This rare plant, that grows up to 13,000 feet in the Himalayas, rises later in the spring than most perennials, but then it spreads out its basal leaves forming tiered mats of fine, lacy, fern-like foliage. During late summer the flower buds emerge, each flower head becoming a plateau consisting of thousands of tiny flowers, the intricate flower heads being perfect circles composed of even smaller circles. E A Bowles called it "The queen of all umbellifers, with its almost transparent tender greenness, and the marvellous lacy pattern of its large leaves, it is the most beautiful of all fern- ... Learn More

This delightful and graceful plant forms a mound or tuft of finely divided, ferny-looking leaves, bearing upright stems with graceful nodding flowers in shades of deep violet to wine purple during late spring and early summer. A rare plant, native to open woodlands in China, it is a very close cousin to the normal aquilegias differing in that the flowers lack the usual spurs at the back. This is a superb plant for edging, in the rock garden or bright woodland. ... Learn More

Slowly spreading clumps of tall purple-red stems with saw-tooth edged leaves carrying huge flat heads of bright yellow daisies in July/August - the "midsummer flower-gap". Originally collected in Chile at 2,000ft in wet meadows near Osorno (RB94118). ... Learn More

This absolutely amazing succulent shrub is endemic to the Canary Islands, where it evolved, over millions of years, into this quite unique plant with thick, contorted, sausage-like branches, forming a rounded dome. The bare, multi-branching stems are tipped with clumps of leathery, narrow, grey-green leaves which have clumps of attractive creamy flowers on them in late winter and early spring. These finally turn into sizeable globular seed heads, resembling snowballs, at the end of each stem adding to its year-long attraction. What more can a plant provide! In the wild It is found in dry coast ... Learn More

A long-flowering dazzler discovered on the mountains of South Africa. Numerous erect stems produce an everlasting display of carmine rose flowers from early spring until the autumn frosts. ... Learn More

Native to the high rocky mountain slopes of Russia, Georgia and Turkey, (its name means 'of the rocks') this tough and most attractive hardy plant opens its sizeable, pure white inflorescences, atop thick, rubbery, greyish basal foliage which is most attractively lobed and divided. Rare and possibly not in cultivation, but should be. It is protected in the wild, and on The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, although local people have traditionally extracted the Essential Oils which are obtained by hydrodistillation! In a well-drained spot it m ... Learn More

Extremely pretty, delicately-thin, pale pink flowers stand proudly on upright stems above a mound of round green leaves. A thoroughly charming plant, well at home in any mixed cottage garden border or as a showpiece in a small bed. ... Learn More

From hot, dry Cyprus comes this rare and stunning plant which displays its velvety, silvery-white foliage forming a sparkling dense clump. Then from late spring onwards, surprisingly bright, tall, lime green spikes are held on erect, branching, chartreuse flower stems. The flowers are held in tiers, very much like the herb origano, and are actually cupped calyces which later sport yellow blooms. This is an amazing plant for any dry, well-drained garden, or even a large container. In the wild it is endemic to the Pentadaktylos range where it can be found in only seven locations, and is classed ... Learn More

This very rare plant makes a low spreading clump of small, hairy, grey-green leaves on short stems, holding stubby heads of pretty, pale lemon flowers. Although most sideritis species grow at low altitude, the group of high altitude taxa are endemics, usually with a small distribution areas. In this species it is incompletely-known, and it is threatened with extinction, living at the very upper altitude limit of this section, some 10,000 feet up in the Spanish Sierra Nevada. ... Learn More

This tough, drought and heat-tolerant plant is native to the mountains surrounding the Mediterranean sea, especially the Peloponnese. It forms an attractive-looking, low, dense mound of slim, fragrant, greyish foliage, covered in white fuzz, daring you to touch it, and bearing in mid summer, pretty, upright stems of small, light yellow flowers in fascinating interrupted clusters. It is used in Greece for colds, respiratory health maintenance, digestion, frayed nerves and the immune system and it is apparently anti-oxidant too! This could be one of the most significant Mediterranean herbs sinc ... Learn More

This delightful and popular diminutive plant, ideal for the for the rockery or edge of path, bears thin stems which carry many-petalled, pure white frilly flowers, above a low creeping mat of small shiny leaves . ... Learn More

A very choice, rare plant from the Turkish mountains with tight mounds of slightly grey-green foliage, and fabulous, short-stemmed flowers which are large and rich pink, with impressive, darker-striped, inflated calyces. It is ideal for the rock garden or trough and is a perfect specimen for the show bench. Irrigation is usually required only in times of extreme heat or drought. Few good seeds set. ... Learn More

This rarely offered perennial Bulgarian species is unlike any of the other Silenes in cultivation, with tidy grey-green rosettes of smooth shiny leaves and deeply-scented globular heads composed of tubular, intensely maroon, crimson flowers, with amazing blue anthers and dark wine red bracts, all making an amazing colour combination. ... Learn More

A completely new plant to cultivation, never before offered. Massed heads of pure white Maltese-Cross flowers on short, thin wiry stems in spring and early summer. A little beauty for the rockery or dry garden. ... Learn More

Collected originally on an Alpine Garden Society trip to Ipiros in Greece, this rarely-seen, showy, hardy perennial opens bright heads of deep reddish-mauve flowers in loose sprays during summer, above the evergreen rosette of basal foliage. If grown in a very well-drained spot, this plant will slowly evolve into a tight rounded shrub, and considering its origin, it is very well adapted to a dry situation. ... Learn More