From Chile comes this handsome but curious plant bearing dark green, lobed, acanthus-like leaves. In summer, highly attractive bright orange-yellow, concave-petalled flowers open, each an inch or so across. But take care! This is one of the surprise plants of the Chilean woodlands as my legs discovered on our last Andean expedition. The entire plant, including the flowers, is covered with fine stinging hairs, just like a stinging nettle. Grazing animals keep away! ... Learn More

If you are searching for an easy, perennial and attractive groundcover plant for a wet or boggy area, this plant is the perfect plant for you! A herbaceous perennial groundcoverer, it has prostrate branches that root at the nodes and sprays of flowers that may be white or varying shades of blue or mauve, and although hard winters can cut it back severely, it invariably re-sprouts each spring. A relatively widespread species, it lives in southern Africa, New Zealand and Australia and has become naturalized in Brazil. It was originally collected by Joseph Banks in New Zealand. ... Learn More

A compact variety renowned for its excellent garden performance with clear sky-blue flowers set above narrow, airy foliage on compact plants. It makes a sparkling addition to beds, containers, and and window-boxes, and looks well placed in the rockery or at the edges of pathways. It is one of the most easily-grown annuals and is deservedly popular for its versatility and long flowering period. ... Learn More

Probably the most popular of all bedding lobelias, with dainty, deep blue flowers smothering neat globes of foliage that form very dwarf, compact plants. It makes a sparkling addition to beds, containers, and window-boxes, and even looks well placed in the rockery. A really easy-to-grow annual that is deservedly popular for its versatility and long flowering period. ... Learn More

Remarkably similar to the Puya of the Andes in South America or Echium wildpretii from the island of Tenerife, this giant unrelated rosette plant displays the evidence of parallel evolution, producing similar looking plants as they evolve in similar habitats. Although the dark maroon to black flowers are attractive, they are almost completely hidden within the bracts. This rare and astonishing plant is native to wetter spots in the alpine zone of Mount Kenya between 3300 and 4600 m, where the extreme climate is usually clear and cold in the mornings, with intense sunshine, and cloudy or foggy ... Learn More

A new and rare Chilean introduction growing many stems which carry delightful and utmostly showy, burgundy-red, wine-coloured flowers in late spring. This semi-woody perennial has upright, branching stems ending in a raceme with intriguing, curved-funnel-shaped flowers above thick, waxy, narrow leaves. It will do well in any rich, very well drained, rocky soil in a sunny spot. ... Learn More

Spires of clear blue, snapdragon-like flowers open in succession on strong stems bearing thick, crinkly leaves. These lovely flowers will grow equally well in dry or wet conditions and are very hardy and soundly perennial. it is a most desirable plant for woodland gardens especially since it blooms bright blue in late summer. The unfortunate species name, siphilitica, is based on the fact that it was a supposed cure for syphilis. ... Learn More

Another giant rosette plant which is stunningly similar to the puyas of the high Andes, and also to the giant echiums that evolved separately, on the Canary Islands, demonstrating convergent/parallel evolution. It forms a large rosette of narrow, hairy leaves that eventually produces a giant inflorescence of creamy white flowers, up to 3 m tall, protected by masses of long, silvery hairy bracts and pollinated by birds. Lobelia telekii is native to the high mountains of tropical eastern Africa and inhabits dry, rocky slopes between an astonishing 3500 and 5000 m elevation on Mount Elgon, the Ab ... Learn More

An incredible giant, hardy Lobelia from Chile. From a large rosette of thick leathery felted leaves arise thick stems carrying tropical orchid-like deepest carmine flowers. A valuable late season display from July until the autumn frosts. ... Learn More

Rare and unique, this palm-like giant Lobelia forms a large rosette of purplish-green, large, narrow, hairy leaves, and a tall sizeable woody trunk. Eventually a giant flower spike arises protected by masses of long, silvery hairy bracts, and finally countless deep blue flowers open. Similar in stature to a giant Echium, it can grow up to 6 metres in total. Rare even in the wild, where it is pollinated by birds, it lives in the high-elevation bogs of the alpine zone, between 3700 and 4300 m (12100 and 14100 ft) and is native to the high Rwenzori Mountains of tropical Eastern Africa from Ugand ... Learn More

Sometimes grown as an annual this tough almost alpine like plant forms tight domes of foliage topped with dense balls of delicate, deep amethyst, purple flowers. But it's best feature is the strong honey scented perfume given off by its flowers, which on mass will travel quite a distance in late afternoon. Grows well on the edge of raised beds, rockeries or in patio containers. ... Learn More

Sometimes grown as an annual this tough almost alpine like plant forms tight domes of foliage topped with dense balls of delicate, snow white flowers. But it's best feature is the strong honey scented perfume given off by its flowers, which on mass will travel quite a distance in late afternoon. Grows well on the edge of raised beds, rockeries or in patio containers. ... Learn More

This new, fabulous, previously unknown scabious relative, collected high in the Taurus mountains of Turkey, may be the rarest plant we have ever sold. A dome of leathery leaves produces a summer-long succession of almost stemless, blue scabious flowers. The small proportion of solid, fertile seeds are very frugally produced and are collected individually. ... Learn More

Dark, blood-red flowers are followed by large numbers of cherry-red berries which are sprinkled liberally over the entire plant giving a pleasing effect. Cultivated since the 16th Century, this attractive deciduous shrub has dark green, shining leaves, and is found in the wild in woods and stony places in the mountains of Europe. Normally a medium-sized shrub, it can be easily clipped to maintain its dwarf stature, under 3ft if required, making it a good hedging plant. ... Learn More

Completely new to us is this quick-growing, freely branching plant producing whorls of fascinating carmine flowers from spring until October, above small glossy leaves. The flowers bear a remarkable resemblance to the head of a giraffe rudely putting out his tongue! ... Learn More