Crocus combinations

Pastel haze plant combination

This relaxed perennial combination pairs delicate white starry flowers with cool violet-blue spires, creating a light, open planting effect that feels particularly at home in sunny borders. The fine stems and silvery foliage give the planting plenty of movement, while the contrasting flower forms add structure without making the scheme feel formal.

Flowering begins in late spring and continues into late summer, with the white flowers providing a long-running thread before the violet-blue tones become more prominent. It suits cottage garden planting, informal summer borders and naturalistic schemes, particularly where drought-tolerant plants can be allowed to mingle through grasses and other sun-loving perennials.



In this collection you will receive three of each of the following plants. They are all supplied in 9cm nursery pots:


Oenothera lindheimeri: A graceful, hazy plant with airy spikes of white, star-shaped flowers with long anthers like daddy long-legs, held on slender stems from May to September. This exceptionally long-flowering perennial looks equally at home in an informal cottage-style garden or among soft grasses in a new perennial border. It is exceptionally drought-tolerant and will soak up the sun. Give it space, as its wispy stems will lean over plants and pathways. Grows to 1.5m.


Perovskia 'Blue Spire': With its aromatic leaves and upright spikes of violet-blue flowers, Russian sage makes a wonderful companion to all kinds of late-summer ornamental grasses and perennials. In August and September, tiny, violet-blue, tubular flowers appear on silver-grey spikes above the main framework of the plant, among deeply-cut and lobed, grey-green leaves. This deciduous sub-shrub makes a real impact planted en masse alongside a path, where the sage-like fragrance of its leaves can be appreciated, or try it alongside other silver-leaved plants, or in swathes in a sunny border. One of our recommended plants, it copes well with dry, chalky soil and salt-laden air. Grows to 1.2m.



• Planting tips:
  Prepare the bed well by digging in lots of well-rotted or bagged compost before you plant.
  
  Where possible, plant in odd numbers, and cluster them together to give impact. Multiples of 3 work really well set out in irregular triangles for an organic feel, while larger numbers can be planted in multiple clusters or drifts. In bigger gardens, try to repeat your clusters through the border to create a sense of rhythm and cohesion.
  
  Also, when setting your plants out, check their eventual spread and make sure they’ve enough space to fill out. After planting, keep plants well watered for their first year, particularly during warmer weather, and feed them with a good, general purpose fertiliser through the growing season.
  
  For more information, please see the individual plant webpages.