This lovely variation carries large, white-centred, blue funnel-shaped flowers over lush foliage dramatically splashed with creamy yellow. Can reach three feet in only eight weeks after an early summer sowing! The "Shoo-fly Plant" is reputed to deter whitefly. ... Learn More

Nocturnally fragrant, long-tubed, yellowish-green to white flowers, much larger than most other forms, appear on this ornamental plant. Numerous cultivars, hybrids and uses have been derived from this superb species. Indeed, in Iran, narghila tobacco is sometimes produced from it where it is not chopped like cigarette tobacco, but is broken up by hand. This variety has bigger flowers than most tobaccos as you can see right into their innards when they are fully open. ... Learn More

The classic cottage garden annual. Persian Jewels is a lovely jumble of semi-double flowers in varying shades of blue, pink and white borne over the finely cut green foliage. The flower heads are followed by attractive seed pods which can be dried for winter decorations. Excellent for cut flowers and a favourite for scattering wherever there’s a gap in the flower border. ... Learn More

Another rare and unusual lily relative. Strong stems support beautifully flared creamy white flowers in spring and early summer. Will bulk up steadily in a raised bed with plenty of humus incorporated. ... Learn More

The Parijat, often known as the Night-Flowering Jasmine, is a tree shrouded in elegance and mystery, its name translating to "sorrow of the night" in reference to its ephemeral blooms. This enchanting tree is celebrated for its fragrant, star-shaped flowers with vibrant orange centers that bloom at dusk, filling the air with an intoxicating, sweet aroma. By morning, the delicate blossoms fall gently to the ground, carpeting the earth with a soft, fragrant blanket of white and orange, offering a poetic beauty unmatched by other plants. Its slender, gnarled branches and rough-textured leaves ... Learn More

A quite spectacular small plant with grey-green leaves, above which arise profuse sprays of faintly sweet-scented, pure white, golden-eyed flowers all summer long. This lovely thing will very gently self-seed around the garden but never, ever becomes a nuisance here! Unsurprisingly it is an 'AGM' Award Winner. ... Learn More

The Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum) is normally grown as a scallion onion as it does not form bulbs even when mature and has clumps of tube-like distinctive hollow leaves. It is an easy plant to look after in the vegetable garden and its yellow flowers also give the plant and extra use as an ornamental feature. It is widely used in Japanese cuisine. ... Learn More

This is truly one of the most impressive plants you can grow in the UK if you can give it room. Candelabras of large mauve flowers open on much-branching white woolly stems which arise from a huge grey spiky rosette in spring. ... Learn More

Three-foot-tall scapes bear large, waxy, white, green-striped blooms with yellow stamens in late May and June. This long-lived, easily cultivated and well-behaved, giant snowdrop relative is perfect for the sunny perennial border. On sunless days the blooms will remain closed, rendering them invisible, their petals blending in with the flower stalks. But as soon as the sun appears, a burst of brilliant white stars and bells will dazzle your eyes! A common name for these sun lovers is "Sleepy Dick" (?), referring to their usually late-in-the-day “awakening”. It is a complete puzzlement why th ... Learn More

Tall slender spikes of starry pale green and white flowers appear extremely early in the year, sometimes as early as Christmas. This rare and fascinating British native has the extraordinary quality of having young flower shoots which may be eaten as a vegetable, similar to asparagus. The common name "Bath Asparagus" comes from the fact it was once abundant near the English city of the same name. ... Learn More

A rare and lovely New Zealand foxglove relative making a spreading carpet of dark green, rounded, leathery leaves beneath dense sprays of white, tubular, mimulus-like flowers in candelabra-type whorls up the stem. This lovely plant is breathtaking in light shade in a moist spot when it will slowly spread to form a succulent carpet. ... Learn More

Tufted and stemless white to red-purple flowers open on upright stems above a compact cushion of ferny compound leaves growing from a persistent woody base. This alpine plant is found at high elevations in gravelly, well-drained locations, screes, bare slopes and alpine fellfields up to 4100m in California to Alaska and eastwards to Colorado and Quebec. It is unique within its genus by virtue of its viscid, 'sticky with glandular warts', bracts and inflorescence. ... Learn More

Paeonia daurica, a member of the Paeoniaceae family, showcases resplendent blooms that captivate with their intricate beauty. The large, showy flowers come in various hues, including shades of pink, magenta, and white. The layered petals create a lush and alluring floral display. This herbaceous perennial typically reaches a height of 60 to 90 centimeters, forming a robust and elegant presence in gardens. Its attractive, deeply lobed foliage complements the striking flowers. Originating from the Caucasus and parts of Turkey, Paeonia daurica thrives in well-drained soils and temperate climates. ... Learn More

This rare and lovely plant, which is attractive from spring until autumn, is often confused with P. japonica, which bears similar flowers but blooms later. Red shoots with a crystalline dusting emerge in early April followed by long, egg-shaped leaves that mature to a dark, reddish green. Each stem bears a 2-3 inch diameter, chalice-like, single, pure-white flower with yellow anthers and purple filaments. Later, mature seed pods open revealing metallic-blue, pea-sized fertile seeds, and holly-berry red infertile seeds. ... Learn More

This charming miniature alpine poppy bears flowers in hues of peach, yellow and white, sometimes all on the same plant. Although they are technically short lived perennials, they self-seed well on a rockery or scree, but never ever seem to become a nuisance. ... Learn More