summer mellows the most vivid colours.
• Beware of using white (for instance Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’) which I have found impossible to integrate successfully into yellows, oranges, reds and blues, because it is too dominant.
• Besides colour and structure, combination is another ruling I keep in mind when I decide how many plants to use and where to position them. A single clump, like three Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, should be in proportion to the overall area, otherwise the border will seem bitty and too busy.
• Repeating colours, shapes and textures create rhythm and cohesion; for instance I will repeat the feathery texture of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ with Salvia uliginosa and other grasses.
• There is value in transition or ‘see-through’ plants, like Verbena bonariensis and Persicaria orientalis, which will break up the solidity of clumps such as Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’, and add an ethereal note to a border that would otherwise look too chunky.

Best time to plant

September is a good time for planning and laying out a new border as the soil will still be warm. This is an excellent opportunity to spread masses of well-rotted compost or manure to improve the organic matter content of your soil. Double-digging is excellent, but just forking it in is better than not adding anything at all. To help you to visualise the eventual sizes of plant clumps, mark out a square with bamboo canes and then use smaller canes to estimate the spread of the individual plants.

Wait until spring before planting out the asters, heleniums and salvias – they hate cold, wet feet when trying to establish themselves. Sow Verbena bonariensis in September and over-winter in a frost-free environment with plenty of light. Cosmos and Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’ are grown easily from seeds, even on a window sill, from early April onwards. Persicaria orientalis is best grown by scattering seeds in March/April in situ. Keep an eye on this one because it has the tendency to self-seed freely, but the large seedlings are easily spotted and they can be weeded out.

The tubers of Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ are easily grown on in pots from March onwards in a warm setting. Other dahlias are less available, but cuttings can be grown on in a frost-free, light environment for planting out in June. Dahlia imperialis, a tree dahlia, is grown for its foliage, but with the luck of a hot summer and no early frosts it may flower for you in mid-December – and to protect it during the winter cover the root plate with a 20cm layer of dry wood chips. Don’t cut the grasses until late winter – or even early spring if the winter winds haven’t wreaked havoc.

Plant list and quantities used

Amicia zygomeris

Tender perennial grown for foliage. Yellow flowers. Height 2.5m. Plants used x3

Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’

Annual with bright orange-red flowers. Height 2m. Plants used x10

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’

Grass with silver plumes. Height 2.5m. Plants used x3

Buy Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ from Thompson & Morgan

Dahlia imperialis

Tender perennial grown for foliage and bamboo-like stems. Height 4m. Plants used x2

Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’

Tender perennial with dark foliage and vivid red blooms. Height 1.5m. Plants used x3

Here’s how to grow dahlias

Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’

Grass with stiff, bronze feathery flowerheads. Height 1.8m. Plants used x3

Helenium ‘Wesergold’

Perennial with clear lemon yellow flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x5

Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’

Tender perennial, long blue flower spikes. Height 1.7m. Plants used x5

Don’t miss our guide to salvias

Rosa ‘Florence Mary Morse’

Vigorous Floribunda with red flowers. Height 2m plus. Plants used x1

Salvia uliginosa

Tender perennial with sky-blue flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x5

Don’t miss our piece on salvias to grow

Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’

Perennial with reddish-orange flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x3

Geranium Rozanne (=’Gerwat’)

Perennial, violet-blue. Height 0.6m. Plants used x6

Here’s our guide to hardy geranium

Clematis ‘Alionushka’

Climber, bell-shaped mauve pink flowers. Height 2m. Plants used x2

Read more about clematis here 

Dahlia ‘Hillcrest Royal’

Tender perennial with glowing red-purple flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x5

Miscanthus nepalensis

Tender grass, gold-tinted feathers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x3

Persicaria orientalis

Annual with rose-red flower spikes. Height 1.2m. Plants used x7

Buy Persicaria Orientalis from Sarah Raven

Read our guide to persicaria

Three golden rules

There are three vital tasks to do to keep your border looking good for as long as possible.

1. The first is regular dead-heading to encourage the production of new buds, thus extending the flowering season right into the autumn.
2. Secondly, apply a monthly feed during the active growing season.
3. And thirdly, though possibly the most important, is to stake those plants liable to flop about after heavy summer rains when they are still in bud.

A bit more about staking…
Stake asters, dahlias and heleniums when they have reached 45cm. It is worthwhile tying-in each stem individually with a loop in a long circle from a cane at the rear. It is time-consuming but it keeps the plant within its circular support of strings. In our large borders I can spend three or four weeks staking all my perennials (and even some of my annuals) in the early summer and every year those wet and windy summer days confirm it was time well spent.

However, I have not found the need to stake Tithonia, salvias or the tree dahlias, which seem to have sturdy legs. The Clematis ‘Alionushka’ should have some form of support, such as an obelisk. In the garden here we use strong pea-sticks, the tips randomly woven together to create a tall dome for the clematis to delicately rise above its neighbours (and hide a manhole cover in the middle of my border).

Creating a colourful late-summer border is thoroughly satisfying, but if you have limited space it means this portion of your garden will be a little bare until June or July. If this is the case, consider succession planting – lift the dahlias in autumn and plant tulips together with forget-me-nots for colour in spring and early summer, and in the pockets reserved for the annuals under-plant with more of the same or with alliums and aquilegias.

Download a PDF of the border plan

 Andrea Brunsendorf is director of outdoor landscapes at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

At Hermannshof botanical garden, we use the German system of garden habitats to select plants according to their habitat requirements, sociability and aesthetic qualities. This is essential to achieve long-term, ecologically balanced and low-maintenance horticultural plant communities in gardens and urban green spaces. Below is my choice of plants that will be perfect for dry and sunny parts of the garden.

More

• Plants for shade
• Drought tolerant plants
• Plants for pollinators

Key: H = height; S = spread; C = conditions; SI = season of interest; HR = hardiness rating.

Plants for full sun

Allium atropurpureum

Multi-flowering, semi-globose clusters of deep burgundy-red florets. Perfect for steppe plantings with salvias and ornamental grasses. Self-seeds if conditions are right. H 80cm. S 10cm. C Rich, medium-dry, well-drained soil; full sun. SI Early summer. HR RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b.

Allium ‘Forelock’

One of my favourite alliums for open Mediterranean and steppe plantings. Elegant, deep-purple drumsticks with contrasting white stamens on tall stems, moving slightly in the wind. Good self-seeder. H 1.6m. S 8cm. C Rich, medium-dry, well-drained soil; full sun. SI Early summer. HR RHS H5, USDA 4a-8b.

Allium ‘Summer Drummer’

A spectacular Mediterranean species. Sends out tall, purple- mauve drumsticks in midsummer. Plants send out their new fans of chive-like leaves in September, overwintering fully green. Small groups look dramatic in open steppe plantings. H 1.8m. S 20cm. C Rich, medium-dry, well-drained loam; full sun. SI July – August. HR RHS H5, USDA 7a-10a.

Asclepias tuberosa

A drought-tolerant prairie plant, thriving even in poor, sandy or gravelly soils. Bright-orange flowers in June, followed by interesting seedheads in August to September. Attracts butterflies. H 80cm. S 60cm. C Light, well-drained soil; full sun. SI June – July. HR RHS H4, USDA 3a-9b.

x Chitalpa tashkentensis

A small, deciduous tree with a beautiful open shape, willow-like leaves, covered with clusters of large, deep-pink flowers from June to August. Adapted to low humidity and summer drought. H 3.5-4.5m. S 3.5m. C Moist to dry loam, well-drained soil; full sun. SI June – July. HR RHS H4, USDA 7a-11.

