IN THE MOOD

Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’

Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ flowers for months, making it one of the most desirable plants in the garden. It is a lavender-blue daisy with a golden spiralling centre. On first opening, this centre, or disc, is touched with green. Its petals are long and refined and beautifully blue.

Flowers Aug-Oct

Height x Spread 70cm x 40cm

Tulipa ‘West Point’

A classic lily-flowered tulip with elegant urn-shaped flowers. Its colour is purest yellow, imparting a feeling of optimism and announcing the season ahead. Grow it in the ground if squirrels and voles allow, in free-draining soil in a sunny spot, or in pots to move anywhere a dash of hope is needed.

F May H x S 50cm x 10cm

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ is a true perennial. It is a plant not to be ignored, taller than me and with hundreds of flowers produced over a couple of months. Conspicuous both through their size and their colour, these flowers are what brings in the pollinating insects, advertising the nectar and pollen within.

F Jul-Sep H x S 2m x 45cm