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): 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): 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): Oclemena acuminata (syn. Aster acuminatus)

Family: (Asteraceae)

Native perennial to 2′.  Whorled Wood Aster.  The sharply toothed leaves of this pretty woodland native alternate in a tight spiral on hairy stems, giving a whorled appearance, hence the common name.  Terminal clusters of one inch, daisy-like flowers comprised of white-tinted-purple ray florets that surround a central mass of yellow disc florets that turn reddish with age.  The ray florets are not straight like other asters, but rather twisty and free-form.  Seedheads are clusters of tan cypselae, each cypsela has a pappus of white, silken bristles, aiding its dispersal.  Colonizes beautifully in a woodland setting.  Blooms June to October.  Shade to part shade and humus-rich, woodland soil.  3 & 6 & ∆

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Glaucidium palmatum var. leucanthemum

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 2′.  A lovely white form of the Japanese Wood Poppy.  Large, heavily-veined and crinkled maple-like leaves create a perfect backdrop for Poppy-like flowers comprised of four, snow white, petaloid sepals that surround a large, showy central boss of numerous bright yellow stamens.  This rare woodland aristocrat blooms in May and the show continues with interesting fruits of substantial, upright, two fused follicles which persist until fall.  Moist soil.  Partial shade.  3 & 7 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Datisca cannabina

Family: (Datiscaceae)

(P) to 7′. False Hemp. An imposing herbaceous plant from India with graceful arching stems and finely divided foliage. A midsummer bloomer with ornamental tassel-like yellow flowers in racemes. This herb yields a yellow dye often used for silks. We have enjoyed it in a pot and now love it in the garden. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Consolida ajacis 'Giant Imperial Blue Spire'

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(A) to 4′.  A stately Larkspur that blooms continually all season.  The erect, densely blooming, spike-like racemes of deep electric blue, double, ruffled, Delphinium-like flowers are enhanced by finely cut, delicate foliage.   A real show stopper.  Sun.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Apocynum cannabinum

Family: (Apocynaceae)

Native perennial to 4′.  Dogbane, Indian Hemp.  This sturdy grower features strong, reddish stems that branch towards the top and support  cymes of small, five-petalled, scented, cream-coloured flowers at branch ends or on stalks from leaf axils.  Silk, tufted seeds form in long, slender, string bean-shaped pods.  Soft green, oval leaves have a distinct silvery midrib and are touched with a light, waxy bloom.  Stem are fibrous, very strong, and were once used for sewing and to make rope.  The plant is also used in phytoremediation as it is effective in sequestering lead from contaminated soils in its biomass.  A good plant for meadows and wild places where it can colonize in accordance with its natural tendencies. Great golden autumn colour too.  We grow ours at the Systematic Order Beds in a pot, to keep it in bounds.  Sun and average soil. 3, 7 for 4 weeks, then T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Allium zebdanense

Family: (Alliaceae)

Hardy bulb to 16″.  Lebanon.  Dainty, cup-shaped, pure white flowers are held upright in loose umbels over dense clumps of smooth, bright green foliage.  Really brightens up the woodland in late spring.  Sun/partial shade.  3 & 6