Half Hardy Annuals

Salvia farinacea ‘Fairy Queen’ is an attractive new variety that bears multiple spikes of bicolour blue and white flowers on dark distinctive flower stems from June to October. With a bushy, compact habit and thick stems. A small white spot on each sapphire blue flower creates the illusion of fairy dust.

Boasting the most desirable of deep blue flowers, Scabiosa ‘Oxford Blue’ is a reselected form that stands out from other varieties, it boasts the most desirable of deep lavender-blue flowers. The large, domed, dark centred cushions with contrasting white 'pins', bob atop strong stems. A prodigious bloomer, they will supply you with excellent cut flowers.

One of the longest-flowering and most glamorous of flowers that you can grow from seed, Scabiosa 'Summer Fruits' is a fantastic, fruity blend of delicious colours including raspberry, plum and blackberry. For weekly inclusions in the vase keep the flowers cut to keep the production of flowers right throughout the season.

Scabiosa atropurpurea is one of the longest-flowering and most glamorous of flowers that you can grow from seed. Easy to grow and fast to flower, this invaluable plant will attract many butterflies and bees to the garden and the long, straight stems will supply you with cut flowers throughout the season.

A prodigious bloomer and a tough, hardy garden performer Scabiosa atropurpurea grows quickly and is fast to flower. Rose-pink petals surround a domed, dark centred cushion, this invaluable plant will attract many butterflies and bees to the garden and would look as happy in a wildflower meadow as in a manicured border.

This clump-forming plant produces pleasantly fragrant pincushion flowers when newly opened. Delicate white petals surround a domed, central cushion, and as the flowers mature, tiny white stamens emerge adding yet another beautiful detail. The flowers have the most delicious sweet perfume reminiscent of honey and marshmallows.

Scabiosa atropurpurea is one of the longest-flowering and most glamorous of flowers that you can grow from seed. 'Purple Black' produces deep, dark flowers that give a beautiful intensity to the garden or the vase. They bloom consistently and attract many butterflies and bees to the garden.

The papery bracts of Scabiosa stellata is an example of perfect geometry. A delicate geodesic sphere of translucent papery, cone shaped bracts adds a new shape to the garden. The everlasting seed heads make excellent cut flowers and are perfect for dried arrangements.

The Black-eyed Susan vine has recently become a firm garden favourite. They grow quickly and starts flowering at an early age. This twining vine blooms in a bright blend of creamy white, orange and yellow flowers all with the characteristic chocolate-purple centre which inspired the common name.

'Sunrise White' is a white form of the Black Eyed Susan vine. Very quick to bloom, the flowers smother the vine throughout summer to first frosts. White petals surrounded by a bold black eye, these are plants that add a dash of chic to the summer terrace or border.

Verbena 'Obsession Apricot' is a new pastel colour of this exquisite series. Bred to be earlier to flower, the evenly spread buds open to reveal showy clusters of star-shaped, peach-apricot flowers at from late spring to mid autumn. They bring an extremely fine and delicate texture to any garden composition.

A beautiful pastel mixture of this exquisite series, Verbena 'Obsession' plants are compact with a trailing habit of growth they eventually spill over the edges of hanging baskets and containers. This award winning variety is an excellent performer flowering over a long period throughout summer, regardless of the weather.

“Imagination’ is a verbena cultivar that is noted for its profuse bloom of violet-blue flowers, its spreading-trailing stems and its deeply cut foliage. A heat and drought tolerant plant, easily grown it performs well in hanging baskets and containers in full sun.

Popular wonderful flowers, reminiscent of Dahlias on tall robust plants, Zinnia elegans 'Dahlia-Flowered Pink' are extremely easy to grow from seed, they provide colour from mid-summer to autumn and with thick straight stems that are less likely to bend when being cut. They are perfect for cut flowers.

Popular wonderful flowers, reminiscent of Dahlias on tall robust plants, Zinnia elegans 'Dahlia-Flowered Rose' are extremely easy to grow from seed, they provide colour from mid-summer to autumn and with thick straight stems that are less likely to bend when being cut. They are perfect for cut flowers.

In Zinnias, 'Dahlia-flowered' means multi-petaled, piled up, dome-shaped blooms that really do resemble dahlias. 'Dahlia-Flowered Salmon' feature gorgeous, large 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) salmon-pink blooms. Extremely easy to grow from seed, they provide colour from mid-summer to autumn.

So named for their unique spiky appearance, Cactus Flowered Zinnias have semi double, large blooms each with re-curved, quilled and twisted petals, they bloom in a wide range of colours. Growing 75cm tall, with thick straight stems, they are perfect for a bouquet or for the vase.

A slightly eccentric variety of Giant Cactus Zinnia, 'Señorita' produces wonderful large, peach, cherry and salmon-pink blooms each with ruffled, ribbon-like petals. These reliable plants produce a bumper crop and the more you harvest, the more they bloom, providing colour from mid-summer to autumn.

Years of breeding have brought striking new colours, shapes, sizes, and growing habits to the humble zinnia. Zinnia elegans produces large golden yellow blooms, atop thick straight stems that are less likely to bend when cut. They make wonderful cut flowers and have a long vase life.

Zinnia are back in fashion with a vengeance. They are extremely easy to grow from seed and provide colour from mid-summer to autumn. They are the perfect flower for beginners and are a favourite flower of gardeners and florists around the world. 'Illumination' feature large 10 to 12cm (4 to 5in) pink blooms.

Zinnia elegans 'Isabellina' is a beautiful soft cream-yellow zinnia, this heirloom zinnia originally introduced in 1955. Recently re-introduced, this densely-petaled variety makes a long lasting cut flower. An elegant addition to borders of pastel-hued flowers, or for the white garden. Extremely easy to grow from seed.