Plant List The heights and spreads given are : after 2 years for herbaceous plants and grasses, after 5 years for shrubs and climbers and after 10 years for trees.
Miscanthus sinensis Malepartus A good plant for instant height in a new garden. This makes a fountain of narrow strap-like leaves, that turn red in autumn and has plumes of burnt red flowers in summer. They bleach to a pale biscuit colour in winter. it likes fertile, moist, free-draining soil and full sun. H&S 2 x 1 m (6 x 3 ft)
Macleaya cordata
(plume poppy)
Eucalyptus gunnei
Potentilla fruticosa Long flowering shrub with small buttercup -like flowers in colours from white and cream through yellows, oranges, pinks and reds. Good in a sunny position, and tolerant of most soil types. It can also cope with very exposed positions because of its twiggy habit and very small leaves. H& S 80 x 80 cm + (2ft 6 x 2ft 6 in)
Amelanchier canadensis OR 'Ballerina ‘ (Snowy mespilus) A lovely small tree or shrub, with a long season of interest. In spring it has coppery new leaves along with masses of small white flowers, and in autumn its leaves turn bonfire colours. It prefers full sun but does well in shade. It tolerates most soil. ‘Ballerina’ is an excellent compact variety H&S 3 x 3 m (10 x 10ft)
Amelanchier canadensis (autumn colour)
Burning Bush Kochia 1
Burning Bush Kochia 2
Burning Bush Dictamnus albus 1
Burning Bush Dictamnus albus 2
Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan Palm) A terrific architectural evergreen plant, with great jagged fronds that gives a tropical, jungly feel to any garden. It is hardy in London. It is supposed to need a free-draining soil, though the plant illustrated is growing in pretty heavy clay. It prefers full sun but will cope with light or part shade. H&S (10 years) 3 x 2 m (10 x 6 ft)
Phormium tenax Variegatum Another great architectural evergreen for city gardens. It needs full sun, but will tolerate a little shade. It likes a free draining soil, and is hardy in London gardens. H&S 1 x 1 m (3ft 3 in x 3ft 3in)
Musa basjoo (Hardy banana) Though not evergreen, this a great plant for a city garden with its huge tropical looking leaves. It’s hardy in London, and will reproduce freely, but in exceptionally cold weather, it’s worth protecting with sacking, or bubble wrap. H &S 2 x2 m (6ft 6 in x 6ft 6 in.)
Dicksonia antarctica (Tree fern) Again not reliably evergreen, but this is a very dramatic plant for a town garden with its huge fronds. It is hardy in London in most winters but since tree ferns are so expensive ,it is worth protecting them in very cold spells, either by bringing it inside ( you can cut off the fronds, remove the trunk from its pot or from the ground and store it inside the shed or garage over the winter) or wrapping the trunk. It likes rich soil and wither full or dappled shade, along with shelter from cold winds. Feed it with a liquid manure in spring, pouring it into the top of the trunk. H&S – it is so slow growing that the height really depends on the size you buy. The fronds are up to 90cm (3ft) long.
Fatsia japonica A great evergreen that looks exotic but is in fact quite tough. It’s good in borders or containers and as well as it big glossy architectural leaves, it has white golf ball like flowers in autumn followed by black berries.You can cut it back hard when it gets too big or leggy. It tolerates most soil types, and does best in shade. H&S 2x2 m (6ft 6 in x 6ft 6 in)
Box Topiary This is tolerant of most soil types and will grow in sun or shade. H&S You decide!
