24 of Dennis and Bill’s key plants
1 Agastache ‘Apricot Sunrise’ Drought-tolerant, short-lived perennial that needs full sun and well-drained soils. 1m. USDA 6a-9b†. 2 Digitalis x valinii ‘Berry Canary’ Provides a long display of zesty blossoms on tall stems. Treated here as an annual. 1.2m. USDA 9a-10b. 3 Jasminum officinale Fiona Sunrise (= ‘Frojas’) Offers fragrant, white flowers, although it is possibly most useful in lending its chartreuse foliage to the scene. 6m. AGM*. RHS H5, USDA 7a-11. 4 Viburnum dilatatum ‘Michael Dodge’ Golden berries follow white summer flowers, adding depth to the autumn garden and food for birds when fully ripened. 3m. USDA 5a-8b.
5 Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ Non-stop performance from June to October makes this Persicaria indispensable. 1.2m. RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b. 6 Pennisetum villosum A deciduous grass with soft plumes of white awns from late summer to autumn. Likes full sun in well-drained soils. 60cm. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 5a-9b. 7 Phygelius x rectus ‘Moonraker’ The stoloniferous growth of this South African shrub adds an air of serendipity with erect stems clad with soft-yellow, tubular flowers throughout summer and autumn. 1.2m. RHS H5, USDA 7a-11. 8 Nicotiana langsdorffii Self-seeds liberally but easily edited, adding a late-summer and autumn dash of greenish yellow flowers. Needs full sun. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H2, USDA 9a-10b. 9 Salvia splendens ‘Van-Houttei’ variegated A tender annual that adds vibrancy with both its variegated foliage and scarlet flowers. Most intense in full sun. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 9a-11. 10 Agastache ‘Summer Glow’ Months of colour and fragrant foliage. Grown at Landcraft as an annual or short-lived perennial. 70cm. RHS H3, USDA 6a-9b. 11 Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield’ A classic garden chrysanthemum that is long lasting and looks sensational in late summer and early autumn. 90cm. USDA 6a-9b.
12 Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ A classic selection even though there are many newer cultivars. Full sun or light shade. 4m. RHS H5, USDA 4a-8b. 13 Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’ Liberally self-seeds, with an astoundingly long display of purple flowers throughout summer and autumn. 1m. USDA 9b-10b. 14 Eustachys distichophylla Mid-sized grass grown for its pendulous heads of seeds, Needs full sun and well-drained soil. 70cm. 15 Melinis nerviglumis ‘Savannah Ruby’ A grass admired for its pink flowers above curled, thin, blue-green foliage. 30cm. USDA 8a-11.
16 Euphorbia characias ‘Glacier Blue’ A superb, variegated selection with powder-blue, evergreen foliage. Needs full sun and well-drained soils. 60cm. USDA 7a-9b. 17 Chloris virgata A graceful grass grown for its late and flowers and seedheads. 50cm. 18 Lilium formosanum From Taiwan, will blossom in a single year from seed and will liberally self-seed throughout the garden. 2m. USDA 5a-8b. 19 Salvia ‘Amistad’ A tough perennial with tall and sturdy stems clad with black-bracted, deep-blue flowers for months on end. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 8a-10b. 20 Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’ The Japanese blood grass, will snake by stolons through the garden but will not, fortunately, self sow. Its translucent blades are best used if backlit. 40cm. RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b. 21 Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ A blue grama, with flag-like floating seedheads of bright yellow/gold following chartreuse flowers. 90cm. USDA 4a-9b. 22 Salvia viridis var. comata An annual clary sage that self-seeds with long-lasting, bracted flowers and foliage with a lovely smoky fragrance. 45cm. 23 Echinacea ‘Meteor Red’ One of an array of new, double echinaceas. Indispensable Needs full sun and welldrained soils. 60cm. USDA 3a-8b. 24 Sporobolus heterolepis Wonderful late-summer flowers and sensational seedheads with a scent of buttered popcorn. 1m. USDA 3a-9b.