Marchants Hardy Plants 2010

MarchantsHardy PlantsNursery open Wednesday – Saturday9.30am-5.30pm17 March – 23 October 2010Marchants Hardy Plants, 2 Marchants Cottages,Mill Lane, Laughton, E. Sussex BN8 6AJwww.marchantshardyplants.co.uk2010

Propagation Day: Hands OnMonday 30th August 2010Why not join us on our ever popular propagation course on which dozens of keen gardenershave joined us over the years. Participants get the opportunity to hone and expand theirpropagation skills in one of the most exciting topics of gardening under the expert tutelageof Marchants owner Graham Gough. Very much a hands on day, Graham with his wideknowledge of plants will aim to de-mystify several propagation techniques such as seedcollection and sowing, cuttings, root cuttings, division, etc. The course covers propagationof Herbaceous Perennials, Grasses, Shrubs and Bulbs.Plant material and tools are provided, but please bring your own sharp secateurs.Limited to 8 people. Tickets are priced at £100.00 (see payment details below) andconsists of morning and afternoon sessions. 10.00 am – 12.30 pm and 2.00 – 4.00 pmAn ‘al fresco’ lunch is also included, with our delicious, fresh home grown vegetables.Tickets are available at the Nursery or by post to:Marchants Hardy Plants, 2 Marchants Cottages, Mill Lane, Laughton,East Sussex, BN8 6AJCheques should be made payable to ‘Marchants Hardy Plants’.HallandLondonHORTUSBy gardeners, for gardeners‘Offering the finest garden writing in the English language’(Daily Telegraph’s ‘Green Fingers’ Gardeners Sourcebook)A richly rewarding quarterly devoted toplantsmanship and plantsgardeners and gardensSubscribe online atwww.hortus.co.uk(where you’ll also find detailed information)or telephone 01544 260001 for a prospectusNB 2192B 2192Park LaneA 22Spring Plant Fair at SoutheaseRingmerLewes 7mB 2124LaughtonRoebuckPub½ mMarchantsCottagesCar ParkMarchants Hardy PlantsMillLaneTo RipeB 2124300 yds1½ mEastbourne11mGoldenCrossThe Plant fair at Southease, now in its eighth year, takes place on the village greenagainst the remarkable backdrop of the Southdowns and charming Saxon Church. Ithas gained quite a reputation over the years, not only for the quality, choice and rangeof plants sold, but for the quality of the weather too. Give yourself a treat and join us.Bring your brolly though – just in case!Monday 3rd May 2010 12.30 – 4.30 pmMarchants Hardy Plants,Usual and Unusual Plants,Southease PlantsHow to find usThe nursery is situated 300m South of the B2124, a half-mile East of Laughton village inMill Lane (formerly Ripe Road. See map on outside back cover). The Nursery car park issituated 60m past our cottage on the right hand side of the road.www.marchantshardyplants.co.ukTeas and refreshments/Parking and entrance to Plant Fair free.Southease village is situated on the C7 road mid-way between Newhaven and LewesFor further information please contact Adrian Orchard (Southease Plants) on 01273 513681

2010A new family member?The greatest surprises often come in the smallest of packages and for us last year itcame in the form of Lathyrus nissolia, better known as the Grass Vetch of which,a single plant arrived on the fringe of our meadow, heaven knows where from. Butfor its tiny strident crimson pea flowers, this would have gone largely unnoticed.Once spotted however, this charming little plant received many visits to be marvelled at atclose quarters and on our final visits before the cutting of our meadow, to collect the dark podspregnant with seeds. We hope in some measure this serendipitous occurrence speaks for thegentle husbandry and harmonious way we nurture our site and our plants here at Marchants.Fertilisers and pesticides are kept to a minimum and in line with current thinking we have alsotaken measures to decrease the amount of peat we use in our potting compost by upping thepercentage of bark – a commonsense approach which has also thankfully benefited the plants.On that positive note we can only hope that our, albeit modest, Lathyrus nissolia takes a shineto its new, somewhat exotic new location and that it settles in comfortably.Plants new to one’s experience and vocabulary are the mainstay and inspiration behinda Nurseryman’s life stimulating him as much as his customers. As a breeder and selectorof new plants I’ve been fortunate enough to have introduced a fair number myself. Butmore importantly, I am constantly overwhelmed by the free masonry which exists amongprofessional growers, gardeners and customers and as a consequence, the generous gifts Ireceive from them. Once trialled, we aim to offer the best of these. If you are sharp eyed youwill discover quite a number of them in this catalogue. What’s more, there are many more inthe pipeline.Finally, a reminder to you all that our show ‘Clay, Ink, Silk, Salix, Tin and Gold’ will bemaking its fourth biennial appearance (see box on page 34 and our website www.marchantsplants.co.ukfor details). Having virtually taken on a life of its own, the great success ofthis show is due in part to your tremendous support but principally to the dedicated artistswho participate and to the remarkable quality and life enriching work they make. Theircreative humanity makes for a positive counter balance to the increasingly material age inwhich we find ourselves living, something we gardeners can truly identify with as we in turndeterminably immerse ourselves in our own unique, colourful paradises.The NurseryMarchants Hardy Plants is one of the country’s leading small nurseries. The range of handsomeherbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses we grow is as choice and eclectic as you willfind anywhere and suited to both contemporary and traditional gardens alike.We pride ourselves on the fact that virtually all plants offered for sale are propagated at theNursery and most can be seen growing in the garden too. We also grow many plants in numbersto small to warrant an appearance in this list. We hope therefore a visit to Marchants willalways prove stimulating.Our plants are grown in various pot sizes to suit the plant. Through the season plants aresometimes potted on. We therefore reserve the right to change prices accordingly.Opening hoursWednesday 17th March until Saturday 23rd October.Wednesday to Saturday inclusive 9.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.We like to enjoy lunch between 1.00 and 2.00pm. Other times strictly by appointment only.We require 3 days notice for the collection of orders.The Nursery does not provide a mail order service.

1The GardenAlthough not large, the well designed and diversely planted garden at Marchants has gainedrecognition by appearing in virtually all major periodicals and papers over the past six years andon television in the BBC’s ‘Flying Gardener’ series.Both nursery and garden are set in a beautiful location with commanding views of the SouthDowns. Views however are always accompanied by wind, and on our open site this is the oneelement we doggedly battle with. However, we are constantly surprised by our plants’ tolerance tosuch conditions. With our heavy clay soil providing a further challenge, we can confidently say,what grows for us will assuredly grow for you.Our main garden and spring garden with their gently curving pathways and borders have beencreated in response to the surrounding landscape. By combining the colour, form and textureof plants in a sensitive design we have aimed to create a garden that is both homogenous inits effect and satisfying to the eye. Seasonal interest starts in late winter with the flowering ofour Snowdrop collection closely followed by hellebores, lungworts, etc. in our Spring Garden.The fullness of early summer is eclipsed in the autumn with the flowering culmination of manyGrasses and late perennials in a diverse and rich tapestry.We hope therefore, by sharing it with us, seeing new plants and new juxtapositions, you willfind it an enriching, informative and stimulating experience. That is all we ask.Opening times and Garden Entrance FeesGarden opening times are the same as Nursery opening times. ie. Wed – Sat 9.30am to 5.30pm,Wednesday May 5th – Saturday 23rd October.Please note: Nursery opening date (Wed. 17th March) is not the same as Garden opening date.Other times, strictly by appointment.1) Individual £3.00Children under 16 free of charge.Visit to the garden is optional. The Nursery remains open to all visitors free of charge.Organised Garden visitsVisits from Societies, Gardening Clubs, Private Parties, etc guided or otherwise are warmlywelcomed and we have space for parking a large coach, cars, etc. A visit to Marchants can also becombined with one of several fine privately owned gardens in the locality making for a rewardingday out. See www.marchantsplants.co.uk for details.AcknowledgementsGraham Gough (Proprietor)Marchants Hardy Plants, 2 Marchants Cottages,Mill Lane, Laughton, East Sussex BN8 6AJTel/Fax: 01323 811737www.marchantshardyplants.co.ukI am very fortunate indeed to have the help of a loyal and skilled team, Daniel, Philipand Whitney. It is to them and to my wife Lucy that I offer my deepest thanks for their hardwork and unwavering support.IMPORTANT – PLEASE READAs virtually all of our plants are home grown it is not possible to have all of themready at any one time. This is particularly true at the beginning of the season.To avoid disappointment, please note that plants marked with an asterisk (i.e.*)may not become available until Mid-May, or even later in some cases. If you aremaking a long journey, do please phone in advance to check availability.ACANTHUS dioscoridis. In early summer over spineless, grey-green leaves, flower stemsrise to little more than 30cm, bearing beautiful clear pink flowers. To our eyes, the gem of thegenus, revelling in a baked, hot spot. £4.80A. mollis ‘Rue Ledan’. An extremely beautiful white flowered form, apparently the result ofa dog’s regularly cocked leg on the type plant! My own experiments in the garden with thistechnique have proved fruitless so far. Full sun. 2m. £5.00ACHILLEA. After several years of trying hard to please these plants, ironically, their ‘AchillesHeel’ has proved to be a complete abhorrence of our wet clay soil and wet winters alike. Yarrowsare undoubtedly plants of free draining limestone soils including chalk on which they can excel.@£4.20A. ‘Credo’. Lemon yellow ‘Plates’, brilliant for the middle tier of the border. 120cm.A. grandifolia. Whilst this species may not rock the boat its white flowers and pleasing cutgreen foliage possess great charm. Unlike most other Yarrows this one has a will to live. 1m.A. ‘Lachsschonheit’. Best described as salmon pink, fading to weathered pale pink. 70cmA. ‘Mondpagode’. Cream-yellow flowers make an imperceptible transition to a mute greyishwhite, a colour held for many weeks in summer. 90cm.A. ‘Red Velvet’. A seductive crimson-red, the best we have seen in this colour range. 60cmA. ‘Walther Funcke’. Dusky red flowers with a mustard eye giving a ‘Tribal Rug’ effect. Oneof the finest new Achilleas. 75cm.ACONITUM. The stately Monkshoods for the little input they demand offer in return richrewards. The following reveal the colour variation and length of season we now find amongthem. @£4.20Aconitum ‘Bressingham Spire’. A fine old, violet-blue clone flowering through July-Augustand to use Alan Bloom’s words (the raiser) ‘– strong enough to resist a tornado.’ 90cm.Aconitum x cammarum ‘Grandiflorum Album’. The best white form valued not only for itslively fresh green spring foliage but for its flowering season too, at its best in mid July. 1m.A. carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’. A meritorious old hybrid (1945) from Germany, still holding itsown in the late summer border with its bold upright spikes of blue, helmet-like flowers. 1.8mA. c. ‘Kelmscott’. Fine spikes of rich blue flowers to enrich the September border. 2m.A. c. var. wilsonii. The last to flower with handsome spikes of rich, violet-blue hooded flowers.Marvellous in association with tawny coloured Heleniums. Flowers of this colour and qualityare worth their weight in gold. 2m.A. ‘Spätlese’. An uncommon form with large, pale violet flowers from pale green buds.September. 150cm.AGAPANTHUS. No plants match the African Lily in the floral pageant. Flowering from midsummer,their flower heads come mainly in the blue and violet-purple spectrum, not forgettingwhite, with heights varying between 30cm and 150cm. It is old hat to think of them as plants forpots only. They respond best when given hearty soil in full sun where they should reward

