SR_Trend Alert_Dark & Rich

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Dahlia ‘La Recoleta’

Create a serious statement with Sarah’s signature dark and rich palette.

Reminiscent of the Victoriana interiors and gardening trend and Vanitas art movement - discover darker tones, sumptuous textures, and a wild, unkempt gardening style, perfect for visiting wildlife.

Incredibly decadent and undeniably rich, this colour palette was one of my first true loves. Try in combination or use for turning down the brights - or, why not incorporate just a few of these dark and romantic varieties, or plant en masse for serious impact.

Use this guide to explore statement flowers, dark foliage, and much much more.

Simply click on each image to find the product on our website. © Sarah Raven 2024

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1

CALIBRACHOA

can-can black cherry

I’ve always loved a black velvet flower and Calibrachoa ‘Can-Can Black Cherry’ is one of the most luscious textured and longest flowering of all, blooming copiously for six months with almost no TLC. T Y P E : Half-Hardy Annual A S P E C T : Full sun F L O W E R S : June - November S O I L: Well-drained H E I G H T : 15cm (6”) S P R E A D : 45cm (18”) C A R E T I P S : Plant straight out into containers or pot on into 9cm pots to grow on. Keep frost-free until mid to late May and gradually acclimatise plants to outdoor conditions for 7-10 days before placing in their final positions. Keep watered.

Click here for more varieties of calibrachoa

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DAHLIA

la recoleta

The first and last to flower in my garden. A brilliant variety for cutting, better than all similar black dahlias.

T Y P E : Tender perennial A S P E C T : Full sun F L O W E R S : July - November S O I L: Moist but well-drained H E I G H T : 90cm (36”) S P R E A D : 75cm (30”)

C U L T I V A T I O N : Pot up undercover in spring, place somewhere light and frost-free and keep moist. Pinch out growing tips at 20cm and plant out after last frosts. Alternatively plant straight into the ground when the frosts are nearly over.

C A R E T I P S : Support with a stout stick, tie in every couple of weeks. In the south you can mulch deeply and overwinter them in the ground, alternatively, lift and overwinter your dahlias frost free undercover.

Click here for more varieties of dahlia

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RES F E A T UC T I O N O S L A LE S COL IN THI DAHLIA

verrone’s obsidian

Sultry, sophisticated and beautiful, with petals cut from silk velvet. In a class of its own. All dahlia flowers are edible, scatter their petals on salads for flavour, texture and colour. All dahlia flowers are edible, scatter their petals on salads for flavour, texture and colour.

T Y P E : Tender perennial A S P E C T : Full sun F L O W E R S : July - November S O IL: Moist but well-drained H E I G H T : 90cm (36”) S P R E A D : 75cm (30”) Click here for more varieties of dahlia

C U L T I V A T I O N : Pot up undercover in spring, place somewhere light and frost-free and keep moist. Pinch out growing tips at 20cm and plant out after last frosts. Alternatively plant straight into the ground when the frosts are nearly over.

C A R E T I P S : Support with a stout stick, tie in every couple of weeks. In the south you can mulch deeply and overwinter them in the ground, alternatively, lift and overwinter your dahlias frost free undercover.

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Dahlia ‘Tangerine Dream’

Dahlia ‘Tartan’

229326 Dahlia ‘Verrone’s Obsidian’

Marrakesh Dahlia Collection Bold, exotic and architectural with a hint of Islamic patterns, tiles and mosaics, this is one for the interior designers.

Click here for how to grow, plant and care for dahlias

4

IPOMOEA

solartower black

Rich ebony hearts, this Spiller (or trailer) is one of my favourites to mix with my treasured boiled sweet or velvet saturated colour combinations.

They are the thing to soften the edge of a pot, large or small.

T Y P E : Perennial (grown as an annual) A S P E C T : Full sun F L O W E R S : July - October H E I G H T : 30cm (12”) S P R E A D : 45cm (18” - Trailing) S O I L: Well-drained C A R E T I P S : Heat and drought tolerant. Cut back to rejuvenate the plant in later summer.

