 |
Annuals You won't find traditional bedding plants in our selection of annuals. Not only do we look for unique plants we also look for easy to grow ones that are hardy and multi-purpose. These annuals fit into general planting schemes whether it is mixed containers, gardens filled with shrubs and perennials or the vegetable or cut flower garden. Annuals we offer that like to be grown in the sun include: Amaranthus, one of the ancient grain plants with highly ornamental flower heads. These require good fertile soils and moisture retentive, yet well drained conditions though are tolerant of a wide range of conditions as long as they get full sun. Great accent plants that come in large over 1M tall plants to compact ones only 45cm in height. Bold foliage some with bronze or burgundy colours and plume or tassel like flowers that are excellent as cuts. Offered in 11cm pots in May. Dahlia, most people are familiar with the fancy hybrids but we offer the original species types with more elegant flowers. These types rarely reach over 1M in height unless extremely well fed so they don't need staking. Dahlia merckii has been known to winter for us during milder winters. More elegant they fit into general garden schemes better than the modern hybrids.
Eccremocarpus is an incredible tender
vine which blooms all summer long. The red flowered ones attract
hummingbirds. A soft vine it easily scrambles over larger perennials
and small shrubs without smothering them. Easy to grow in most
average garden soils. Eschscholzia otherwise known as California poppy is a beautiful drought loving hardy annual. In its wild form it usually comes in a golden or orange colour but we have an incredible selection from parchment white to deep rose pink some ruffled and double flowers too. Their fine textured foliage often has a glaucous blue cast to it add another dimension to these small but floriferous plants. Reliably self seeds with out being a pest. Gomphrena and Celosia feather types are excellent accent annuals that blend well with meadow type plants like Rudbeckia and shorter grasses and add a vertical dimension to any container. They are not very demanding plants and are excellent cut flowers. The Poached Egg plant also known as Limnanthes douglasii is a hardy annual native to California. Preferring the cooler temperatures of spring it blooms and dies early but reliably self seeds emerging in the fall to bloom early the following year. Unique flower colouring sets this one off. Peony flowered Poppies are traditional cottage garden plants that are easy and adaptable to different garden conditions. Our selection covers the range of colours these beauties come in from white through black to speckled and solids of red, pink and rose. Lovely doubles with the odd single coming through.
Rudbeckias or Black Eyed Susans along
with Sunflowers herald summer with their large and brilliant
flowers. Rudbeckias are extremely adaptable and easy to grow
blooming right up until the first killing frost in the fall. Look
for Cappuccino one of the best with chocolate coloured centers and golden
petal tips, Prairie Sun with its brilliant gold flowers and Cherokee
Sunset , double flowers in a range of colours on compact plants.
The Verbenas we offer are accent plants. The flowers are held on stiff almost wiry stems and the flowers balls of brilliant tropical looking colouring. Verbena rigida is an easy to grow, drought tolerant annual that can be perennial in milder winters. This plant is like a short version of Verbena bonariensis which we also carry. Verbena rigida though comes in various colour selections from white through pink and purple. Ornmental corn or Zea mays japonica 'Variegata' is a great accent plant for the center of containers or in the garden. Ours have been selected for their intense variegation. Beautiful red seeded cobs are produced that are excellent for fall decoration. Annuals for Semi-Shade or shade are the following;
Most people are familiar with the perennial Corydalis but Corydalis sempervirens is a knockout annual. The flowers remind us of Hawaiian shirts and the sea green foliage is a great accent to the exotic flowers. Gillea achilleafolia is another excellent annual native to California. Found on sea shores this plant prefers a cooler spot in the garden and can tolerate salt in the soil. The flowers almost look like Ageratum from a distance.
Last but not least are the all time favourites of Snapdragons. These plants are easy to grow in semi-shade and will tolerate full sun in fertile soils that are moisture retentive but well drained. All the varieties we offer are compact growers reaching at most 60cm in height and spread with the most unusual flower colour range. Black Prince is noted for its dark almost purple foliage and deep burgundy/wine flowers, Night and Day has burgundy flowers lipped white and Bizarre Hybrids are splashed and spotted multi colours. |
No shade garden should be without Nicotiana
especially Nicotiana sylvestris with its heavenly scented flowers.
This plant is ideal to be enjoyed in the evenings as the fragrance is
stronger then and the luminescent white flowers attract hovering moths for
pollination. Give this one a bit of space as it can reach 2M in
height and 60cm in spread in good soils. For smaller spaces grow
Nicotiana Cream Splash with its variegated foliage and green flowers.