Watch Cassian Schmidt deliver the winter lecture at the New York Botanical Garden

Echinacea pallida ‘Hula Dancer’

An elegant seed strain of this familiar prairie plant with almost pure-white, drooping rays, arranged around an eye-catching greenish cone. Attractive seedheads from August to January. H 80-90cm. S 20cm. C Light, well-drained soil; full sun. SI June – July. HR RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b.

Echinacea paradoxa

A coneflower with unusual, golden-yellow, drooping ray flowers. If planted in dry conditions on well-drained soils, can be very long-lived. Sensitive to competition, so best planted together with low, clump-forming prairie grasses in low density. H 70-80cm. S 20cm. C Light, well-drained soil; full sun. SI June – July. HR RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Euphorbia nicaeensis

A low-growing, Mediterranean sub-shrub with attractive, evergreen, bluish-green leaves and large, acid-yellow flowers over a long period. When planted on lean, gravelly soils, the bracts have an intense red colouration in August and September. Perfect for gravel gardens. H 30-40cm. S 25cm. C Light, well-drained, dry soil; full sun. SI June – August. HR RHS H5, USDA 6a-10a.

Genista aetnensis

An elegant large shrub or small tree with broom-like slender branches, which are covered with small, yellow, pea-like flowers in early June. Well adapted to summer drought and surprisingly hardy. AGM. H 2.5-3.5m. S 1.5m. C Well-drained, gravelly soil; full sun. SI June – October. HR RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.

Geranium sanguineum ‘Album’

One of the best European hardy geraniums for dry conditions in full sun or the sunny woodland margin. Works well when dotted through naturalistic mixed perennial plantings, but also in groups at the front of a border. A sterile selection that doesn’t seed around like the magenta wild form. AGM. H 40cm. S 50cm. C Well-drained loam, chalk; full sun to light shade. SI May – June. HR RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

Linum narbonense

Small, evergreen sub-shrub, native to the southern Mediterranean. Its large, clear-blue flowers stay open all day, unlike Linum perenne, which drops its petals before midday. Best used among other drought-tolerant, delicate perennials and airy grasses. H 60cm. S 15cm. C Light, well-drained soil, prefers chalk; full sun. SI May – June. HR RHS H4, USDA 6a-10a.

Monarda bradburyana ‘Ozark’

A selection I introduced in 2004. Native to dry woodlands and glades in the Ozarks, it prefers sun, but can tolerate light shade. Shiny foliage emerges dark-purple in spring. Flowers early, and looks good in a prairie setting with grasses. H 60cm. S 50cm. C Well-drained soil; full sun or part shade. SI May – June. HR RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Phlomis bourgaei

I first fell in love with this evergreen, yellowish-grey-leaved sub-shrub on a hike in southwestern Turkey, when I saw it covered with large golden-yellow flowers. A perfect addition to any garrigue-like planting or gravel garden. Best planted in a sheltered, summer-dry spot. H 80cm-1.2m. S 70cm. C Dry, gravelly soil; full sun. SI October – November. HR RHS H5, USDA 7a-11.

Ruella humilis

A useful, low-growing companion perennial for dry, prairie plantings, best scattered into a matrix of low-growing, warm-season grasses, such as Bouteloua. Large petunia-like blue flowers from June to August. H 25-35cm. S 30cm. C Dry, well-drained soil; full sun to light shade. SI June – August. HR USDA 4a-8b.

Sesleria argentea

Seslerias are the best semi-evergreen grasses for matrix plantings or intermingled in mixed plantings. This little-known species grows in rocky areas or in the dappled shade of open oak forest. Silvery flower spikes in summer. H 35cm. S 35cm. C Mesic to dry, well-drained loam; full sun to part shade. SI May – October. HR RHS H7, USDA 5b-8b.

Sesleria ‘Greenlee’

A low-growing hybrid of Sesleria autumnalis. Well-behaved semi-evergreen cool-season grass, is useful as a ground cover matrix or understorey, and for planting through. Mid-green spring foliage is joined in summer by airy flower spikes. H 35cm. S 35cm. C Mesic to dry, well-drained soil; full sun to part shade.

Sporobolus heterolephis ‘Odorous Cloud’

Fine, arching foliage and diffuse clouds of airy flowers shimmer on this grass that looks great with echinacea seedheads. Orange-yellow autumn colour. H 70cm. S 50cm. C Medium-dry, well-drained chalk, loam, sand; full sun. SI Flowers August – September. HR RHS H7, USDA 3a-9b.

Symphyotrichon oblongifolium ‘October Skies’

A robust, mildew-free aster from the midwestern prairies. The large blue flowers cover the plants for several weeks from late September until mid November. H 55-70cm. S 60cm. C Mesic to dry, well-drained soil; full sun. SI October – November. HR RHS H7, USDA 3a-8a.

Tulipa ‘Honky Tonk’

A lovely tulip with slightly pointed, sulphur-yellow flowers. Best in small groups of 10-15 bulbs. Looks good with Euphorbia cyparissias in low steppe plantings. H 25cm. S 5cm. C Medium-dry, well-drained soil; full sun. SI Spring. HR RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b.

Tulipa ‘Ice Stick’

One of the earliest and most persistent tulips for rock gardens or for planting around the base of deciduous shrubs and small trees, where it appreciates the summer drought. H 20cm. S 5cm. C Rich, medium-dry, well-drained soil; full sun to light shade. SI Spring. HR RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b.

Tulipa orphanidea Whittallii Group

A wonderful, warm orange-red species tulip. As in woodland grass, with elegant arching leaves that many species-like tulips, the elegant flowers need sunlight to open fully and to glow from backlight. AGM. H 20cm. S 5cm. C Medium-dry, well-drained a lighter green in summer. Beautiful on the soils (needs summer drought); full sun. SI Spring. HR RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b.

Tulipa ‘Peppermintstick’

Tulipa praestans ‘Van Tubergens Variety’

A wonderful, multi-flowered, warm-red species-like tulip. Quite adaptable to different soil conditions. Looks stunning together with blue or white Anemone blanda. H 30cm. S 8cm. C Rich, medium-dry, well-drained soil; full sun to light shade. SI Spring. HR RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b.

Few flowers are as widely recognised as the poppy. In part this is due to its tenacious presence both in rural lanes and fields and on wasteland and roadside verges in towns. Annual poppy seeds are also included in annual meadow seed mixes.

Mainly, though, it is the poppy’s status as an emblem of remembrance that has ensured it is deeply embedded in our psyches. The fragility of the flowers and ephemeral nature of the field poppy make it a perfect symbol of mourning and remembering.

A far less benign influence on humanity is found in another poppy, Papaver somniferum, the source of opium.

These two extremes are reflected in the wide range of the genus, They are part of the Papaveraceae family, which includes other genera commonly referred to as poppies, including Meconopsis (the blue poppy) and Eschscholzia (the Californian poppy). Some poppy flowers are elegant and fragile, while others produce flowers that are burly and flamboyant.

