Lobelia laxiflora angustifolia

A spreading perennial with fresh narrow foliage topped in summer with tubular orange and yellow flowers.

Hardy here. It might suffer in a very cold year but otherwise a reliable border perennial. This has a reputation for running but I’ve not found it excessive.
£9

Aucuba himalaiaca dolichophylla

A slow growing and compact ‘spotted laurel’ up to about 4ft high with attractive narrow dark green foliage, lightly spotted with yellow. This is a male clone with striking dark red flowers in conspicuous branching sprays in early spring.

For exactly the same conditions as the common species but much choicer. Many thanks to Nymans for the original plant. aka Aucuba chinensis angusta
sold out

Strobilanthes angustifrons (aka Pteracanthus or possibly Goldfussia)

A deciduous shrub almost unknown in cultivation it seems. The flowers are of a rich glossy purple with a pale creamy throat. Very distinct. Flowers freely at the same time as other hardy Strobilanthes, in autumn.

Largely untried but it's proved fully hardy here on the nursery and there has been a good-sized specimen in the walled garden at Wakehurst for some time now. 

Should be much better known.

£16

New shrubby Lonicera

What a fascinating genus Lonicera is. Most people I guess think of the climbing honeysuckle but there are at least as many non-climbing shrubby species, and a very varied bunch they are too. Almost all are easy and hardy in a variety of situations.

Lonicera chaetocarpa

An unusual and very un-honeysuckle-like non-climbing species with pairs of funnel-shaped pale yellow flowers in a large bristly papery pinkish or yellowish calyx, which persists around the orange berries. 

The leaves are rich green and bristly. Very easy and hardy.
£16

Lonicera myrtillus

A very different species with small rounded leaves and rosy white urn-shaped flowers - almost like some sort of ericaceous shrub (hence the name). Also makes red berries.

Compact and easily pleased
£16

Lonicera alberti

A very distinctive low-growing species with narrow grey-green leaves and tubular scented mauve-pink flowers. Likes a sunny, well drained, open spot. No flowers yet - hence no picture

£16

Lonicera elisae

A very beautiful late winter/early spring flowering species, producing clusters of dangling soft pink scented flowers, sometimes followed by orange berries. 

The new foliage is tinted purple and turns purple again in autumn.

Sold out for now

Tradescantia bracteata and ohiensis

The hardy North American Tradescantias are one of the few groups of plants that will grow almost anywhere in the garden (without becoming a nuisance) and which has almost no major pests or diseases. Mostly of course people grow the cultivars, but as you might be aware by now, I tend to prefer the wild species.

Tradescantia bracteata

This is a remarkably choice low compact species with substantial violet flowers on short stems.

Quite variable
sold out

Tradescantia ohiensis

A much more graceful, slender species than we are used to, with pale green grassy foliage and soft lavender flowers over a long period in summer.

1L pots ~ £6

Two Unusual Aquatics

Saururus chinensis

A curious, somewhat aroid-like aquatic perennial making a leafy colony in shallow water or wet mud. This is a better looking plant than the more common S.cernuus - the inflorescence is a creamy white spadix, but with a conspicuous white bract. Hardy and vigorous but much better behaved than its other relatives, Houttuynia and Anemopsis.
1L pots ~ £8

Sagittaria graminea

A pretty miniature 'arrow-head' with narrow spatula-shaped leaves, and submerged linear leaves. The simple three-petalled flowers are produced through the summer (nb. the upper picture shows male flowers, the lower, female).

Hardy and vigorous and ideal for colonising an area of shallow water or wet mud. Although short in stature, this plant does multiply freely by stolons.
(I bought the original plant as graminea but it could well be S.platyphylla)
bare-rooted plants ~ £4 each

Cytisus hirsutus

A lovely small arching shrub with fresh lemon yellow pea flowers over a long period in spring and soft pale green leaves. 

Well drained sunny soils
1L pots ~ £15