12 KEY PLANTS
1 Papaver rhoeas Shirley Group
Raised by the Rev W Wilks in his garden in Shirley near Croydon in the 1880s, the pretty pink and white Shirley poppy is one of the easiest plants to grow. 75cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-10b†.
2 Phacelia tanacetifolia
Initially sown as a green manure, this boisterous annual re-emerges every year in unexpected places with a soft haze of pastel purple. 1.2m. RHS H4, USDA 6a-8b.
3 Salix x sepulcralis ‘Erythroflexuosa’
A large, contorted willow with marmalade-coloured bark maturing to a dark brown, and gently curving, narrow, green leaves. 5m. AGM*. RHS H5.
4 Echium vulgare ‘Blue Bedder’
Blooming from May, from a September sowing, this small cultivar offers months of brilliantblue flowers held on crowded spikes. Loved by pollinating insects. 45cm. AGM. RHS H7.
5 Echium russicum
A rather stark biennial with a wild, unvarnished magnetism. Sow mid-summer and plant in late autumn if soil is well-drained or, otherwise, in spring. Good in large sweeps of temporary bedding. 60cm. RHS H4, USDA 6a-8b. 5
6 Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
Sturdy yet nimble, shrubby yet herbaceous, this euphorbia offers striking form and colour for much of the year. 1.25m. RHS H4, USDA 6a-8b.
7 Rosa moyesii
A rigid framework erupts into plentiful, modestly sized,deep-crimson blooms in early summer. Don’t pinch off the spent flowers if you want to enjoy the flagon-shaped hips. 4m. RHS H6. 8 Geranium pratense ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’
Violet petals, vividly veined with cream, sing out from a distance, whether this is allowed to self-seed in a meadow or used as a more deliberate collaborator. 60cm. AGM. RHS H7.
9 Cupressus arizonica var. glabra ‘Blue Ice’
A vigorous cypress with wispy looking, blue foliage, which brings a cool tone to a composition, and complements the periwinkle blue of Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’. +12m. RHS H5.
10 Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’
Finely cut dark foliage, an elegant form and rich plummy umbels in June make this an invaluable shrub. Its wingspan is impressive too. 3m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-7b.
11 Abies lasiocarpa ‘Glauca Compacta’
Vivid-blue foliage is the primary asset of this small fir. Associates well with the equally compact Euphorbia seguieriana subsp. niciciana. 1m. RHS H7.
12 Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’
Wine-dark pompoms on branching stems make this dark-flowered form of the wild thistle a useful and semi-unpredictable, secondary ingredient in the garden. 1.25m. AGM. RHS H7. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Hardiness ratings given where available.
With gardening, you’re working with nature directly. It’s a living composition; there’s something magical about it