Iris versicolor x pseudacorus Regal Surprise

This is a perfect combination of the two parents, with the striking violet and white bicolor of one and the ease adaptability of the latter - though without it's rampant tendencies. It doesn't set seed either so won't take over other parts of the garden.

Suitable for any wet site - from the pond's edge to damp soil in sun or part shade. I don't know why it's so rarely seen.
Fresh lifted rhizomes £8 each

Asclepias exaltata

To my mind one of the best new things I've come across, and I have no idea why I so rarely sell any. Although the flowers are not vividly showy they are exquisitely crafted in jade and ivory and dangle elegantly on long filaments from the tips of the 2ft stems. 

Completely frost hardy and easy to please on any fertile retentive soil in sun or part shade.
sold out for now

Ribes laurifolium

Another winter flowering shrub and one of my favourites. Nothing like the blackcurrants to which it is related, this is a low, gnarly, rather picturesque evergreen, producing dangling trails of pale greenish yellow flowers from red bracts in earliest spring. 

Easy-going but probably best with some shade from deciduous trees and shrubs. Grow Cyclamen and Scillas through it. 

Male and female plants are available.

The common male form is known, confusingly, as Amy Doncaster and has more rounded open flowers

£14

The female form has denser clusters of flowers with conspicuous bracts. Black berries are occasionally produced

£14

Deutzia hookeriana

I used to think Deutzias were a rather boring group of shrubs but the cognoscenti know different. It's a surprisingly varied genus and many of them are exquisite in flower. 

Hookeriana is one of the best with almost unbelievably finely crafted sugar pink flowers in neat rounded heads in late spring. The overall shape and foliage are also good. Like most Deutzia, and easy adaptable plant. 

£15

Desmodium (Ototropis) callianthum

A seldom-seen scrambling shrub with subtly variegated clover-like foliage (2 or 3 shades of green) and rich pink pea flowers. 

Either grow it among other shrubs so it can scramble about among them, or, if you feel motivated, train it against a wall. Either way it makes a very welcome splash of colour in late summer and autumn

£15

Fuchsia magellanica Arauco

An absolutely exquisite, possibly naturally occurring, form of this popular shrub - always attracts attention with it's finely crafted purple white and pink flowers and neat dark green foliage. It can make a large shrub in time but, like most Fuchsias, responds well to pruning.

This is less drought tolerant than other Fuchsia - not good in small containers and definitely most at home in cool moist conditions.

nb. the variety Lady Bacon (left) is very similar and they can be hard to tell apart, but seen together, Arauco is definitely the more refined plant with better colours, and smaller leaves and flowers. I grow both but I would always recommend Arauco. It just has that certain something that even people who don't generally go for Fuchsias can appreciate.
£10

Akebia longeracemosa

An excellent smaller species - vigorous but not overwhelming - almost evergreen and with remarkable flowers. These, as is usual for the family, consist of smaller male flowers below and larger female flowers above, but in this case the male flowers are in  a long dangling raceme (hence the name) and the whole inflorescence is a dusky maroon.

Very hardy and easy in a wide variety of situations
£16