This is one of the loveliest of the alpine buttercups with attractive grey-green, glaucous leaves, and short stems carrying open, golden-eyed, pure white flowers. These gems come from the Pyrenees, and the Cantabrian Mountains. ... Learn More

This rare, drought-proof, summer dormant, very late autumn-flowering buttercup, has bright yellow flower cups on elongated stems above a basal rosette of thick, veined, leathery leaves from September and into November. Rather resembling a celandine, but flowering at the opposite end of the year, it is ideal for any humus-rich, slightly moist soil in a protected, sunny spot. In the wild it is found from the Mediterranean islands through western Asia to Algeria, France and Greece. ... Learn More

One of the very biggest, and most impressive of all buttercups, this easy-to-grow giant opens enormous, bright green, maple-like leaves beneath large heads of large bunches of huge, shiny yellow buttercups, each with a bright green eye! This display continues until autumn when it dies completely away into a tuber, re-emerging again in early spring. This unexpectedly hardy plant is native to all of the Canary islands and will do best in rich, rather moist soils. ... Learn More

This lovely gem supplies valuable spring colour for the front of a border or rockery. Even experts are fooled by the long, sisyrinchium-like, glaucous leaves before the very long succession of butter-yellow saucers appears. It has no vices and is too seldom seen. ... Learn More

High in the alpine meadows of the European Alps lives this quite spectacular plant. Golden-eyed, ivory white saucers open in long succession on repeatedly dividing stems, giving a good season of bloom. Easy to grow in good, well-drained but moist soil, it will gently self-seed if you are fortunate! Very few fertile seeds available. ... Learn More

A rare, striking, tall and easy-to-grow plant for most gardens. Flowering all summer with profusions of showy, golden yellow flowers with a protruding brown central cone. Good for cut flowers and arranging. Perennial but best treated as an annual. ... Learn More

This famous Banana relative is not a palm at all, despite its common name, and is a popular ornamental in tropical regions. The leaf arrangement gives the entire plant the appearance of a huge fan. The Madagascan Travelers Palm derives its name from its capacity to hold water in the leafbases for long periods of time after a rainfall, allegedly providing water for weary travellers, even during a drought. Once germinated, the resulting plant is VERY fast growing. The waxy, blue seed cover should be removed just prior to sowing for better results. High daytime temperatures may help to trigger fa ... Learn More

Open racemes of very large, tubular, deep pink flowers with yellow throats, open in early summer on this rarely-seen plant, which bears rough, palmate leaves. It is perennial in a sheltered spot with good drainage, but is perhaps better enjoyed in a large container which is kept frost-free. ... Learn More

One of the most valuable cottage garden flowers, but sadly ignored and rarely seen, is this sweetly perfumed plant. Because it does not possess bright flowers it is often left to languish in some dark corner....The impressive spike-like inflorescence of this ancient ornamental cottage garden plant takes up most of the upper stem, and is densely packed with many deeply-fragrant yellow-eyed white flowers. The relatively insignificant leaves are divided deeply into many narrow lobes. Fill your garden with musky perfume! ... Learn More

Collected on our 1994 Chile expedition, (RB 941010,) this shrubby and spiny unlikely verbena relative, with small, shiny evergreen leaves, produces clusters of smallish mauve bell-flowers in spring followed by most attractive violet berries in autumn. ... Learn More

Superb architecturally slashed and cut leaves form an imposing structure, from which in early summer arise immense spikes of pink fluffy panicles. "Though any form of this plant is worth growing, Tanguticum should be sought." (G.S.T.) ... Learn More

This attractive annual with vibrant yellow flowers, is an extremely beneficial, indeed often essential plant for the wild flower meadow. With the upper lip having two white or purple teeth, it provides summer colour, and also papery seed pods that rattle when the seed is ripe, and in olden days this was said to show that the meadow was ready to be cut, hence its other common name of "hay rattle". ... Learn More

The "Purple Bell Vine" is always one of the most sought-after climbing plants here. Deepest purple, almost black, flared tubular flowers with deep pink bracts, hang amongst the heart-shaped leaves. An exceptional container plant for the conservatory which will flower continuously for months on end. ... Learn More

Rhodocoma capensis, commonly referred to as the Cape Restio, is a distinctive and ornamental perennial native to the Western Cape of South Africa. This resilient plant, a member of the Restionaceae family, showcases an architectural grace with its slender, reed-like stems that form dense clumps, reaching heights of 3 to 5 feet. The foliage consists of slender, needle-like leaves arranged alternately along the stems, contributing to its bushy and structured appearance. Come late spring to early summer, Cape Restio adorns itself with small, unassuming flowers surrounded by papery bracts, addi ... Learn More

This is a very dwarf, bone hardy shrub, with large pink flowers up to two inches across and obovate leaves with bristly margins, growing in tundra and alpine areas of Alaska. In the wild, large sections of sea shores and mountain sides turn pink. ... Learn More