Verbena bonariensis
purple top
- Position: full sun
- Soil: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
- Flowering period: June to September
- Hardiness: borderline hardy (may need winter protection)
Tall, upright stems produce heads of tiny lilac-purple flowers from midsummer to autumn. It is ideal for adding height throughout the border and mixes well with ornamental grasses. - Garden care: In cold conditions Verbena bonariensis can suffer dieback if cut back in autumn, so it's best to leave the plant until spring and cut back the old growth when you see the new shoots emerging at the base. Also it's a good idea to mulch around the base of the plant with a deep, dry mulch in winter to help protect the plant. Where the plant is grown in partial shade the stems may need to be supported - if this is necessary use natural materials such as brushwood or twiggy pea-sticks.
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
9cm pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Prairie
Indulge a passion for ornamental grasses by creating a prairie- or meadow-style garden. They can be richly planted with native wildflowers or a selection of complementary perennials and self-seeding annuals to create a naturalistic planting effect. Prairie gardens often...
Read full articleDaylily

These lovely plants produce a succession of lily-like flowers each of which lasts for just one day. At first, this seems rather disappointing, but they are such bright, exotic flowers and produced in such profusion that this isn't actually a...
Read full article




Rigid tall stems of indestructible, everlasting purple flowers to peek through on this must-have butterfly plant that needs massing together at the front of a border - like a curtain - supports dahlias as effectively as bamboo canes
Val Bourne - Garden Writer