Sorbus vilmorinii One of the very best trees for small gardens, this has a long season of interest- white flowers in spring, pretty foliage all summer, great autumn colour and pearly pink berries in autumn and winter. It’s open habit means it casts only light dappled shade. It tolerates any soil type and does best in full sun or light shade H&S (10 years) 3.5 x 3 m ( 12 x 10ft)
Betula jacquemontii (Silver birch) This has the whitest bark of all the silver birches which really lights up a garden in winter. Although it gets to be a tall tree, its open habit and small leaves mean it doesn’t cast too much shade . It will tolerate most soils except very boggy ones, and prefers full sun, though it will cope with light shade. H&S 9 x 3 m ( 30 x 10ft)
Hosta sieboldii Elegans The very large leafed hostas make wonderful focal points especially in pots. They like rich moist soil, and in fact the moister the soil, the more sun they can tolerate. In ordinary soil they do better in shade. They do have tall spikes of pale lilac or white flowers, but it is for their handsome leaves that you grow them. Slugs and snails are a problem. Try sharp grit on the soil around them or slug and snail traps. On pots, try copper tape. H&S 60 x 90 cm ( 2 x 3 ft)
Eryngium giganteum (Miss Willmot’s Ghost) This has less skeletal leaves than many Eryngiums, but has jagged silvery bracts and steel blue flowers . It is a short-lived perennial, but seeds itself freely, so you rarely lose it altogether. It likes full sun and poor, free-draining soil. H&S 90 x 30 cm (3 x 1 ft)
CLIMBERS
Clematis armandii One of the evergreen clematises with elegant long leathery leaves and masses of scented white flowers in late winter/early spring. Like all clematis, it likes moist fertile soil, and its head in the sun but its roots in the shade. H/S 5m + (16ft+)
Clematis viticella Purpurea Plena Elegans This is probably the easiest group of clematis for beginners and ideal for town gardens because you can grow it on fences, up walls, over pergolas, through other shrubs, as ground cover. It flowers from July to September. It is certainly the easiest to prune – just cut it right back to the first pair of fat buds in late winter. ‘Etoile Violette’ /’Alba Luxurians are also excellent . H/S 4m (13ft)
Rose ‘Compassion ‘ A lovely, easy climbing rose with salmon-apricot flowers all through the summer and dark green glossy foliage. It is quite a stiff grower, so good for pillars or on walls and fences, but not so good for pergolas or up trees. It likes rich moist soil, and sun. H/S 3m (10ft)
Solanum jasminoides album A wonderful fast climber which is almost evergreen in London. It has clusters of pure white potato flowers all summer, and well into the autumn. It’s great through trees or over pergolas and fine on fences and walls if you keep it under control. It likes reasonably good soil, not too dry and full sun or a little shade. H/S 6 m (20 ft)
Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star jasmine) A lovely evergreen climber which is hardy in most London gardens. It has small pointed glossy green leaves and waxy white, very fragrant flowers in summer. It is quite slow growing, and is one of the few plants that seem to do better if planted quite large. H/S 4m (13 ft)
Parthenocissus henryana (Virginia Creeper) One of the best of the Virginia Creepers because its summer leaf is also very attractive - rich velvet green with silver veins. In autumn it turns brilliant scarlet. It tolerates most soil types, and colours best in part shade; though it will grow in sun or full shade. H/S 6 m (20 ft)
Virginia Creeper
SHRUBS
Buddleia ‘Lochinch’ This is one of the best of the butterfly bushes with soft lavender flowers and silvery leaves. It’s an ideal plant for very small gardens because you cut it right down every year to encourage best flowering, so it never gets too big. It is happy on poor, free-draining soil and in full sun. H& S 2 x 1.2 m (6 x 4 ft)
Ceratostigma willmottianum A great shrub for late summer flowering with its mass of rich blue saucer shaped flowers. It also has attractive bright green leaves that colour well in autumn. It likes a fertile, moist but well-drained soil, and full sun. H&S 60 x 90 cm (2 x 3ft)
Cotinus ‘Grace’ (Smoke Bush) The best of the purple-leafed varieties, with large round leaves that hold their colour all summer and turn brilliant scarlet in autumn. It has clouds of very tiny pale pink flowers –the ‘smoke’- but if you prune it hard each spring to get the best foliage, you will lose them. H&S (If pruned regularly) 2 x 2m (6 x 6 ft) Unpruned: 6 x 5 m (20 x 16ft)
Hebe albicans ‘Pewter Dome’ Hebes are great plants for town gardens – evergreen, good shapes, and neat flowers. This has small grey green, round leaves and stubby spikes of white flowers in late spring and early summer. It likes free draining soil – preferably not acid, and dull run or part-shade. H&S 45 x 60 cm (1ft 6 in x 2ft)
Lavender angustifolia ‘Hidcote ‘ A great plant for most styles of garden, with aromatic grey-green foliage and spikes of rich lavender blue or purple flowers in summer. Keep it clipped to prevent it getting leggy – ideally once to remove dead flower spikes in late summer, and once in spring just as new growth starts. If not just once in early spring will do. It likes free-draining, rather poor soil and full sun. Hidcote is excellent and widely available. My favourite is ‘Sawyers’ which is bright silver all year, though less easy to find. H&S 60 x 75 cm (2 ft x 2ft 6 in)
