Dodecatheon dentatum

Quite distinct from the well-known pink flowered species – this is a lower growing, more spreading species with white flowers. Best in moist leafy woodland situations.
Despite the distinctive flower shape, Dodecatheon are now included in Primula
10cm square pots ~ £6

Viburnums

I've always had a lot of time for Viburnum. I especially love the variety of form and foliage. The flowers are generally small and either white or rosy pink but produced in large quantities and often fragrant, and then most of them produce a good show of berries in the autumn.
The main reason though for their being so popular around here is that they grow so well on chalky soils.
I'm offering a few of the more rarely seen species.

Viburnum cinnamomifolium

A wonderfully big lush exotic shrub, and essentially a tree-like version of the common (and unfairly despised) V.davidii. Both species have among the very best evergreen foliage of any hardy shrub, and are well worth growing even without the flowers, which are the usual small rosy white, or the berries, which are intense blue with red stems. You will need male and female plants to get fruits but davidii will pollinate cinnamomifolium apparently.
5L pots ~ £15

Viburnum atrocyaneum


A neat evergreen with small rounded very glossy leaves with a distinct wine red cast. The flowers are the usual small pinkish white affairs, followed by bloomy black berries. Very adaptable and easy.
3L pots ~ £12

Viburnum cylindricum

An evergreen species grown for the unusual greyish cast to the foliage and panicles of creamy flowers in summer.

Bloomy black fruits. A rare large shrub – excellent on chalk.

sold out - sorry


Viburnum erubescens

A very high quality and strangely little-known evergreen species. Perfectly formed bell-shaped white flowers are produced in spring on red stems. The foliage is glossy green but also has a distinct red tint and turns rich maroon in winter. Overall the shrub has a graceful layered spreading effect. Excellent in every way.
sold out - sorry


Viburnum henryi

To my mind the very best. This one has well textured foliage that, although evergreen, turns unusual warm fawn/maroon shades in winter, tinted red and with a pale midrib. There are also creamy flowers in summer and berries turning translucent red to bloomy black in autumn.

Suitable for most ordinary garden situations but especially good on chalk.
sold out for now

New perennials for summer 2013

Moraea huttonii

Stupendous tall Iris with beautifully crafted yellow ‘flags’ on rigid upright stems well above the narrow strappy green leaves (easily hidden among other perennials).

For open sites on fertile moist soils ideally but very tough. Basically they’ll grow anywhere Agapanthus or Kniphofia succeed.
5L pots ~ £10

Amsonia hubrichtii hybrid

None of the Amsonias are exactly garish but all have a real beauty that is well worth a close look. The tubular flowers are a soft but clear blue over willowy foliage. Hubrichtii itself (which I hope to have for sale next year) is a bit of a classic, with extremely fine narrow foliage turning intense golds and oranges in autumn, but it is on the small side and can be hard to please. The hybrids we have are larger overall but with the same narrow foliage and good autumn colour. An easy border perennial.
1L pots ~ £6

Phytolacca acinosa

A big wide branching perennial mainly grown for the fruits, like elongate mutant blackberries, in late summer, by which time the entire plant will have developed a rhubarb-pink hue.

Earlier on it’s a big lush green thing decorated with spikes of creamy flowers. It looks well with other large herbs, such as Datisca or Zantedeschia, or Ligularia. Grows quickly in any moist fertile soil in sun or part shade.
3L pots ~ £8