2one with flowers for many years. Do consider however when planting their dislike for beingovershadowed by aggressive neighbours. The following are hardy, trouble free, and tough as oldboots and are propagated the old fashioned way, that is from seed and by division.Agapanthus ‘Best Barn Blue’. Quite small heads of pendulous, tubular, dark inky blue flowersgive this plant a great presence. August/September flowering. First time offered. 90cm.£10.00A. ‘Blue Moon’. Raised by Eric Smith, this legendary plant possesses a fine constitution andboasts flattened heads of pale, icy-blue flowers on strong 90cm stems in late summer. A fewto spare. £7.50A. ‘Bressingham Blue’. An old timer of A. inapertus persuasion. Small heads of intense, deepblue flowers. 70cm. £6.50A. campanulatus ssp. patens. Fist sized heads of large flared mid blue flowers. A wellbehaved, neat plant, very hardy and also extremely east to please. 70cm. £5.25A. caulescens. Open pollinated strapping 2 Year old seedlings to flower this year of this rareand beautiful plant. Likely to show variation. 75cm+. £5.50A.‘Findlays Blue’. Slender arching 90cm stems support handsome rich blue, campanulateflowers. A plant I first came across at Powis Castle, it has settled very well in our Sussexclay. £5.50A. inapertus. Clustered in small heads the mid-blue flowers heads of this species arependulous, hanging like lapis gem-stones. Divisions of the true plant. 90cm. £6.50A. inapertus albus. Divisions of the very rare white form. £12.50A. ‘Jodie’. Tall and late (September), this fine hybrid from doyen of Agapanthus, Dick Fulcherhas flattish heads of rich mid-blue flowers. £8.50A. ex Keith Wiley. In effect a paler version of A.‘Lilliput’ with nicely flared flowers. £5.00A. ‘Kew White’. A tough, dependable plant acquired from Great Dixter who received it fromKew. Handsome broad leaves and pristine white flowers with dark anthers. 75cm. £6.00A. ‘Lady Moore’. Forming tight clumps this is reckoned to be one of the best short whiteforms. Small head’s of flowers. 45cm. £6.00A. ‘Lilliput’. Brilliant blue flared flowers. At 40cm it is ideal for the border front or pots alike.40cm. £5.00A. ‘Marchants Best Blue Seedlings’. Large, strong 3 year flowering sized plants raised fromour very best hybrids. Should knock the ubiquitous ‘Headbourne Hybrids’ into a cocked hat.From £6.50A. ‘Marchants Cobalt Cracker’. The sheer brilliance of the blue of this new introduction stopsmost people in their tracks. Need we say more. 70cm. £12.50A. ‘Midnight Blue’. An old and legendary variety from the Slieve Donard Nursery, bearingheads of intense, deep blue narrow tubed flowers in July/August. 40cm. £6.25A. ‘Podge Mill’. Of Irish lineage this free flowering form with its dark anthered white flowersis a little taller than A. ‘Lady Moore’ and fills a useful niche. 60cm. £5.80A. ‘Verwolde’. Resembles A. ‘Lilliput’. in flower size, height and scale but a paler blue.Uncommon. 35cm. £5.00*AGASTACHE rugosa. A Korean herb with sweet aromatic foliage and numerous slenderspikes of violet-blue flowers. In its quiet way, it always impresses us. 45cm. £4.20*A. rugosa hybrid. Seedlings of a particularly strong plant rogued out of a batch of the above,but in all other respects very similar. 90cm. £4.20ALCHEMILLA erythropoda. All the attributes of ‘Lady’s Mantle’ but on a Lilliputian scalemaking it perfect for smaller scale plantings. 5cm. Full sun. £4.00ALLIUM beesianum. My own collection from the Zheduo pass, Sichuan, China. China blue(coincidentally!) nodding flowers on 30cm stems. £4.00Allium insubricum. Little encountered, a delightful small onion with large, dusky rose pinknodding flowers in summer. 15cm. £4.00A. schoenoprasum. ‘Black Isle Blush’. A strong growing selection with ghostly white flowersflushed pale lilac-mauve. AGM in 1995. 35cm. £4.00A. s. ‘New Selection’ A seedling of the following discovered here with similar pink flowers anda Thatcher like vigour. Not for everyone perhaps! 40cm. £4.00*A. s. ‘Pink Perfection’. A fine pink form, good for border and cooking alike. Received anAGM in 1995 from the RHS who must know their onions. 35cm. £4.00A. senescens subsp. montanum. Humble maybe, but extremely valuable for its neat foliageand late heads of lavender-mauve flowers in September. 20cm. £4.00A. sikkimense. A beautiful blue chive from a wild Chinese collection which has been muchadmired here. 35cm. £4.00A. ‘Valerie Finnis’. Another charming small onion with dense clusters of cup shaped biscuitcoloured flowers. For rockery, sink or raised bed in full sun. 15cm. £4.00ALTHAEA cannabina. From a tight rootstock, twiggy stems grow to 1.8m + or more supportingthrough summer 2cm wide palest pink hollyhock like flowers backed by green calyces.Charming and quite easy given good drainage. £4.50AMSONIA hubrichtii hybrid. A strong growing plant with narrow leaves and starry, china blueflowers in summer. In autumn the coloured foliage makes a serious contribution. 70cm. £4.35*A. illustris. Amsonia are in the family of Apoycynaceae (as if you didn’t know). This onehas broad, willow shaped leaves which also colour well and typical starry flowers in paleturquoise blue. A martyr to drought years as are they all. 90cm. £4.35A. tabernaemontana var. salicifolia. Dark stems support broader leaves than the above but thetypical small flowers are pale blue with a hint of turquoise. 60cm. £4.35ANEMONE pavonina. The Peacock anemone is named after the exotic bird, Pavo major. TheirIridescent colours – shocking, wicked pinks, mauves, magentas, etc. in Feb/March are as garishas they get. Lots of sun and good drainage. 30cm. £4.00The following are all superb plants for the late summer/autumn and once settled require littleattention. @£4.35A. hupehensis. Asymmetrical single flowers, deep carmine pink. The richest toned of all ourautumn anemones and a beautiful foil for late aconitums 1m+*A. hupehensis ‘China Pink’. A lovely soft rose pink form singled out from a flowering batchof seed raised plants.’*A x hybrida ‘Geante des Blanches’. Large semi-double white flowers, the narrow ray petalsforming a rather flat flower. Robust. 1.2m.*A. x h. ‘Hatakeyama Double’. An extraordinary Japanese selection, soaring to anembarrassingly modest 30cm high. The normal sized flowers are semi-double and a goodstrong pink.A. x h. ‘Honorine Jobert’. Pristine and pure – the best white. 120cm.A. x h. ‘Pamina’. Rich carmine-pink flowers, semi-double, making a worthy contrast to thesingle pinks above. 60cm.ANEMONELLA. Charming North American woodlanders with thalictrum-like foliage anddelicate anemone-like flowers to match the innocence of spring. They require humus rich, opensoil in partial shade and some care and attention. The following are divisions of lovely seedlingsselected here. They have taken years to bulk.A. t. Clone A. Semi-double, blush pink flowers. A ballerina’s tutu in miniature. 10cm. £6.00A. t. Clone C. Semi-double, palest pink but as above. £6.00A. thalictroides. Double seedlings. Strong flowering sized seedlings from the above (which arefotunately fertile). Lucky dip. £4.303

4ANTHEMIS. Most possess finely cut fresh-green or grey-green foliage. Their daisy flowersin varying shades of yellow and white give colour over a tremendously long season. All theyrequire is full sun and reasonable drainage. From £4.20*A. ‘Cally Cream’. A much praised selection with kind to the eye cream flowers throughoutsummer. 70cm.A. punctata ssp. cupaniana. What a great plant this is, with large white daisies produced formonths on end over a spreading skirt of silvery foliage. 30cm.A. t. ‘Sauce Hollandaise’. The palest flowered of the Anthemis with cream-yellow flowers.Serve with Alchemilla or Salvia for a delicious border treat. 60cm.ANTHERICUM ramosum. Delicate, airy flight of white flowers like little lilies on branchedstems. For some strange reason an under used plant, though much used here and a greatfavourite. 60cm. £4.20AQUILEGIA. Our good old friends the columbines are so adaptable and profligate with theiroffspring that they might well successfully conquer the garden! Yet who could live withoutthem? Priced at £4.00A. chrysantha ‘Yellow Queen’. Clear yellow flowers with the bonus of scent, elegant longspurs and long flowering season too 90cm.*A. formosa. An attractive and elegant North American woodland species with brightlycoloured flowers, the petals being yellow and the long spurs soft red. 45cmA. v.‘Black Barlow’. The ever so slightly sinister double, spurless violet-black sister of A.‘Nora Barlow’.*A. vulgaris ‘Ice Blue’. A delightful double flowered ‘Grannys’ Bonnet’ in ice-blue. Cool!A. v. ‘Ruby Port’. Aptly described Port wine coloured flowers, nicely doubled 90cm.ARTEMISIA lactiflora. ‘Elfenbein’. A great form from the continent with munificent branchedheads of ivory white flowers and definitely the one for size conscious gardeners. 1.5m. £4.75A. l. ‘Rosenschlier’. A useful plant for more subdued colour schemes, the flowers of this formare a dusky pink. 2m+. £4.35ARUM creticum. An exotic (and erotic!) hardy aroid from Crete with sweet scented, paleprimrose spathes piercing bold arrow shaped foliage in spring. 40cm. £4.50A. italicum ‘Tiny’. A rare marbled leaf form growing no taller than 20cm. Particularly goodamongst winter/spring bulbs. Summer dormant. £4.35ARUNCUS aethusifolius. Virtually mirrors in all its parts the larger members of this genus butat 30cm positively Lilliputian in scale, ideal for the smaller garden. Not too dry. £4.35*A. x ‘Horatio’. A splendid hybrid from doyen nurseryman, Ernst Pagels. Graceful creamyplumes on reddish-bronze stems held above handsome cut foliage. Moist soil for bestresults. 120cm. £4.75ASPHODELINE taurica. Dainty display of airy, pale yellow flowers on spikes over grassyrosettes of glaucous, pale green foliage through summer. Sun and drainage a must. 90cm. £4.35ASTELIA chathamica. Splendid sword-like ever silver-green leaves make this Antipodeanlily relative a great candidate for pots or a sheltered position in the garden. Will grow happily inpartial shade too. 60cm. From £4.75ASTER. Our gardens would be dull things indeed without the contribution of these colourfuland for the most part, easily managed plants. The following all display a good resistance to mildew.Please note that our Asters will not become available until early summer. Prices from £4.20*Aster amellus ‘Framfieldii’. An elegant hybrid, not dissimilar to the following but a slightlypaler violet. Sept/Oct 40cm.A. amellus ‘Violet Queen’. An old cultivar first selected by Karl Forster and which remainsunchallenged. Large, rich violet flowers in Sept/Oct. 40cm.*A. divaricatus. We appear to be in the minority in loving this humble plant. Wiry blackstems support a myriad of small narrow rayed, white daisies. Gertrude Jeckyl liked it too– so there ! 40cm.*A. ericoides ‘Blue Star’. Myriad, lavender blue flowers with pale yellow centres over wirygrowth in October. Charming. 40-50cm.*A. e. ‘Pink Cloud’. Produces hundreds of pale purple-pink flowers. Arguably the best pale pinkin this group. 90cm*A. e. ‘Yvette Richardson’. With its fresh green foliage, pale lavender–blue flowers and compacthabit, this is a super plant for the border front. 40cm.*A x frikartii ‘Mönch’. With a little aid from pea sticks this is arguably the finest Aster forelegance and flower power giving a succession of clear lavender-blue flowers from midsummeronwards. 75cm.*A. lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’. In full sun the leaves take on a suave purple-black hue. Thesmall flowers are white with attractive rosy stamens, carried in huge numbers on a network ofshort lateral branches. 120-150cm.*A. lateriflorus ‘Prince’. As above, but altogether denser in its habit. 60cm.*A. ‘Little Carlow’. Wiry stems struggle to support the sheer weight and number of large,lavender-blue flowers, a colour particularly enhanced by the autumn light. 120cm.*A. novi-belgii ‘Blue Eyes’. Semi-double flowers, a good blue. Always draws favourablecomments from customers. 1.2m.A. ‘Pixie Dark Eye’. Covers itself in small wine-purple, yellow eyed daisies. Quite unlike any ofour other Asters. 45cms*A. pyrenaeus ‘Lutetia’. Valued for its sprays of large, pale lavender flowers held on branchedstems throughout the autumn. 50cm.A. turbinellus. Dark willowy stems, clad with glaucous green leaves, erupt in October into adisplay of small lavender- blue flowers. 150cm.A. turbinellus hybrid. The unruly, arching habit of this American species with its dainty paleviolet-blue flowers is a delight. A great favourite here, it is allowed to cavort with Nepetas,Penstemons and Geraniums. 120cm.*A. ‘Vasterival’. Named after the garden of the formidable Princess Sturdza in Normandy, thisstrong-growing aster is a pure delight, bearing clouds of 20 pence sized palest rose-lilacflowers through September. 120cm.ASTRANTIA major ‘Buckland’. The pale green ruff of bracts and rosy pink stamens make for aflower of great beauty. An old clone now that can still hold its’ head high. 60cms. £4.50A. m. Canneman Seedlings. Strong flowering sized plants raised from this good, large floweredsilvery-pink parent plant. 60cm+. £4.35A. Dark Wine Seedlings. As above but raised from our new dark wine red selection with purpleblack stems. 45cm+. £4.50A. ‘Roma’. Piet Oudolf’s selection and a terrific plant it is. The large flowers are rose-pink andthe plant shows great vigour bearing a good repeat crop of flowers, particularly so whenyoung. 60cm. £4.50ATHYRIUM felix femina minutissimum. At 20cm this is a relatively small fern, its feathery,broad lance shaped fronds forming a particularly neat clump. Deciduous. £4.75A. nipponicum var. pictum. The elegant and beautiful Japanese Painted Fern in shades of grey,silver and dusky purple. Needs shelter and good soil to give of its best. We offer divisions ofa good form. £4.805

6BAPTISIA australis. A long lived legume whose stems are clad with handsome pale greenfoliage, terminating in summer with Lupin-like spikes of indigo blue flowers. Needing a littlepatience, it is too infrequently seen. 120cm. £4.50B. a. ‘Purple Smoke’. A striking and highly spoken of introduction from the States as above butwith distinct dusky purple flowers. Needs bags of summer sunshine to flower well. 80cm.£4.80BERGENIA ‘Overture’. A classy B. purpurascens hybrid with well sculpted evergreenfoliage, red flushed on the reverse and a brilliant, eye shattering spring display of pendulouspurple-magenta flowers on stocky 30cm. stems. £4.50B. ex Margery Fish. This old clone is our most compact Bergenia forming dense clumps of pertscalloped leaves with short pink flower spikes in spring. A refreshing change to the coarsethugs more often encountered. 15cm. £4.50B. stracheyi alba. Possesses neat, small oval leaves and in Spring produces chubby 15cm spikesof white flowers, fading to palest pink. Charming, not a word much used to describe thisgenus. £4.50*CALAMINTHA nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’. Summer droughts it would seem sort out the men fromthe boys. This flowers unabashed for months on end oblivious to the parched soil in which itgrows. A great bee puller too. 30cm. £4.00*C. N. ‘Harrogate’. New to us but lusher than the above with flowers twice the size, held indark calyxes. £4.00* CAMPANULA carpatica var. pelviformis. Large, clear blue salvers over a gently spreadingclump make this an ideal and reliable performer for the border front or rockery. £4.20*C. lactiflora ‘Dixter Presence’. Christopher Lloyd’s own selection which we have longcoveted. Tall at 180cm, profuse bell flowers of mid-blue are carried in large, open heads.£4.35C. l. ‘Platinum’. New to us and described as having silvery-grey flowers with pewter sepals.Sounds intriguing. 140cm. £4.35C. l. ‘Pritchard’s Variety’. An old, virtuous and trouble free form noted for its outstandingdisplay of deep Campanula blue ‘Bells’ on 120-150cm stems. £4.35C. ‘Sarastro’. A selection from the continent, packing in a punch with its large, glossy violetbluebells. Self supporting. 60cm. £4.35CARDAMINE quinquefolia. A superior Cuckoo flower from the Caucasus with a running habitand prolific spikes of mauve-pink flowers in early spring. 30cm. £4.50CARYOPTERIS x clandonensis ‘Ferndown’. Both this and the following are correctlydescribed as sub-shrubs. Best pruned in spring, their invaluable blue flowers are borne in autumnon new wood. Sun and good drainage required.C x clan. ‘Kew Blue’. A shade richer coloured than the above. From £5.50CENTAUREA bella. A neat border front plant with silvery evergreen cut foliage and a generoussummer display of lilac-pink flowers. 30cm. £4.20C. benoistii. Typical cut foliage of the genus, the stiff upright stems carry claret-ruby colouredtufted flowers for months on end. 120cm. £4.50C. rupestris. A long flowering straw yellow Knapweed with exquisitely shaped buds, cut silveryfoliage and a ‘wild’ look about it. Requires sun and good drainage. 70cm. £4.35C. simplicicaulis. As C. bella above but a notch smaller in all its parts. 20cm. £4.20CEPHALARIA dipsacoides. In effect, a daintier form of C. gigantea, with smaller pale yellowflowers emerging from exquisitely fashioned buds. In winter, the spacious tracery of wiry stemsand spent seed heads presents a beautiful, though stark silhouette. 2m. £4.35CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘Bullfinch’. A strong growing, upright variety with semi-double claretred flowers in autumn and like the following, wonderful for picking. 75cm. £4.35C. ‘Cottage Apricot’. Single flowers, a beautiful shade for autumn of apricot-orange fading toan apricot-pink. 70cm. £4.35CIRSIUM rivulare atropurpureum. A thistle grown for the wonderful colour of its flowers,an intense crimson-maroon held on stout stems during summer and autumn too if you are lucky.120cm. £4.50CONVOLVULUS mauritanicus. (syn. Sabatius) A spreading plant providing an ebb and flowof satin like, soft pearly blue salvers through summer/autumn. A desert island plant for us capableof a long life in a sheltered spot. 15cm. £4.00CROCOSMIA. We can think of no better way to enliven the late summer border than to usethese dazzling performers. They love moisture (not boggy) and lots of sunshine to perform well,and need dividing every now and then to keep them in good fettle. From £4.35*C. ‘Castle Ward Late’. The orangy-red segments are narrower than most, giving the plant aspidery look. 80cmC. ‘Gerbe D’or’. Bronze foliage acts as a great backdrop to pale orange flowers. A reliable,hearty grower. 70cm.*C. ‘Jenny Bloom’. From the Bloom’s stable, good-sized flowers in apricot yellow. 60cm.*C. ‘Lucifer’. Aptly named devilish red flowers partner superb ribbed foliage. Common butoozes class. 1.5m.C. masoniorum ‘Rowallane Yellow’. No bending required as the solid yellow flowers areupward facing Handsome broad foliage too. 90cm.*C. ‘Queen Alexandra’. Elegant, nodding Erythronium like orange blooms enhanced by a dashof crimson in the throat. 80cm.*C. ‘Severn Sunrise’. Almost everyone comments favourably on the weird peachy-rose colourof this award winning plant. A challenge to place this colour well but terrific with purples.60cm.C. ‘Tangerine Queen’. Upward facing large tangerine-orange flowers on arching stems. Classy.70cm*C. ‘Walberton Yellow’. A yardstick plant bred some years ago by David Tristram. Thesubstantial golden yellow flowers are borne for weeks and open from a fascinating crosiershaped bud formation. 60cm.CYNARA cardunculus ‘Cardy’. One of the boldest and handsomest of all foliage plants, itshuge silver-grey leaves making an arresting and colossal feature. Needing elbow room, theflower stems can reach 2.5m+ From £ 4.35C. c. ex Chelsea Physic Form. A spiny, aggressive brute, presumably to keep animals at bay,with deeply incised Leaves. Flowering at 1.8m, this is an easier managed plant than theabove. But watch those spines! £4.75DAHLIA x coccinea. Flowering sized seedlings from our super tangerine orange parent plant.The progeny vary a little but we’ve yet to see a dull one among them. From £4.507

