Top 5... variegated summer perennials
‘Look-at-me’ plants with richly-coloured flowers and strikingly eye-catching foliage
1 Eryngium planum ‘Jade Frost’
Clump-forming, deciduous perennial. Marginal variegation around grey-green leaves. Branching heads of blue bobble flowers. Good bee plant and cut flower. Likes any moist, well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade. H/S: 60cm (2ft). Tip Avoid locations prone to winter wet.
From www.ballyrobertgardens.com; tel: 028 9344 0101.
2 Knautia macedonica ‘Thunder and Lightning’
Short, compact variety whose maroon, pincushion flowers nicely contrast against the striking grey-green, white-edged leaves. Any moist, well-drained soil in sun. Good pollinator plant. H: 45cm (1½ft), S: 30cm (1ft).
Tip Propagate basal softwood cuttings in spring to get lots of free new plants.
From www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk; tel: 01686 670342.
3 Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’
Evergreen perennial producing tussocks of thick, durable leaves. Creamy-yellow new foliage fading to marginal white stripes. Slender pokers of tiny blue-purple flowers in summer and autumn. Any soil, as long as it’s not permanently wet, in sun to shade. H/S: 30cm (1ft). Tip Useful plant for brightening dry shade beneath trees and shrubs. From www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk; tel: 01782 502741.
Phlox paniculata ‘Goldmine’
This eye-catching variety of phlox produces vibrant, cerise-pink, scented blooms in high summer on top of boldly variegated foliage. Good mildew resistance. Prefers moist but well-drained soil in sun or part shade. H: 70cm (2¼ft), S: 60cm (2ft).
Tip Remove spent blossoms and cut back stems after flowering is over.
From www.harperleyhallfarmnurseries.co.uk; tel: 01207 233318.
5 Miscanthus sinensis ‘Cosmopolitan’
Elegant, deciduous grass, producing upright stems clothed in broad leaves with striking white margins. Occasional feathery red flowers in late summer. Good in pots. Likes to be in any moist, well-drained soil in sun. H: 1.8m (6ft), S: 1.2m (4ft).
Tip Cut back stems in late winter as new growth starts to emerge.
From www.knollgardens.co.uk; tel: 01202 873931.