24 KEY PLANTS
1 Selinum wallichianum A useful, late-flowering, hardy perennial that makes conical, white-spoked umbels above attractive mounds of soft, ferny foliage. The foliage is a striking foil for other flowers much earlier in the year. 1.4m. AGM*. RHS H6†. 2 Canna ‘Cleopatra’ This unusual canna usually produces bright-yellow blooms, but occasionally it has red stripes or even entirely sways towards red. It flowers all summer and has striking, green leaves with black marbling. 2m. RHS H3.
3 Dahlia ‘Fascination’ A dwarf, decorative-type dahlia that makes a healthy foil of dark-chocolate foliage against bright, magenta-pink, semi-double flowers. This shorter dahlia is excellent for bedding or at the front of the border. 1m. AGM. RHS H3. 4 Lythrum salicaria ‘Feuerkerze’ A classic, herbaceous perennial that makes sturdy clumps of tall stems bearing thin flower spikes in bright mauve. It grows best in moist, rich soils. May need support in exposed sites. 1.6m. AGM. RHS H7. 5 Lavatera x clementii ‘Barnsley’ This rangy shrub makes long wands smothered in large, funnel-shaped flowers all summer. The blooms are clear white to pale pink with a central, dark-pink eye. Cut back hard in the spring to promote vigorous growth and flowering. 2m. RHS H5.
6 Brugmansia x candida A fast-growing, tender shrub that needs overwintering in a conservatory. It carries spectacular, hanging, trumpet-shaped, white flowers on the tips of the new growth. Feed to get the best display of flowers. 2m. RHS H1C, USDA 8a-10b. 7 Indigofera pendula A pretty shrub with delicate, pinnate foliage and pendent racemes of pink, pea-shaped flowers – like a small wisteria. Once established, it grows well on dry, sunny sites. 3m. RHS H5.
8 Abutilon ‘Souvenir de Bonn’ This fast-growing, tender shrub is a wonderful bedding or conservatory plant. It has loud, variegated, maple-like foliage, and bell-shaped flowers in coral-orange on the tips of the new shoots all summer. 2.5m. AGM. RHS H2.
9 Salvia cacaliifolia A shrubby salvia for a warm, sunny site, bearing neat, sagittate foliage and fine spikes of typical, blue-hooded salvia flowers. Not reliably hardy and best started afresh from cuttings each year. 1m. AGM. RHS H2. 10 Tibouchina urvilleana Forms large, purple flowers on the tips of branching stems. The felty foliage is also quite appealing. It is tender and does best overwintered in a frost-free conservatory. 2m. AGM. RHS H2, USDA 9a-11. 11 Paulownia tomentosa Can ultimately make a large tree with mauve, foxglove-like flowers, but can also be controlled and cut back hard annually to a woody stump to encourage super-large leaves on vigorous growth. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. 12 Ugni molinae Hailing from Chile, this slow-growing, evergreen shrub bares small, pendent, bell-shaped, pink flowers, followed by edible, polished, mahogany-red berries that are delicious. Likes a moist, acidic soil and a sheltered site. 1.2m. RHS H4.
13 Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ A wonderful, scrambling fuchsia, especially vigorous when trained against a warm, sheltered wall. Large, hanging flowers in bright cerise and midnight purple all summer long and well into autumn. 4m. AGM. RHS H4.
14 Canna ‘Panache’ An exotic-looking, tender perennial grown for its large, paddle-shaped leaves in grey-green, and its showy, coral-pink flowers. These hungry, fast-growing plants do best in rich, moist soils. 1.9m. RHS H3. 15 Limonium platyphyllum ‘Violetta’ Statice, as it is commonly known, is a drought-tolerant perennial producing rosettes of wide foliage and sprays of small, purple, everlasting flowers that are good for insects and for cutting. 40cm. RHS H7. 16 Abutilon megapotamicum This unusual, tender abutilon has small, hanging, lantern-like flowers in bright red and yellow. It forms a lax shrub and is best trained against a wall for protection and support. 2m. AGM. RHS H3.
17 Trachycarpus fortunei Forms wide fans of corrugated leaves atop thin, fibrous stems, and provides instant drama and height without taking up too much space – especially useful in smaller gardens. 10m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-10b.
18 Lathyrus latifolius A perennial pea that produces masses of scentless, mauve flowers in late summer. It can either be coaxed up a shrub or trained up a frame made of pea sticks. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b.
19 Gladiolus murielae This gladiolus is easy to grow in warm, well-drained soil. It makes spikes of brilliant-white, scented flowers with a dark-maroon centre. Great for weaving through other perennials. 1m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 7a-10b.
20 Melianthus major ‘Antonow’s Blue’ A very striking form selected for its smoky-purple hues and jagged foliage. Cut back hard in the spring to get the best, fresh, new growth. Bruised foliage smells of tahini. 1.4m. RHS H3.
21 Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’ In a sheltered coastal garden or a large pot in a conservatory, this wattle makes showy plumes of slate-purple foliage.
Can be cut back to promote new growth. 7m. AGM. RHS H3.
22 Cyperus papyrus This tender sedge has long, leafless stems that terminate in grassy orbs. It can be bedded out in the border or used as a summer marginal in a pond. It can be difficult to overwinter but is easy to grow from seed. 3m. AGM. RHS H1C, USDA 9a-10b. 23 Salvia ‘Royal Bumble’ This long-flowering sub-shrub makes an excellent garden plant. Blooms are produced from May to October. Plant in a sunny position at the front of the border. Once established, it is resistant to drought. 1m. AGM. RHS H4.
24 Roscoea purpurea Royal Purple hybrids These relatives of the ginger family have attractive, leek-like foliage and large, sage-like flowers that appear all summer. They grow best in moist, light soil in a light, woodland setting. 40cm. RHS H5. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.