Plant Catalogue: Herbaceous Perennials
*CALAMINTHA nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’. Summer droughts it would seem sort the men from the boys. This will flower unabashed for months on end oblivious to the parched soil in which it grows. A great bee puller too. 30cm. £3.80
*C. N. ‘Harrogate’. New to us but seems lusher than the above with flowers twice the size, held in dark calyxes. £3.80
CAMASSIA ‘Electra’. Fabulous flowers, a mixture of sky blue, pale violet, even a hint of turquoise. 120cm £5.00
C. ‘Lady Eve Price’. Flowering sized seedlings of this intense, dark violet-blue form are offered. A few to spare. £7.50
CAMPANULA carpatica var. pelviformis. Large, clear blue salvers over a gently spreading clump make this an ideal and reliable performer for the border front or rockery. £4.00
*C. lactiflora ‘Dixter Presence’. Christopher Lloyd’s own selection which we have long coveted. Tall at 180cm, profuse bell flowers of mid-blue are carried in large, open heads. £4.20
C. l. ‘Loddon Anna’. A variant with pleasing soft lilac-pink flowers. 150cm. £4.20
C. l. ‘Marchant’s Nimbus’. A fine white flowered seedling that arose here. £4.20
*C. l. ‘Pritchard’s Variety’. An old, virtuous and trouble free form noted for its outstanding display of deep Campanula blue ‘Bells’ on 120-150cm stems. £4.20
C. ‘Sarastro’. A selection from the continent, packing in a punch with its large, glossy violet-blue bells. Self supporting. 60cm. £4.20
CARDAMINE quinquefolia. A superior Cuckoo flower from the Caucasus with a running habit and prolific spikes of mauve-pink flowers in early spring. 30cm. £4.30
CARYOPTERIS x clandonensis ‘Ferndown’. Both this and the following are correctly described as sub-shrubs. Best pruned in spring, their invaluable blue flowers are borne in autumn on new wood. Sun and good drainage required.
C x clan. ‘Kew Blue’. A shade richer coloured than the above. Both @ £5.80
*CENTAUREA bella. A neat border front plant with evergreen silver cut foliage and a generous summer display of lilac-pink flowers. 30cm. £4.00
C. benoistii. Typical cut foliage of the genus, the stiff upright stems carry claret-ruby coloured tufted flowers for months on end. 120cm. £4.50
C.orientalis. Not dissimilar to the following. A valuable plant if it’s insects you‘re seeking to attract. £4.25
*C. rupestris. A straw yellow flowered Knapweed with exquisitely shaped buds, cut silvery foliage and a ‘wild’ look about it. Requires sun and good drainage. 70cm. £4.25
*CENTRANTHUS ruber albus. The obliging and humble Valerian in its very beautiful white form. £3.90
CEPHALARIA dipsacoides. In effect, a daintier form of C.gigantea, with smaller pale yellow flowers emerging from exquisitely fashioned buds. In winter, the spacious tracery of wiry stems and spent seed heads presents a beautiful, though stark silhouette. 2m. £4.20
*COREOPSIS tripteris. An elegant, lofty species (2m+) producing its airy display of clear yellow flowers in Sept/Oct. No foibles, clump forming and splendid with late grasses. Should be better known. £4.20
C. verticillata ‘Old Timer’. This award winning plant provides a dazzling display of inch wide lemon yellow daisies over lacy fresh green foliage for weeks on end. 60cm. £4.00
CROCOSMIA. We can think of no better way to enliven the late summer border than to use these dazzling performers. They love moisture and lots of sunshine to perform well, and need dividing every now and then to keep them happy. From £4.30
C. ‘Croesus’. Obligingly clump forming, this uncommon form from Ireland bears its large soft orange flowers on upright 80cm stems.
*C. ‘Emily McKenzie’. Grand old variety raised in Northumberland with large orange flowers, splashed wallflower red. Pretty reliable. 60cms.
*C. ‘Gerbe d’or’. Bronzed foliage and pale orange flowers. A very reliable and hearty grower. 75cms.
C. ‘Jenny Bloom’. From the Bloom’s stable, good-sized flowers in apricot yellow. 60cm.
C. masoniorum ‘Rowallane Yellow’. The flowers have an upward facing habit and are a good solid yellow. Handsome broad foliage too. 90cm.
C. ‘Late Lucifer’. Similar to C. ‘Lucifer’ with similar bold foliage but 2 weeks later. Marvellous here in partial shade with Purple Hazel. 120cm.
*C. ‘Severn Sunrise’. But everyone comments favourably on the weird peachy-rose colour of this award winning plant. A challenge to place this colour well but good with purples. 60cm.
C. ‘Queen Alexandra’. Elegant, nodding Erythronium like orange blooms enhanced by a dash of crimson in the throat. 80cm.
CYNARA cardunculus ‘Cardy’. One of the boldest and handsomest of all foliage plants, its huge silver-grey leaves making an arresting and colossal feature. Needing elbow room, the flower stems can reach 2.5m+ £5.00
*C. c. ex Chelsea Physic Form. A spiny, aggressive brute, presumably to keep animals at bay, with deeply incised Leaves. Flowering at 1.8m, this is an easier managed plant than the above. But watch those spines! £4.50
C. scolymus ‘Argenteuil’. Of several named varieties we have brought back from France, this is the sole survivor, hardiness being a problem. This makes fine eating and the silveriness of its handsome cut foliage is noticeably pronounced. £5.00
Images at the top of the page are ©Gardens Illustrated / Sharon Pearson