Discover 10 facts you probably didn’t know about poppies.

Papaver or poppy: everything you need to know

Papaver types explained

Field poppy, Papaver rhoeas

The common annual field poppy, Papaver rhoeas, is widespread in Europe and north Africa, usually flowering from late May until the end of July. Typically scarlet, in the wild occasional colour variations appear.

Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum

The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, produce seedlings in a dazzling array of colours and shapes. In the wild the plant is about 1m tall, with glaucous foliage and white or purple flowers. Dozens of cultivars have been bred. Some flowers are fully double (the Paeoniiflorum Group) with a mass of crumpled petals resembling a peony. Others (the Laciniatum Group) have fringed or lacerated petals. A drift of opium poppies is an arresting sight. Papaver somniferum are annuals and self seed readily around the garden.

Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale

The most widely grown perennial poppy is Papaver orientale, whose typically blousy flowers have made it popular in exuberant planting designs. In general, the oriental poppies are taller than other poppies (75cm to 1m tall) with larger and more vibrant flowers.

Icelandic poppy, Papaver nudicaule

Icelandic poppies have light green leaves and large bowl-shaped, satiny flowers. The flowers last for many weeks, in shades that include cream, yellow, salmon, orange, pink and red. They make excellent cut flowers and often self seed, coming back year after year.

California poppy, Eschscholzia californica

How to grow Papaver

Where to grow poppies

Annual poppies prefer an open, sunny aspect in well-drained, relatively poor soil but will adapt to any soil that is not waterlogged. They will not grow well in deep shade.

The perennial species tend to be more demanding than the annual ones and although in the wild Papaver orientale grows in poor, rocky soil or in meadows with thin soil, to perform well in the garden it needs rich, well-drained soil. Too much moisture and the crown of the plant will rot; too poor a soil and it will not flower.

How to grow poppies from seed

The annual poppies are among the easiest plants to raise from seed. Most do not like the disturbance caused by transplanting, so are best sown in the spring in the place where you want them to flower.

Overcrowding will produce weedy plants so sow seed thinly and be ruthless in removing seedlings to ensure the plants you are left with have the space to flourish.

All poppies produce copious amounts of seed and most will self-seed around the garden, although it is a bit of a lottery what colour the flowers of named cultivars of Papaver somniferum and of Papaver rhoeas will be.

Caring for poppies

After flowering, the perennial poppies have tatty foliage. The renowned garden designer Gertrude Jekyll advised hiding scruffy poppies with a scrambling plant, such as Lathyrus latifolius, but Papaver orientale can be cut down to the ground. This will encourage fresh, healthy looking leaves as well as the occasional second flowering later in the season.

Papaver: the best poppies to grow

Papaver orientale ‘Beauty of Livermere’

Shiny, blood-red flowers that are 20cm wide on tall stems make this an outstanding papaver. This poppy is often grown from seed, resulting in paler flowers or shorter plants. Height 1.2m. RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Papaver somniferum

In the wild the opium poppy has variable flowers, ranging from white to deep purple. Garden-sown seedlings can exhibit an even wider range of colours and flower shapes, including, as shown here, double flowers. All have the same glaucous foliage. Height 1m. RHS H5, USDA 1-11.

Papaver somniferum ‘Lauren’s Grape’

A papaver cultivar that comes reliably true from saved seed if no other forms are grown nearby. The single, bowl-shaped flowers are the deepest purple and grow up to 10cm wide. Often a favourite with designers at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Height 90cm. RHS H5, USDA 7b-8a.

Papaver rupifragum

A perennial species from southern Spain that has adapted well to northern gardens. Flowers for several weeks in early summer and often self-seeds. Several double-flowered forms available. Height 45cm. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Papaver rhoeas ‘Bridal Silk’

The common field poppy has always thrown up the occasional white flower but this is a stable seed strain that reliably produces white flowers with the look of crumpled silk. Height 35cm. USDA 1a-11.

Papaver nudicaule ‘Pacino’

A neat dome of grey-green foliage on small flower stems. Disliking winter wet, this papaver grows well in gravel. Some nurseries still sell it under its previous name: Papaver miyabeanum ‘Pacino’. Height 15cm. RHS H7, USDA 6a.

Papaver nudicaule Pulcinella Series

A seed mix noted for producing plants with long-lasting, large flowers in vibrant colours, mainly bright oranges and fiery reds. Single-colour seed packets are occasionally sold. Height 40cm. RHS H7, USDA 2a-8b.

Papaver nudicaule Gartenzwerg Group

Sometimes known as the Garden Gnome Group, this dwarf strain produces flowers in a range of reds, pinks, yellows, oranges and white. A short-lived perennial, almost always grown as an annual for use as a cut-flower. Height 30cm. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 6a.

Papaver somniferum ‘Cherry Glow’

Papaver commutatum ‘Ladybird’

Similar to the common field poppy, Papaver commutatum ‘Ladybird’ has smaller, bowl-shaped flowers that are an intense scarlet. The black blotches at the base of the petals make this an eye-catching plant. Height 40cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 1-11.

Where to buy Papaver

Beth Chatto Gardens
Elmstead Market, Colchester,
Essex CO7 7DB.
Tel 01206 822007,
bethchatto.co.uk

Chiltern Seeds
Crowmarsh Battle Barns,
114 Preston Crowmarsh, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 6SL.
Tel 01491 824675,
chilternseeds.co.uk

Cotswold Garden Flowers
Sands Lane, Badsey, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 7EZ.
Tel 01386 422829,
cgf.net

Cornus is a genus for all seasons. Those grown for their leaves are some of the most beautiful foliage shrubs. Dogwoods grown for the colour of their stems light up the winter garden. Flowering dogwoods wisely hold back their floriferous performance until early summer, after any possible
competition from our more familiar flowering trees.

When it comes to summer flowering trees and large shrubs there is nothing to touch flowering dogwoods. There are few more breathtaking sights than a flowering dogwood in full bloom. I first fell in love with Cornus ‘Porlock’ in the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire. The way the blooms cascaded down the branches, the poise of the flowers, the way they fluttered in the breeze, how they gazed upwards, avoiding the eye, but teasing and tantalising. Its beauty was best admired by grasping a branch and holding it down to admire those creamy bracts, four of them arranged as a flattened star around each dark bobble of tiny flowers. In autumn, strawberry-like fruits weighed down the branches; hardly delicious but edible and very tempting.

The cultivars of C. kousa are often collectively referred to as Chinese dogwoods, although many originate from Japan and Korea. C. kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ is deservedly popular and has the advantage of large flower heads produced on young plants; some cultivars take a few years to bloom with any enthusiasm. C. kousa ‘Teutonia’ is another large, flowering form with immaculate flower heads of rich cream. I have shown this in recent years at
RHS Chelsea Flower Show and it has always proved to be a star of the show.

The North American dogwoods, cultivars of C. florida and C. nuttallii, are less popular because of their susceptibility to the fungal disease cornus anthracnose. A pity, as most mature to form wonderful, pagoda-like small trees with elegant branches and upturned twigs. In winter, flowerbuds are enclosed by the immature bracts on the bare branches, appearing like tiny finials at the end of every twig. As the blooms develop the bracts remain joined at the tips before they pop open.