8DATISCA cannabina. A tough perennial whose woody stems annually attain 2m +, deckedwith attractive, slender cannabis like leaves (if you happen to know about these things!). Tinygreen flowers hang in tassles in late summer contributing splendidly to the green theme. £5.00DELPHINIUM staphisagria. A tall growing species whose elegant spires are composed ofmany muted grey-blue hooded flowers. 2m+. £4.20DIANTHUS. carthusianorum. On wiry stems over grassy foliage, small buds erupt intodazzling bursts of deep magenta pink through summer. 60cm. £4.00D. cruentus. As above, but slightly shorter and with penetrating scarlet red flowers with bluishanthers. £4.00D. deltoides ‘Leuchtfunk’. Saturated crimson flowers, like splashes of blood over a mat ofdeep green foliage. £4.20*DIASCIA. ‘Coldham’. Jack Elliot’s seedling raised from D. ‘Lilac Belle’. A notch better wethink. £4.20D. ‘Emma’. Narrow leaved suckering clumps and a profusion of dusky deep pink flowers– exactly what we expect of these marvellous, hardy plants. 30cm. £4.20D. personata. A remarkable newcomer holding itself, literally, head and shoulders above its kinwith its lofty, upright habit. Typical horned mid-pink flowers for months and months. SouthAfrica. 60cm. £4.20DICTAMNUS albus. Dittany in its beautiful white form. Slow we find but worth the wait andonce settled a very long lived plant. 90cm eventually. £4.50*D. albus purpureus. The equally beautiful mauve-purple form of the above. £4.50*DIGITALIS ciliata. Narrow tubular flowers in pale yellow above typical leathery basal leaves.Uncommon. £4.20*D. ferruginea. Baggy pale caramel flowers with a pouting lip. Dark sentinel spikes in winter.75cm. £4.20D. f. ‘Gelber Herold’. A bigger form of the above with brown-purple veining to lip and insideof flower. £4.20D. parviflora. A notably different Foxglove whose basal leaves give rise to spikes of small,narrow tawny-brown flowers 60cm. £4.20DISPORUM flavens. From Korea, the bamboo-like stems of this relative of Solomon’s Sealreach 60cm and carry pale yellow flowers in the axils of the newly developed leaves in April-May. £4.75D. leucanthum. An uncommon woodlander collected by myself in Sechuan, China. Almostevergreen, the newly emerging dark stems carry slender Polygonatum like cream and greenflowers in spring. Small leaden-blue fruits persist through autumn and winter. 40cm £4.80D. sessile variegatum. The bold green and white variegated leaves and pale celadon flowers ofthis N. American woodlander will gladly illuminate any half shaded spot. 30cm. £4.35DRYOPTERIS erythrosora. A handsome evergreen fern, the unfurling fronds beautifullycopper flushed. 45cm. £5.00ECHINACEA. The cone flowers of North America are not only valued for the healing propertiesof the oil they contain but for their tremendous garden value too. The broad ray petals ofmauve-crimson are mostly declined, thereby accentuating the glowing central cone of bronzeorange.They require good hearty soil and are not always easy. @ £4.20Echinacea pallida. The dark cone and narrow, lilac-pink ray petals give the effect of a small,bedraggled and inverted mop head. Rather effective in its own way. 90cm.E. purpurea. Strong flowering sized seedlings from our best largest flowered forms. 75cmECHINOPS bannaticus ‘Blue Pearl’. An uncommon form with paler flowers than the above, agood mid- blue in fact. 90cm. £4.35*E. ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’. Coarsely cut, spiny leaves give rise to pale stems supporting sphericalheads of rich blue flowers. Not thuggish as are some of its brethren. 90cm. £4.35EPIMEDIUM. Did you know these plants are members of the Berberis family? Look at theirflowers and you’ll soon discover why. Not too difficult to please, they require humus rich soiland a dose of shade. Their new foliage is often beautifully tinted and their Columbine likeflowers beguile all those who encounter them. From £4.35E. ‘Amber Queen’. Blacthorn Nursery’s cracking E. flavum hybrid, the main body of the largeflower being amber coloured with the addition of hints of pink, pale yellow and with white.40cm.E. ‘Golden Eagle’. In flower like an aerial congregation of pale yellow four, legged spiders.Well almost. Hybrid origin (probably membranaceum). 30cm.E. grandiflorum ‘La Rocaille’. Ivory white suffused with palest celadon green, long spurredflowers. 35cm.E. g. ‘Lilac-Pink Form’. A form with small leaves and pert, spidery lilac-pink flowers.E. g. ‘Lilafee’. Dark tinted new leaves act as a harmonious foil to the dainty violet-purpleflowers. 25cm.E. g. ‘Rose Queen’. Inappropriately named, the large spurred flowers of this strong growingform are actually a fine crimson-purple. 25cm.E. g. ‘White Queen’. A large flowered pure white form, yet to bettered. This, the true plant, issaid to becoming rare. 30cm.E. membranaceum. A beautiful Chinese species with burnished spiny margined foliage andinsect like, long spurred pale yellow flowers for months. Evergreen. 30cm.E. x oemeiense ‘Myriad Years’. A naturally occurring hybrid in the wild (E. acuminatum xE.fangii) with handsome foliage and extraordinary, huge pale grey-pink and purple spurredflowers. Requires a sheltered spot. 45cmE. ogisui. Introduced in the 1990’s from the flora rich province of Sichuan, China, thisbeautiful large white flowered species remains uncommon and is further enhanced by thebronze tinted new foliage. 25cm.E. x perralchicum ‘Frohnleiten’. Airy racemes of unspurred lemon yellow flowers in spring.The handsome evergreen leaves remain unblemished throughout winter, making it analtogether classy garden plant. 35cmE. sp. Yunnan. A refined and incredibly free flowering soft yellow, long spurred species fromChina with noticeably pale foliage. Patiently awaits a name.E. versicolor sulphureum. Handsome evergreen foliage, copper and crimson tinted in winter,which should be removed in February to enjoy the clean yellow flowers in spring. 40cms.E. versicolor x versicolor. Subtly contrasted flesh pink and amber-yellow flowers, a perfectmatch for the young copper coloured foliage. 30cmERIGERON ‘Dignity’. Large, aster like flowers with elegant narrow ray petals. Good for theborder front. Pale violet. 30cm. £4.20E. ‘Quakeress’. The narrow lilac-pink ray petals make for a dainty flower. An old hybrid yet tobe superseded. 60cm. £4.20E. ‘Schneewittchen’. In effect a white version of the above and a plant we particularly enjoyhere for its simple style and long flowering season. 50cm. £4.209

10*ERODIUM ‘Grey Blush’. Our own striking seedling with large, two-toned flowers in pink/pale lilac-pink, the uppermost petals embellished with markings in charcoal grey like a pair ofblushing eyes. 15cm. £4.20*E. x kolbianum. This smart Storksbill possesses filigree silver foliage and palest lilac-pinkflowers with a pair of dashing black eyes. 10cm. £4.20*E.‘Marchants Mikado’. Another of our seedlings, this one has pale pink flowers with large,savage flashing black eyes! We are justly proud of it. 10cm. £4.35*E. ‘Merstham Pink’ A hearty grower given good drainage, bearing a generous crop of rosepink flowers over cut, sage green foliage. 15cm. £4.20*E. ‘Spanish Eyes’. The two uppermost petals of this much-admired rose pink Storksbill arequaintly dashed with purple. Top notch. 15cm. £4.20ERYNGIUM. The Eryngos, with their well designed defense mechanisms, are a prickly bunchof characters but make with both their flowers and their foliage striking garden plants. What’smore, they’re not difficult to please, given sun and reasonable drainage. In cultivation they aredivided between species from Europe and South America, plus the odd hybrid. If you don’tgrow them, why not give them a try. From £4.35E. agavifolium. Agave like evergreen basal leaves, the green cone-like flowers clasp robust,stout stems in summer. Good seed head silhouette. 90cm.E. amethystinum. The plant we grow under this name has cut basal leaves and branched 45cmstems that are wreathed in summer with small, steely blue bracted flowers. 40cm.*E. bourgatii. Seedlings from a form with particularly deep metallic blue flower heads andbracts. In the wild it grows in poor, stony soil. 60cm.*E. ebracteatum var. poterioides. A plant whose mimicry fools almost every gardener intothinking it’s a Sanguisorba. The slender burr-like purple-maroon flowers are spaciously heldon a tracery of wiry stems through summer/autumn. Full sun. 120cm+. From £5.00*E. horridum. The handsome evergreen basal rosette is mildly spiny but it is the display ofwhite thimble sized flowers on much branched stems that make it really worth the wait.90cm.*E. planum. A species often berated for its small flowers, we like them, violet-blue in thisgood form. As they say, size doesn’t always count! 75cm.E. x tripartitum. The flowers of this hybrid are comparatively small, but there are lots of themand they are a good blue. 50cm.E. x zabelii ‘Jos Erljking’. Zabelii’s are hybrids of E. alpinum and possess the largest flowersbracts in the genus. In this form both flower and surrounding streamlined bracts are silvery,metallic blue. 70cmEUCOMIS pallidiflora. A fantastical, succulent creation. Basal leaves, stem and palest greenflowers all topped with a Pineapple like flourish. Has proved perfectly hardy in our cold garden.90cm. £4.50EUPATORIUM ligustrinum. Not a shrub that flamboyantly announces itself, but highlyeffective none-the-less. Its good evergreen foliage, structure and fluffy white flower heads in latesummer beautifully partners Asters and late flowering grasses. 2m. £5.00*E. purpureum maculatum album. We hope to have plants available of this uncommon whiteform for sale. 2m+. £5.00*E. p. m. ‘Ankum’s August’. The claim from Nurseryman friend Coen Jansen that his plantwill grow to only 140cm has been severely put to the test on our rich clay. A little tallerhere, it remains a good plant. £4.50*E. p. m. ‘Orchard Dene’. Stood out in the Wisley trials with its showy flowers and darkstems and deservedly awarded an.AGM. £5.00*Eupatorium purpureum maculatum ‘Riesenschirm’. Stout, glossy purple stems rise to2.2m, climaxing in a display of dusky rose-purple domed flower heads. A distinguished latesummer perennial. £4.75*E. rugosum ‘Chocolate’. ‘Snakeroot’. Striking black-purple foliage and domed heads of whiteflowers in autumn. A asset on all accounts for any fertile border in full sun. 1.5m. £4.80EUPHORBIA. Given reasonable drainage the Spurges are easy to please and give us all thatwe should expect of a plant. Do however be cautious of the white sap they exude when tornor damaged. It can burn skin badly!E. characias ‘Portugese Velvet’. Forms a cosy dome of plush foliage 90cm across. Deep, Jadegreenflower bracts are punctuated by a dark chocolate-black eye. £4.50E. donii ‘Amjillasa’. A very handsome Kew collection from Nepal with large, lurid yellowflower bracts. Seed raised plants are offered. 1m+. £4.35E. longifolia. Elegant, narrow leaves with a pronounced white mid-rib clothe sturdy 90cm.stems. Domed heads of brilliant yellow-green bracts in summer. £4.20*E. mellifera. Given shelter from icy winds the Honey Spurge (on account of its scent) isarguably the handsomest of the hardy spurges we can grow, forming a bold and arrestingevergreen feature. 1.5m+. £4.50E. palustris. One of the most cheering sights of late Spring, its 120cm stems topped by showyyellow-green bracts and flowers for weeks on end. £4.35*E. polychroma ‘Midas’. Not difficult to imagine the bracts and flowers of this brilliant springflowering plant having been touched by King Midas’ hand and consequently turned to Gold.45cm. £4.20FOENICULUM vulgare ‘Smokey’. Bronze Fennel. A good deep bronze seed strain with amarked bloom to the young stems. £4.20FUCHSIA. You may gather from the following list that we are rather fond of Fuchsias,particularly when they are as hardy and long flowering as the following. Best pruned hard inspring. Prices from £5.00*F. magellanica ‘Floriade’. Brought back from the US by us in 2005 this has settled well hereand with its admirable aubergine-purple and rich red flowers has made a worthy addition toour list. 1m+.F. m.‘Hawkshead’. An elegant, hardy Fuchsia with white flowers, the petals tipped with a hintof a tint of green. 75cmF. m. ‘Lady Bacon’. Another newcomer to us with finer foliage than most and ivory andpurple-lilac flowers. 60cm.*F. m. var. molinae. Limpid, pale pink flowers, slender, wan even, but so beautiful. Thepealing bark of the stems is also attractive, or am I stretching the imagination too far. 1.5m+F. m. var. pumila. Another shorty festooning itself with red and purple flowers through latesummer /autumn. 60cm*F. m. ‘Riccartonii’. An old magellanica hybrid with noticeably fuller, more rounded flowers(red/purple). A great garden plant. 1m+F. m. thompsonii. This plant in its full glory in late summer is a wonderful sight. The slenderred and purple flowers held on arching stems associate beautifully with blue Agapanthus.150cm or more.F. m. versicolor. ‘An exquisite symphony of colour which is unsurpassed in the floral worldfor its charming complement of shape, poise and tint’– Graham Stuart Thomas. Need we saymore. 120cm.F. microphylla. A sweety-pie possessing the smallest leaves and flowers (bright shocking pink)of those we grow. 60cm.11

