Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Perilla frutescens Red Leaf

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(A) to 4′.  Shiso.  Himalayas to East Asia.  A selection of superb, iridescent foliage plants.  Try one, or all of them in the flower border.  Easy to move around the garden to “fill in” when you need a good block of colour.  Self-sows.  Sun.  Best sown in situ or 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Perilla frutescens var. crispa (red-leaved)

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(A) to 4′.  Shiso.  Himalayas to East Asia.  A selection of superb, iridescent foliage plants.  Try one, or all of them in the flower border.  Easy to move around the garden to “fill in” when you need a good block of colour.  Self-sows.  Sun.  Best sown in situ or 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Persicaria orientalis (syn. Polygonum orientale)

Family: (Polygonaceae)

(A) to 7′. Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate. Southeastern Asia and Australia. A spectacular, old-fashioned cottage garden favourite with lush, heart-shaped leaves and fast growing, stout, branching stems bearing in late summer flamboyant, arching, three to four inches long, pendulous, crimson-pink flower clusters. Makes an excellent cut flower too. Self-sows. Prefers moist, rich soil. Flowers from midsummer until frost. Direct sow or 3 & 7 for 3 weeks then T2.

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Petrophytum caespitosum

Family: (Rosaceae)

(P) to 4″. Rocky Mountains. Rosettes of blue-green, spathulate, densely downy leaves. Racemes of white, five-petalled flowers with up to 20 stamens give a fluffy appearance. Mat-forming, growing to 10 inches across in about 10 years. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Petunia integrifolia (syn. Petunia violacea)

Family: (Solanaceae)

(A/TP) to 2′.  Violet-Flowered Petunia.  Native to the Ecuador Highlands.  This species Petunia produces 1-inch magenta-purple, funnel-shaped, single flowers with darker throats.  Flowers continuously on long branching stems that can weave through neighbouring plants or be staked for a more upright presence. Enjoys summer heat and humidity in the garden but deadhead to keep the show alive.  Can overwinter easily indoors.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Phlomis tuberosa 'Amazone'

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 5′. Central and southern Europe. Numerous stems with many dense whorls of rosy purple blooms, each with a long upper lip. Whorls can have from 14 to 40 flowers each. Attractive clumps of large, arrow-shaped, slightly hairy, textured leaves. Late spring to early summer. Robust and floriferous. Moist, well-drained soil. Sun. 4 & T1 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Phyteuma cordatum (syn. Phyteuma balbisii)

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 4″.  An Italian native.  Palest blue, globular flowers with a five-part corolla made up of petals that appear to open in the middle and unite again at the tip.  They suspend on wiry stems above broadly ovate, heart-shaped leaves.  Summer bloomer.  Interesting and fun.  Well-drained soil. Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Phytolacca americana

Family: (Phytolaccaceae)

(P) to 12′.  Pokeweed.  An American native.  Long, spike-like racemes of small, white, apetalous flowers have five petal-like sepals with numerous stamens and a large, green, globose, compound superior ovary resembling a segmented green pumpkin.  After flowering comes the Pokeweed’s raison d’être.  Many-seeded, shining, blackish purple berries follow, which hang in drooping clusters on bright, pink-red inflorescence stalks and produce deep red juice.  The juice from the fruit was used to colour wine and as ink.  The early-season green leaves are ovate-lanceolate and rather fleshy, and turn a reddish purple in autumn.  We love it only in our Flower Garden, in the back of the Red Bed.  BEWARE, all parts of this plant are poisonous!  Sun/partial shade.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Pimpinella major 'Rosea'

Family: (Apiaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Greater Burnet Saxifrage.  A gorgeous pink flowered form of this European native.  Airy, arching, delicate umbels of pale pink are held above a leafy basal rosette of serrated, fern-like foliage.  Summer blooming.  Sun/partial shade.  Moist, well-drained soil.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Plantago cynops

Family: (Plantaginaceae)

(P) to 12″. Shrubby Plantain. Central and South Europe. Tough shrublet with evergreen, grey, needle-like leaves. White tinged yellow, ovoid, spiky flowers. Summer. A real curiosity. Sun. 3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Platycodon grandiflorus 'Nanus'

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 4″.  China, Japan.  An enchanting, dwarf form of the Balloon Flower.  Large, inflated, bell-shaped, violet-blue flowers on short, slender stems.  A perfect choice for the alpine trough or smaller rock garden.  Blooms mid to late summer.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Platycodon grandiflorus 'Perlmutterschale'

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Mother of Pearl Balloon Flower. A lovely, delicate pale pink version of the above with spidery, dark pink veins.  Blooms from mid-summer and into the autumn when flowers are dead-headed.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Primula elatior

Family: (Primulaceae)

(P) to 10″.  Oxlip.  A charming British native with one-sided clusters of pale yellow, narrow, trumpet-like, fragrant flowers with deeper yellow throats.  Basal rosettes are hairy, yet soft.  Spring blooming.  Moist soil.  Partial shade. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Primula japonica 'Alba'

Family: (Primulaceae)

(P) to 18″.  A candleabra-like inflorescence of tiered white blossoms arranged in whorls along the stem.  Leaves are sphathulate, quite long and irregularly toothed.  A spring-blooming charmer for the woodland or pond edge.  Moist soil.  Partial shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Primula malacoides Mix

Family: (Primulaceae)

(TP) to 18″.  Fairy Primrose.  China.  Stonecroppers are in love with this charming, floriferous beauty as it lights up the End House from December through late spring with its showy tiers of blooms.  Rising from a rosette of soft green, ruffled leaves with shallowly dentate lobes come many slender stems carrying 20 to 30 blooms in tiers.  Deeply notched, five-petalled flowers have a prominent yellow eye.  Seed collected from our plants is a mix of bright pink, mauve and white flowers.  Prefers fertile soil and part sun.  4 & T1