Plants for Purpose Through the Year

There are lots of factors to keep in mind when choosing plants for your garden. The location, the soil type, how useful the plant is, and the temperature can make designing your garden that little bit more tricky. At Hillier, we’ve compiled a list of different plants that will suit numerous situations to help you design your garden more easily. Discover what plants will work best in your garden.

Shade

There are many spaces in the garden where the sun can’t reach, but this doesn’t mean that it can’t be bursting with life. Many plants can tolerate shade and some even prefer being tucked away. It’s important to remember that this is an already dark spot, so think carefully about the colours that you select. Avoid overusing dark green foliage and opt for bright and vibrant alternatives to draw the eye to places that have been missed before.

Spring

Helleborus x glandorfensis HGC Ice N’ Roses

This wonderful perennial is a great spring option for planting underneath the cover of other plants for extra interest. Featuring concave flowers in a deep red, they produce clumps of flowers, offering an attractive, full look. The dark green foliage makes great ground cover and constrasts well with the flowers. Plant at the front of a shady spring border to draw the eye.

Top variety choices: Barolo, Dark Picotee, Early Red, Picotee, Red, Rosalie, White

Summer

Hydrangea paniculata

For a long-flowering period lasting the whole of summer, Hydrangea paniculata brings stunning colour to your garden and is ideal for an area that’s in full or partial shade. They are famed for their ability to change colour as the shrub matures. Producing an array of different coloured flowers, it’s easy to grow, hardy, and looks beautiful in a shady summer cottage garden.

Top variety choices: Limelight, Little Lime, Little Spooky, Vanille Fraise, Skyfall, Fraise Melba

Autumn

Anemone x hybrida

Great for adding height to your plantings, Anemone x hybrida are attractive perennials that will grow in dappled shade. The dark green foliage provides a perfect backdrop for the attractive flowers throughout the autumn. Working well in a coastal garden or amongst other flowers in a herbaceous border, Anemone x hybrida can spread quickly once matured.

Top variety choices: Honorine Jobert, Pamina, Serenade, Whirlwind

Chalk and Clay

Chalk and clay soils can help your plants thrive, as long as you plant them in the correct arrangement. Chalk soil (also referred to as lime-rich soil) consists of calcium carbonate, both in a light and heavy form, and is very alkaline. Clay soil (also referred to as heavy soil) can be very fertile ground for planting. It is relatively hard to manage as it can become very wet but will also dry out very quickly. However, it is rich in nutrients and will appear smooth, dense, and sticky to touch.

SPRING (CHALK)

Corydalis ‘Porcelain Blue’

Winter

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’

This deciduous shrub is attractive not only for its incredible foliage but also for its red stems that become brighter in the winter. With its ovate red leaves in autumn, ‘Sibirica’ has fantastic all-year desirability. Plant Cornus in a shady cottage garden for a wonderful display of unique colour and form. It is the ideal shrub to offer a talking point in the garden.

Top variety choices: Aurea, Baton Rouge, Elegantissima

This fern-like perennial boasts wonderful green-blue foliage with a hint of bronze hue. During spring, aqua-blue flowers appear in a tubular shape that will repeat flower in the autumn months, meaning there is wonderful, bright colour for a good portion of the year. Corydalis ‘Porcelain Blue’ is very lowmaintenance and requires no pruning. It looks brilliant when incorporated into a rock garden, but can also be used to plant under roses or taller shrubs.

SPRING (CLAY)

Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’

This deciduous shrub grows well in clay soil as long as you keep it moist and well-drained. Flowering in pink and white clusters from autumn to spring, it’s an attractive option for a good portion of the year. ‘Dawn’ is an excellent, low-maintenance shrub with deep green, ovate leaves. It has a wonderful fragrance and would look great planted in a border or as a single specimen.

SUMMER (CHALK)

Coreopsis

For a cheerful and vibrant herbaceous perennial, Coreopsis is a brilliant choice for a chalksoil garden. The flowers appear from June until October and are bright and striking in colour, often yellow. Coreopsis is very easy to grow and is consistent in the garden, offering a profusion of flowers. To take advantage of the bright colour, plant around ornamental grasses in full sun.

Top variety choices: Early Sunrise, Solanna Golden Sphere, Uptick Cream, Uptick Yellow and Red

SUMMER (CLAY)

Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’

This versatile rose is growing increasingly popular in cottage and courtyard gardens across the UK. The beautiful rosette of pink has a wonderful aroma and features from early summer through autumn.

‘Gertrude Jekyll’ works well when planted as a shrub rose in the garden or as part of a border or bed alongside Erysimum and Salvia for a colourful display.