12*Fuchsia ‘Whiteknights Pearl’. A notch deeper pink than Fuchsia m. molinae, the sepals arenoticeably tipped with Granny Smith green. Charming. 60cm.GALEGA x hartlandii alba. Handsome clumps of pale green pinnate foliage carry densespikes of scented flowers for weeks. Unassailably tough. 180cm. From £4.35*G. officinalis. Goats Rue. Leafy stems emerge from a stout rootstock and are covered inclusters of small vetch-like lilac (occasionally white) flowers for weeks. 1.2m. £4.35*GAURA lindheimeri. Wand like stems airily display delicate white flowers from pink buds,seemingly borne by the thousand through summer/autumn. Entrancing here in a duet withMiscanthus ‘Kleine Fontäne’. 120cm. £4.35GERANIUM. The gardening public has seized upon the hardy ‘Cranesbills’ with manic verveover the last 20 years and small wonder when you consider their diversity and ease of culture.Blues, pinks, magentas and whites dominate.Watch those with clumsy, sprawling foliage! – they are murderers of other plants in thegarden. From £4.20*G. ‘Blue Cloud’. Pleasing cut foliage and not too rampant growth, combined with palesilvery-blue flowers through most of the summer. A superb garden plant. 45cm.G. ‘Brookside’. We find this a less vigorous plant than some of the blues, but it more thancompensates with the size, colour and sheer quality of its flowers. 40cm.G. ‘Khan’. A G. sanguineum hybrid with huge, deep bright pink flowers. One of the very best.30cm.G. maculatum album. An American woodlander and one of the first to bloom with its nicelyrounded pure white flowers in May. 60cm £3.20G. ‘Nimbus’. Produces masses of pale violet-blue flowers over handsome cut foliage for mostof the season. 50cm.*G. ‘Orion’. A super hybrid from Holland with enormous violet-blue salvers. Has certainly gotmy adrenalin flowing again. 50cm*G. ‘Patricia’. A G. psilostemon hybrid, possessing all the brilliant radiance of that plantsmagenta flowers. They are however larger. This together with its short stature make this afirst rate plant. 60cm.G. p. ‘Lisa’. Sulphur yellow and white zonal leaf makings in early spring make for a distinctlyeye catching plant. Flowers are typically violet-purple. It looked super here last year withGeum’Marmalade’. 60cm.G. p. ‘Marchants Ghost’. Our own seedling with ghostly, pale grey-lavender flowers thetexture of satin. Much admired. 75cm.G. ‘Sabani Blue’. Brilliant violet blue notched flowers over strict clumps of softly hairy leaves.Fanfares the start of the cranesbill season in May. 30cmG. sanguineum album. The Bloody Cranesbill bled dry in its pristine white form. 30cm.G. sanguineum var. striatum. A not so Bloody Cranesbill, its large rounded pale pink flowersstudding the low mound of cut foliage through summer. 10cm.G. ‘Sirak’. One of the best hybrids to have appeared from the continent, producing masses ofnotched, large lilac-pink flowers over a dense clump of foliage. 45cm.G. wallichianum. From Edinburgh’s Botanic Garden, the pale luminous silvery-blue flowersof this form show us something of the variation we can expect of a species group. Anenthusiastic scrambler to 60cm or more.G. w. ‘Syabru’. A Nepalese collection with mid-pink cupped flowers enhanced by conspicuoussilver-white eyes. 40cm.GEUM ‘Apricot Sundae’. Occurred here as a lucky sport of G. ‘Pink Frills. Its full, wavy edgedflowers are coloured pale apricot flesh cum pink. 20cm. £4.35Geum ‘Borisii’. A reliable doer with cheering, eye catching clear orange flowers. 30cm.£4.35G. ‘Eos’. Grown for the brilliant yellow tone of its striking late spring/early summer foliage. Alittle lazy with its orange-red flowers. 20cm. £4.35Geum ‘Herterton Primrose’. An immensely impressive newcomer, the pale lemon flowers arewell displayed above neat foliage, and the plant has a refined look, a word not commonlyused in association with Geums. 15cm. £4.35G. ‘Lisanne’ A strong selection from the continent with bold, large yellow flowers. 40 cm.£4.35G. ‘Marmalade’. Pleasing copper-orange flowers, – a painterly colour many gardeners sadlychoose to ignore. 30cm. £4.35G. ‘Pink Frills’. A very pretty form with somewhat shaggy, nodding flowers of palest pinkwith contrasting crimson-pink calyxes through early summer. 20cm. £4.35GILLENIA trifoliata. A rose relative from N. America whose red wiry stems branch to bearmyriad starry white flowers, clasped in contrasting red calyxces. 90cm. £4.50GLADIOLUS nanus hybrids. In for a penny, in for a pound as they say. These small floweredtrade hybrids come in an array of colours – white through pale to darkest pink, even reds – allsuper. They are capable of being hardy. £4.20G x papilio ‘Ruby’. The large, dusky red hooded flowers of this super new hardy hybrid fromNew Zealand gave us a paroxysm of delight at its first flowering and continue to do so.90cm. £4.35G. tristis. Small flared scented primrose yellow flowers. A far cry from the gross flowers bredfor the cut flower trade. A favourite here. £4.50*GLAUCIUM flavum. The simple yellow form of our native horned poppy but this onecollected by us on Sicily’s eastern shoreline. 45cm. £4.20*G. f. fulvum. The Horned Poppy in its pale tomato red form with handsome silvery rosettes– good the year round. 45cm. £4.20GYPSOPHILA ‘Rosenschlier’. A spreading ‘Babies Breath’ covering itself in a haze of tinypale pink double blossoms throughout mid-summer. £4.20*HEBE stenophylla. Narrow willowy leaves and spikes of white flowers in late summer makefor an elegant shrub, an adjective rarely used to describe this genus. 2m. From £4.80HELENIUM ‘Die Blonde’. Boss and flower an unadulterated bright yellow. Very cheering.180cm. £4.35H. ‘Ring of Fire’. A newish form from Holland, the flowers are reddish brown made morestriking with a central and outer zone of yellow. Upright, free flowering (in sept/oct) anddeemed worthy of an AGM. £4.35H. ‘Rubinzwerg’. Rich, deep mahogany-red flowers over a long season on a plant of shortstature make this a valuable addition to the range. 75cm. £4.35H. ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’. Fantastic long display of large flowers, a mixture of burnt orangeand ochre yellow. 1.2m. £4.35H. ‘Septemberfuchs’. Late flowering, with tawny red-brown flowers, a lovely colour to enrichthe autumn border. 180cm. £4.35H. ‘Wyndley’. An old English cultivar still managing to deliver the goods. Large Mustardyellow flowers overlaid with orange and tawny flecking. 1m. £4.35H. ‘Zimbelstern’. A fine, large flowered yellow form with orange flecks and brown boss tocompliment our range of colours. 150cm. £4.3513

14HELIANTHUS ‘Lemon Queen’. Generally speaking, rather coarse plants. However, thisvariety is redeemed by the quality and volume of its autumnal crop of pale lemon daisies. 2m.From £4.50Helianthus salicifolius. A towering, willowy leaved foliage plant whose airy display of goldenyellow flowers brings the daisy season to a close in early October. 2.5m. £4.50*HELLEBORUS foetidus ‘Wester Flisk’. Deeply incised dark bottle green leaves and palegreen flowers held on mottled crimson stems in mid-winter. 45cm.H. x hybridus. The following are seedlings raised from plants of impeccable pedigree, thoughlike the Royal family, parents cannot always be entirely responsible for the character oftheir children! No doubt the following offspring will show some interesting variation too.Flowering size in 3L Pots. £9.00 and 1L non flowering £5.00.H. x h ‘Creams/Greens’. Some with faint spotting too.H. x h. ‘Darkest Purple’. Seedlings from our very best dark purple plants (including ‘Queen ofthe Night’).H. x h. ‘Picotee’. White ground with purplish veining and staining to edge of the sepal. (petal)H. x h. ‘Reds come deep Pinks’. Very large, cupped flower strain derived from Helen Ballardstrains.H. x h. ‘Slaty-Blue with purple spotting’. Blue bloomed beauties resembling their stronglyfreckled parent.HEMEROCALLIS. Daylilies are indestructible border perennials which with little fussing willgive pleasure for years. Latterly, they have become grossly vulgarised in breeder’s hands. Thefollowing species/old cultivars are plants fortunately untainted by this brazen treatment. From£4.50H. ‘Applecourt Damson’. Large flowers of purple aubergine. You’ll love colour theming withthis one. V. Few.H. ‘Canary Bird’. A full blown flower, clear yellow, and yes, just like a canary – but onsteroids!H. citrina. Similar to the following but with slightly deeper yellow flowers. 80cm.H. citrina x ochroleuca. An extremely graceful hybrid bearing narrowly fluted pale lemonscented flowers on stems well above its foliage. 75cm.*H. ‘Conspicua’. A classy old cultivar, now rare with huge flared trumpet-like flowers in deepcrimson red with greenish-yellow throat. 1m.H. ‘Corky’. Zestful, lemon yellow flowers from mahogany buds. Never disappoints. 60cm.H. ‘Golden Chimes’. With its golden flowers, mahogany on their reverse, dark stems and freeflowering habit, this nearly 50 year old hybrid has yet to be outclassed. 60cm.H. ‘High Tor’. An appropriate name being one of the tallest Daylilies we grow, the largegolden yellow flowers looming at a dizzy 1.75m.H. ‘Hyperion’. Another old cultivar with gently flared pale yellow, scented flowers. Hard tobeat. 90cm.H. ‘Lady Fermor Hesketh’. Raised by Amos Perry many decades ago, yet still holds its own.Well proportioned canary-yellow flowers, good for the border or, with their peppery flavour,salad bowl alike. 90cm.H. ‘Laughton Tower’. Thinking the horticultural world short of a new Daylily or two, Isuccessfully bred this fellow. At 1.5m+ high, it looks down on its overblown American peersin a very haughty and satisfactory manner. The small fluted flowers are apricot-orange.H. ‘Red Precious’. An old English cultivar which deserves to be much better known withflared, flame red flowers, ochre yellow on their reverse. At 45cm, perfect for the borderfront.Hemerocallis ‘Red Toy’. Quite small flowers in a fabulous shade of madder red, an uncommoncolour in daylies but great to use in the garden. 70cm.H. ‘Sammy Russel’. Bold, reddish-tan, flamboyant flowers, perfect for ‘heating up’ the border.An old cultivar yet to be surpassed. 90cm.H. sp. Korea. Small poised flowers, mango flesh coloured carried in transient waves above thefoliage, always a bonus in a daylily. 80cm.H. species (? cultivar). Bought from a reputable Nursery under the name of H. ‘Hyperion’which it clearly isn’t! The soft orange-yellow flowers are born long into late summer andmeld well with crimson Persicarias. 1m.*H. ‘Stafford’. Large mahogany-red flowers of ravishing quality. An exemplary old hybridwhich still holds its own in the Daylily stakes. 120-150cm.HEUCHERA americana. A beautiful form which has been under our care for many years withstriking chocolate-purple mottling overlaying the young leaves. Small white flowers. 30cm.£4.35H. ‘Brownfinch’. Good though the many plum-purple cultivars are, this silver mottled, greenleaved form provides welcome relief. But it is the copious 60cm spikes of terracotta-brownflowers that are its greatest attribute, looking magnificent here with purple salvias throughearly summer. £4.60H. ‘Quiqui’. Effective spikes of salmon-pink flowers over tame, evergreen mounds.Uncommon. 45cm. £4.60H. sanguinea ‘Alba’. This plant received an AGM only recently yet is rarely met with. Why?Its plain green leaves perhaps. This is a wonderful plant whose ivory flowers age withremarkable grace, a feature not normally noted in white flowered plants. Early summeronwards. 60cm. £4.60HOSTA. Having been shaken to the mid-ribs by the Hosta boom, my enthusiasm for theseubiquitous plants still remains tepid. That said, used discriminately (with slugs kept at bay) theycan be highly effective. We offer the following, including two new to our list – must be a redletter day!H. ‘Cally Atom’. Cally Garden’s pert miniature selection (raised from Japanese seed) with bluetoned, heart shaped leaves and fat flowers on chunky 25cm stems. A delight. £5.00H. plantaginea var. japonica. Perhaps surprisingly, revels in full sun, which encouragesa display of huge white, deliciously fragrant flowers. Refreshing, pale green foliage.Wonderful in pots. £6.50Hosta rectifolia ‘Junco’. Named at Wisley Garden ( after a Japanese trainee studentapparently) and offered here, I believe, for the very first time. Simplicity itself – glossy greenleaves combined with a fabulous display of purple flowers. £5.80H. ‘Thumbnail’. Lilliputian in scale, the name refers to the leaf size. Pleasant pale violetflowers on 20cm stems maintain the symmetry. £4.50H. venusta variegata. A little charmer with neatly variegated cream and green leaves andabundant pale violet flowers. Rare. 15cms. £6.00IRIS. No Iris flower could be described as long lasting but at least they make up for it by beingfabulously flamboyant and are often produced in large numbers, albeit for a short season. Thefollowing Sibiricas flourish in full light on our heavy clay soil and are capable of growing inshallow water too. @ £4.75I. sibirica ‘Emperor’. Rich purple flowers of satin like texture. 100cmI. s. ‘Prussian Blue’. Incredible, saturated deep blue flowers, a colour I have not seen the likeof in this group. Tamberg, its German breeder received an AGM for it in 2003. Rightly so.80cm.15

