This rose is one of the only species worth growing from seed, all aspects being desirable. Thornless, purple-red stems of unusually-attractive ruby-grey leaves, and pale-centred, cerise pink flowers, age to bunches of dark red hips, which persist after the leaves have fallen in the autumn making a dazzling display. Superb as a bush, but magnificent as a standard if you have patience to train one. ... Learn More

For several weeks in summer, this lovely, vigorous rambling rose produces dense, arching branches bearing large clusters of single white flowers with a rich fruity fragrance, which slowly fade to red producing an attractive bi-colour effect. These are later followed by lush red hips in autumn, and are much loved by birds which feed on these fruits and disperse its seeds widely. It is absolutely ideal for covering a wall or shed, especially north-facing walls as it is more tolerant of shade than other roses. ... Learn More

This rare and beautiful rose comes from the Central Iberian/sub-Mediterranean areas, where it makes dense deciduous thickets smothered in fragrant pale pink flowers. Its preferred habitat is deep, moist soils, especially in the supra-Mediterranean zone of the Meseta, the Ebro basin, the Cordillera Central, the Southern Iberian Range, the Montes de Toledo, and the Sierra Morena mountains, where it grows in association with Berberis hispanica and Prunus spinosa ("Sloe") ... Learn More

Large shocking pink single rose flowers, with petals like tissue paper, stand out like beacons against the deeply-veined, large bright green leaves ultimately giving way to fat, glossy orange hips that are just as attractive as the flowers. This is a fast-growing rose with a dense and bushy habit that makes it a good choice for a summer-flowering hedge with autumn interest. The extremely thorny stems make it a good deterrent barrier too. ... Learn More

Very similar to ‘Roseraie de l’Hay’, these flowers are truly fully double and bright silky magenta in colour, and have a deep and lovely "Old Rose" fragrance. It produces intermittent flowers throughout the summer and autumn, extending the season of colour in the garden. It was originally selected by Schaum Van Tol in1865. Very few fertile seeds collected. Seedlings may vary but all should be very lovely. ... Learn More

This delicate, small suckering shrub boasts pretty, single, creamy-white flowers, up to 2 in. across (5 cm), in late spring to early summer. Sweetly scented, these are borne in profusion on prickly stems bearing handsome, fern-like foliage of bright green leaves that are composed of rounded, delicate leaflets. As an extra bonus, the blossoms are followed by sizeable, spherical, purplish-black fruits. Disease, salt and drought tolerant, this beautiful species rose is perfect as a groundcover or as a low hedge. A hardy, tough and reliable plant, it is extremely suitable for use on poor soil and ... Learn More

This is the rare, double-flowered form of this attractive garden-worthy shrub, with perennial, not biennial woody stems (unlike many other rubus forms.) It is grown not only for its attractive many-petalled, dazzling-red flowers, but for the juicy fruits which mature in late summer to early autumn resembling large orange to orange-red raspberries 1.5–2 cm long, which are used to make jams and pies in their North American home. These fruits are also called Russian Raspberries or Salmon Berries. Traditionally, the berries were eaten mixed with salmon roe, hence their name, but we do not recom ... Learn More

This mysterious, and very rarely-seen plant makes attractive compact bushes of rigid, branched stems bearing evergreen spiny leaves, and bears greenish flowers followed by sizeable gorgeous red berries throughout the winter and following spring! Quite incredibly, it is a member of the lily family! For hundreds of years herbalists have used butcher's broom in the treatment of various ailments. And presumably butchers-of-old used branches to clean their work tops with the sharp foliage? For the chemists amongst you, Butcher's Broom contains 0.8-1.5% quinolizidine alkaloids, principally spartein ... Learn More

This shrub or small tree can be found growing wild just about everywhere in Britain, the fragrant, flat topped, cream flower heads appear in May and June followed by the purple-black berries in September. The flowers are used to make the delicately-perfumed elder flower champagne, whilst the berries are used for wine. It used to be said that if you had an elder tree in the garden you had a medicine chest, or even a larder! The pith of the stems is easily pushed out and whistles were made from the hollow stems, the belief being that the sweetest sounding ones were made from trees that grew aw ... Learn More

Seeds collected from the very best cultivars of the dark, narrow leaved forms of the fragrant-flowered elder such as 'Black Lace'. Seedlings will vary, with less than half having dark or very dark foliage, and pink or dark pink flowers. It is very important indeed to remember that many green seedlings will turn darker as the plants mature through the summer in their first year, so do not discard all green-leaved seedlings. ... Learn More

A generous packet of ready-stratified seeds from dark-leaved cultivars such as 'Black Beauty'. The leaves of these plants will vary a lot in colour from darkest purple through browns to green, and also in shape, from very finely divided ones to normal broad-leaved forms. Although less than half of these seedlings will have the darker leaves and more desirable pink, rather than white flowers, it is important to allow the plants to mature as the leaves often do not reveal their final colouring until the second year. ... Learn More

Bright red elder berries open in dazzling clusters amongst the finely-divided golden feathery foliage, and even in full sun the foliage of this superb and striking Elder will look luminous and healthy, completely resisting sun-scorch. These exceptional plants are long-lived, even making superb hedging plants up to 2 m tall! Few fertile seeds set. ... Learn More

White, fragrant spring flowers give way to dazzling, pendulous clumps of pillar-box red berries, which shine with great intensity. A great improvement on our own black-fruited elder and now you can make red elderberry wine! Collected on our Russian trip to Sakhalin (RBS0265). ... Learn More

A spectacular, small to medium sized, deciduous or evergreen tree that can reach up to 20 m tall. With a spreading crown, compound leaves and a profusion of deep red flowers in spring, it is well-suited to shade as an ornamental tree in warmer regions. The new leaves are bright red and add to the tree's attractiveness. It is named for the copious nectar that drips from its flowers, which attracts various species of birds and insects. ... Learn More

Securinega suffruticosa is a deciduous shrub growing to 1.5m. It flowers from Aug to Sept, and the seeds ripen from Sep to Oct. The flowers are dioecious, individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant, so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. The plant is not self-fertile. This plant is commonly used in Chinese herbalism,(USE AT OWN RISK) where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs where it is used in the treatment of contusions and nervous paralysis. ... Learn More