The hybridisation of flowering dogwoods has led to the development of some spectacular flowering shrubs. C. Venus, bred in the USA, has caused a stir with its massive creamy-white flower heads, which are produced freely, even on young plants. The Stellar series of hybrid flowering dogwoods, exhibit similar flower quality and disease resistance, and will hopefully encourage more to plant these wonderful shrubs and trees.

You may also like

• Simple to grow Hydrangeas
• The best yellow magnolias for gardens of all sizes
• Expert tips for designing a meadow

How to grow cornus

Flowering dogwoods favour neutral to acid, reasonably moist, but well-drained fertile soil, with plenty of organic matter. However, they are more tolerant than generally thought and often succeed in alkaline conditions if mulched well with organic compost. I have grown dogwood successfully on poor sandy soil and in containers using loam-based growing media.

Cornus are at their best with some light shade and shelter from deciduous trees; they thrive in open woodland settings. Many, such as Cornus ‘Porlock’ and Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’, make splendid flowering trees for small gardens. Flowering dogwoods are best planted as young, container-grown plants from October to March.

Young plants are not particularly attractive, giving little idea of the glorious subjects they will become; which puts many off planting them.

The best flowering dogwoods

A wonderful display of blooms in late spring and rich autumn tints make this a fine specimen dogwood tree for a small garden. Prefers deep, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Crocus

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Garden Plants

A vigorous new dogwood cultivar, bred for disease resistance. Domed, greenish-white bracts in early summer and good autumn leaf colour. Upright and narrow in habit on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

This dogwood has large, rounded, creamy-white blooms appear in early spring, and are spectacular after a good summer the previous year. Crimson-pink autumn colour. Upright and narrow in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ from Suttons

Buy Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ from Ornamental Trees

A robust, upright, hybrid dogwood with dark-green foliage and long-lasting autumn colour. Wonderful display of white bracts in an open, sunny position; no fruit. A good small, specimen tree.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus aurora ‘Rutban’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

A recent introduction with exceptionally large, creamy-white bracts. Dark-green foliage and vibrant autumn colour. This dogwood is best in a sheltered situation to avoid damage to flowers.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus ‘Venus’ from Thompson & Morgan

Flowering from an early age, this large, spreading cultivar produces abundant creamy bracts that colour pink as they age, and are followed by luxuriant strawberry-like fruits in autumn. Easy to grow, this dogwood is tolerant of most soils, apart from shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus ‘Porlock’ from Gardeners Dream

Pretty, variegated dogwood shrub with pointed, grey-green leaves margined with white; starry, white blooms in early summer. Best grown in semi-shade on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

A popular and easy to grow dogwood. Thrives on most soils, including heavy clay. Robust and free flowering with the bonus of good autumn colour and crimson fruits that follow creamy flowers.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Crocus

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Ornamental Trees

A bushy dogwood plant; upright, then spreading in character. The creamy-white bracts become blotched with pink as they age and are followed by deep-pink fruits. Outstanding.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘John Slocock’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

Abundant, creamy-white bracts that do not blush pink as they fade. The bracts start small, star-like and green, and stand on short stalks along the branches. This dogwood is upright in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Ornamental Trees

Elegant dogwood plant with a broad, spreading habit. Large, pink bracts, poised along branches in early summer, become more intense in colour as they age. Orange-red autumn foliage.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ from J. Parker’s

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ from Crocus

Elegantly pointed bracts curve inwards at first as the blooms sit butterfly-like along the branches; they blush pink as they age. Rich autumn tints and lychee-like fruits appear on this dogwood in autumn.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Madame Butterfly’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

An improved form of flowering dogwood with abundant blooms on wonderfully sculptural branches in late spring. Lovely autumn foliage. Prefers rich, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’ from Burncoose Nurseries

Rich, gold-margined leaves turn purple-red edged with scarlet in autumn. Large, white blooms resemble wontons as they open at the tips of the shoots. A compact and upright dogwood.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ from eBay

The tiny, creeping dogwood forms mats of short, upright stems and dark-green leaves studded with small, white starry blooms. Clusters of red berries follow in autumn.
Height 10cm. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 2a-7b.

Buy Cornus canadensis from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus canadensis from Crocus

Mature dogwood leaves are mostly gold, splashed green in the centres, turning red, purple and pink in autumn. Large, deep-pink flowers in late spring are striking against the leaves.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Sunset’ from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Sunset’ from Pippin Trees

The variegated dogwood is one of the finest foliage shrubs with floating horizontal branches and delicate green and white leaves. Lacy, white flowers in early summer.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Primrose

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Paramount Plants & Gardens

Dark-red stems in winter remain decorative after the ochre and green leaves have fallen. This dogwood thrives on any soil; excellent in wet conditions. Cut back hard to 20cm every two years.
Height 1.8m. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba ‘Gouchaltii’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba ‘Gouchaltii’ from Van Meuwen

Much less vigorous than other red-barked dogwoods; ideal for smaller gardens. Attractive foliage with the bonus of dark red winter stems. Grows on any soil in sun or shade.
Height 2m. Hardiness rating RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Crocus

Tiny, golden flowers on bare stems in late winter before the white and green leaves unfurl. Scarlet fruits in autumn. This dogwood is growing and upright in habit when young.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus mas ‘Variegata’ from the RHS

Buy Cornus mas ‘Variegata’ from Burncoose Nurseries

An excellent form of the variegated wedding cake dogwood tree with grey-green leaves with narrow white margins. More vigorous than Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ and better in more challenging growing conditions.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Where to see flowering cornus

• The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• Newby Hall, North Yorkshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• The Savill Garden, Berkshire (Many fine, mature dogwood specimens)

Salvias are a wide and varied genus of plants, and a must for summer borders and containers. Their lipped flowers come in a myriad range of colours, including vibrant blues and purples, bright scarlets, pale pink, bright magenta, and even peach and yellow. All salvias have nectar-rich flowers that are loved by bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects and most have attractive aromatic foliage.

You may also like

• Rosemary is reclassified as salvia
• Drought tolerant plants
• 10 of the best gardens to visit for planting inspiration
• A container display using Salvia ‘Royal Bumble’

William Dyson’s nursery at Great Comp in Kent has revolutionised the way we see salvias. Twenty-five years ago, when William took on the job of head gardener and nursery manager at the garden, salvias were either a bright-red bedding plant or a culinary herb. Now, thanks in great part to William, the genus is widely grown and admired.

William took over ownership of Great Comp’s plant nursery in 1995. Around the same time, plant collectors James Compton, John d’Arcy and Martyn Rix had returned from Mexico with a hybrid sage, Salvia x jamensis. “This was a pivotal point,” says William. “I managed to get hold of a few plants and here, where the soil is free draining and we get plenty of sunshine, they were fantastic – masses of colour for months on end. I then went about getting whatever salvias I could get my hands on.”

Seedling salvias began popping up in the garden and William decided to start a controlled breeding programme. In 1997 he launched Salvia ‘Silas Dyson’, a hardy, floriferous shrubby salvia with rich-crimson flowers that blooms from May to November. The plant was instantly popular and was followed by Salvia ‘Dyson’s Crimson’, an open-pollinated seedling taken from ‘Silas Dyson’, which has a darker flower and a compact habit.

Many more introductions of hardy shrubby salvias followed and were met with enthusiasm by gardeners who were seduced by their easy cultivation and extraordinarily long flowering period.

