The pure white flowers of this early summer flowering shrub give rise to the name - The Bride - or the Pearl Bush, as the opening flower buds have an astonishing resemblance to strings of pearls wrapped around the branches. In April and May it can produce an unforgettable cascading waterfall of sweetly perfumed ivory-white flowers. ... Learn More

A rare and narrow-leaved form of this hard member of the pineapple family collected from the southern Chilean Andes. In autumn the centre of the large rosette of leaves turns flaming red around the central golf-ball like cluster of egg-shell blue flower buds. ... Learn More

A tropical-looking, frost-hardy evergreen shrub with large, leathery, brightly-polished leaves. Panicles of white flowers appear late in the year and much later still, in March and April, come the large clusters of jet-back berries. ... Learn More

A profusion of beautiful, daisy-like sky blue flowers, covering deep green, compact foliage from June until the first frosts in September. A stand out summer performer with good drought tolerance suitable for bedding and containers. Attractive to butterflies. ... Learn More

This striking plant produces several, tall, strong, impressive, almost bamboo-like, repeatedly dividing stems, carrying large umbels of bright yellow flowers, much loved by butterflies and bees. These later transform into architectural sprays of exceptionally attractive, very large, flat, golden seeds making this a superb specimen plant. ... Learn More

This truly beautiful, mid-sized, semi-evergreen bunch grass, native to California and Oregon pushes out graceful, fountain-like, blue-green foliage. The showy, delicate, panicles of flowers rise as high again above the foliage. An excellent groundcover for slopes, it is easily grown in a variety of soils whether in sun or shade. Although drought tolerant, it looks better with some summer water. ... Learn More

Festuca glauca 'Blue Select', commonly known as Blue Select Fescue, is a compact, clump-forming ornamental grass prized for its fine-textured, icy blue foliage. This evergreen grass retains its striking color year-round in milder climates, providing architectural interest to borders, rock gardens, and containers. In early to mid-summer, it produces delicate, tan flowering stems that add a soft, airy texture to the garden. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soils, Blue Select is drought-tolerant once established and requires minimal maintenance, making it ideal for xeriscaping and low-wat ... Learn More

A charming dwarf plant for the front border or rockery with grey-green leaves and short stems holding sprays of yellow flowers which transform into attractive, hard, bladder-like seed pots, rather like small eggs clustered up the stems. ... Learn More

Silver-grey foliage and stems supporting the masses of lemon yellow flowers make this rather unusual crucifer quite a curiosity. It is supposedly a perennial, but is best treated as either an annual or biennial. ... Learn More

This sizeable evergreen tree has a buttressed trunk and a spreading crown, and bark that is smooth and grey, with small pale brown pustules. The attractive clusters of orange-red fruits are officially described as edible, but they are hard and not palatable and are usually grown for their ornamental effect. The large leaves, a little like the rubber plant, have wonderfully pale green veins that show up beautifully against the emerald green of the leaves. This particular ficus is a beautiful addition to any home and makes an excellent container plant. ... Learn More

An unusually small tree in the wild, it has disproportionately large leaves, hence one of its common names, which start intensely red, and turn more and more green when reaching their ultimate size of up to 50 cm length. Its edible fruits, which ripen both on branches and the trunk, are used to make jams, juices and curries in India, whilst in Vietnam, unripe fruits are also used in salads. It also provides various traditional medicinal uses, and its large strong leaves are often used as plates! The tree is cultivated in India and from Myanmar to Vietnam and SW China and Brazil. ... Learn More

Measured by canopy coverage, the giant banyan trees of India are the largest trees in the world. These amazing trees produce propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial roots and once they reach the ground, they become woody trunks that can become indistinguishable from the main trunk. The leaves are large, leathery, glossy green and elliptical in shape, and the leaf bud is covered by two large scales which falls as the leaf develops, young leaves having an attractive reddish tinge. This tree is considered sacred in India and often shelters a small temple underneath, and indeed it is one ... Learn More

Probably the most commonly grown evergreen tree indoors throughout the world, this species can make an excellent house or patio plant, with pendulous branches bearing glossy, slender-pointed ovate leaves, up to 12cm in length. The flowers are followed by small, reddish-orange fruits which slowly change to black. Outdoors it is one of the easiest trees to keep looking perfect in the correct climate (USDA zone 9b). With its elegant growth and tolerance of poor growing conditions, it does best in bright, sunny conditions but will also tolerate considerable shade. ... Learn More

This is the tree that is grown worldwide to produce plum-sized, juicy, sweet purple/brown figs and although there are hundreds of cultivars this is still a favourite. Fruits will ripen from midsummer onwards in the UK but earlier in warmer countries. These are good, fertile seeds and are ready-stratified for sowing. Fruit from seedlings may vary but all will be superb fruits. ... Learn More

This lovely tree with pale grey bark produces figs which are primarily pollinated by fig wasps, which enter the flower through the hole at the base of the fruiting structure. It is sacred to Buddhists and Hindus as the Buddha himself was thought to have sat under one when he received enlightenment (bodhi). The oldest plant in the world of known planting date is the bo tree called Sri Maha Bodhi planted at the temple at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, in 288 BC. It is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, south-west China and Indochina and Sadhus (Hindu ascetics) still meditate bene ... Learn More