Carex elata 'Aurea'
Bowles' golden sedge
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: fertile, moist or wet soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: June to July
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Named after the famous botanist and author, EA Bowles, who discovered the native species in East Anglia, this is a gorgeous, deciduous, ornamental grass with rich yellow leaves, edged in green. It's useful for brightening shady areas, for filling gaps in borders and planting by water, where the fine leaves contrast brilliantly with larger leaved plants. In early summer, it throws up long spikes with brown, feathery flowers. The variegation is best in partial shade - specimens in full sun can end up looking bleached. - Garden care: Cut brittle, dead foliage right down to the ground in late winter, before new growth appears.
Osmunda regalis
royal fern
Magnificent giant fern. Great beside water
£9.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Astilbe 'Fanal' (× arendsii)
false goatsbeard
Fluffy, wine-red flower spires
£7.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Dryopteris wallichiana
fern
Sturdy, upright fern. Tolerates dry shade
£8.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
dogwood
Flame-coloured winter stems
£11.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail'
red bistort
Bright red spikes in late summer. This plant loves wet soil!
£8.99
2 litre pot
available to order from summer 2013
Water garden
Who can resist the allure of water in the garden? The gentle gurgle of a running stream creates a sense of calm and tranquillity, while a simple pond makes a focal point with magnetic appeal. You can create lush...
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An April sensation when new butter-yellow leaves, neatly striped with green midribs, spear the damp ground and the whispy chocolate-brown heads that follow in June are also divine
Val Bourne - Garden Writer