Aechmea recurvata recurvata

 

Another near-hardy bromeliad – definitely hardy to a few degrees below zero, planted in a very free-drained bed as you would Fascicularia, or mounted on a branch or wall as an epiphyte. 

The small rosettes are green and produce dense stemless inflorescences of vivid pink and purple, surrounded by red tinted leaves. 

£10

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.
£9

Cachrys alpina

A gorgeous and choice umbellifer from the moment it emerges when it forms a dense mass of purple foliage on the ground, to the point when the dessicated plants blow away in autumn. The leaves consist of fine thread-like leaflets, like fennel, but forming a flat-topped cloud about 2ft across, and about 18ins high. 

The inflorescence is made up of many tiny acid-yellow flowers held on a stiff stem 12ins or so above the foliage, so overall not a big plant. 

A good perennial - not weedy in any way at all, and compact enough to grow with small Mediterranean and alpine plants and choice bulbs. For a well-drained sunny situation.
£8

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

Fuchsias

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

Fuchsia Lady Boothby

I'm not generally a fan of hybrid Fuchsias but I'm always very drawn to this one for the rich dusky tone of its narrow red and purple flowers. The leaves are also dark tinted with red veins.

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This is a semi-climbing plant that can be tied in on a wall or better, allowed to scramble through other shrubs. Very hardy

£10

Fuchsia aff. regia Grey leaf

Grown from AGS exchange seed as regia - the overall effect (semi-climbing) and the elegant flowers are typical regia, but the leaves are narrower and often somewhat grey-tinted. 

Hardy and easy - ideal for adorning early-flowering shrubs that have finished for the summer.

£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
Sold out - more next summer

Colocasia gaoligongensis

The Southeast Asian taros (Colocasia species) are very popular right now for subtropical plantings, with their huge tropical looking aroid leaves - often dark and beautifully textured. In this case the leaves are up to about 2ft across, a soft matt green and heavily marked black toward the centre. Yellow arum flowers appear in summer.

Like many subtropicals (Canna, Dahlia etc), some of them are surviving the winters outdoors in the UK these days but very few are reliably hardy. This is where gaoligongensis comes in. Under good conditions (damp and warm in the summer) it's a vigorous big exotic herbaceous perennial. It will grow in drier conditions but the leaves will be smaller. It also does well in my shallow pond.

Here at least, it seems remarkably easy - running around on stolons and potentially filling a large area. Grow it with other big vigorous perennials - nothing too small and delicate, in sun or part shade.
£15

Epimedium grandiflorum nanum hybrid

Some of you may know that Epimedium grandiflorum nanum is an exquisite miniature form of this popular species where the new foliage is fresh green, less than an inch across, and broadly edged in maroon, and the milky white flowers, despite the tiny size of the plant, are normal size. The whole thing is only a couple of inches tall. Sadly it also has a reputation for being difficult to keep - I've had it and lost it twice. This is why I was so pleased when I came across this at Marchant's Hardy Plants a few years ago.

Its a bit bigger than nanum - about 5ins high but more vigorous and easy to keep. In every other respect it seems identical.

It is still slow to increase though so I'll only ever have a few small plants to sell.
£8

Ornithogalum reverchonii

A choice species from Spain and Morocco with pure white flowers and long grey leaves. More demanding than most European species – needing excellent drainage and some protection from the worst of the weather, but not at all weedy.
£8

Iris attica

A soft yellow form of this exquisite miniature bearded Iris.
Needs a well-drained soil in full sun with other small plants.
£8

Ranunculus alpestris

A true alpine with rounded deep green leaves and good white flowers. Much easier than many alpine Ranunculus – even here in Sussex where most suffer from the relatively hot dry climate.

An easy hardy plant for raised beds among rocks.
£6