16Iris sibirica ‘Southcombe White’. Pallid white flowers, not large, with ghostly grey veining.90cm.I. s. ‘Summer Sky’. A graceful slim-line flower, like a dancer on points, lavender blue with justthe right amount of yellow for perfect balance. 90cm.I. s. ‘Tropic Night’. Intense violet-blue with a pale zone on the haft of the falls. 90cmI. s. ‘Welfenprinz’. Another award winner ( AGM) of Tamberg’s (see above) with ruffled lemonyellow falls and creamy standards (the sticky up bits) Posh name, posh plant. 70cm.KNAUTIA macedonica. If you’re a sucker for ruby coloured flowers, look no further than thisever-popular scabious like stalwart. 60cm. £4.20KNIPHOFIA. The ‘Red Hot Pokers’ are anything but these days, coming in a much wider rangethan hitherto – from pale cream to bright yellow, pale coral to burnt toffee. Their vertical spikescan provide a dramatic feature in any border, given sun and drainage and what’s more, are hardyto boot. From £4.50K. ‘Bees Sunset’. Sturdy bronze coloured stems make a harmonious contrast to the clear orangeflowers. 100cm. £4.20K. ‘Buttercup’. An old clone with bold heads of yellow flowers ageing to orange. 1m+.K. ‘Ice Queen’. Similar to K. ‘Percy’s Pride’ but a little earlier to flower with us.K. ‘Painted Lady’. Noted for the long and slender flower spikes. Orange with hints of amber.1m+.K. ‘Percy’s Pride’. As good in bud as in flower – lime-green opening to pale yellow spikes ofgood substance. September. 75cmK. ‘Sunningdale Yellow’. Clear yellow with a smidgen of ochre. First poker off the blocks inJune. Classy. 90cm.K. ‘Tawny King’. Beacon-like orange-amber and cream flowers from tawny buds born on deepbronze stems. A cracking plant. 80cm.K. ‘Timothy’. A mid-season variety with slender spikes of beautifully toned amber-pinkflowers. 80cm.K. triangularis. One of the smaller flowered pokers, dark orange and perfect for a containedstatement. 70cm.LASERPITIUM siler. An uncommon Umbellifer with loosely cut glaucous foliage. In summer,supported on arching stems, shallow domed heads of tiny white flowers burst forth. A modelexercise in plant design. 90cm. £4.35LATHYRUS grandiflorus. An inveterate scrambler (and runner!) needing space to flaunt itssensational big carmine, purple keeled blossoms. Alas, no scent. Rarely offered so grab yourchance. £4.50LEUCANTHEMELLA serotina. The Hungarian Daisy survives with glee here, muscling itsway through our unforgiving clay and rewarding us with a brilliant late display of gay whitedaisies. 2m. From £4.35LIGUSTICUM hultenii. A few plants to spare of this unusual lovage which, not lacking charm,lacks pungency! £4.20*LIMONIUM chilwellii. A Sea Lavender with course, leathery leaves erupting in an airy displayof minute lavender-blue flowers on wiry branches. Very beautiful in seed too. 40cm. £4.35L. platphyllum ‘Robert Butler’. Clouds of tiny purple-blue flowers from silvery buds – aflorist’s delight. 40cm. £4.35*L. p. ‘Violetta’. As above, but violet. 50cm. £4.35LOBELIA. Moisture, sunshine, a cold frame or greenhouse and over-wintering (agh!) are wordsthat spring to mind for the successful cultivation of these glorious, colourful plants. They arewell worth the effort. From £4.35*L. ‘Dark Crusader’. Brooding crimson-maroon flowers and nicely purple stained youngfoliage.*L. laxiflora var. angustifolia. A curious species from Arizona looking vaguely Penstemon likein leaf, but with cheering bright red tubular flowers, yellow in the throat. Full sun. 75cm.L. ‘Tania’. Saturated magenta-purple flowers. Try it with orange Crocosmia! 80cm.L. tupa. A classy, eye catching plant with pale, sage-green leaves and dark stems terminating ina spike of claw shaped cherry red flowers. Needs retentive soil and some shelter but worthevery effort to grow well. 120cm.*LYCHNIS coronaria. Raised from wild collected seed we offer a very striking form with vividshocking pink flowers, paler than the purple-magenta form usually encountered. 60cm. £4.20L. c. alba. A pure white form for folk who don’t need to be shocked. £4.20*LYSIMACHIA clethroides. Plenty of leg room needed for the spreading roots of thisLoosestrife but worth it for the show of horizontal, tapered spikes of brilliant Dulux whiteflowers in late summer. 1m. £4.50*LYTHRUM salicaria ‘Lady Sackville’. A dependable mid pink. 60cm. £4.35*L. s. ‘Zigeunerblut’. Vivid magenta-purple flower spikes. A Gypsy with blood this colourwould be in serious need of a transfusion! 90cm. £4.35L. virgatum. The branched stems of this widespread European and Asian species carry myriadsmall, deep lilac-pink flowers for weeks in mid-summer. Has a quality that becomesaddictive to use and associates well with grasses too. 90cm. £4.35MATTHIOLA incana ‘Purple’. You’ll love the blanket of scented purple flowers of this not soperennial stock. 30-40cm. £4.20*M. ‘White Perennial’. Also deliciously scented, the pure white flowers enhanced by the greyfoliage. We enjoy the spent seed heads in winter too. 30-40cm. £4.20MENTHA spicata ‘Moroccan’. Unanimously reckoned to be the best flavoured mint but alsoheralds a warning. It runs like mad! Answer – the sunk bucket treatment. £4.00MOLOPOSPERMUM peloponnesiacum. A rather sophisticated perennial umbellifer withsharply etched fernlike foliage. The yellowish heads of flowers and handsome seeds are carriedon stout 120cm stems. £4.35MYRRHIS odorata. Sweet Cicely. Refined cut foliage, pungent too. The flat heads of creamywhite flowers are a great sight in May and are delicately scented. 60cm. £4.20NERINE bowdenii alba. White flowers from blush pink buds. A rare and beautiful plant whichis perfectly hardy. £5.35N. b. Marnie Rogerson’. Palest pink with a hint of shrimp in the colour. A scarce plant but easyto please. £5.25N. b. ‘Washfield’. A shade paler than the typical form one usually encounters. Lots of sun for atip-top performance. £4.20NEPETA. The Catmints – and we love them just as much as they do. @ £4.20*N. ‘Bramdean’. A distinct seedling with dark stems and calyxes discovered in a Hampshiregarden. 40cm17

Copper seed heads of Veronicastrum with Rudbekia‘Goldsturm’.Persicaria orientalisA flourishing Aster ‘Little Carlow’.Swooning Helianthus salicifolius.Striking autumn seed heads. Eupatorium versusVeronicastrum.Right: Aster amellus ‘Framfieldii’ successfully partnersGaura/Salvia.

Subtle tapestry of autumn grasses and perennials.Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberspinne’.Cortaderia sell. pumila in a sea of Miscanthus.Dew spun Pennisetum alo. ‘BlackBeauty’.Preparing for winter – Agapanthus seed heads/Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’.

Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus‘Roger’s Rough’.Craggy bronzed seed heads of Globe Atichoke.Frost rhymed Eryngium giganteum.Veronicastrum silhouette.

18Nepeta ‘Dawn to Dusk’. Dutch Nurseryman, Coen Jansen’s subtle selection. Pale pink withpurple calyxes. 60cm.N. govaniana. From Kashmir with dainty, pale yellow hooded flowers. Needs a light, rich soil(not dry) to do well but worth every effort. 120cm.*N. kubanica. A leafy Caucasian species bearing clusters of large violet-blue flowers held indark calyxces. New to us, it came highly recommended and is a plant for full sun or partialshade. 80cm+.N. nuda. Upright growth and a subtle misty display of tiny grey-lavender flowers for weeks.Fans of strong colour will no doubt pass it by. 1.2mN. racemosa ‘Walkers Low’. A Tomcat of a Catmint with a vigour to match. Deep lavenderblueflowers. 60cm.OMPHALODES cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’. In good soil this semi-evergreen will rewardyou with hundreds of brightest blue ‘Forget-me-not’ flowers for weeks. 30cm. £4.35*ORIGANUM laevigatum ‘Herrenhaussen’. Deep green foliage, clusters of pink flowerscontrasting with dark purple calyxes and grey metallic seed heads add up to a fine plant. 35cm.£4.20*O. L. hybrid. Coarser than the species but with the same haze of rosy-purple flowers throughsummer. 30cm. £4.20*O. vulgare ‘Marchants Seedling’. A seedling selected by us for its good constitution andvigour. The mauve-pink flowers will have Tortoiseshell butterflies queuing to get into yourgarden! 40cm. £4.20ORLAYA grandiflora. We offer packets of seed of this very pretty pure white annualumbellifer. The most commented on plant in the garden last summer – dammit! 60cm. £1.75ORNITHOGALUM pyramidale ‘Short Form’. Masses of white, green striped flowers areborne on 30cm spikes in May-June. A charming, uncommon form. £4.60PELARGONIUM. Who could fail to be endeared by these charming subjects, flowering plantspar excellence for potwork, each with highly individual scented leaves. Don’t kid yourself theyare hardy. They’re not and will need cosseting through winter. From £4.20P. grandiflorum. Bold foliage (with herby scent) and small white flowers discreetly veined.Utterly charming.P. ‘Lara Starshine’. Deep, bright pink flowers feathered with purple black, well set off by cut,silvery green, scented foliage.P. ‘Scarlet Unique’. An easy ‘Unique’ (some aren’t!) with small scarlet flowers well set off byscented greenery. £4.00P. ‘Shannon’. Attractive, deeply incised foliage and palest flesh pink flowers with dashingcrimson eyelashes on the upper petals.P. species. Small menthe scented scalloped leaves, pale silver-green and dinky white flowersfor months.PENSTEMON. Mainstays of the herbaceous border, with showy tubular flowers. Deep andpale pink, magenta, true blues, reds, etc. colours prevail. Judiciously dead head and you will berewarded with flowers the summer/autumn long. @ £4.35*P. ‘Blackbird’. Dark, vinous-purple. 90cm.*P. ‘Cherry’. Vivid cherry-red flowers all summer/autumn. 60cm.P. ex ‘Sunburst Amethyst’. Progeny of a lovely plant (coming true to type) with refined foliageand slender, tubular amethyst-purple flowers for months on end. 50cm.*Penstemon ‘Unamed Cherry Red’. Produces a brilliant and long lasting display of cherry redflowers but with quite different foliage to the form above. 75cm.*PEROVSKIA atriplicifolia ‘Blue Haze’. The broad, uncut leaves make for a far chunkierplant than the following. Suprisingly uncommon. 120cm. From £4.60*P. a.‘Blue Spire’. In a well drained soil the spires of small lavender-blue flowers make a finevertical accent. Invaluable for its late flowering display. 120cm. From £4.60PERSICARIA. Whilst the foliage of the following could not be described as being refined, theirflower shape, colour range and extraordinary length of flowering season lift them, for us, onto avery high level. They also partner a wide range of grasses. From £4.35We have gathered a number of newcomers from the continent and offer several below.*P. amplexicaulis ‘Alba’. The exception to the rule in providing cool white flower spikes.P. a. ‘Fine Pink’. Slender spikes, a tad darker than ‘Rosea’ below and thereby fills a usefulniche.P. a. ‘Firedance’. Thin tapers of resonant carmine-red over fresh green foliage through summerand autumn. A sharp eyed Oudolf selection. 120cm.P. a. ‘Jo & Guido’s Form’. An uncommon form, neither red nor pink and with a distinct hintof salmon in the colour. 1m with us but probably taller in damp soil.P. a. Lage Zaailing. Another Dutch selection from Hans Kramer, translating (I believe) as‘short seedling’and at 75cm, short it is. Light rose-red spikes.*P. a. ‘Rosea’. Upright spikes of small, pale pink flowers held in crimson calyxes creating forweeks a charming two toned effect. Partners Panicum and Miscanthus superbly. 120cm.P. a. ‘Summer Dance’. Another less frequently seen Oudolf selection coming in rose-red.120cm.*P. a. ‘Taurus’. A classy Bressingham Gardens introduction, the spikes of vibrant ruby-redflowers are the darkest and richest of those we grow. 120cm*PHLOMIS russeliana. Bold plush leaves, pale sage green and whorls of typical yellowhooded flowers in tiers make for a pleasantly butch plant. The impeccable seed heads are ofgreat winter interest. 120cm. £4.50*P. t.uberosa. An herbaceous plant strong in both character and growth, always drawingfavourable comments. Pale lilac hooded flowers are carried in whorls on stiff, black-purplestems. Good seed heads. Raised from a plant I collected in Armenia in 2004. 120cm. £4.50PHLOX paniculata. The genus Phlox provides us with some of the most useful mid to latesummer flowering perennials, their colour spectrum ranging from white, vicious pinks (as usedby the late Christopher Lloyd) to soothing lilac. But it is their scent, pungent and spicy, lingeringin the air (and in the memory too) on a hot, listless August day that quintessentially captures themood of high summer. We offer the following forms, available from June onwards. From £4.35.P. ‘Blue Paradise’, ‘David’, ‘Forncett Twilight’, ‘Hesperis’, ‘Mount Fuji’, P. paniculata, P.pan. alba, ‘Princess Sturdza’, ‘Reddish Hesperis’, ‘Utopia’, etc.P. stolonifera. Purple Form. A resilient carpeting woodlander with clusters of large papalpurple flowers, paler on their reverse, through early summer. 20cm. £4.35POLYGONATUM multiflorum ramosissimum. A gift from a Belgian colleague, the smallflowers of this oddball are held on lateral branched stems. The bronze caste to the stems andleaves of early spring is a superb bonus. Formerly offered as P. ‘Branched Form’. 60cm. £4.50P. lasianthum. A gift from plantsman extraordinaire Dan Hinkley, his own Japanese collectionwith remarkable, if not unique, purple stripes suffusing the newly unfurling leaves. Smallcreamy, celadon tipped flowers follow. Rare. 30cm. £8.0019

20Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’. The profuse and striking stripedvariegation of this vigorous plant would redeem the drabbest spot of any garden .75cm.£4.50P. roseum (aff). SBQE 1310. A diminutive Solomon’s Seal from China noted for its sweetlyscented tubular rose pink flowers. A gem, but better grown and appreciated in a pot we find.10cm. £4.50POLYPODIUM cambricum. The polypodies are really great garden plants, easy to grow andrequiring only half-decent soil in semi-shade to prosper. The new fronds emerge in late summerand retain a remarkable freshness throughout the autumn and winter months. From £4.80P. c. ‘Oakleyae’. The segments are closely stacked together in this form giving the frond adense and well structured appearance. Very beautiful. 30cm..P. c. pulcherrimum ‘Dwarf form’. Equally good but a tad shorter than the other forms wegrow.P. c. ‘Whilharris’. Generally shaggier in its appearance, the lobes of the large 35cm long frondsare also deeply cut, each vaguely resembling a small Christmas tree.Polypodium glycyrrhiza. Bold bipinnatifid fronds whose classic, simple line could not beimproved upon. The root apparently tastes of liquorice. 45cm.P. x mantoniae ‘Cambricum’. A classic fern assumed to be a hybrid. Elegant bipinnatifidfronds taper to a fine point but produces irregular fronds too. Like all polypodies, needs timeto show its true character. 30cm.POLYSTICHUM setiferum ‘Herrenhausen’. A classic selection of the soft shield fern withascending fronds from the German garden of this name. 70cm. £4.75P. s. plumosodivisilobum. The fronds of the Soft Shield Fern gently curve and are made up ofclosely tiered pinnae, the whole resembling a wacky designer cushion. £4.75POTENTILLA ‘Flamenco’. Another old cultivar whose sizzling scarlet flowers are sure to getyour castanets a’clacking. 30cm. £4.35P. thurberi ‘Monarch’s Velvet’. Deep madder red flowers with a black-maroon eye, the size ofa ten-penny piece. Ever gaining a fan club. 50cm. £4.35P. ‘William Rollison’. A cinquefoil whose sprawling stems bear gay, semi-double vermilionorangeflowers, yellow on their reverse. 30cm. £4.35PRIMULA auricula ‘Devon Cream’. Somewhat blowsy, cream-yellow flowers. Very cottagey.£4.35P. a. ‘Hetty Wolf’. A subtle show variety with silver grey flowers. Needs mollycoddling. 10cm.£4.35P. a. ‘Old Mustard’. Deliciously scented, mustard-yellow flowers with a large powdery whiteeye. Uncommon. 15cm. £4.35P. a. ‘Old Red Elvet’. A gorgeous old show variety – velvety deep crimson red with a largemealy white eye. 15cm. £4.35P. sieboldii lactiflora. A species with downy, pale green leaves and large brilliant whitenotched flowers in spring. A woodlander from Japan. £4.35PULMONARIA. Groundcover is often a descriptive word attached to the Lungworts. Whata drab description for a genus that offers so much more .We hope the leaf variation and flowercolour of the following will prove the point. Priced at £4.35P. ‘Blue Ensign’. Large flowers, vivid deep blue over unspotted, bottle-green foliage. 25cm.First rate.Pulmonaria ‘Cotton Cool’. A bold and vigorous newcomer from the States with platinum,spear shaped leaves over 30cm long. The blue and pink flowers are nothing to boast about.30cm.P. ‘Diana Claire’. A P. longifolia hybrid with striking silver-green foliage and large violet-blueflowers. 25cm.P. ‘Little Star’. A pert American selection, its clusters of brilliant blue flowers held over neatclumps of faintly silver splashed foliage. 20cm.P. longifolia ‘Ankum’. Altogether different, the leaves are long and slender and heavily silvermottled. The flower clusters whilst not large are a brilliant violet-blue. 20cm.P. ‘Opal’. A hybrid with palest lavender-blue flowers, small but effective, and good spottedleaves. 30cm.PULSATILLA vulgaris ‘Dark Red’. Seedlings from a very good, dark red form of the PasqueFlower. 20cm. £4.35*RANUNCULUS aconitifolius platanifolius. The flowers emerge almost at ground level andeventually erupt into an airy flight of delicate white blooms on 90cm branched stems. Adores ourclay. £4.50RODGERSIA ‘Cally Salmon’. Striking spikes of bright salmon pink flowers ageing typically toa weathered red when in seed. £5.50R. ‘Die Anmutige’. An Ernst Pagel’s selection chosen for its particularly richly bronzed foliageand splendid tapering panicles of floaty cream-rose flowers. 1m. £5.50*R. ‘Kupfermond’. Meaning ‘Copper Mound’ this German form has been selected for its richcoloured leaves and short habit. £5.50*R. pinnata ‘Buckland Beauty’. An uncommon form from Devon, selected for its dramaticrufous foliage. Requires retentive soil if the leaves are not to look like potato crisps insummer. £5.50*R. p. ‘Maurice Mason’. Named by Christopher Lloyd after his plantsman friend. Amagnificent form, handsome in foliage, flower (rich pink) and seed (dusky red) anddeserving of your very best soil. 120cm. £6.75R. podophylla. Ample palmate leaves emerge in spring strikingly bronze flushed, eventuallyturning green but retaining their beauty until autumn. 90cm. From £4.80R. sambucifolia ‘Mountain Select’. Bold, pinnate, textured foliage and tapering, branchedpanicles of creamy-white flowers in June/July. An uncommon form. 90cm. From £4.80ROSCOEA ‘Beesiana’. Related to the Gingers these woodland plants have an exotic beauty.The vaguely orchid like bi-coloured blooms of this form are pale primrose and reddish-purple.40cm. £4.50R. cautleoides ‘Kew Beauty’. A tremendously vigorous form with large, primrose yellowflowers. 45cm. £4.80R. purpurea. A large flowered purple form, not difficult to grow. 30cm. £4.35ROSMARINUS officinalis albus. The beautiful white form of the common Rosemary. 90cm.From £4.50RUDBECKIA. Stalwarts of the herbaceous border and like wily politicians will go on and onfor years with little encouragement. From £4.35*R. fulgida ‘Goldsturm’. The mind boggles as to how Susan received her black eyes. Perhapsstaring at her namesake for too long for this is a bold yellow! In fact, yokes of free-rangeeggs spring to mind. Whilst brazen, it remains a peerless plant. 90 cm.21

22Rudbeckia ‘Herbstsonne’. The large bright yellow drooping petals and central green conemake for a plant of enormous quality. Tangos beautifully with Salvia uliginosa through theautumn. 2m+.R. laciniata. An elegant plant bearing graceful clear yellow daisies with green coned centres on2m stems. Both foliage and the persistent seed heads are handsome too.*R. occidentalis ‘Green Wizard’. Green flowers always fascinate. This selection, made atMarchants, has larger ray-petals than most, a deep Granny Smith green setting off to a teethe black cone. 150cm.*R. subtomentosa. A notch softer in colour than some of the former and gentler therefore onthe eye. The central cone resembles a maroon button. Needs a few pea sticks on our windysite. 120cm.SALIX. We love Willows, partly because they prosper on our moisture retentive soil but moreimportantly, because no plant can match their response to wind with such lithe phrasing. Theyassociate magnificently with grasses. Some of the following will assume tree height if notstooled annually. Heights given are for annually stooled plants. Prices from £5.80Salix acutifolia ‘Blue Streak’. A first class Willow noted for the white bloom that covers theyoung stems, its slender glossy leaves and altogether elegant habit. Stool annually for besteffect. 4m+.S. eleagnos. The narrow silver-backed leaves of this shapely shrub give it the appropriate nameof ‘Rosemary-leaved Willow’. Given space, it will make a worthy contribution in any nottoo dry soil and needs little pruning. 3m+S. purpurea ‘Nancy Saunders’. A remakably elegant form of the purple Osier, its slender bluegreyleaves adding considerably to the effect. Small grey catkins in Feb-March. 2.2m.S. p. ‘Helix’. Pale stems on stooled wood and very attractive small dark flowers in February.Upright growth. 2m+.SALVIA. Like human beings, the ubiquitous Sage comes in all shapes and sizes, and also likehumans, some are noticeably fussier and more demanding than others. They are truly worthyplants, giving us a spread of colourful flowers throughout summer. There should be a plant hereto suit every taste.S. chamelaeagnea. A distinct and desirable shrubby species from the Cape, South Africa,the pale violet-blue hooded and ivory lipped flowers suspended on upright twiggy growththrough summer/autumn. Hardiness questionable. 1m+. £4.50*S. coahuilensis. A plant that delivers a non-stop display of small, intense violet-blue flowerssummer long. Has proved nonchalantly hardy here. 30cm. £4.35*S. guaranitica ‘Blue Enigma’. Magnificent royal blue flowers from mid-summer until frosts.We find this the most reliably perennial form and it requires no staking. 150cm. £4.35S. x jamensis ‘Red Velvet’. Big, brazen, bold red flowers. Bloomin marvellous! 70cm. £4.50*S. x j. ‘Silas Dyson’. Glorious deep wine red flowers with fat lobes for months on end. Makesa semi-shrubby mound, a little brittle when young. 1m+. £4.50*S. lavandulifolia. Slender grey leaves, freely produced spikes of lavender-blue flowers anda broad spreading habit make this a super plant for the border front, banks or walls alike.40cm. £4.35S. nemorosa ‘Amethyst’. This distinct selection from Ernst Pagels sways more to the lavender/lilac spectrum than other cultivars and is a useful plant where vertical lift is required. 75cm.£4.35S. n. ‘Caradonna’. A great selection from the Continent. The violet flowers and striking blackpurplestems lift this plant into a different league altogether. £4.35S. n. ‘Phoenix Pink’. Marina Christopher’s pale pink selection, the flowers held in reddishcalyxces giving a blurred, two tone effect. 60cm. £4.35Salvia nemorosa ssp. tesquicola. A course, leafy plant redeemed by abundant spikes of smallviolet flowers for weeks. 70cm. £4.35S. nutans. From central Europe this curious meadow plant has nodding clusters of pale violetblueflowers held on gangly stems and is like no other Sage we have encountered. 1m. £4.50*S. patens. The most intense, pure blue of any Salvia we grow. Mulch well for winterprotection. 60cm. £4.35*S. ‘Raspberry Royale’. Not the largest flowers but they are a lovely shade of deep raspberryred, born for months. 70cm. £4.50*S. ‘Silke’s Dream’. Breaks the colour mould with its glorious deep coral-pink toned flowers.80cm. £4.50S. x superba. ‘Tanzerin’. Upright spikes of violet-blue flowers held in red-purple calycesgiving a pleasing two-toned effect. 60cm. £4.35S. x sylvestris ‘Blauhugel’. The value of this group of salvias cannot be over stressed,providing colour over a long period. The flowers of this dependably good, short form arelavender-blue. 40cm. £4.35S. x s. ‘Rose Queen’. A dependable pale rose pink form. 60cm. £4.35S. uliginosa. Wand-like stems carry clear sky-blue flowers, not large but freely produced overa very long season. We find it impossible to tire of this plant but beware. It is rampant If itlikes you. From £4.35S. u. ‘Ballon Azul’. From talented Freiburg nurseryman Ewald Hugin comes this new form ofthe Bog Sage, growing to 120cm only with typical azure blue flowers. Now that’s an excitingprospect! From £4.50*S. verticillata ‘Purple Rain’. A Piet Oudolf selection made some years ago, yet still difficultto hold a candle to. If deadheaded regularly, continues with a display of its purple flowerspikes for weeks on end. 45cm. £4.35SANGUISORBA. The Burnets are among the rising stars of the Horticultural stage. For those ofyou bitten by these characterful plants we would refer you to Marina Christopher’s super articlein ‘Gardens Illustrated’ (Sept. 04). Needless to say, we find them exemplary used in associationwith grasses and we are always adding new varieties to our list. Please note that plants markedwith an asterisk(*) will not become available until May. From £4.50*S. ‘Blackthorn’. An inspiring new comer to our list. Fuzzy, pink and upright and admired byall. 1.5m.*S. ‘Burr Blanc’. We spotted this saucy white seedling here amongst a batch of seedlings 3years ago and it has performed very well in the garden even in 2006’s drought. Quite unlikeother white forms, the flowers emerge from celadon green buds and retain a fresh appearancefor weeks on end. 120cm.S. canadensis hybrid. Our own name for this S. Canadensis look alike, albeit much shorter.Spikes of white flowers for weeks and holds its structure well. 1.2m.*S. ‘Cangshan Cranberry’. We really value this super plant for its Sept-Nov. display of duskyred flowers on self supporting, upright stems. A Dan Hinkley collection from Dali, YunnanProvince, China in 1996. 2m+.S. menziesii. Conspicuous maroon burrs, the largest and first to flower in mid-summer. Alwaysadmired by customers unfamiliar with this genus – the best recommendation of all. 1m.S. officinalis. Similar to the following but the burrs are very dark maroon and more rounded.Described by the late G. S. Thomas as ‘A leafy, weedy plant’. Tut,tut Mr T. 2m+*S. off. ‘Arnhem’. The burrs of this lanky burnet hover like a swarm of small raspberries onwiry, branched stems, holding their colour for weeks. A great favourite here during summer.2m.*S. off. ‘Pink Tanna’. Despite being in a muddle in the trade, this remains a good plantproducing a copious crop of palest pink burrs in summer. Im.*S. ‘Pink Tanna – Form 2’. Longer and more slender burrs than the above. Very good. 1m.23