A major turning point for salvias came in 2004 with the distribution of a plant originally found growing in a pot on a Mexican patio. Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ is a flamboyant shrubby form, which is bicoloured during the summer but can have either single red or single white flowers in the cooler months. It has become extremely popular and encouraged gardeners to look at others salvias.

As well as the shrubby forms of salvia, the nursery also produces hardy perennial salvias and more tender forms. William continues to breed them. “I do ask myself if we really need more salvias but we are still getting things that are different. I am still as excited by salvias as I was 25 years ago.”

What is salvia?

Salvia is a huge and varied genus of perennials and small shrubs with origins from around the world. They include hardy herbaceous perennials, with thin flower spikes in late spring and early summer. The tender herbaceous types flower from midsummer to the first frosts, as do the many hardy and half hardy shrubby types.

How to grow salvias

Where to plant salvia

Grow salvias in a sunny spot. They need well drained soil and cope well with poor, dry or stony soils. (An exception is the bog sage, Salvia uliginosa, which needs moist soil.) If you garden on clay, be sure to incorporate plenty of grit when planting, or grow salvias in pots. Hardy salvias may die over winter if the soil is very cold and wet, so take cuttings in late summer so that you can replace any losses.

There is a salvia for almost every style of planting scheme. They look great in a herbaceous border and also look great in a tropical or exotic planting scheme, pairing well with dahlias. Salvias cope well with wind, so are ideal for a coastal garden, and as many are drought tolerant, they are good plants for a dry garden. They also grow very well in pots.

When to plant salvia

Plant out your salvia in early summer. This will give the plant plenty of time to put roots down before winter. If you buy a salvia plant later in the season, consider waiting to plant it out until the following spring, so that the plant does not to succumb to winter wet.

When to prune salvia

Shrubby salvias should be cut back in late spring, when the risk of frosts has passed. Cut any dead stems back to where new growth is appearing. You can deadhead them to prolong flowering in summer, but this is not essential.

Hardy perennial salvias can be cut back to just above ground level immediately flowering, so that they may reflower later in the season. Then cut back again in autumn or early spring.

How to take salvia cuttings

Take a few cuttings in late summer to increase your stock of plants and insure against any losses over winter.

Select some non flowering shoots, around 8cm long and place immediately in a plastic bag to retain moisture

1. Remove the lower leaves
2. Place around the edge of a pot filled with gritty compost
3. Water and cover with a plastic bag or put in a propagator
4. Keep over winter in a frost free place

Salvia problems

Salvias are generally pest and disease free, but in climates with hot and humid summers, they may suffer from fungal diseases. They are prone to snail and slug damage.

16 of the best salvias to grow in the garden

From William Dyson’s Dyson Salvias at Great Comp Garden

Salvia oxyphora

A perennial species from Bolivia with striking velvety flowers that have a sweet scent. It will grow in sun or part shade but keep it out of windy places as the stems are brittle. 1m. RHS H3.

Salvia bullulata ‘Blue Jade’

A pale-blue almost turquoise form of a rare and variable species from Peru. William has likened its colour to the jade vine Strongylodon macrobotrys and suggests growing it in partial shade. 60cm. RHS H2.

Salvia ‘Crazy Dolls’

A compact, shrubby salvia bred in Belgium with a two-tone flower. The bottom lip is pale pink and the upper part of the flower magenta. 60cm. RHS H4.

Salvia ‘Flower Child’

One of the smallest forms of Salvia microphylla. The candy-floss pink flowers appear from July to October. 40cm. RHS H5.

Salvia ‘Jeremy’

Shrubby salvia similar to the popular Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ with flowers that are bicoloured in the height of summer and are either all pink or all white early and late in the season. 90cm. RHS H5.

Salvia discolor

A straggly plant with aromatic silvery foliage, slightly stick-like stems and almost-black flowers. A tender perennial that needs mollycoddling over winter. The crushed foliage smells of blackcurrant. 50cm. RHS H2.

Salvia ‘Amethyst Lips’ (=‘Dyspurp’)

The bicoloured flowers are sometimes completely purple, other times entirely white, creating a striking effect reminiscent of S. ‘Hot Lips’. Raised by amateur
plant breeder David Dyson. 1m. RHS H4.

Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’

A shrubby, suckering plant found at the De Hessenhof nursery in the Netherlands. A floriferous plant, the flowers are a dark maroon-purple with a smoky sheen. 75cm. AGM. RHS H5.

Salvia ‘Amante’

Recently developed in Argentina, the silky purple-red flowers and dark calyces were a breakthrough in Salvia guaranitica hybrids, which are usually a shade of blue. 90cm. RHS H3, USDA 8a-11.

Salvia corrugata ‘Bright Lights’

A fast-growing shrub with aromatic foliage and whorls of violet-blue flowers at the end of the summer. Unlike most salvias, it prefers moist soil. Best grown in a pot and overwintered inside. 90cm. RHS H3.

Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’

A popular hybrid with long spikes of dark-blue flowers and grey-green foliage. Often needs to be staked to prevent flopping over. Flowers all summer but at its best in autumn. 1.2m. RHS H3.

Salvia ‘Amistad’

A spectacular tender perennial with aromatic foliage and masses of royal-purple flowers that have almost-black calyces. It starts flowering at the end of June and will continue up until October. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 8a-11.

Salvia ‘Phyllis’ Fancy’

Its white flowers, the texture of velvet, become suffused with purple as they age and are held in dark-violet calyces. It was discovered in UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden. 2m. RHS H3.

Salvia reptans ‘Texan Blue’

A midsummer-flowering herbaceous perennial that it is distinctly upright unlike the decumbent species. The flowers are a deep blue, as opposed to the pale blue of the species, with long, narrow leaves. 1m. RHS H4.

Salvia ‘Ping Pong’

A new introduction from William that he selected for its densely packed flower spikes and long flowering period. The flowers are deep pink and appear from early June to October. 1m. RHS H5.

Salvia concolor

A massive plant with deep royal-blue flowers on flower spikes that can be 50cm long. 2.5m. RHS H4, USDA 8a-10b.

More great salvias for the garden

Salvia microphylla ‘Cerro Potosi’

This tough salvia can hold its own in the garden, even in quite heavy soil. Come spring it looks a little sad, but with a light prune to tidy it up and encourage new growth, it quietly recovers and goes on to produce a wonderful show through the summer well into autumn. The vivid, magenta flowers are small but numerous and carried on stiff twigs well above the scented foliage.

Height 1.3m. Origin Mexico. Conditions Any rich soil that is not saturated; full sun. Hardiness RHS H4. Season Summer – autumn.

Salvia pratensis ‘Indigo’

The meadow clary is one of two salvia species native to the British Isles, with blue flowers. In recent years, seed companies have offered a range of colour forms from white and pink to blue and purple. Salvia pratensis ‘Indigo’ was raised by Thomas Carlile at Loddon Nurseries in Twyford, Berkshire. It has a rosette of foliage and rather lax flower stems with a form resembling an upside-down pyramid so its top is wider than its base. The violet-blue, flower spikes are large for this species and very attractive to bees. This cultivar is raised by cuttings.

Height 90cm. Origin Europe. Growing conditions Well-drained soil; sun. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 7a-11. Season of interest Summer.

