Perennial

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.

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.

A delightful and easy-to-grow perennial, Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl', also known as Sneezewort, offers a completely different look to common yarrows. It forms a spreading clump of lance-shaped, dark green leaves. From early summer right through to autumn, it produces a profusion of branching stems topped with loose sprays of charming, button-like, pure white, fully double flowers. The individual blooms look like perfect little pearls or pom-poms, creating a wonderfully frothy and delicate effect in the border. Unlike other Achilleas, this species prefers moister soils. It is a fantastic filler plant, weaving amongst other perennials, and is an outstanding cut flower, adding an airy, baby's-breath-like quality to bouquets. It is vigorous and will spread by rhizomes to form a good-sized patch.