Hemiboea

Hemiboea subcapitata

I was very excited when I first came across this on Ed Bowen’s Opus nursery website. I thought at first it might be some very classy Abelia relative with long white flowers, marked rich red inside over dark green leaves, but it is in fact a member of the gesneriaceae.

Now, one does not expect gesneriads to be hardy easy-going perennials in the UK but this does appear to be the case here. The easiest up until now have probably been Haberlea and Mitraria but this adds to the list and seems if anything, even more adaptable.

Unlike many choice woodlanders it doesn't appear to need cool moist conditions to do well and, as I've discovered, puts up with rather hit-and-miss watering rather well. It spreads and bulks up well and quickly here. I don't know yet how much cold it puts up with but it seems hardy at least in Southern England. It dies back to rosettes in winter.
Still rare outside specialist collections but destined to be very popular I think.

sold out for now

Hemiboea strigosa

This pink-flowered species was being sold as subcapitata by a few nurseries but is obviously distinct, both in the flower colour and the thinner texture of the foliage.

It seems just as easy to grow and may even be hardier, judging by the fact that the overwintering rosettes have remained evergreen.
£10

Stachys discolor

A very beautiful species a bit like officinalis but larger in all parts and with flowers of palest yellow on compact greyish bushes.

Hard to explain but this plant has a real refinement compared to many of its coarser relatives and is not even slightly weedy. Easy and adaptable in the border. A real charmer.

sold out for now

Heuchera Brownfinch

A change from the endless stream of bedding Heuchera that are so fashionable at the moment – this is very close in appearance to H.cylindrica which is usually available in a form known as Greenfinch. Brownfinch has the same cylindrical flower spikes, but of a rather nice rich red brown, on unusually tall stems. The foliage is attractively silver splashed.

Rare in cultivation, but easily grown in sun or part shade. Keep an eye open for vine weevils, which love Heuchera roots.
1L pots ~ £8

Aesculus californica

This is a very large spreading shrub (or low spreading tree) and needs a lot of space - the flowers are fragrant, creamy or rosy white and held in solid ‘candles’. The foliage is neat and attractive and the bark is chalky white (especially good in winter after the leaves fall). 

Given an open sunny well-drained site this will be one of the most magnificent woody plants we can grow. Hardly ever offered and I have no idea why it isn't better known. Young plants grown from conkers collected in California. 
Specimen size plants - £45 - collection only

Sanguisorba applanata

Not flowered here yet for some reason but an excellent foliage plant, reminiscent of a low spreading Melianthus or a giant Acaena. The flowers should be white bottle brushes, but are not the main reason for growing this plant. Suitable for any moist fertile soil in sun.
£6

p&p

I thought it might be good to show potential customers how much trouble I take over packing up your goodies. Some people I know are wary of mail order plants - and I've seen some dreadful examples of packing over the years - small plants rattling around in a big box - compost everywhere, broken stems, buds knocked off, soaked disintegrating boxes. I've had only one real disaster among all the consignments I've sent out and when I got it back it looked like someone had stood on it.

1. Any surface crust, moss, liverwort, weeds or other debris is removed

2. paper is used to hold the compost in place

3. the paper is taped in position so nothing can rattle loose in transit

4. the pots are enclosed in plastic bags, mainly to stop the box getting wet

5. this is my packing material stash - all recycled. I've never had to buy paper, bubble wrap, bags or boxes

6. packed as tightly as possible in a box

7. these packing balloons are excellent for cutting down on weight. Otherwise I use shredded paper

8. taping it all together

9. finished off with document pocket and FRAGILE tape

10. packing a taller shrub requires a slightly different method

11. bubble-wrapped to avoid knocking the buds off. The canes are to brace it against the side of the box so that if the box is turned upside down, the heavy pot won't break the stem













12. like this

13. then packed in with the smaller pots and packing balloons as before

And I don't charge you for any of this!

Bistorta (Persicaria) tenuicaulis

A choice little woodlander – unlike any of the other common species. Slowly spreading to make a colony of stocky little plants with small silvery green leaves, and in spring, makes short spikes of pure white flowers with black anthers.
Adaptable but best in moist but well-drained woodsy soil in shade.
Never even slightly weedy. In fact, keep an eye on it or it might get lost.
1L pots ~ £6