Salvia leucantha ‘Purple Velvet’

Salvia leucantha is a vigorous, tender salvia, rather late-blooming. It makes a mound of long, felted, grey leaves, usually nearly a metre high and wide by September when the flowers begin to emerge. In October it is a fountain of purple. The flowers are actually white, but the calyxes and the whole flowering stem are covered in furry purple velvet, making the long arching flower stem look like scrunched up purple and white chenille, totally surreal. ‘Purple Velvet’ is all purple, less shocking but easier to use in the garden.

Height 1m. Growing conditions Full sun, frost free. Hardiness USDA 8a-10b. Origin Mexico and Central America. Season of interest September – October.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

To achieve a full display of these late-flowering salvia (flowers in November) requires a fine summer and a mild, frost-free autumn. Inky purple flowers present in classic hooded structure, contrasted by generous felted foliage. However, perched aloft stems of nearly 3m tall they are sadly beyond easy appreciation. By planting out on rich, moist ground alongside a pool, and training up bamboo supports to reach a cantilevered balcony, we have found a way of admiring the magnificent blooms face to face.

Height Depending on treatment and conditions, but potentially up to 280cm. Origin South America. Soil Deep, well-nourished soil. Season August – November

Salvia greggii ‘Stormy Pink’

Around 20 years ago nurserywoman Derry Watkins, owner of Special Plants, found an accidental seedling in her nursery. She grew it on, took cuttings and then, assuming it was tender, left it in the garden to die. Surprisingly, it is still there, not fazed in the slightest by hard winters. Derry cuts it hard, back to thick stems like bonsaied tree trunks every spring and it grows to around four feet every summer, blooming from June right through until October. Derry named it ‘Stormy Pink’ because of the grey calyx that appears behind each one of the creamy pink flowers.

Height 1m. Growing conditions Sun and drainage. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 7. Origin Seedling from Special Plants. Season of interest June – October.

Salvia confertiflora

Giant pots of this, threaded informally between specimen Agapanthus praecox  creates an exuberant floral display which lasts into October. It may not be winter hardy, but the rate and quality of growth in a single season merits better recognition for summer display. Stems are covered in a rash of scarlet hairs that define the elegant profile and each carry a succession of coral-red flowers in ascending whorls. Even when flower petals drop, the dark red calyces will command admiring glances. Cuttings taken at the end of summer can be over-wintered for next year.

Height 150cm. Origin Native to South America/Brazil. Soil Free-draining loam, or perfect for pots. Season July to September.

Salvia ‘Phyllis’ Fancy’

Although many salvias come into flower earlier than ‘Phyllis’ Fancy’, none have a nicer colour in late autumn. The colour seems to deepen as temperatures fall. The lavender-blue flowers, which have a whitish lip, are set off by inky-blue brachts. If you plant your overwintered pot in the open ground in spring, you will have a gorgeous clump come autumn laden with flowers. This can mean that it’s difficult to find a shoot without flowers for taking autumn cuttings, but with some luck the original plant will survive if the winter is not too cold.

Height 1.2m. Origin Mexico. Growing conditions Best grown in a pot in a warm, sunny spot. Over winter indoors. Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 9b-11. Season of interest Autumn.

Salvia greggii ‘Icing Sugar’

All the Salvia gregii cultivars flower over a long period. Although there is never a mass of flowers they continue throughout summer. Dozens of new forms are being introduced at the moment. I like this one for the complementary colours of its dark pink and pale pink flowers. Lots of claims are made about the hardiness of this plant but given they have not survived the past two winters, take cuttings at the end of the summer, or treat them as an annual and buy new plants each year.

Height 50cm. Origin Garden hybrid. Conditions Sun or part shade in well-drained soil. Season Flowers from June until the end of September.

Further reading on Salvia

The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Salvias by John Sutton (David & Charles, 1999). Definitive guide but now out of print. Try second-hand book shops for a copy.

Where to buy

Dyson’s Nursery
The most extensive stock of ready-to-buy salvia plants in the country.
Great Comp Garden, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 8QS.
Tel 07887 997663, dysonsalvias.com

Ashwood Nurseries
Ashwood Lower Lane, Ashwood, West Midlands DY6 0AE.
Tel 01384 401996, ashwoodnurseries.com

John and Lynsey’s Plants
An outstanding garden and the UK’s widest selection of salvias, usually available to order through propagation. Open by appointment – and for the National Gardens Scheme.
2 Hillside Cottage, Trampers Lane, North Boarhunt, Hampshire PO17 6DA.
Tel 01329 832786, no website

Other good sources for salvia

The Beth Chatto Gardens
Elmstead Market, Colchester, Essex CO7 7DB
Tel 01206 822007, bethchatto.co.uk

Cotswold Garden Flowers
Browns’ Nurseries, Gibbs Lane, Offenham, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 8RR
Tel 01386 833849, cgf.net

Dove Cottage
Shibden Hall Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 9XA
Tel 01422 203553, dovecottagenursery.co.uk

Larch Cottage Nurseries
Melkinthorpe, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 2DR
Tel 01931 712404, larchcottage.co.uk

High noon, the cool of the morning or the shade of the evening; there are many theories about the best time of day to water your plants. And in a heatwave it’ll pay to get it right.

According to Stuart Thompson, senior lecturer in plant biochemistry at the University of Westminster, plants go through their own weight in water on a sunny day. He explains that plants that are not in pots will benefit most from being watered morning or evening, when droplets have time to soak down into the soil.

Related articles

• Top tips for a small garden
• Tips for planting in a dry climate
• Ideas for pools and ponds in the garden
• The best garden hose pipes
• The best garden hoses and reels

The common belief that water drops act like magnifying glasses and scorch leaves if they are wet is incorrect, according to Thompson, with the exception of leaves with hairs which could hold drops far enough away from the leaf for sun rays to be focused on the leaf surface.  General advice is to avoid watering in full sun, however, because water will evaporate before it can properly wet the soil.

Potted plants will use up water very quickly, so moving them into shade would be advisable, or watering several times a day may be necessary.

Top tips for watering in hot weather

• Water plants a lot on a sunny day
• Water plants in the soil in the garden in the morning or evening
• Avoid watering in full sun
• Put potted plants in shade, or water several times a day
• Cold water from the tap is fine for plants
• Pay most attention to shade plants and those from cooler or damper areas which will be less adapted to the weather we are experiencing

Thompson added: “Plants have systems to reduce their water loss, which are very effective in species from arid environments where light is intense, such as succulents and yuccas, and so these will need less care.”

For more tips on dry gardening, head to our piece on dry garden combinations and our list of drought tolerant plants. 

Sixty years ago Margery Fish’s book We Made a Garden was first published and it became an instant success with amateur gardeners. In it, she recounted how over the previous 20 years, she and her husband had developed their Somerset garden. She introduced her readers to plants such as astrantias, euphorbias and geraniums, which at the time were only known to small groups of plant enthusiasts. Fish was very forthright (and occasionally imperious) in expressing her opinions and her championing of hardy geraniums was unequivocal. She would later, famously, advise: ‘When in doubt, plant a geranium.’

A lot of us must have taken her advice because today hardy geraniums (cranesbills) are one of the most popular herbaceous perennials. At the centennial RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2013, visitors voted Geranium Rozanne (= ‘Gerwat’) as Plant of the Centenary.

