Dried Flowers

With their impressive variety, spectacular blooms and strange seed pods, 'Pepperbox' poppies are one of the easiest ways to add a bit of architecture and a lot of colour to your garden. The glorious, papery-textured flowers bloom in a multitude of colours, rich purples, deep reds to pale lilac-pinks.

A profusion of cut petals in burgundy to almost black makes 'Black Swan' a must-have flower for cottage gardens. The petals are very deeply pinnately-divided which makes it entirely different from the others, and that is the source of the variant name, laciniatum, from the Latin meaning meaning 'slashed' or 'torn into divisions'.

A profusion of cut petals in brilliant crimson-red makes 'Crimson Feathers' a must-have flower for cottage gardens. The petals are very deeply pinnately-divided which makes it entirely different from the others, and that is the source of the variant name, laciniatum, from the Latin meaning meaning 'slashed' or 'torn into divisions'.

A profusion of cut petals in pure white makes 'Swansdown' a must-have flower for cottage gardens. The petals are very deeply pinnately-divided which makes it entirely different from the others, and that is the source of the variant name, laciniatum, from the Latin meaning meaning 'slashed' or 'torn into divisions'.

Papaver somniferum ‘Hungarian Blue’ is a stunning new deep violet poppy that will bring rich colour and a touch of sophistication to your planting schemes all summer long. A hardy annual that is very easy to grow, plant it outside in drifts where it will cover a large area with its beautiful blooms.

Huge, sumptuous, silky bowls of deep purple, this exquisite Poppy is a testament to the patience of Lauren Springer, who spent many years carefully selecting the best colour. Papaver ‘Lauren's Grape’ is breathtaking to say the least. A hardy annual that is very easy to grow, the haunting colour is captivating.

Delight in the mesmerising allure of the Black Poppy. Papaver 'Midnight' is an heirloom that boasts large, double blooms in a deep, velvety black hue that adds a touch of drama and elegance to any garden. The deep sumptous colour combines well with many other flowers in the garden or the vase.

Grown primarily for its decorative seed pods, Papaver somniferum ‘The Giant’ provides huge blooms in a multitude of colours, each with satiny petals which give way to possibly the largest of all poppy pods. Florists the world over, use the giant pods in floral decorations, either fresh with late summer flowers, or when dried.

Pennisetum alopecuroides is an especially appealing species, it changes its appearance and colour throughout the growing season. In late summer graceful fountain-like plumes emerge in profusion, they slowly change colour to a blend of green, soft pinks and light-colored maroons before maturing to light tan.

Pennisetum alopecuroides var. viridescens has broader leaves and darker flower heads than the regular species and, growing to around 60cm tall, it is also slightly smaller. It has graceful smoky purple-black plumes that contrast nicely with the slender arching, glossy, deep green foliage.

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.

Salvia Victoria White is a companion to the more well known Victoria Blue. Flowering in less than four months from seed, it produces its white flowers from summer to autumn. Like all Salvia, it brings butterflies into the garden by the dozen, and makes a wonderful cut or dried flower.

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.

Setaria italica Red Jewel is a rarely-offered variety of annual grass with intensely coloured burgundy red foliage and dramatic foxtail-shaped flower heads. Suitable for growing in the garden or in containers the dark foliage is a great contrast in the garden or the vase.

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.