Shaded Areas

Cultivated in Switzerland in 2004 from the famous 'Queen Charlotte', One would think that 'Reine de Neiges', or 'Snow Queen' would be a white bloomer. The flowers are almost white, a clear crisp ice-blue. Long blooming and upward facing, their fragrance is intense.

Introduced in Germany in 1900, 'Konigin Charlotte' are famously grown for their perfume. The violet coloured flowers are extremely fragrant, This cultivar is unique in that its flowers turn upward making them viewer friendly. It is also one of the longest flowering violets with scented flowers.

To garden with an Oudolf-esque plant like Veronicastrum, it is not necessary to turn your outdoor space into a prairie: you are allowed to keep your flower beds. Naturalistic planting travels well, and Veronicastrum holds its own in a formal border as well as in the middle of a lawn which has turned into a meadow.

Gardeners are often looking for good solid perennials that will have attractive flowers, be easy to take care of, grow nicely but not take over the garden. One group of plants that should be considered is the Veronicas. They provide some of the clearest, truest blues in the perennial border.

Veronica longifolia prefers a position in sun or part shade in moist well-drained soil. The sophisticated blue spires bloom in midsummer and last for several months. They make a strong vertical statement and are an excellent contrast to more traditional flowers shapes when positioned at the front of the border.

Trollius europaeus is a beautiful native wild flower of Europe and Western Asia. Found in damp ground in shady areas, it is a most attractive plant with dark green, deeply cut leaves and bears flowers, best described as egg-yolk yellow in colour.

Thalictrum lucidum is a less well known species of meadow rue, it sports luscious deep green, fern-like foliage. In mid-summer the plant is festooned with a superb array of fragrant flower stems, topped with airy puffs of soft cream flowers each with bright yellow stamens.

Thalictrum aquilegifolium 'Purpureum' features a basal clump of lacy, blueish-green foliage topped by a hazy, fuzzy show of purple flowers. They produce a shimmering hazy effect in beds and borders wildflower gardens or meadows. Both leaves and flowers are good for flower arrangements.

Summer-blooming spiky flowering plants - in garden design parlance ‘the verticals’. We all need some, and there are lots of contenders, but a plant that can go just about anywhere in the garden, cope with almost all situations and bloom with copious plush spikes over several weeks is a very rare treat.

Related to Heuchera and Tiarella, Tellima grandiflora form a tidy clump of rounded leaves and are topped by lime-green airy spires. They make excellent groundcover, thrive in shade between flowers in a border and make a good filler for separating strong shapes or bright colours.

This pretty little wildflower is a slow growing, long-lived plant with attractive spikes of rich pink-mauve flowers that are very attractive to bees and butterflies as a nectar source. The flowers, which rise from dark green crinkly leaves, keep their colour throughout summer and look stunning when growing en-masse.

Spilanthes acmella is a unique and versatile plant that will add texture and interest to your garden. Used by herbalists, the pretty yellow and red cone-shaped flowers and leaves have properties similar to Echinacea and has numbing properties when the leaves and flowers are chewed.

Solidago canadensis 'Golden Baby' is an easy to grow hardy perennial that bears flat-topped clusters of golden-yellow plumes. Growing to around 60cm tall they are perfect for borders or containers and provide end-of-season colour. Given an early sowing they will bloom in their first year.

Our native Figwort is one of the most prolific nectar producers in the plant world, the long-lasting flowers attract more pollinators than any other plant around. The flowers, similar to tiny snapdragons ripen into egg-shaped seed pods, which are just the perfect bouquet filler for interest and movement!

This hardy biennial Sage has been grown in almost every botanical sanctuary in human history and has many plus points: it grows well in poor soil resists slugs and other beasties, and doesn’t slump or need staking. It copes well in sun or light shade and the blooms are a magnet for bees and butterflies.

Salvia sclarea var. turkestanica 'Vatican White' is a choice white cultivar that is not that easy to find. A nobly architectural Sage, each of its branched stems is topped with a profusion of blossoms with brilliant white bracts. The flowers are attractive and are boosted in impact by the large petioles that surround them.

This attractive plant will be equally at home in the flower border or keeping company with the sage and thyme in your herb garden. Delightfully aromatic, the floral-peppermint scent is subtly different from other mints. Mountain mint is a great nectar plant, its honey is much sought after.

Prunella vulgaris is an interesting and quite beautiful little wildflower plant. The plants produce pretty blue-violet flowers in summer, the flowers freely produce nectar and are highly attractive to bees. If you’re looking for something to add to a meadow garden, or something for those shady areas this is the plant for you.