24*Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Tanna’. The shortest and most respectably behaved burnet, thebottle green pinnate foliage and dusky maroon flowers atop wiry stems remain in good fettlefor weeks. 30cm.*S. sp. CDC 262. Thimble sized dark maroon burrs spaciously arranged on a rigging of wirystems. Worthy of a design award. 60cm.S. sp. Japan. A medium sized plant possessing all the good characteristics one expects fromthis genus. The conspicuous, slender burrs are dark, reddish-maroon. 150cm.*S. tenuifolia ‘Korean Snow’. A handsome and robust form from Korea, the strong stemstopped with cascades of white tassle-like flowers long into the autumn. 2m.SANTOLINA pinnata ssp neapolitana ‘Edward Bowles’. Holds the trophy for the longestname in the catalogue! Highly valued for its mounds of grey-green foliage and soft yellow pompomflowers. 40cm. £5.35SAXIFRAGA geum ‘Dixter Form’. A charming, small ‘London Pride’, whose neat roundedleaves form pert green rosettes. A mist of tiny white flowers in early summer completes thepicture. Uncommon. 20cm. £4.20S. geum ‘Dentata’. The leaves in this form look as though they’ve been histrionically set uponwith a pair of pinking shears! £4.20S. x urbium ‘Miss Chambers Pink Pride’. A London Pride of impeccable merit and far fromold hat, chosen for its strong constitution and size of flower. 30cm. £4.35SCABIOSA argentea. Pale green filigree foliage and a network of wiry stems carrying smalllavender blue flowers with a paler centre make for a very pretty plant indeed. Sun + drainagecrucial. 60cm. £4.35S. columbaria var. ochroleuca. Pale yellow flowers are held on a tracery of wiry stemsthrough the summer. A very beautiful plant when well grown. Revels in sun. 90-120cm.£4.35S. c. var. webbinana. A colour variant of the above and a pretty plant it is with dainty, paleflesh pink flowers. 60cm. £4.35*SCHIZOSTYLIS coccinea. ‘Zeal Salmon’. A ‘Kaffir Lily’ with large, vivid salmon-pinkflowers very late in the season. Excellent as a cut flower. 60cm. £4.35*SCUTELLARIA incana. Skullcap. An unassuming leafy plant until late summer that is whenits spikes of pretty lavender-blue flowers will catch all but the dullest eyes. £4.35SEDUM. Deservedly popular plants with few vices. They add considerable beauty to ourgardens through the season with their generous mounds of succulent foliage varying in shadesfrom pale glaucous green/blue-green/green flushed purple to purple. Come August/Septembertheir flattened heads of tiny flowers will be making a serious contribution to the garden scene,while at the same time driving butterflies and bees into a frenzy of late summer supping. Pleasenote the following will hopefully be available from June onwards. From £4.50S. ‘Bertram Anderson’. A fine dark purple leaved form, more prostrate in its habit than theothers making it ideal for the border front. Small crimson flowers in late summer. 20cm.*S. ‘Chocolate Sauce’. Our darkest selection with glossy chocolate-purple foliage.S. ‘Marchants Best Red’. AGM. A rich, ruby red in fact. The green leaves are purple flushed.40cm.S. ‘Matrona’. (‘Matronly’) The meatiest sedum we grow with large purple flushed, greenleaves. The dusky pink flower heads are large too, fading to rich brown and persist long intothe winter months. 60cm.*Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’. AGM. Our own selection that has been very much praised by allwho have grown it. Dark purple leaves and heads of flesh pink come straw yellow flowers.40cm.*S. ‘Purple Moon’. The dark green foliage develops to purple-bronze by late summer, a finecontrast to the pale yellow flowers. 40cm.*S. ruprechtii. A first rate foliage plant, the glaucous blue-green leaves taking on a purple casteas the seasons progress. Pale yellow flowers fade to light tan. 45cm.S. ‘Red Cauli’. Grey-green metallic foliage perfectly offsets the Cauliflower like clusters ofintense ruby-red flowers. We received the RHS’s highest accolade, an AGM for this plant in2006. 45cm*S. ‘Ripe Rhubarb’. Our newest selection, very strong with striking deep ruby stems and pinktoned flowers. 30cmSELINUM tenuifolium. From the Himalayas, this refined Umbellifer is like a vastly superior‘Queen Anne’s Lace’. The fresh green lacy foliage is crowned in June with flat umbels of whiteflowers supported on stout, ribbed stems. 120cm. £4.50*SEMIAQUILEGIA ecalcarata. A dainty Aquilegia relative combining delicate foliage andspurless ruby flowers. 30cm. £4.00SEMPERVIVUM. We’ve enjoyed gathering a small collection of Houseleeks over the years,and of course lovely pots in which to grow them. Kids seem to love them as much as we do. Wehope to have the following for sale. From £3.00S. ‘Lady Kelly’, S. marmoreum brunneifolium, S. nevadense hirtellum, S.‘Spiders Lair’, S.tectorum glaucum, etc.*SERRATULA seaonei. A modest and little known plant that makes its unassuming entry late inthe season with fuzzy pale violet aster like flowers over deeply cut foliage. 30cm. £4.35SESILE hippomarathrum. Over a satisfying mound of fine, carrot like foliage, wayward stemsterminate in small umbels of creamy-white flowers from dusky pink buds through late summer.30cm. £4.20SISYRINCHIUM. Relatives of Iris, the smaller varieties that follow all have large flowers andare excellent for use on the rockery, raised beds or border front alike. Whilst they may needdividing occasionally to keep them in good spirits, they have settled down well here on ourheavy clay soil. Do give them lots of sun. Priced at £4.20S. ‘Iceberg’. Barest hint of steely-blue in the large white flower. Cool! 15cm.S. idahoense bellum ‘Pale form’. Large flowers, a most beautiful shade of grey-blue. 20cm.S. ‘Marchants Seedling’. A very short dark violet seedling spotted on one of our raised beds.Has performed well. 5cmS. ‘Pale violet/dark eye’. Another seedling selected here for its large pale violet flowers anddark eye. 15cmS. ‘Purple Sport’. A stronger plant than the above with big purple-violet saucer shaped flowers.15cm.SMILACINA racemosa. In foliage, similar to ‘Solomon’s Seal’ to which it is related. However,this American woodlander differs in producing from fresh, apple green buds, a froth of tiny whitescented flowers in branched spikes. 90cm. £4.5025

26*SOLIDAGO caesia. The golden-yellow flowers of this attractive Golden Rod are carried ondark, branched stems. At 45cm a valuable plant for a late display at the border front. £4.35*S. rugosa ‘Firecracker’. A great descriptive name, the slender spikes of golden yellowflowers make a bright display among our tall grasses in the autumn. 1.2m. £4.35*STACHYS macrantha superba. Whorls of good sized rose-purple flowers over handsome,leafy clumps. A first class, bomb proof plant suitable for lazy gardeners. 50cms. £4.35*S. monieri ‘Hummelo’. An Ernst Pagels selection producing neat spikes of lilac-purpleflowers in mid-summer. 60cm. £4.35*S. officinalis ‘Alba’ Short spikes of pure white flowers in summer over mounds of pert,evergreen leaves. A lovely plant, utterly dependable. 30cm. £4.35*S. off. ‘Marchant’s Pink’. This good deep pink seedling cropped up in a batch of seedlings ofthe above and belongs to the border front battalion. £4.35S. off. ‘Rosea’. An easy to please rose-pink form, which has never grown taller than 30cm withus and also sits very happily at the border’s edge. £4.35STROBILANTHES rankaiensis. Shorter, later and with less hairy leaves than the followingthis remains an excellent autumn flowering perennial. 90cm. £4.35S. wallichii. A handsome late flowering perennial providing a show of sizeable hooded paleviolet-blue flowers over a copious mound of bristly, large leaves. 120cm. September. £4.35SUCCISA pratensis. Dainty lavender-blue, Scabious like flowers held on 60cm spikes overevergreen basal clumps. Completely dependable and a cocktail bar for tortoiseshell butterflies inSept/Oct. £4.35TEUCRIUM fruticans. From the mediterranean, the Shrubby Germander revels in dry soils.The white stems, small grey leaves and subtle grey-blue flowers make for a fine plant. 1.2m+.£5.75*THALICTRUM aquilegifolium ‘Small Thundercloud’. A corker of a plant, T. aquilegifoliumin miniature. Creates considerably more than a storm in a tea cup with its generous clouds ofpurple flowers. 40cm. £4.80T. delavayi. W. China. The small, nodding rosy lilac flowers with their prominent stamensprovide an entrancing display on their tracery of wiry stems in summer. A refined plant inevery respect. 1.5m. £4.50*T. flavum. Quite different from the more commonly seen glaucous leaved form, sharingonly pale yellow flowers. At 75cm this is shorter, has deep green, glossy leaves and a mildrunning habit – only a problem if you’re a control freak. £4.35*T. ‘Elin’. Vigorous and imposing hybrid ( T. flavum glaucum x T. rochebruneanum) 2.5 m+.From £4.75THERMOPSIS villosa. A first rate Pea, clump forming and long lived. The soft toned lemonyellow flowers are at their bonniest in May, held on dark, leafy stems. The plant retains itsfreshness the season long. 1m. £4.50THYMUS ‘Orange Scented’. Proof that a plant can smell of orange rind! Forms a grey leavedmound. £4.00TRIOFOLIUM ochroleucon. Similar to the following in flower and habit but with greatervigour. The flowers of both species age kindly. 45cm. £4.35*Triofolium pannonicum. Masses of large creamy yellow heads all summer over clumps oftrefoil leaves. 35cm. £4.35T. rubens. An unusual clover, the short spikes of soft red flowers make an excellentcontribution to the mid-summer flower border. 40cm. £4.35TROLLIUS chinensis ex ‘Golden Queen’. An old cultivar with large, sophisticated clean orangeflowers. These children should follow suit. Rich soil, better moist than dry. 90cm. £4.35TROPAEOLUM polyphyllum. A bizarre Nasturtium with silver foliage and yellow flowers.£6.50TULBAGHIA cominsii. One of the smallest Tulbaghias, the tiny white sweetly scentedflowers carried in clusters over rushy foliage on 15cm stems for months from late winter.Disliked 2009’s winter cold so probably best in a pot. £4.35T. verdooniae. A curio with cloyingly scented, small grey-green/orange flowers throughsummer. Hardy it would seem. 45cm. £4.60T. v. ‘Alba’. I discovered this rogue white seedling in the Kirstenboch Botanic Garden PlantCentre. Hey Ho! Smaller and less strong than the above it makes the perfect plant for gardenor potwork alike. 45cm. £4.50T. violacea ‘Fine Form’. A very strong, prodigious flowering form of this South AfricanAllium relative with larger umbels of lilac-mauve flowers than usually seen. Perfectly hardy.60cm. £4.75UVULARIA grandiflora. An American woodlander related to ‘Solomon’s Seal’. Thecuriously twisted flower petals are cheering yellow, in harmonious contrast to the pale greenfoliage. 40cm. £4.60U. g. var. pallida. A beautiful pale yellow variant of the above for those who do not needcheering. £4.60VALERIANA officinalis. Stiff branched stems soar over clumps of pinnate foliage carryingclusters of sweet scented small white flowers. A grand ‘weed’ and in effect a match to theubiquitous Verbena bonariensis. 1.75m. £4.35*VERBASCUM sp. Thinking this an annual I left this mullein on the Armenian hillside whereit was discovered. Not however my inquisitive friend John Coke, and it is to him that we owethe introduction of this plant. The flowers come in an extraordinary range: Moleskin grey, petrolblue, deep jade, khaki, etc. Best of all, it has proved perennial but remains unamed as a species.50cm. £4.35*V. blattaria albiflorum. From neatly packaged buds burst large white flowers with rosystamens. Short lived but seeds freely. 90cms. £4.20*V. p. ‘Pale Form’. A much paler version of the following. Very pleasing when allowed toseed about. £4.20V. phoenicium ‘Violetta’. Airy spikes of large rich purple flowers more than compensate forthe lack lustre basal rosettes. Seeds freely when happy. 60cm. £4.20*VERBENA bonariensis. Erect, skeletal Giacometti like stems bear clusters of tiny lavenderpurpleflowers through summer and autumn. Its transparent structure is beautiful in winter too.150-180cm. £4.20*V. hastata. Erect stems terminate in a branched candelabra arrangement of tiny purpleflowers. 90cm. £4.2027

28*Verbena hastata alba. The less often encountered white form. 75cm. £4.20V. h. rosea. Hopefully, we shall have plants available of this delightful pink form in earlysummer. 90cms. £4.20*V. ‘La France’. The ambitious stems of this bedding type verbena will gladly weavethemselves to great effect through neighbours. Domed heads of bright lilac-mauve flowersthroughout summer/autumn. 45cm. £4.35*V. rigida ‘Polaris’. The clusters of small pale lavender flowers are always much admiredhere. Pessimists would have us believe it is not hardy. £4.20*VERNONIA crinita. Iron Root. So called because of its brutishly tough roots. A lateperennial which should be better known. Leafy 1.8m+ stems are topped in Sept/Oct with adisplay of small crimson-purple aster like flowers. £4.80*V. fasciculata. The differences between this and the above are hair fine. Your choice! £4.80*VERONICA exaltata. Stiff stems that need no staking terminate in spikes of tiny, soft lavender-blue.A handsome, trouble free garden plant rarely met. 120cm. £4.20V. ‘Fantasy’. Slender spikes of palest lavender-grey/blue flowers throughout summer. Anarrival from the continent that we have particularly enjoyed. 45cm.VERONICASTRUM sibiricum. This Asian/Siberian form is a leafier plant than the followingwith fuller branched spikes of violet blue flowers. 1.5m. £4.50V. virginicum ‘Apollo’. This is a new clone which we are told is correct! Long spikes, moreblue than lavender. 120cm. £4.50V. v. ‘Fascination’. Whorls of leaves clasp dark stems, topped in summer with attractive spiresof tiny lavender-mauve flowers. If vertical accent is required, here’s the plant. 2 m+. £4.50V. v. ‘Lavendelturm’. A very vigorous and tall form with large airy tapers of pale lavenderlilacflowers and remarkably good chestnut-brown seed heads in early winter. 2m+. £4.50V. v. ‘Pink Glow’. Not dissimilar to the following in colour and height. 1.5m. £4.50V. v. roseum. Soft pink flower spikes followed by persistent warm, coppery seed heads inwinter make this a favourite here. 1.5m. £4.50V. v. Seedlings. Strong plants which have flowered in shades of pale lilac and white. Luckydip. 1.2m+. 1½ Litre pots. £4.80V. v. ‘Temptation’. One of the first to flower with pale lilac spikes. 120cm. £4.50VIOLA cornuta ‘Boughton Blue’. A plant with no more concern other than to please us byproducing dozens of deep sky-blue flowers the season long. Utterly dependable. 15cm. £4.00V. cornuta ‘Heaselands’. Such a good strong plant with large scented, pale violet flowers.Very reliable. 20cm. £4.00V. c. ‘Victoria’s Blush’. Chirpy, small flowers in lilac-pink to cheer you through the season.A haircut and good drenching mid-season will encourage a further flush of flowers. 20cm.£4.00GRASSESWith admirers and detractors alike, no group of plants divides the British gardening public morethan the topic of grasses. Thankfully, most of us have liberated ourselves from that hideouslyunimaginative 60’s/70’s practice of lumping grasses together in a bed of their own, creating adepressingly moribund feature in the process. Today, with the introduction over the last 20 yearsof many handsome new varieties and forms from the Continent, Asia and America, grasses arenow being used in a much more considered and creative way by forward thinking gardenersand garden designers alike. They have become an essential part of the gardening vernacular andregardless of their fashion status, (it will not have escaped your notice how often they appear inmagazines) are likely to be prominent protagonists on the horticultural stage for a very long timeto come.Grasses are very much part of our vocabulary at Marchants, where they provide a connectionbetween the garden and the broad landscape beyond. In the wild too they are plants of openspaces often thriving in impoverished soils, requiring only gentle winds for pollination. But it isthe combination of light and sunshine in which to flaunt their beautiful flower heads that is themost essential ingredient of all.The majority of grasses at Marchants are at their best between August and October. Why notpay us a visit to see them and to discover the great beauty they bring to the garden.IMPORTANTMany of our grasses are propagated in spring and will not become available untilthe end of May/early June. They are marked with an asterisk, i.e. *BRIZA media var. limouzi. This ‘Quaking Grass’ always steals hearts with its rustling, darkflowers on wiry stems. 45cm. £4.50*CALAMAGROSTIS x acutiflora ‘Avalanche’. A new selection from the US with bolderwhite variegation to the centre of the leaf blade than C. ‘Overdam’, making for a striking grass.1.2m+. £4.60C. x a. ‘Karl Foerster’. The vertical thrust of this plant, together with the bleached biscuitpallor of the spent flowers and stems provides a unique and highly effective feature fromsummer onwards. 180cm. £4.60*C. x acutiflora ‘Overdam’. Finely variegated leaves form a bold clump and in spring areattractively tinted with pink. The spent flowers are as effective as the above. 1.5m. £4.60*C. brachytricha. A late summer flowering grass from Korea where it grows at woodlandfringes. The flower plumes open pink-purple and fade to a silvery hue. A dramatic grasswhen grown well. 1.2m. £4.60*C. varia. Possesses all the attributes of the above. However, the flowers of this species areheld on graceful, arching stems. 60cm. £4.6029*CAREX elata aurea. Bowles’s Golden Sedge demands retentive soil to prosper. Quite brilliantin its effect. 45cm. £4.75C. muskingumensis ‘Oehme’. A striking form with a swish golden band to the edge of theleaf. 45cm. £4.75*CHASMANTHIUM latifolium. The intriguing flat flowers of ‘Wood Oats’ are green onopening and persist in winter when they become copper flushed. Admire them in the garden orbetter still, pick them for the house. £4.80