The fondness that gardeners have for hardy geraniums is not, of course, entirely due to the bossy Mrs Fish. Hardy geraniums are easy to grow and generally adaptable, with species that are at home in the cool comfort of woodlands while others thrive in the baking harshness of screes. In addition, the loose and relaxed character of geraniums fits well with the informal planting styles that have dominated gardens for the past 60 years.

The popularity of geraniums and the commercial success of Geranium Rozanne (= ‘Gerwat’) has spurred on nurseries and plant breeders to introduce many new cultivars and hybrids. Some are launched with the razzmatazz of a sophisticated marketing campaign while others appear quietly in the catalogues of specialist nurseries. Sorting out the wheat from the chaff only happens after we have grown a plant for a few years.

Already some recent introductions are beginning to show that hardy geraniums are worth a space in our gardens. The loose and relaxed character of geraniums fits well with the informal planting styles that have dominated gardens for the past 60 years. Many new introductions are certainly exciting plants: Margery Fish would not be disappointed.

Here are 21 of the best new cranesbill hardy geranium cultivars.

21 of the best hardy geraniums

Producing a mass of flowers throughout the summer, from June to October, Geranium Rozanne (=’Gerwat’) was found in Rozanne Waterer’s Somerset garden in 1989. Once established, it forms a wide, neat clump. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (=’Gerwat’) was named the Royal Horticultural Society’s Plant of The Centenary at the 100th RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2013, voted for by members of the public. It produces small, violet blooms that have red streaks and white centres and has bright green foliage. It is an ideal ground cover plant and looks good at the front of a border in all types of gardens, including cottage gardens and traditional herbaceous borders.
50cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

Geranium ‘Orion’ appeared in Holland in the late 1990s as a seedling from the popular Geranium ‘Brookside’. The luminous lavender-blue flowers (said to be named after the most luminous constellation in the sky) are 5cm wide, with darker violet veins, and cover the plant in June and then again in August. It is a large hardy geranium that looks good in the middle of a border and can be used as a ground cover plant. Geranium ‘Orion’ holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit.
80cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-9b.

A compact dome with large (2.5cm diameter) flowers mainly in May and June and sporadically thereafter. Will grow in sun or part shade but needs good drainage, especially in winter. 15cm. USDA 4a-9b.

• Buy Geranium cinereum ‘Sophie’ through the RHS

Deep-pink flowers with magenta veins on this selection made by Dutch nurseryman Hans Kramer. This hardy geranium flowers from mid-June through to September. 40cm (60cm spread). USDA 5a-8b.

• Buy Geranium wallichianum ‘Rosetta’ through the RHS

Plantsman Michael Steggles spotted this hardy geranium growing in a batch of Geranium Rozanne. It has delicate, pale-lilac flowers from June to September and looks good at dusk, when the flowers seem to glow. 40cm.

• Buy Geranium ‘Lilac Ice’ from Crocus

Probably the largest flowers of a Geranium. cinereum cultivar over evergreen foliage. Flowers profusely in July and again in September. The hardy geranium was introduced by the Devon nursery Border Alpines. 15cm. USDA 4a-9b.

• Buy Geranium cinereum ‘Alice’ through the RHS

This is much more compact than most Geranium. wallichianum cultivars. It flowers from the end of June through to September and its hardy bright-blue flowers have distinct magenta veins on the petals. 35cm. USDA 5a-9b.

• Buy Geranium wallichianum Havana Blues from Crocus

Lucent, lilac-pink flowers in June and July and then again towards the end of August as the temperature drops. This hardy geranium will grow in part shade as well as full sun. 50cm. AGM. USDA 5a-8b.

• Buy Geranium wallichianum ‘Sirak’ through the RHS

A cultivar raised in Germany in the 1990s. It forms a neat dome of evergreen foliage that has a silvery-grey sheen. The bright magenta flowers on this hardy geranium also have a silvery tinge. 15cm. USDA 4a-9b.

• Find Geranium cinereum ‘Signal’ through the RHS

‘Ivan’ is a big, muscular plant that grows tall and has startlingly bright magenta flowers. This hardy geranium’s main flowering is during June and July with a few flowers later in the year if the whole plant is cut back. 1m. RHS H7.

• Buy Geranium ‘Ivan’ through the RHS

Large, 4cm-wide, magenta flowers with a black centre and veining are produced in great abundance from June to September. 50cm (80cm spread). RHS H7, USDA 5a-8b.

• Buy Geranium Dragon Heart (=‘Bremdra’) from Crocus

A vigorous, sprawling hardy geranium with vivid pink flowers that have slightly ruffled petals. The main flowering is in May and June with a second wave in late summer. 45cm (60cm spread). USDA 5a-9b

• Buy Geranium ‘Tiny Monster’ from You Garden

Hardy geranium ‘Tanya Rendall’ makes an attractive ground cover of olive-green leaves covered with an abundance of dark-pink flowers in June and July. 15cm (50cm spread). USDA 6a-9b.

• Buy Geranium ‘Tanya Rendall’ through the RHS

Another new Geranium. cinereum cultivar that starts blooming in June and continues on and off through the summer. Flowers best when given some shade from the midday sun. 15cm (25cm spread). USDA 4a-9b.

• Find Geranium cinereum ‘Carol’ through the RHS

The flowers, with rosy-purple petals that are delicately edged in white, are held on wiry stems above the plant’s glossy foliage. Needs shady, woodland conditions. 25cm (35cm spread).

• Buy Geranium nodosum ‘Clos de Coudray’ through the RHS

An eye-catching hardy geranium cultivar with vivid pink flowers that are up to 3.5cm wide and first appear in early summer and then sporadically until the end of autumn. Needs well-drained soil. 40cm. USDA 4a-8b.

• Find Geranium wallichianum ‘Sylvia’s Surprise’ through the RHS

Of the recent Geranium. cinereum cultivars, this is the one with flowers closest to red. This hardy geranium foliage is evergreen and leaves have a silvery sheen. Flowers in May and is sporadic until September. 15cm. USDA 4a-9b.

• Buy Geranium cinereum ‘Melody’ through the RHS

Similar to ‘Philippe Vapelle’, which like this is bred from Geranium. renardii. Its grey-green, velvety leaves form an attractive dome, and the purple flowers have beautiful blue veins that are outlined in red. 50cm. USDA 5a-9b.

Find Geranium ”Terre Franche’ through the RHS

A new introduction that the breeders claim is the result of a quest to produce a plant to rival Geranium Rozanne (=’Gerwat’). The size and habit are similar to its competitor; flowers are lavender-blue. 50cm. USDA 5a-8b.

• Find Geranium ‘Sweet Heidy’ through the RHS

The new foliage on this hardy geranium emerges an unexpected pink-flushed gold and matures to an olive-green before becoming flaming red and bronze in the autumn. The pale lilac flowers appear from June to August. 30cm.

• Find Geranium Fay Anna through the RHS

The blue background of the petals merges with purple veining and a pink hue at the base of the petals to create an unusual effect – not quite a rainbow but attractive nonetheless. 38cm. USDA 4a-8b.

