Digitalis purpurea 'Excelsior Group'
foxglove Excelsior Group
- Position:full sun to partial shade
- Soil: moist, humus-rich soil
- Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
- Flowering period: May to July
- Flower colour: purple, pink, creamy-yellow or white
- Hardiness:
fully hardy
Tall spires of large, well-spaced, tubular flowers in soft shades of purple, pin k, creamy-yellow or white, each one with throats spotted maroon or purple appea r from May to July. These pastel-coloured foxgloves are perfect for the back of a large cottage-style border. Although short-lived, given the right conditions they will perpetuate by self-seeding.
All parts of the plant may cause severe discomfort if ingested and contact with the foliage may irritate skin. - Garden care: Ensure that the soil is kept moist in summer. After flowering cut back the flowered spikes to encourage more sideshoots. Cut down to the ground after flowering. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-ro tted organic matter around the plant in early spring.
These plants are mainly biennial, although they will produce plenty of new sideshoots and self-seed freely.
- CAUTION toxic if eaten
Pulmonaria 'Sissinghurst White'
lungwort
Pure white flowers green leaves with white spots
Asplenium scolopendrium Crispum Cristatum Group
hart's tongue fern
A showy fern for a shady border
Dryopteris filix-mas
male fern
Ideal for the woodland garden
Aconitum napellus
monkshood
Gorgeous deep blue flowers glow in the shade
Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans
plantain lily
Heart shaped, pale green leaves and fragrant flowers
Geranium phaeum 'Lily Lovell'
dusky cranesbill
Iridescent saucers of purple flowers. Good for shade
Polygonatum × hybridum
common Solomon's seal (Syn. Polygonatum multiflorum)
Creamy white flowers blue-black berries
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Tall spikes of pink thimbles heavily blotched with maroon and white and the ultimate partner for old-fashioned roses of every shade - a bee pleaser too
Val Bourne - Garden Writer