Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Parthenium integrifolium

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 3′.  Wild Quinine.  Eastern United States. Tiny clustered, almost ball-like, white flowers in broad, branching, flat-topped corymbs.  The tapering leaves are coarsely toothed and decrease in size up the stems, with the upper leaves often absent or clasping the stem.  Both the leaves and stems are rough and covered in short bristly hairs.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Monarda punctata

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(A) to 3′.  Horse Mint.  Native to the Great Plains of the United States.  Dense whorls of pale yellow, hooded flowers spotted with purple-brown.  Each whorl is surrounded by large, pink-tipped, green bracts.  The narrow, toothed leaves have a grey cast.  A very showy plant.  Sun.  4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eryngium giganteum

Family: (Apiaceae)

Short-lived perennial/biennial to 4′.  Miss Willmott’s Ghost.  Miss Willmott was known to scatter this seed surreptitiously in the gardens she visited, leaving her horticultural calling card!  The elongated, dome-shaped, greenish flowerheads are surrounded by spiny tipped, silvery bracts.  Attractive, marbled, grey-green, spiny foliage with dark green basal rosettes adds more drama.  Excellent dried flower.  Self-sows happily.  Well-drained soil.  Sun. 3 & 6 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eranthis hyemalis

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

Hardy bulb to 6″.  Winter Aconite.  Southern France to Bulgaria.  Brightly glowing, buttercup-like, yellow flowers carpeting the woodland are a sure herald of spring.  A most welcome sight after the long winter.  The low growing, dissected basal foliage dies down and disappears by summer.  Moist, well-drained soil.  Shade/partial shade. 3 & T2 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Consolida regalis

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(A) to 2′.  Forked Larkspur.  Mediterranean.  Panicles of delicate, long-spurred, violet-blue flowers are produced in profusion forming an airy cloud of blue.  Finely divided foliage is an added attraction.  An easy charmer.  Sun.  3, D & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Cardamine concatenata (syn. Dentaria laciniata)

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(P) to 12″.  Cutleaf Toothwort.  North America.  A delightful spring ephemeral that is one of the first to appear in the woodland garden.  The common name refers to the tooth-like projections on the rhizome which were thought to cure toothaches.  Each flowering stem emerges from the rhizome and has a whorl of three leaves deeply divided and sharply toothed and sit below the flower.  The flowers are in terminal clusters of fragrant, four-petalled, ½-inch, white flowers that can often be flushed pink.  Cutleaf Toothwort is sometimes called Pepper Root in reference to the horseradish flavour of the rhizomes which can be cut up and added to salads.  Sadly, our patches are not overly abundant so we daren’t try this delicacy.  Reputed to be difficult from seed but worth giving it the old college try.  Partial shade.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Calendula officinalis

Family: (Asteraceae)

(A) to 18″.  The pot marigold of all pot marigolds.  The flowers smother the foliage throughout the growing season.  The blooms are single golden orange and add intense colour to the flower border.  It is one of our (many) favourites.  Self-sows.  Sun.  3, D & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Bouvardia ternifolia

Family: (Rubiaceae)

Tender shrub to 4′.  Firecracker Bush.  Mexico, southwest United States.   A colourful, shrub with small linear leaves usually in whorls of three.  Bugle-shaped, brilliant orange-red flowers are arranged in loose clusters at the ends of the numerous erect branches. Each flower is up to two inches long, tubular and flare at the rim into four rounded, point-tipped lobes. The Spanish name, Trompetilla, meaning little trumpet, refers to the flower’s shape.  Great for attracting and providing nectar for hummingbirds.  A long, long bloomer.  Tolerates dry soil and partial shade.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Iris domestica (syn. Belamcanda chinensis)

Family: (Iridaceae)

(P) to 2′.  Blackberry Lily.  East Asia.  Iris-like foliage sports loosely branched sprays of speckled, orange-red flowers.  Fruit capsules with dense clusters of attractive, glossy black seeds follow.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  1 & 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Antennaria dioica var. rosea

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 4″.  Pink Pussy-Toes.  Europe, North America.  A rock garden stalwart with tight clusters of beautiful rose-pink flowers from a basal rosette of fuzzy-grey, evergreen leaves with white tomentose below.  Midsummer.  Sun.  3 & T2