Plants for light shady positions
Nepeta govaniana – lemon scented foliage and lemon coloured “catmint” styel flowers on open herbaceous plant. Do not cut down in the autumn, leave until spring or let it die down naturally.
Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam – smaller variety of Coreopsis verticilata which prefers light shade. Pale lemon flowers over feathery foliage
Ageratina aromatic – black stems and fluffy white flowers, loved by bees and butterflies. Will tolerate dryish sites. 4feet tall.
Roscoaea beesiana – unusual herbaceous perennial with pale yellow “orchid” like flowers. Does not emerge from the ground until mid June, therefore likely to be abandoned as dead!!
Nepeta subsessilis ‘Blue Dream’ – will give a second flush of flowers if cut back promptly. Chelonopsis yagiharana – grows to 18”. Suitable for woodland edge even in dry shade.
Small purple flowers.
Campanula ‘Pink Octopus’ – a hybrid between C. takesimana X C. punctate. Split petals on short plant. Long blooming season
Anemone ‘Dreaming Swan’ – more persistent than ‘Wild Swan’ and taller but retains the purple flush to the reverse of the petals (which is not present in Japanese anemones). Earlier flowering than Japanense ones too.
Rehmannia ‘Warburton’s Magic Dragon’ – a sterile hybrid between R. elata x R. glutinosa that blooms all summer. Grows to 3’. Needs good drainage.
Plants for sunny positions
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Roseum’ – up to 4’ tall, pale pink flowers. Dead head for more blooms. Loved by bees and butterflies
Lobelia x speciosa ‘Hadspen Purple’ – needs moisture. Allow to die down naturally as if cut the stems rot back into the crown. Less prone to slug damage as leaves are hairy.
Crocosmia ‘Sunglow’ – spreads easily so lift and dived every 3 years in spring as new shoots are emerging. Likes moisture
Crocosmia ‘Severn Sunrise’ – less vigorous as has C. masoniorum in its blood and therefore pleated leaves. Likes moisture.
Saponaria x lampergii ‘Max Frei’ – non invasive soapwort. Low growing ideal for front of border but has brittle stems.
Teucrium x lucidrys – evergreen, hardy shrublet with pink flowers in late summer. Can be clipped into “hedge” if required. Clip back in spring to keep neat.
Sedum ‘Karlfunkenstein’ – compact purple leaved variety with pinky red flowers. 18” high.
Chelsea Chop – can be used on many late flowering perennials e.g. asters, sedum, helenium, heliopsis & phlox. Either cut the fron half of a clump or all of the clump right down to ground level.
Chelsea Thin – remove some of the weaker stems in the clump e.g. monarda,delphinium
Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ – flower early and again later. A sterile triploid which has good vigour for a sunny position in good soil
Antirrhinum ‘Pretty in Pink’ – new hybrid selected for hardiness and unusual flower shape. Treat like a penstemon and only cut back in the spring. Bred by Peter More of Longstock Nursery. Grows to 18” and flowers all summer.
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Freefolk Rosy’ – selected at Hardy’s nursery. Cream variegated foliage and pink flowers. Do not cut back in autumn leave until spring and then cut to ground level as they emerge again from underground.