Where to buy hardy geraniums

• Ashwood Nurseries
Ashwood Lower Lane, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 0AE.
Tel 01384 401996, ashwoodnurseries.com
• The Beth Chatto Gardens
Elmstead Market, Colchester, Essex CO7 7DB.
Tel 01206 822007, bethchatto.co.uk
• Cranesbill Nursery
1 Waverley Road, Mossley Estate, Bloxwich, Walsall WS3 2SW.
Tel 01684 770733, cranesbillnursery.com
• Fairweather’s Garden Centre
High Street, Beaulieu,
Hampshire SO42 7YB.
Tel 01590 612307, fairweathers.co.uk
• The Plantsman’s Preference
Church Road, South Lopham, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2LW.
Tel 07799 855559, plantpref.co.uk

Wondering exactly what a verbena is and how to care for it? Here’s our guide on everything you need to know about the perennial verbena and its care.

What is verbena?

Is verbena a perennial?

Verbena is a group of half-hardy to hardy herbaceous perennials, sometimes short-lived but very floriferous over several months. Commonly known as vervain or simpler’s joy. Some species formerly called verbenas now form part of the closely related genus Glandularia, which consists mainly of trailing plants with globular inflorescences.

Verbenas originated in South and North America and Europe and their flowering season is from May to October. Verbenas grow from 20cm to 2m and require sharply drained soils in full sun.

Hardiness of a verbena varies depending on species with RHS hardiness ratings of between H3 and H7 (hardy to temperatures from -5ºC to -20ºC), and suitable for gardens in USDA zones 3a to 11, again depending on species.

See below for how to cultivate verbena, where to see and buy it and a selection of the best verbena to grow in your garden.

You may also like

• 6 fuchsias for summer and autumn
• Siberian irises: how to grow
• Chantal Rich: from horses to horticulture

Cultivating verbena and when to cut down

The South American species and cultivars thrive best in moisture-retentive, free-draining soils in full sun. They work well in gravel gardens and will seed with abandon on a pea-shingle drive or path. Young seedlings are easy to weed out to allow remaining plants to have the space to grow well without too much competition.

Verbena rigida and its cultivars die down at the end of the growing season and reappear in spring through spreading underground rhizomes. Colonies can be kept in check easily by lifting these shallow-rooted subterranean stems, which can be used to propagate plants or composted.

Verbena bonariensis is best cut down by two thirds at the end of the season to prevent wind rock and in the spring cut down further to a pair of strong shoots near the base of the plant. This will ensure good sturdy growth and the removal of apical tips around mid-May will encourage further branching, slightly shorter growth and more flowers through the season.

Alternatively, use one of the shorter cultivars, such as Verbena ‘Lollipop’ or Verbena ‘Little One’, which are 75cm and 60cm in height respectively, although to my mind they lose some of the grace and elegance of the species.

The hardier North American species will tolerate a much wider range of conditions and are perfectly happy in most borders as long as they are not waterlogged in winter. In spring they are best cut down to strong basal shoots but the silhouettes can look effective throughout the winter, rimmed with hoar frost or decorated with spider’s webs in the autumn. The seedheads provide shelter and food for many insects and seed for birds.

This genus has few problems, the only one that I have occasionally seen is powdery mildew in very dry seasons. If observed in its infancy, a seaweed feed will usually cure it. All verbenas propagate easily from cuttings and most of them from seed with the exception of the hybrid Verbena macdougalii ‘Lavender Spires’, which is sterile.

The best verbena plants

Verbena bonariensis

Tall and structural, it is the archetypal see-through plant to frame other subjects behind it. Hummingbirds, hawk moths and brimstone butterflies are particularly attracted to the massed, lilac-purple flowerheads. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 7a-11.

Verbena macdougalii ‘Lavender Spires’

A serendipitous discovery in a seed tray of Verbena macdougalii. A reliably perennial, sterile hybrid, producing no seed but full of nectar for pollinating insects, creating a strong vertical accent. 2m. RHS H5.

Buy Verbena macdougalii ‘Lavender Spires’ from Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens

Verbena officinalis var. grandiflora ‘Bampton’

Purple suffused stems and leaves are a great foil for the tiny, jewel-like, vivid pink flowers produced in abundance on multi-branched flower stems. Seeds freely in well-drained soil in sun. 1.2m. RHS H6.

Glandularia corymbosa

Known until recently as Verbena corymbosa, this vervain offers myriad, star-like, lilac flowers over toothed foliage that takes on a silvery-green appearance in the sunlight. 90cm.

Buy Glandularia corymbosa from eBay

Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’

A small bonariensis cultivar, which together with Verbena bonariensis ‘Little One’ is a recent introduction. Good for smaller gardens and containers. 75cm. USDA 7a-11.

Verbena hastata

Blue vervain is a rigidly erect and multi-branched plant, with tight little spikes of bluish-violet flowers in later summer, retaining a strongly architectural skeleton into the winter. 1.5-2m. rhs H5, USDA 3a-8b.

Verbena hastata f. rosea

This rose-pink flowered variation seeds true to colour with some plants also exhibiting an attractive purple suffusion to foliage and stem, enhancing the contrast between leaves and flowers. 2m. rhs H5, USDA 3a-8b.

Verbena hastata f. albiflora

A pristine, white-flowered form that has clearer, bright-green foliage than the coloured cultivars. It is shorter in height than the straight species and is not so much of a prodigious self-seeder. 1.2m.

Verbena officinalis

The only vervain that is native to the UK. It is usually found in rough, or disturbed, often chalky soil. A good subject for wildflower meadows and rewilding projects with tiny, pale-lilac flowers. 75cm.

Verbena rigida

Occasionally this is labelled Verbena venosa, and is an excellent verbena for gravel gardens as it offers a spreading habit and multitudes of flowers throughout the summer. 20-40cm. AGM. RHS H3.

Verbena rigida f. lilacina ‘Polaris’

Beautiful, pale-pink flowerheads are produced for weeks. Lightly scented blooms are a magnet for pollinating insects. Good companion for small sea hollies, such as Eryngium bourgatii. 40cm.

Dense white hairs on its stems and foliage give this species its more common name of hoary vervain. Its silvered appearance make it a charming foil to the spikes of lavender-pink flowers. Will happily self-seed. 1.2m. USDA 4a-7b.

Verbena rigida ‘Santos’

This seed strain was introduced a few years ago and is a more intense rosy-purple colour form than the species with numerous dense flowerheads that flowers for many months on end. A striking addition to the group. 60cm.

What to plant with verbena

Verbenas are easy to combine with other herbaceous perennials. Taller species and cultivars provide good vertical accents, which persist as interesting skeletal remains through autumn and winter. They intermingle well in naturalistic plantings and self-seeders often place themselves in desirable positions unifying an herbaceous border.

More diminutive spreading species, such as Verbena rigida, interweave among smaller annuals and perennials producing a colourful matrix attractive to humans and insects alike. The colour range in this genus from white, through lilac, pink and purple is optimal for pollinating insects, which perceive ultraviolet, blue and green but do not see red.

Where to see and buy verbena

• The Beth Chatto Gardens, Elmstead Market, Colchester, Essex CO7 7DB
• Binny Plants, Binny Estate, Ecclesmachan Road, Uphall, West Lothian EH52 6NL
• Crocus
• Dove Cottage Nursery and Garden, Shibden Hall Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 9XA
• Phoenix Perennial Plants, Open by appointment only
• Sarah Raven, 1 Woodstock Court, Blenheim Road, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4AN