This most unusual, petite plant has beautiful basal rosettes, rather resembling hens-and-chicks sempervivums, and disproportionally large white flowers, in heavy sprays, all above leaves with interesting jagged margins and strongly twisted seed pods. It is native to Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. ... Learn More

This rare and beautiful Japanese high alpine plant makes a solid rounded cushion covered with sheets of almost stemless, golden-eyed white flowers. It is ideal for a pot or container or small rock-garden. ... Learn More

One of the very choicest and rarest of this group of plants, with relatively large fragrant yellow flowers, on thin, lax flower stems that are covered in delicate branched hairs giving them a "frosted" appearance. These arise from compact, tufted rosettes of silvery-grey leaves in earliest spring. Steens Draba is found on open rocky ridges on Steens Mountain, which is a large fault-block range in the south eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. ... Learn More

Reputedly one of the world's oldest plants, these amazing evergreen subtropical tree-like plants in the genus Dracaena, bear just a few branches bearing linear to lance-shaped leaves, often crowded towards the tips, and on mature plants small greenish-white flowers are followed by attractive clusters of orange or red berries. When the bark is damaged it exudes thick, red, blood-like sap, hence one of its common names! Making statuesque specimens in warmer countries, these are also superb pot plants elsewhere. It is a native of the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores. ... Learn More

Polished, needle-like foliage and disproportionately-large, brilliant silvery blue, "dragonhead", helmet-shaped flowers, each highlighted with a light blue lip, appear for a very long time from late May to August. This is a long-lived perennial that forms dark green mounds with distinctive foliage, rather reminiscent of a penstemon, with which it could easily be confused. Completely deciduous in winter, it is remarkably drought tolerant, and is also suitable for containers, rock gardens or perennial borders. ... Learn More

In early spring, beautifully patterned foliage arises, from which ascends a huge, lurid purple spathe, which can be more than 2 feet long. the "Dragon Lily", is the most impressive of all of the European aroids, found in the wild in clefts in rocky gorges and along waterways, from the Eastern Mediterranean, Crete, the Aegean Islands, mainland Greece, the Balkans and south west Turkey. Although it smells like rotting meat, which are its efforts to attract pollinating flies, it nevertheless makes a unique addition to the average garden. Very few large fertile seeds are ever collected. ... Learn More

Showy, pale pink male flowers and modest white female flowers appear on dark red shoots in spring on this attractive and very striking evergreen shrub. In a well-drained spot it is remarkably hardy. ... Learn More

This lovely plant bears nodding, cream buds which open into slightly paler ivory flowers on woody stems, the foliage consisting of tiny, leathery leaves with a grey reverse. Finally, the large impressive fuzzy ball of a seed head opens. ... Learn More

This elegant fern has robust foliage and is able to withstand a sunnier site and drier soil than most hardy ferns. In mild locations the foliage may remain standing all winter, but elsewhere it dies down, but is happiest in a cool, shady, sheltered humus-rich situation. More tolerant of sun than many other types of ferns, it is also a good choice for border plantings. It was originally thought to be the partner of lady fern, and like all ferns, this prehistoric plant does not produce flowers, reproducing via spores produced beneath the fronds. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the Award of Garden Merit (AGM). ... Learn More

(Duchesnea indica variegata) "Tutti-Frutti" or "Indian Strawberry" Whatever next! Can you believe a strawberry with yellow flowers. And this is the rare variegated-leaved form. Attractive red berries (edible, although pippy, but loved by birds) and very similar to alpine strawberries, are produced all summer, on a creeping evergreen carpet. Perfect hanging over a wall or rockery. ... Learn More

Can you believe a strawberry with yellow flowers. Attractive red berries (edible, although pippy, but loved by birds) and very similar to alpine strawberries, are produced all summer, on a creeping evergreen carpet. This is the more-vigorous form of the variegated form and is perfect hanging over a wall or on a rockery, where it will stifle all low-lying weeds. ... Learn More

A rare plant, endemic to Ullung Island off of Korea in the Sea of Japan, which as well as being an attractive umbellifer, apparently has leaves and young stems with a good flavour, rather like celery but with a bit of a bite, and which apparently are very nutritious. The young leaves and stems can produce the earliest possible harvestable garden crop in many cold climates, sometimes as early as mid March! ... Learn More

Its name alone is a mouthful. And that is precisely what your curious friends will have when they touch the small plum-shaped fruits on the amazing and aptly named "Squirting-Cucumber". Yellow flowers on radiating stems produce intriguing hanging fruits. Unwary inspection triggers the incredible seed distribution method. The swollen fruit breaks off and shoots downwards (remember Newton's Laws of Reaction) propelled by a high speed jet of seeds and water. Ouch! Never fails to impress. ... Learn More

A vigorous scrambler, perfect for covering an evergreen shrub, with red, orange or yellow tubular flowers, produced freely from June to October in multi-flowered trusses. Makes a hardy overwintering tuber, but flowers first year from seed. ... Learn More

The pale-flowered trumpets of the "Chilean Glory Vine" are perfect for a darker corner where other climbers will sulk. This climber, as well as being bone hardy, will perform for years with absolutely no attention, dying down each winter into a completely hardy tuber! ... Learn More