Easy Annuals

Featuring huge leaves that are coral in the centre and edged in bright green, Coleus 'Kong Salmon-Pink' is a 'Premium Shade' variety, that are great for large containers and mass plantings, performing best and showing the most intense colour in full shade, they also work well for indoor plant programs. It's hard to go wrong with this plant.

Coleus has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The new breeding has taken a handful of series and exploded them into hundreds of wild and crazy types of colours and forms. Coleus 'Kong Rose' has huge leaves that are rose in the center, with a band of burgundy that flows out to chartreuse edges.

Grown for its outstanding foliage colours, the Kong series of coleus boasts extremely large leaves with irregular edges, each leaf is easily as big as your palm, and probably twice as large as the next biggest Coleus you can buy. 'Kong Red' displays a broad vein of brilliant red down the centre of each leaf.

Over the past few years, the new breeding of Coleus has exploded them into hundreds of wild and crazy types of colours and forms. Overwhelmingly the favourite is the Kong series for its sheer presence, each leaf is easily as big as your palm, and probably twice as large as the next biggest Coleus you can buy.

This beautiful highly versatile, aristocratic border plant has become very much in vogue in recent years. Oval, fleshy blue-green leaves spiral up the stem with tightly packed, sea blue bracts - and then the finale - small clusters of rich purple-blue tubular, nodding flowers which are adored by bees.

Centranthus 'Snow Cloud’ produces airy clusters of white flowers that appear from July to October on tall, fleshy stems with glaucous leaves. Very long flowering, sweetly-perfumed and easy-to-grow from seed, given an early sowing Centranthus will flower from July right through to October.

'Classic Romantic' is a delightful mixture of charming pink and pretty rosy-red shades. The flowers are often in two shades of pink, or have a dark center and lighter petals. Many flowers are rosy-red and have white tips. By sowing this variety you will add some romance to the border, and to summer bouquets.

The 'Classic' series of Cornflowers offers flower lovers three fabulous shade-mixtures. A harmonious mixture of exceptional shades, 'Classic Magic' produces blooms from light mauve with a dark centre to flowers that are close to black with white tip on each petal. For magical borders and bouquets.

Cornflowers are the most splendid of annuals. Centaurea cyanus 'Classic Fantastic' blooms in a mixture of captivating blue shades, ranging from light heavenly blue to dark blue. The flowers are often in two shades of blue or have a dark center and lighter petals. They are breathtaking when they're grown in dense drifts.

'Touch of Red Mix' is an exceptional, unusual and dramatic mix of colours. Containing the three colours in the 'Touch of Red' series, Buff, Orange and Yellow, each with deep bronze and red edges and backs of each petal. A very pleasing effect that will brighten up the garden or any floral arrangement.

Calendula 'Touch of Red Buff' is a very interesting and unusual colour, a very contemporary beige-pink with darker petal tips giving a beautiful antique and vintage effect. For cut flowers, harvest when blooms are partially open and clip spent flowers to achieve a longer blooming season.

'Sunset Buff' is a lovely, more subtle coloured calendula. It is the soft apricot-buff version of 'Indian Prince' with the same crimson petal backs. They grow to a height of around 60cm and a spread of 45cm, are an excellent variety for borders and make a stunning cut flower.

A delightful compact mix of single and semi-double forms, the daisy-like open petals of 'Oopsy Daisy' are bright in the centre with dark tips. Easy to grow they thrive in the cooler weather of spring and autumn. This is an excellent variety for borders and containers and will add cheer to any location.

Calendula officinalis 'Neon' is a true showstopper. The densely set, double flowers glow with deep orange petals each with bronze tips. Growing to a height of around 60 to 70cm they are the essence of early summer colour in the garden and make a stunning cut flower.

Calendula officinalis ‘Ivory Princess’ is a tall show stopper with giant buttery flowers. The petals are a mix of creamy buff-yellow with tips of the serrated, buttercream petals having the tiniest outline of brown, giving a ruffled, lacy effect which beautifully compliments the dark brown eye.

A unique new colour in Calendula, 'Double Lemon' is an award winning variety that produces large double, pale lemon blooms, each with a deep yellow heart. Compact, bushy and free flowering. the medium height plants are an excellent variety for borders and containers.

Calendula officinalis 'Cut Flower Mix’ is a specially selected mix of colours and types, each with long stems designed for cutting. They grow to a height of around 70 to 80cm, are an excellent variety for borders and make a stunning cut flower. Clip spent flowers to achieve a longer blooming season.

Calendula officinalis 'Citrus Mixed' is a highly attractive hardy annual variety producing a bright mixture of apricot, orange, lemon and cream blooms from May to September. Among the most popular of hardy annuals, they are very easy to grow, and thrive in the cooler weather of spring and autumn.

Cheerful and bright, use Calendula in beds, borders or containers. Calendula is prolific and durable, and like most hardy annuals it is easy to grow, simply sow where it is to flower. It is currently one of the top herbs used for medicinal use. Sprinkle salads and decorate cakes with the edible tangy petals.

‘Indian Prince' has unique petals quite unlike other Calendula, the dark orange rays are in layers of orange, backed with rich mahogany red petals. Easily grown, sown direct in spring or in autumn, they are perfect candidates for cutting and flower arrangements.