Cut Flowers

English gardeners are very familiar with this plant and consider it essential for a well-structured garden. Verbascum phoeniceum 'Hybrids Mix' flower freely, giving a glorious plethora of colours from delicate salmon to rich claret. A true perennial which can flower the first year given an early sowing.

Relatively new to cultivation Verbascum phoeniceum 'Violetta' is the smallest growing of the perennial Verbascums. Soundly perennial and drought tolerant it produces delicate flower spikes with whorls of tissue thin purple blooms that ascend to the finest point. It is by far the darkest flowered mullein available.

Verbena bonariensis 'Vanity' is a new compact cultivar of a perennial favourite. This Fleuroselect Gold Medal winning variety has an open habit with gorgeous, intense purple-blue clusters atop branching thin, wiry stems. Its garden friendly, neat habit makes it sturdier and easier to maintain while you create a pollinator paradise in your garden.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Xeranthemum 'Lumina' is a hardy annual and one of the prettiest of all the everlasting flowers. The attractive double crested paper-like blooms stand gracefully aloft strong stems, they are simply charming in borders with an abundance of dainty blossoms in four distinct colours of white, rose, crimson and purple.

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.

Years of breeding have brought striking new colours, shapes, sizes, and to the humble zinnia. Zinnia elegans 'Polar Bear' feature large 10 to 12cm white blooms. Once popularly called 'youth and old age' because old blooms stay fresh as new blooms open, they grow to 75cm tall with thick straight stems.

Zinnia ‘Queeny Lemon Peach’ is the latest award winning colour in the series. As the blooms age, they have a a reverse fading habit that presents beautiful colour shades, the colour starts a delicate creamy lemon and transition to a soft coral-peach. This gorgeous cut-and-come-again flower yields multiple cuts over the season.