The traditional flower used in wedding button holes, the flowers of Carnation Hardy Border Mixed may not be quite as tightly double as the annual types but they are full of fragrance, and in milder areas they can be a fully perennial variety. This variety produces a brilliant show of colour in July, with beautifully perfumed blooms and long stems perfect for cutting. ... Learn More

A spectacular pink flowered creeping succulent, this is a perennial evergreen mostly used as ornamental drought tolerant and ground cover plant. It can grow in subtropical, Mediterranean, tropic, desert or temperate climates. The 6cm flowers are followed by globular, purplish-red fruit 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. ... Learn More

With attractive orange flowers, 'Kinko' makes excellent cut flowers and will retain its vibrant colour when dried. The thistle-like blooms have round, thornless leaves and round flower buds. It is an ideal plant for informal, wild gardens attracting lots of pollinating insects. ... Learn More

This striking, bright orange flower is sure to draw attention in the garden. Thistle-like in appearance, it is great for cutting either fresh (the blooms last very well in water) or dried. It will succeed in poor and dry soils and requires little attention. ... Learn More

In the dry season this tall shrub or small tree produces long racemes of massed clusters of bright golden flowers, which appear on almost every branch, all of which are clad in attractive alternately arranged leaves, consisting of pairs of feathery, deep green ovate leaflets. Later appear the pea-like seed pods. It does best in a hot spot and full sun and well-drained soil. ... Learn More

When in flower, this is one of the most handsome trees of Central America, being valued especially for its dazzling floral display, especially along the Pacific lowlands, reminding one of apple trees, by both the form of the tree and the colouring of the blossoms. Petals are red at first, but gradually become pink and then peach as they age giving an unusual effect as spring progresses. ... Learn More

Beautiful crimson and pink flowers open in compact bunches on this fast-growing, deciduous or semi-deciduous tree which flowers in spring and sheds its leaves in the winter months. Although its origin is in Southeast Asia, it has been extensively grown in tropical areas worldwide as a straight-trunked garden tree owing to its impressive appearance at all times of the year. Its flower is the provincial flower of Chainat Province, Thailand, and indeed it is one of Thailand's Nine Auspicious Trees as it is said to bring good luck, ensure continued high rank and afford victory to all who grow it! ... Learn More

This outstandingly beautiful, medium-sized tree bears bright deep-pink flowers with shades of orange and red. Originating in Eastern India, it produces large-seeded long pods containing a black cathartic pulp which has been used as a horse medicine. ... Learn More

Cassia moschata, commonly known as Bronze Shower or Musk Cassia, is a semi-deciduous tree native to Central and South America, ranging from southern Mexico to northern Brazil. It features a wide-spreading crown and can reach heights of up to 20 meters. The tree is renowned for its spectacular, pendulous inflorescences comprising 25–70 golden yellow to coppery flowers that bloom when the tree is mostly leafless, creating a striking visual display. The flowers emit a musk-like fragrance, adding to its ornamental appeal. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soils, Cassia moschata is drought-t ... Learn More

Historically used in love potions, hence the name, this beautiful summer perennial provides a stunning blue accent to planting schemes. Bright blue, cornflower-like flowers on tall, upright stems appear continuously from early to late summer, peaking in midsummer. Later, attractive seed heads form, prolonging the season of interest right into autumn. Plant three or five in a group to make more of an impact in the border. A long lasting cut or dried flower. ... Learn More

This beautiful fast-growing perennial is very easy to grow and is often used as an annual, blooming in the first year if sown early. 'Amor White' produces stunning blooms of white, star like flowers each with a dark purple-blue eye and unique papery petals. The blooms rise on strong, single stems above neat clumps of grey-green foliage. Super planted in groups in the garden border, they also make a wonderful show in containers and are a long lasting cut or dried flower. ... Learn More

A member of the ginger family, originally from the Himalayas, these plants produce tall spikes of bright yellow flowers. Blooms occur from late summer through to early autumn, extending the range of colour in your garden into the autumn months. ... Learn More

From the Canary Islands comes this attractive and very fragrant plant which bears three-lobed leaves that are strongly aromatic, and in summer pretty sprays of pink, two-lipped flowers appear over a long period in late spring and summer. The dried leaves are often used in cooking as herbs and spices. It is ideal for a sheltered or hot position, where it will best thrive and is a perpetual magnet for bees and butterflies. Plant it on the edge of a pathway where the spreading stems constantly get brushed and crushed for best effects! ... Learn More

This unusual specimen can finally grow into a tall, deciduous tree bearing large, short, sharp prickles all along the branches, and also on the trunk which has a pronounced buttress at the base. The leaves drop off in the dry season, and it is leafless for a long period, allowing the glorious array of large and beautifully-marked pink flowers to display to their best. The large Kapok seed pods contain the fibrous fluff which has been used since early times for a large variety of uses. ... Learn More

This spectacular, fast-growing tree, unbelievably, a member of the Mallow family, bears very tropical-looking palmate foliage, and has an extraordinary bulbous green trunk studded with astonishingly-large, triangular-shaped "thorns". It produces extremely beautiful, sizeable pink and cream lily-like flowers, which are fragrant and borne in great profusion, and are followed by large woody pods that split open to release the long white flossy hairs of the famous kapok. It is native to North-Eastern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Southern Brazil. Although finally becoming an open ground tree in ... Learn More