Rose x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ There are millions of roses to choose from. For town gardens go for good shaped plants with a long flowering season – David Austin English roses are great, so are some of the County series. This is my personal favourite. It ‘s evergreen in my garden, forming a good rounded shape, and from May to December has coppery red buds that open to crimson flowers then fade to apricot. It likes reasonably moist fertile soil, and prefers sun though will do well in shade. H&S 1.5 x 1.5 m (5 x 5 ft)
Acer palmatum dissectum (Japanese maples) Japanese maples are excellent plants for town gardens, being slow growing. They have beautiful foliage and make an attractive shaped plant too. To avoid scorch they need dappled shade and shelter from cold winds. They like neutral to acid soil, disliking lime. If your soil is alkaline grow them in lime-free compost in containers. H&S (after 10 years) 1.5 x 2 m (5 x 6ft)
Choisya ternata ‘Aztec Pearl’ (Mexican Orange Blossom) An excellent evergreen shrub, with slender leaves and clusters of white flowers in spring and again in autumn. It forms an attractive rounded shape, and responds well to pruning. It likes moist but well-drained soil and sun or part-shade. The golden leafed Choisya Sundance’ needs dappled shade or the leaves will scorch.) H&S 2.5 x 2.5 m (8 x 8ft)
Cornus alba (Dogwood) Grown for its sealing wax red stems in winter, this particular dogwood has variegated cream and pale green leaves in summer, which are useful as background in a border, or as host to a small flowered clematis. It is very tolerant of most soil types and will grow in sun or shade, though the bark is seen to best advantage in full sun. Cut it back each spring for the best coloured bark the following winter. H&S (pruned) 2 x 1.5 m (6 x 5 ft) Unpruned: 3 x 3 m (10 x 10ft)
Euphorbia mellifera A great evergreen shrub forming a neat mound of long bright green leaves, with honey scented, gold brown flowers in early summer. It can be pruned back hard, though always wear gloves and long sleeves since the sap can cause a painful rash. It likes well-drained soil and full sun. H&S 2 x 2 m (6 ft x 6ft)
Perennials
Phlomis russelliana Anther very useful evergreen with big sage green heart-shaped leaves and tall spikes with whirls of pale yellow flowers in early summer. These fade to russet brown and look in the winter. Cut hem back in spring as the new grow appears. It likes well-drained soil and sun, though it will grow in part shade. H7S90 x 75 cm (3ft x 2ft 6in)
Verbena bonariensis This is a super plant for any garden. It is very tall and angular, with slender stems and small heads of intense magenta-purple flowers. Use it anywhere in a border –front or back. The flowers die but the stems remain through the winter. They are best cut back in spring as the new shoots appear. H&S 2m x 45cm (6ft x 1ft 6 in)
Geranium Rozanne Long flowering hardy geranium with blue ,white-eyed flowers that bees love . Flowers from May to Oct/Nov . Attractive light green leaves that spread but die back to a central crown in cold winters. Sun or part shade . H&S 30 x 90 cms (12 x 36 ins)
Phyllostachys nigra (Black stemmed bamboo) This is a very striking bamboo for town gardens with the two year old canes turning black. It makes a great screen, and adds sound to the garden as it rustles in the breeze. It likes moist but well-drained soil, and full sun or dappled shade. Thin it out from time to time when the clumps become too dense. H&S 3 x 2 m (10 x 6 ft)
Carex buchanananii (Bronze sedge) One of the bronze evergreen carexes, this has a very graceful arching habit. It’s great in pots where its long slender flower spikes can be seen to full advantage. It tolerates all but very wet or very dry soils, and likes full sun or part-shade. H&S 60 x 90cm (2 x 3 ft)
Festuca glauca (Blue fescue) Another useful evergreen grass, only this time steel blue. It looks great in gravel or in containers. It likes poor, dry soil and colours best in full sun. H&S 30 x 25 cm (1ft x 10 ins)
Miscanthus sinsensis Malepartus A good plant for instant height in a new garden. This makes a fountain of narrow strap-like leaves, that turn red in autumn and has plumes of burnt red flowers in summer. They bleach to a pale biscuit colour in winter. it likes fertile, moist, free-draining soil and full sun. H&S 2 x 1 m (6 x 3 ft)
Stipa / Anemanthale arundinacia (Pheasant’s Tail grass) A lovely evergreen grass that forms a fountain of fresh green in summer, and is tinged with copper through the winter. It has smoke-like plumes of tiny flowers in late summer and autumn. It tolerates most soils except very heavy boggy ones, and likes full sun or part shade. H&S 1 x 1.2 m (3 x 4 ft)
Stipa tenuissima This is a deciduous member of the family, with very slender leaves and very fine flower heads of palest beige that move in the slightest breeze. When it dies back it all turns pale beige and looks wonderful when the frost is on it. Cut back the old growth in spring as the new growth starts to come through. It seeds itself freely. It likes free-draining soil and full sun. H&S 60 x 30cm (2 x 1 ft)
Eschscholzia californica Orange King ( Californian poppy) Very easy hardly annual that self-sows -once you have it , you won t lose it. It also comes in cream , yellow, pink .It likes a sunny spot and free draining soil H&S 45 x 25/30cm (15 x10/12in)
Allium christophii This has large round heads, the size of large grapefruit, of starry silver-mauve flowers in early summer . A member of the onion family, it gets left alone by squirrels ! H 45-50cm ( 15-20 ins)