Alan's Bio:
Alan, a 3rd generation Nurseryman has been working on the family nursery for 23 years. His experience in gardening includes, designing award winning RHS displays, maintaining gardens, big and small and growing plants commercially for garden centres and the gardeners alike. These are his top picks for February 2024.
Alan's top plants for buying in August 2024
August is here, and while the peak of summer may be behind us, there are still fantastic plants to add colour and interest to your garden. So, whether you're looking to fill some gaps, or add some late-flowering colour, our top 5 best plants to buy in August 2024 are sure to hit the spot.
Crocosmia Firestars
If a burst of summer color is what you're looking for, the fiery blooms of Crocosmia Firestars are perfect for you. Firestars are a specially bred series of Crocosmia, with unique two-toned blooms. But it's not just the fact that they have two-toned blooms, it's the vibrancy of the colors that really stands out. The UK weather doesn't always cooperate, but with these red-hot blooms, at least you can have some sizzling flowers in your garden.
Lavender Beezee White
If you're looking for a free-flowering lavender, with a compact habit and striking flowers, BeeZee White may be the one for you. This new variety has been specifically bred for the British climate, and its performance surpasses the ever-popular Hidcote Lavender. So, what makes this plant so special? Well, to start with, white flowers on a lavender, whilst not unheard of, are more unusual than the common blues, and when it comes to habit, this plant stays compact and uniform, unlike many other varieties. As well as being a great garden plant, it is also very hardy and copes with various soil conditions and weather. An all-around great garden plant!
Echinacea Carrot Cake
A sweet treat for your garden, Echinacea 'Carrot Cake' is a truly standout plant, that brings unique semi-double to double blooms of rich orange and peach. The breeders of this plant must have been inspired by some of the best sunsets. The plant itself is nice and compact and is very hardy, meaning it can cope with whatever the UK weather wants to throw at it. As well as being attractive to us, the blooms attract bees and butterflies to its nectar-rich flowers. 'Carrot Cake' is shorter than some Echinacea, reaching 30-40 cm in height, and is ideally suited to containers as well as the middle of a border.
Scented Geraniums
If you have followed our nursery for any period of time, you may know we love a multi-purpose plant. By this, we mean a plant that can be used in many different ways. Scented geraniums are a great example of this. First and foremost, they look fantastic, flower for a long period of time, and are easy to look after. But there is more, as the name suggests, scented geraniums (or to give them their correct title, scented pelargoniums) have wonderfully scented leaves. These can have scents including chocolate, citrus, pine, and much more. And they don't just smell amazing, these leaves can be used to infuse flavour
Lemon Verbena Golden Wind
Lemon verbena is one of those "must-have herbs." Its stunning lemon sherbet scent and taste have made it one of the most popular herbs available. Golden Wind adds another level of interest to this stunning plant. Introduced a few years ago, Golden Wind has the same captivating scent and taste, along with lovely golden foliage. If you like lemon verbena, we're certain you'll love this twist on a favourite.