Drought tolerant

The "Giant Allium" is the species that started the craze for these incredible plants. Allium giganteum was one of the first giant ornamental onions to be introduced to European gardens from its native Central Asia. It produces wonderful 6-inch globes of bright lilac-purple flowers on towering stems that can easily reach 5 feet. While newer hybrids may be larger, giganteum has a classic, reliable charm and a slightly more open flower structure that gives it a softer, more airy feel than its dense hybrid cousins. It is a true garden heirloom and a must-have for creating that classic, vertical cottage garden look.

A late-summer marvel, the Drumstick Allium is a master of transformation. It begins as a slender green bud, slowly developing its signature oval head that transitions from green to a rich burgundy-claret, starting from the top down. Planted in generous drifts, these tightly packed, egg-shaped blooms sway on wiry stems, creating a mesmerizing, rhythmic dance in the breeze. They are perfect for weaving through perennial borders, adding a pop of deep, jewel-toned colour and dynamic texture long after other flowers have faded. Their slender profile allows them to mingle effortlessly without overcrowding neighbors, making them an exceptional choice for naturalistic and prairie-style plantings, bringing your garden composition to a beautiful crescendo.

Allium 'Purple Sensation' is certainly sensational in its popularity among gardeners as well as its absolutely striking good looks, and you’ll be thrilled to have it. At the end of a fairly short stalk, 100 or more lavender purple stars shoot out in a circle of superb symmetry and seemingly painted-on colour. Any great artist would be proud to have designed these flowers, and a cluster is a breath-taking sight. Plant several Allium 'Purple Sensation' bulbs (commonly known as Dutch garlic) close together and see for yourself why this is one of the trendiest plant species to have in your garden. They also smell divine and butterflies flock to them. Just fabulous!

The long-lasting, sweetly scented blooms of Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' last well in the vase, and even the spent flowers look striking with their structured flower stems precisely arranged in their spherical pattern. All in all, it’s a gorgeous plant, with a sculptural yet airy appearance, and it’s pleasant to see it finally winning gardener’s hearts as it deserves.

An exceptionally long-flowering and charming perennial, Mexican Fleabane is a must-have for adding a soft, frothy, and informal touch to the garden. It produces a seemingly endless succession of small, delicate daisy-like flowers from late spring right through to the autumn frosts. The blooms are magical, as each one opens pure white before gradually ageing to shades of soft pink and then purplish-rose, meaning all three colours are present on the plant at once. It has a low, trailing habit and a remarkable ability to self-seed and thrive in the tiniest cracks and crevices, softening hard edges and creating a beautiful, cottage-garden feel. It is incredibly tough, drought-tolerant, and beloved by bees and butterflies.

Behold the celestial firework of the plant world, the Star of Persia. This allium produces an enormous, airy globe, often reaching up to 10 inches in diameter, composed of as many as 100 individual, star-shaped florets. Each metallic, silvery-lilac flower has a remarkable amethyst sheen, creating a sparkling, ethereal sphere that seems to hover in the garden. It blooms a bit lower to the ground than its giant cousins, making it a perfect statement piece for the front or mid-border. After flowering, the architectural seed heads are just as stunning, drying to a beautiful silvery-tan that persists for months. Use them to add long-lasting structure to the garden or bring them indoors for magnificent dried arrangements that capture their starry magic.

True to its name, 'Gladiator' is a strong and statuesque presence in the garden. Standing tall on robust, sturdy stems, it produces impressive 6-inch globes of rich lilac-purple. It is one of the earliest of the giant alliums to bloom, creating a dramatic and powerful display that stands up to spring winds. 'Gladiator' is an excellent choice for creating vertical interest at the back of a border or for planting in bold groups to create a wave of colour. Its classic globe shape and reliable performance make it a champion of the late spring garden, effortlessly pairing with peonies and irises to create a truly spectacular show.

Prepare for a botanical firework display! Allium schubertii is one of nature's most spectacular and architectural creations. It produces an enormous flower head, up to a foot wide, with an explosive, open structure. The bloom consists of dozens of tiny, pinkish-purple, star-like florets, each borne on a pedicel of a dramatically different length. Some are short, clustered at the center, while others radiate outwards on long stems, creating a stunning, starburst effect. When the flowers fade, the resulting seed head is an even more impressive architectural skeleton that looks like a tumbleweed. It is a sensational centerpiece for a gravel garden or sunny border and makes an absolutely magnificent dried flower that will last for years.

