Attracts Wildlife

Agapanthus ‘Polar Ice’ brings crisp, white flower heads to summer borders and containers, offering a clean, modern look that pairs beautifully with grasses, salvias, and Mediterranean-style planting.

This clump-forming perennial produces upright stems topped with rounded umbels of trumpet-shaped blooms, creating strong vertical accents and reliable colour through the warmest part of the year.

Plant in full sun in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. A warm, sheltered position is best, and agapanthus also performs superbly in containers where drainage can be carefully controlled.

Water regularly during active growth and feed in summer to support flowering. In colder areas, mulch the crown in winter or move containers under cover, then remove spent stems after flowering.

Excellent for pots, sunny borders, and cutting gardens, ‘Polar Ice’ provides pollinators with nectar and brings long-lasting, architectural interest to outdoor spaces from midsummer into early autumn.

Kniphofia ‘Sunningdale Yellow’ produces elegant spikes of warm yellow flowers that fade to orange tones, bringing bold summer colour and vertical structure to sunny borders and gravel gardens.

Growing to around 0.5–1m tall in flower, it forms a clump of strap-like foliage and sends up multiple spikes through summer, making it a reliable performer for long-season impact in hot borders.

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil and choose a warm, sheltered position where winter wet is minimal. Kniphofia performs best where it isn’t shaded and where drainage is sharp in colder months.

Water to establish, then only in prolonged drought. Feed in spring and remove spent flower stems to encourage more blooms; tidy old leaves in spring as new growth appears for a clean finish.

Perfect for prairie-style borders and wildlife gardens, this red-hot poker pairs beautifully with grasses and echinacea, and it is also a strong pollinator plant in mid to late summer.

Echinops 'Blue Glow' produces metallic blue globe-shaped flower heads on sturdy stems, bringing strong form and cool colour to sunny borders from high summer onward.

The rounded blooms contrast beautifully with looser planting styles and are excellent for pollinators, while the stems also dry well for lasting arrangements.

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, including poorer or drier ground where many softer perennials might struggle. Good drainage is especially important in winter.

Water while establishing, but once settled the plant is notably drought tolerant. Remove spent blooms if preferred or leave seedheads standing for structure.

Liatris spicata is a striking perennial for sunny borders, producing upright flower spikes that add height and rhythm to planting schemes, prairie-style gardens, and cutting patches in late summer.

With narrow, grass-like foliage and bottlebrush blooms in purplish-pink tones, it forms neat clumps that mix easily with grasses and daisies, bringing strong vertical accents without looking heavy.

Plant corms in full sun in light to moderately fertile soil that drains well yet stays reliably moist in summer. Avoid waterlogged winter ground, which can reduce vigour and flowering.

Water during dry spells while growth is active, and keep weeds down so stems develop strongly. Deadhead to extend the display, then cut stems back to the ground in winter once foliage has faded.

Superb for pollinator-friendly borders and long-lasting cut flowers, liatris brings colour and structure when many earlier perennials are finishing, helping to carry the garden through to autumn.

Anemone hupehensis ‘Prinz Heinrich’ is a Japanese anemone that brings deep rose‑pink, semi‑double flowers to the garden from late summer into autumn. The blooms float above divided green foliage on wiry stems, adding movement to borders. The narrow, overlapping petals give a refined, airy finish.

Plant it in full sun or partial shade in soil that stays evenly moist but drains well. It’s especially useful for brightening the edge of woodland planting or mixed borders when many summer perennials are winding down. In hotter positions, a little afternoon shade helps flowers stay fresh.

Over time it forms a clump and can slowly spread, so give it space and avoid moving it once established. It pairs well with ornamental grasses, asters and late‑flowering salvias for a long season of interest. Plant in groups if you’d like a more natural drift over time.

Water during dry spells for better flowering, and add a mulch of compost in spring to support healthy growth. Stems can be lightly supported in exposed spots, but they usually weave naturally through neighbours. Avoid winter waterlogging, but don’t let the soil bake dry in summer.

Cut back in late autumn, or leave stems for winter texture and tidy in spring. A reliable choice for late colour with a soft, romantic look. Once established, Japanese anemones can flower reliably for years.

Verbena bonariensis is a much-loved architectural perennial, with tall, wiry stems topped by lilac-purple flower clusters that appear to float above the border from summer into autumn.

Its open, airy habit threads beautifully through grasses and herbaceous planting without blocking the view, while the nectar-rich flowers are especially valuable to bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Plant in full sun in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained or well-drained soil. It is particularly effective in cottage gardens, prairie-style planting, wildlife borders and generous naturalistic drifts.

Water while plants establish and during prolonged dry spells. Leave the stems for winter structure if desired, then cut them down in spring as fresh growth emerges from the base.