Charlotte Harris
1 Anchusa azurea
Hugo and I both love Anchusa and have used it at RHS Chelsea, in the Kitchen Garden at RHS Bridgewater, and I grow it at home. Flowering a splendidly vibrant blue, it is a long-lasting looker in the May to July borders, lovely as a cut flower and the petals are edible in salads and drinks. Easy to grow from seed. Look for cultivars ‘Dropmore’ (pictured) or ‘Loddon Royalist’. H 90cm, S 45cm. RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b†.
2 Panicum miliaceum
‘Violaceum’ This annual grass is a great performer, looking good from June through to October. Handsome, deep-purple tipped seedheads provide valuable nectar and pollen, and are also popular with small birds. Ideal for filling gaps in beds to give movement and colour. Also good in pots – it looks spectacular with dahlias, and we use it in flower arrangements at home too. H 90cm, S 30cm.
3 Lunaria annua ‘Corfu Blue’
Billowing purple and white through the headstones and woodland edges of my nearby Victorian cemetery, Lunaria annua is a May/June highlight. ‘Corfu Blue’ is an unusual cultivar of the common honesty, with bluer flowers and purple stems, and is popular with pollinators. Happy in sun or part shade. The papery, round seedheads are as attractive as the flowers. H 80cm, S 50cm. AGM*.
4 Papaver somniferum
‘Lauren’s Grape’ Large, gloriously sultry blooms of plumpurple are held above glaucous foliage. These opium poppies deliver a beguiling combination of delicate, papery petals and a bold punch of colour, so mouthwatering from June to August. Thereafter, enjoy the architectural qualities of the seedpods both in the garden and in a vase. H 90cm, S 45cm.
5 Seseli gummiferum
Derry Watkins introduced us to this stunning umbel on a visit to her Special Plants Nursery. Flowers start pale pink, turning to white and lasting June to September. The evergreen, greygreen, dissected foliage is also very elegant. Needs sun and drainage. The perfect addition to a gravel garden and a good cut flower. H 80cm, S40cm. USDA 5a-9b.
6 Eschscholzia californica
‘Orange King’ Can anyone resist the dramatic tangerine pop of California poppies? Perfect for weaving through sunny spots, seeding through gravel or softening hard surfaces such as cracks in paving, and also good in pots. I love them because they are so joyous and assiduous at colonising and brightening up even the grittiest, poorest of soils with a profusion of colour from June right through to September. H 45cm, S 20cm.