Much sought-after, these intense, strikingly-coloured flowers are violet and lavender over a white ground, and have an orange-yellow stripe running down the centre of each fall, and nestle in the foliage. If gently pulled whilst in pencil, (just before they open,) the flowers will last four or five days in a vase, filling the room with a delicious primrose fragrance as they unfurl. Making tussocks of arching, dark green leathery leaves, and commonly known as 'Cretan Irises', these differ from the North African plants by their more dwarf habit and shorter, narrower leaves, and they make an excellent addition to the winter garden, performing best in a warm, dry site, such as very close to a south-facing wall. ... Learn More

This very robust iris makes a dramatic display of boldly veined, sword-like leaves, with large, violet-blue flowers accented by whitish markings at the base of the sepals. Unusually, the petals and sepals spread out flat making an attractive change from most others. ... Learn More

This plant is one of the two yellow-flowered members of the Iris sibirica section, these plants have deeper yellow flowers than Iris forrestii, but with similar very narrow petals, and darking markings on the falls. They are robust, easy-to-grow plants and spectacular in flower ... Learn More

Handsome blue and yellow flowers open on this lovely native of the Iberian Peninsula where it produces strong clumps in grassy places, sandy and rocky ground, and sand dunes, flowering from April to June. ... Learn More

Greyish-green leaves emerge in autumn, which die the next year after the bright yellow flowers have faded in July. This lovely iris, native to Spain and Portugal, has also been found in the wild in Corsica, South West France, southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia. This lovely colour selection, and colour of seedlings may vary, comes from one of the hardier bulbous irises, and can be grown in any thoroughly drained bed in very light open soil, preferably one that has been moderately enriched, ... Learn More

Similar in form to Iris magnifica, this choice plant has superb, large flowers of deep violet-blue to cobalt, with a spotted and striped white or violet crest. Lush broad leaves with generally 2 or 3 compact flowers per stem produce a striking specimen, and although very rare it is easy to produces a healthy plant in cultivation. ... Learn More

This famous plant makes a dividing clump of shiny leaves, above which arise masses of small yellow flowers which in turn produce sprays of unusual elongated seeds. This is the plant made famous as the source of the most important blue natural dye, used by the Celts, the ancient people of the British Isles (& Braveheart!). The leaves must be dried and then steeped and fermented in water to produce a deep blue dye that is useful for ruining your clothes, or maybe painting your face blue to frighten visitors............ ... Learn More

Extremely rare and exceedingly beautiful, this gorgeous, and almost unknown plant, can grow up to more than a meter tall. It has been described as "almost Dierama-like”"in habit, but, coming from a winter rainfall area of South Africa, it can perform better in wet conditions than many Dieramas do. A vigorous grower, it is summer deciduous, and during this period plants do not require water. ... Learn More

Pretty, wispy and airy-looking, delicate purple flowers arise on thin stems in spring. These flowers readily multiply up making compact clumps. They are native to Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, where in the wild, flower colour ranges from light blue to dark violet. ... Learn More

Although it is actually a member of the "bellflower" family, this unusual flower resembles a Scabious or Pincushion Flower. It forms a low mound of grey-green leaves, bearing balls of violet-blue flowers for weeks on end and is excellent in a rock garden, especially combined with Heaths and Heathers, but also suitable for a border or edging a pathway. ... Learn More

Although this lovely British native plant is called a "scabious" it is in fact not at all related, but is in the campanula family as a close inspection of the flower will confirm. In the wild it grows on heaths and moors, often at high elevations, also in rocky districts, coastal cliffs and quarries, doing well in very poor soil. In cultivation it excels though, good soil permitting it to grow in all dimensions. ... Learn More

Jeffersonia has showy white flowers with eight petals, the delicate flowers resembling "Bloodroot" and appearing in April or May before producing fruit which is a green pear-shaped capsule with a hinged top. Native to eastern Asia and eastern North America these uncommon spring flowers were named for United States President Thomas Jefferson. It is protected by state laws as a threatened or endangered plant in Georgia, Iowa, New York, and New Jersey. The characteristic leaves are large and nearly divided in half, giving rise to its common name, twinleaf. As with many other deciduous forest plants, the seeds are dispersed by ants, a process known as myrmecochory. I bet you can't remember that tomorrow! ... Learn More

Arching stems clad in angled opposite leaves terminate in sprays of gorgeous, yellow, crystalline, two inch shuttlecock flowers. Grown well, this is a certain crowd-puller as it springs from the ground each spring before making an amazing display late in the year from August until October. Carol Klein says it is a "Once-seen-never-forgotten plant". And Graham Stuart Thomas also describes it thus: "There is nothing like it, a unique plant of great beauty". (RHS AGM) ... Learn More

This splendid perennial plant from the Lower Danube, is related to hollyhocks and can flower the first year from seed if sown early. It can grow up to 8ft high with unusual, vine-like leaves and large, showy, cup-shaped, white or pale rose-pink flowers from July to September. ... Learn More

In September, later than all other pokers, arise massive heads of red, later changing to greenish-lemon, above very broad grey leaves and elephant-trunk-like stems. "Very valuable and perhaps the only truly hardy large poker" (G.S.T.) ... Learn More