A true foliage champion, 'Ivory Queen' is a showstopper before it even thinks about flowering. This compact variety produces huge, broad, architectural leaves of a stunning silvery-blue that unfurl like a lotus. Nestled right in the centre, on a short, sturdy stem, a perfect 4-inch globe of creamy-ivory flowers appears. The whole plant is a perfectly designed object, ideal for the front of the border, rock gardens, or containers where its magnificent leaves can be fully appreciated. It’s a low-growing allium that offers a huge amount of textural and visual interest from spring through summer.

A fantastic architectural perennial, Echinops ritro, or the Globe Thistle, brings wonderful texture, colour, and structure to the garden. It forms a handsome clump of large, thistle-like leaves that are deep green on top and a contrasting, downy white underneath. In mid to late summer, the plant sends up strong, branching, silvery stems, each topped with a perfectly spherical, spiky flowerhead. The flowerheads start as silvery-green globes and gradually open into a stunning shade of intense, metallic blue. These globes are a magnet for bees and butterflies, who can often be seen covering the flowers. The flowerheads remain attractive long after the colour has faded, providing winter interest, and they are exceptional for both fresh and dried flower arrangements. It is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that thrives on neglect.

A superb and richly coloured Yarrow, 'Red Velvet' is celebrated for its large, flat flowerheads and its fade-resistant, vibrant colour. It forms an upright clump of beautiful, aromatic, fern-like, grey-green foliage. From early summer, strong, branching stems rise above the foliage, topped with large, plate-like clusters (corymbs) of tiny, daisy-like flowers. The colour is a stunning, deep, velvety crimson-red with contrasting tiny yellow centres. Unlike some older red varieties, 'Red Velvet' holds its intense colour very well, even in strong sun. It is a fantastic plant for a sunny, dry border, providing long-lasting colour and a wonderful, flattened texture that contrasts beautifully with spires and cones. It is highly attractive to pollinators and makes an excellent, long-lasting cut or dried flower.

An iconic and highly sought-after Oriental Poppy, 'Patty's Plum' is celebrated for its uniquely beautiful and sophisticated flowers. It produces very large, papery, bowl-shaped blooms in a stunning, dusky shade of mauvy-plum, a colour that is both rich and elegantly muted. At the base of each delicate, crepe-paper petal is a dramatic, deep purple-black blotch, creating a bold and theatrical eye at the centre of the flower. The blooms are held on tall, bristly stems above a clump of coarse, hairy leaves. This variety brings a touch of drama and high fashion to the early summer border, pairing beautifully with blues, silvers, and other purples. After its spectacular but brief flowering period, the plant becomes dormant in mid-summer, a clever survival strategy for its native dry climate.

The classic Baby's Breath, Gypsophila paniculata is an iconic garden perennial and a mainstay of the cut flower industry. It forms a deeply-rooted, branching clump from which emerge numerous, wiry, multi-branched stems, creating a huge, airy, cloud-like effect. In summer, these stems are covered in literally thousands of tiny, single or double, white flowers. The overall effect is one of a delicate, white mist, which is perfect for softening the edges of a border and weaving amongst other, more boldly-coloured perennials like roses and lilies. It is essential for cottage garden designs and is, of course, a world-famous cut flower, used to add a light, romantic touch to bouquets and floral arrangements. It thrives in sunny, dry conditions with alkaline soil.

Embrace the wild and whimsical with Allium 'Hair', a variety that truly lives up to its name. This horticultural curiosity produces small, purple-maroon floral globes from which sprout a frenzy of long, unruly green filaments that look exactly like a crazy head of hair. These thread-like tendrils twist and curl in every direction, creating a playful, tactile, and ever-changing display that invites a closer look. It's the punk rocker of the allium world, perfect for adding a touch of humor and unexpected texture to the front of a border, a container, or a child's garden. As the season progresses, tiny purple flowers may emerge from the base, adding another layer of interest to this wonderfully bizarre and unforgettable plant.