30 31DESCHAMPSIA cespitosa. The type species, strong growing, particularly so in sticky clay. Theinflorescence creates the effect of a golden cloud. 1m. £4.50D. c. ‘Goldtau’. Reckoned to be the most persistent form for its misty effect, lasting long intowinter. 60cm. £4.50D. flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold’. Forms low, tufted mounds of narrow foliage, a lively gold-greenthrough winter and spring. 25cm. £4.50*ERAGROSTIS curvula. The narrow leaves of the ‘Love Grass’ will form a copious archingmound, topped in summer with greyish green plumes. Its striking wispy form in winter is alsomuch admired here. 75cm. £4.50*E. c. ‘Totnes Burgundy’. A selected form whose foliage develops a burgundy red caste. 75cm£4.60FESTUCA glauca ‘Blaufuchs’. For those of you who enjoy the neatness of a fescue here’s oneof the best, forming an inert, grey blob for the front of the border. 20cm. £4.35HELICTOTRICHON sempervirens. A classic grass making a tufted mound of steely greyfoliage. The stems bow gracefully under the weight of the flower panicles. 75cm. £4.50IMPERATA cylindrica rubra. The intensity of colour of the ‘Blood Grass’ increases with thepassing of the summer months, reaching by September a glowing beetroot red. Requires goodsoil and full sun to perform well. 30cm. £4.50LUZULA nivea. Snowy Wood Rush is clump forming, easy to please and valued for its quiet,charming display of white flower clusters in early summer. 60cm. £4.50MELICA nutans. The flower spikes of the Mountain Melick are one sided, the individualflowers being glossy and tinged with purple. A good texture plant for light woodland or partialshade. £4.35*M. uniflora f. albida. The Wood Melick creeps about benignly, its spikelets spangled withtiny bead like whitish flowers. Understated and utterly charming. £4.35MISCANTHUS. My conversion to this Genus happened many years ago on a visit to ErnstPagels’ Nursery in North Germany where he had spent many years selecting seedlings. The resultof his work has provided us with some of the finest autumn flowering grasses available today.This also accounts for the large number of German names one battles to get ones tongue around!Flowering at the same time as Pampas Grass, they do not suffer the same unfortunatesuburban connotation and are much easier to accommodate in mixed borders. Their beauty lastslong into the winter, as long that is as their bleached stems are able to resist the vagaries ofwinter’s inclement weather. Flowering on their annual growth, Jan/Feb heralds the start of theshearing season when they are cut back to 15cm or so before the new seasons growth begins.From £5.80*M. sinensis ‘Adagio’. At 1.2m this American selection has proved to be the shortest in ourcollection and is thus ideal for the smaller garden. Makes a tight, narrow leaved clump andcovers itself in silvery buff, thin plumes.M. ‘China’. Like the following, one of the darkest, but just a notch later.*M. s. ‘Ferne Osten’. An early display of dark purple flowers held well above narrow leaves,continues thereafter over a long season. A great favourite here. 150cm.M. s. ‘Flamingo’. A cultivar with extremely beautiful pendulous, purplish pink flowers. 180cm.AGMMiscanthus sinensis ‘Ghana’. A distinct narrow habit, upright brown flowers and superbreddish, purple-brown autumn colour make this a real winner. 150cm.M. s. ‘Grosse Fontäne’. The 2.5m stems support great arching silvery-buff flower plumes,always a great sight. AGM*M. s. ‘Kaskade’. Aptly named, the cascading flowers even when bleached by weather make anotable feature long into the winter months. 180cm. AGMM. s. ‘Kleine Fontäne’. Drooping flower heads in shimmering pink. This is indeed a verybeautiful ‘Small Fountain’. 120cm. AGMM. s. ‘Malepartus’. The stir this plant caused when it arrived from Germany continues to thisday. Dramatic, upright spikes of purple flowers in bold contrast to the broad, arching leaves.The foliage takes on glorious amber/apricot tints in late autumn. 180cm.M. s. ‘Morning Light’. This justly popular Japanese selection possesses extremely narrowvariegated foliage, which to the eye, registers as a pale silver-green. Not normally noted forits flowering display, it remains a peerless accent plant. 150cm. AGMM. s. ‘Professor Richard Hansen’. Another Ernst Pagels selection, with upright foliage andsentinel, silvery flower plumes held on lithe stems well above the leaves. 2.75m*M. s. ‘Punktchen’. Pale narrow bands develop on the leaves as the seasons progress,eventually becoming distinct punctuations. Free flowering and highly recommended. 2m.M. s. ‘Rosi’. A very handsome newcomer from Germany, bolt upright and with a dark,smouldering look about it. Fine autumn colour comes as a bonus. 2m+M. s. ‘Rotfuchs’. Deep rust-red narrow plumes, fading to a bleached charcoal-purple. 2m+*M. s. ‘Rotsilber’. A handsome selection, the strict, upright stems terminate in a fantasticdisplay of reddish-purple croziers, equally beautiful when they fade to grey-silver. 2.2m+M. s. ‘Sarabande’. Extremely fine elegant leaves form an erect column, erupting in Septemberin a display of copper-gold plumes. An American selection. 180cm.M. s. ‘Silberspinne’. The vertical thrust of elegant narrow leaves and upright flower heads ofbrown-purple make this selection one of the finest. Splendid winter structure. 180cm.*M. s. ‘Silver Sceptre’. Bolt upright with arguably the finest foliage among Miscanthus ofmedium height making it a particularly good grass for statement making. Marvellous inflower too. A lucky Marchants seedling. 1.8mM. s. ‘Yakushima Dwarf’. Extremely productive, casting up masses of golden plumes. Itsnarrow foliage, compact habit and beautiful shape, lends it to ‘Punctuation’ planting. Classy.120cm eventually.*M. transmorrisonensis. Virtually evergreen, with upright growth, the slender shuttlecockflowers are copper burnished and particularly beautiful when suspended with golden pollenin early autumn. 2mMOLINIA. The following are without exception among the most atmospheric of grasses. Arisingfrom non-invasive clumps, their erect stems bear in summer slender spikes of black-purpleor brown/tan flowers. Their transparent nature makes them ideal candidates for the border front,enabling the eye to pass through to vistas beyond. To cap it all, their bright, bleached stems makea strikingly beautiful addition to the late autumn/early winter garden. Prices from £4.50Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea ‘Bergfreund’. Tiny bead like flowers in silvery browncreate a floral mist and are at their most entrancing when suspended with droplets of waterafter rain. 2m.M. c. a. ‘Cordoba’. Upright thrusting stems and dense spikelets of purple-brown flowers.Impressive. 2m.M. c. a. ‘Fontäne’. An appropriate name given the fountain like nature of this plants archingstems. 2m+M. c. a. ‘Karl Foerster’. Handsome purple flower infloresence. The perfect choice for a oneman show at the border front! 180cm. Highly recommended.

32Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea. ‘Skyracer’. The pale brown flower heads hover over everycustomers head. A catchy name for a very good, very tall grass. 2.5m.M. c. a. ‘Transparent’. Only a pedant would argue about the differences between this and M.‘Bergfreund’. They are both highly effective garden plants.The following forms (ssp. caerulea) require the same cultural conditions as the above but are muchshorter in growth.Molinia caerulea ssp c. ‘Carmarthen’. Presumably discovered in Wales. forms a soft mound ofcream/green variegation. 40cms.M. c. c. ‘Claerwen’. A choice variegated form with striking upright flower stems in pale cream.Perfect for a vertical statement. 50cm.*M. c. c. ‘Edith Dudszus’. A useful height at 60cm, the upright stems carry tight heads of blackpurpleflowers. A great favourite here.M. c. c. ‘Heidebraut’. As ethereal as the following but at 1.2m just a notch taller.M. c. c.‘Moorhexe’. At 1m and with wispy panicles this is a useful intermediary between the shortand tall Molinias.*MUHLENBERGIA rigens. Deer Grass. An uncommon N. American sp. with modest silverygreenfoliage and in late summer, distinct slender plumes resembling exquisite platinum braid.60cm+. £4.80ORYZOPSIS milliacea. From evergreen tufts erupt filament-like flower stems arranged umbrellaspoke fashion from the base in descending size, tier upon tier creating an elegant, airy effect.Almost unmatched for beauty in winter. 45cm. £4.35PANICUM. The ‘Switch Grasses’ of North America are a valuable addition to our flower borders.Strictly clump forming and trouble free, they erupt in September/October into a shower of tinyreddish-purple, bead like flowers. At the same time, the foliage assumes crimson-purple hues,contributing greatly to the general effect. Prices from £4.60*P. amarum ‘Dewey Blue’. Differs from the following selections in being paler in both leaf andflower colour and with a more arching habit. We love it. 120cm.P. v. ‘Cloud Nine’. The strictly erect grey-green leafy stems erupt in October into a spectacularbillowy cloud of flowering panicles. It makes a superb punctuation. 2m.*P. v. ‘Dallas Blues’. Excellent broad blue green leaves, making it a foliage plant of due merit.The flowers are nothing to boast about. 2m+.P. v. ‘North Wind’. We so enjoy this plant with its strong vertical habit, forming a green columnin the border. Good bronze and copper tints in autumn too. Flowers? Hmm – ask anotherquestion. 120cm.*P. v. ‘Red Cloud’. Impressive sized panicles of ruby red flowers. A handsome newcomer. 120cm.*P. v. Rubrum. An old variety, but one which performs very well with us, flowering profuselyand with superb autumn leaf colour. 1m.*P. v. ‘Shenandoah’. Particularly dark red flowers in this form and characteristic red staining tothe foliage also. 1m.P. v. strictum. Bolt upright with a particularly airy flowering inflorescence. We love it! 120cm.P. v.‘Warrior’. Produces a great misty head of ruby flower spikelets that remain attractive inwinter long after their colour has been sapped. 120cm.*Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Cassian’s Choice’. A reliable American selection noted for thefreedom of its buff plumes starting in august. 70cms. £4.60P. a. ‘Herbstzauber’. Looking like an obese Pincushion, and softer toned than the above, thebrown bottlebrush flowers of this fine German selection always draw positive comments.50cm. From £4.60P. macrourum. Unequivocally one of the most exciting grasses we grow. The flowers, not unlikecream-white Pipe Cleaners, are held aloft on stiff 180cm stems. Need we say more! £4.75*P. orientale. Difficult to propagate we hope to have plants of this lovely species for sale by earlysummer. Remains a fine plant and holds its own against the following newer introductions.£4.60*P. o. ‘Fairy Tails’. American selection where it has received much praise and given its superbperformance in the garden here, much praise from us too. 75cm. £4.80*P. o. ‘Karley Rose’. A much vaunted new introduction bearing dusky pink feathery flowerplumes for several months. A good doer, managing well on Marchants clay. 75cm. £4.80P. thunbergii ‘Red Buttons’. A newish fountain grass with conspicuous, big bug sized copper-redflowers through summer. Has proved hardy here. 90cm. £4.80*P. villosum. Spectacular, huge creamy-white tactile ‘Caterpillar’ flowers, irresistible to kids. (andadults too!) Hardy here but gets its annual haircut in spring only. 50cm. £4.35*SPOROBOLUS airoides. Provides one of the airiest displays of any grass, and while cliched,particularly entrancing on misty/frosty mornings. 60cm. From £4.35S. heterolepis. From green tufts rise wiry stems bearing a mass of tiny bead like flowers. But it istheir amazing scent of crushed leaf coriander pervading the air that will send you more than thehumble visual impact of this plant. 45cm. From £4.35STIPA arundinacea. (Calamagrostis arundinacea) The evergreen clump of bronzed foliage willby mid July have erupted into a cascade of fine, brown-pink flower panicles, fading in turn to amist of gold. Needs good soil to give of its best. 45cm. £4.35*S. calamagrostis. A graceful, arching grass whose light green flowers age to pale gold/buff, acolour kept through the autumn and early winter months to great effect. 1m. £4.60S. gigantea. Like a giant Oat, whose flowers in some lights so shimmer with gold, might seem tobe fed by some mysterious electricity supply. Divisions. 2m+. From £4.50S. ichu. (Jarava ichu) Persistent tight silvery plumes erupt for months over fine tufts. Like no otherfeather grass we know. Its hardiness may be questionable in very cold gardens so shelter/sun/drainage essential. 50cm. £4.60S. tenuissima. Known affectionately here as Tina Turner Tenuissima! The soft green mound offine foliage is covered in summer by a haze of pale straw coloured flowers. 45cm. £4.3533*PENNISETUM alopecuroides ‘Black Beauty’. A selected clone of the following withspectacular dark, busby-like flowers in autumn. Admired by all. 90cm. From £4.60 This and thefollowing forms of P. alopecuroides enjoy moist, not dry soil. £4.60P. a. ex ‘Black Beauty’. Seedlings of the above which come pretty true to form. £4.50

34Clay, Ink, Silk, Salix, Tin and GoldPrivate view Friday 20th August, 6 – 9pmSaturday 21st August and Sunday 22nd August, 10.00am – 5.30pmA weekend exhibition in the Potting Palace, Sales Pavillion and beautifulgarden of Marchants Hardy Plants.Free admission to garden.Richard Batterham – PotteryLucy Casson – Tin/Mixed Media SculpturesJenny Crisp – Willow BasketsSimon Dorrell – PaintingsLucy Goffin – TextilesCorinna Kenyon-Wade – PorcelainJean Scott-Moncrieff – JewelleryHelen Smythe – Porcelain Jewellery/WatercoloursBOXESIt is an enormous help to us if you can provide boxes to carry your plants away in.Thankyou.Design: Robert Wheeler Printed by Brighton Print Centre