16 KEY PLANTS

1 Verbascum blattaria f. albiflorum This beautiful white-flowered moth mullein is a light, airy biennial that will happily self-sow on lighter soils, and looks great woven through perennial plantings. 1.8m. RHS H6†. 2 Papaver rhoeas The corn poppy is a wonderful opportunist that will find its way from the border into paving and gravel paths – best grown on poor soils to keep it stocky and upright. 75cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-10b. 3 Ammi majus Can be grown as either an annual or biennial. Sown in late summer, it will make huge mounds of white, lacy flowers atop bushy, branching plants. 90cm. AGM*. RHS H6. 4 Lathyrus odoratus Royal Navy Blue A good, dark-purple-blue sweet pea from the Royal series, which has larger flowers and more blooms than the Spencer type. 2m. RHS H3. 5 Allium sphaerocephalon A tough perennial onion with small, tight, purple flowers on thin, strong stems. Good with grasses. 50cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. 6 Angelica sylvestris ‘Vicar’s Mead’ A tall, slender biennial or short-lived perennial that can self-sow. Weave through the border or place at the back. 2m. RHS H6. 7 Verbena bonariensis A tall, wiry, short-lived perennial or annual with little foliage and thin green stems. It makes an excellent see-through plant for the border. 2m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 7a-11. 8 Stachys byzantina The soft grey foliage of this herbaceous perennial is a good foil for stronger colours in the border, and looks particularly good with this hardy Salvia verticillata ‘Purple Rain’. 50cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

9 Phlox paniculata ‘Cool of the Evening’ A good scented phlox with a long season. Even when the flowers go over, the dark stamens remain and look quite structural. 1m. RHS H7. 10 Astrantia major var. rosea A member of the carrot family, this clump-forming meadow plant has small circular umbels of showy bracts with small pin-head flowers. 80cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-7b. 11 Deschampsia cespitosa The new flowerheads of this grass are particularly elegant, and it makes a good link plant between meadow and garden. 80cm. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. 12 Echinops bannaticus ‘Taplow Blue’ This plant makes tight, prickly balls of small blue flowers above thistly foliage. It looks particularly good planted with slim spires and umbels. 1.4m. RHS H7. 13 Rosa ‘Félicité Parmentier’ This rose has very delicate pale-pink, flattish, double flowers and a good scent. Once it flowers, it goes on for about four weeks. It also has good grey-green foliage. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H6. 14 Dahlia Happy Single Juliet (= 'HS Juliet') A good combination of dark foliage and magenta flowers. With deadheading, this plant will go on and on. 90cm. RHS H3. 15 Rosa ‘ William Lobb’ An exquisite rose grown for its rich purple-magenta flowers, which have a fabulous scent. At South Wood Farm it is trained to perfection over hazel beehives. 2m. AGM. RHS H7. 16 Salvia ‘Amistad’ A very good salvia for flowers in summer onwards. It produces tall spikes of tubular, dark-purple blooms above good foliage and needs no deadheading. Keep it well watered and fed to prolong flowering. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H3.