AUTUMN (CHALK)

Agastache

Brilliant for bees and butterflies, Agastache is an interesting herbaceous perennial that is upright in form and ideal for a midsummer and autumn flowering. With subtle, warm colours and delicate tubularshaped blooms, Agastache has a wonderful liquorice aroma from its deep green foliage and lanceshaped leaves.

Top variety choices: Morello, Peachie Keen

AUTUMN (CLAY)

Escallonia laevis ‘Pink Elle’

For a great burst of pink in the autumn garden, Escallonia laevis ‘Pink Elle’ is a brilliant evergreen shrub that is ideal for a sunny position. The leathery foliage is glossy in appearance and works as a backdrop for the brighter flowers throughout the season. Ensure to shelter from cold winds to avoid any damage, and work into a hedge for a burst of colour.

WINTER (CHALK)

Aucuba japonica ‘Rozannie’

For excellent and lustrous foliage during the winter, Aucuba japonica ‘Rozannie’ is a compact shrub that will frequently produce ornamental red berries in the spring, adding to the garden’s interest. This adaptable shrub will thrive in any environment, whether full sun or full shade.

WINTER (CLAY)

Bergenia ‘Overture’

Also known as elephant’s ears ‘Overture’ due to its glossy leaves and large leaf surface area, Bergenia ‘Overture’ has an eye-catching red stem with green foliage throughout the year turning red in colder months. Bright pink flowers bloom in the spring for a burst of seasonal colour. ‘Overture’ will thrive when planted in lighter positions as it enhances the leaf colour.

Pollinators

Bees, butterflies, and moths are extremely important when it comes to the pollination of plants. Insects that feed on the nectar of flowers will transfer pollen from one to another as they travel, ensuring that flowers are fertilised and seeds and fruits can develop.

Spring

Chaenomeles x superba

For an impactful choice in your spring garden, Chaenomeles x superba is a fantastic option. A deciduous shrub with collections of cup-shaped flowers in a variety of colours, it acts as a great attraction for pollinators into your garden. During the summer and autumn months, green and yellow fruits appear, that, when matured and cooked, can make a delicious edible jelly. Use for screening in the garden to create privacy.

Top variety choices: Jet Trail, Orange Trail, Pink Trail, Red Trail

Summer

Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’

Also known as Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’, this flower is a favourite of pollinators. Not only this, but the colourful blooms of blue and purple add brilliant impact to flower borders and beds. The silvery green leaves provide a wonderful fragrance to the garden, and they will thrive in the sun. Ensure to cut this extremely hardy plant back after flowering to encourage a second flowering.

Hot and Sunny

Understanding plants requirements is essential for selecting the best garden position. Fortunately for those who have a garden that is usually covered in full sun, there are plenty of options for plants that will thrive in hot and sunny conditions.

Spring

Lavandula stoechas ‘Papillon’

Autumn

Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’

A very floriferous plant, Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’ is an excellent variety choice for an autumn garden. The colours change to red and white as the season progresses, catching the eye and making it an excellent choice for Mediterraneaninspired gardens. The aromatic nature of the plant attracts pollinators, and it will continue to look beautiful until the first frosts providing a long period of interest in the garden.

Winter

Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’

With nectar and pollen-rich flowers, Lonicera is great for the bees and butterflies visiting your garden. Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ is a traditional choice for a cottage garden, with a fantastic aroma and winter flowering originally bred by Hillier. The cream flowers make it ideal to work with other plants, adding a softness to brighter tones.

The ‘Papillon’ variety of Lavandula stoechas is nectar-rich, making it ideal for a wildlife friendly garden. The stunning purple colouration is excellent for welcoming the spring, while the unique form of the flower makes for an interesting display. Lavandula stoechas has a delicate aroma and looks great when planted with grasses. It will thrive in a sunny position in the garden.

Summer

Verbena bonariensis

Aptly known as “purple top,” Verbena bonariensis produces small clusters of purple flowers that sit upon tall green stems. Originating from South America, Verbena bonariensis loves the hot and sunny weather and looks pretty in a prairie planting. Its height works well for a diverse display and can be appreciated from summer through the autumn months.

Autumn

Rudbeckia

With numerous varieties to choose from, the glorious and vibrant Rudbeckia is the ideal autumn flower for a hot and sunny garden. Its striking colour stands out in a garden and appears vivid and bright in full sun. The daisy-like flowers offer a bold appearance, while the seedheads continue to create interest when winter arrives. Plant alongside Echinacea and Salvia for a colourful display.

Top variety choices: Smileyz Kissing, Smileyz Loving, Smileyz Joyful, Smileyz Tiger