RES F E A T UC T I O N O S L A LE S COL IN THI

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Click here for more varieties of ipomoea

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Thunbergia ‘SunEyes Orange Beauty’

Pink Thunbergia and Ipomoea Collection Brilliantly matching — and contrasting — the heart shaped leaves of the ipomoea with the centre of the thunbergia saucer flowers, against the splashes of terracotta, make this duo sing.

Click here for more varieties of thunbergia

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IRIS

chrysographes black-flowered

This is one of the plants for the pond or streamside, with petals as if cut from the most perfect silk velvet. I want to be a bee and snuggle down to a feast in these!

Click here for more varieties of iris

T Y P E : Perrenial A S P E C T : Full sun, part shade F L O W E R S : May-June S O I L : Well-drained H E I G H T + S P R E A D : 45cm (18”) C A R E T I P S : Best in moist soil such as a bog garden.

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PAPAVER

black single

The wild mauve-purple single opium poppy is beautiful, but this is so much more so – crimson black with silvery-blue contrasting stems and leaves. Caution: Harmful if eaten.

T Y P E : Hardy Annual S P E C I E S : somniferum

A S P E C T : Full sun F L O W E R S : June - August, 10 weeks from a spring sowing, followed by typical somniferum pepper-pot seed pods S O I L : Well-drained H E I G H T : 90cm (36”) S P R E A D : 30cm (12”) C A R E T I P S : Pick or deadhead flowers regularly to encourage growth and to prolong flowering. Remove seed heads if you do not want it to self-seed.

Click here for more varieties of papaver

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SALVIA

lake onega

A brand-new series (also known as the Lake series) bred for pot growing. These varieties are just the right size, less than half the height of ‘Amistad’ and ‘Amante’, but with similar tubular flower shapes.

They come in different sizes to suit different containers, from tall to compact. These have become our top-ranking pot favourites at Perch Hill. Many salvias are brilliant for pots, these are truly exceptional for length of season and size of flowers.

My favourite new pot discovery of last year — velvety, long-flowering and rich in every way, ‘Lake Onega’ matches ‘Amistad’ in colour and is beautiful with it and similarly brilliant for all pollinators.

A star plant.

T Y P E : Tender Perennial A S P E C T : Full sun F L O W E R S : June - October S O I L : Moist but well-drained H E I G H T + S P R E A D : 45cm (18”) C A R E T I P S : Fast flowering and vigorous. Protect young plants from frost and plant in a sunny, free-draining spot. Do not prune back in winter, keep current years growth and move to a frost free position during winter. Prune lightly in late spring.

Click here for how to grow, plant and care for salvias

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Pelargonium ‘Tommy’

new

Pelargonium ‘Decora Noa Neon Pink’

512402 Salvia ‘Lake Onega’

190477 Rhodochiton atrosanguineus (Purple Bells)

Sheer Presence Pot Collection Salvia ‘Lake Onega’ is perfect for pots and all the better with showy pelargoniums and delicate trailing purple bell vine to give you the ultimate magnificent pot combination.

Click here for more salvia collections

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8

SWEET PEA

almost black

A very glamorous thing. Dark, luscious colour with amazing scent and good stem length. Scent 9/10.

No garden is complete without sweet peas. Grow them over arches, teepees and trellis and plant them with your runner beans to draw lots of insect pollinators into your veg patch.

T Y P E : Climber G R O U P : Modern Grandiflora A S P E C T : Full sun F L O W E R S : May - August (winter-sown) or June - September (spring-sown), or 12-14 weeks from spring-sowing of seed.

S O I L: Moist but well-drained H E I G H T : 1.8m (6ft) S P R E A D : 15cm (6”) C A R E T I P S : Plant seedlings out during a mild spell March-May, providing support. Tie the stems into your framework on a regular basis and pinch out tendrils.

Click here for more varieties of sweet pea

ES A T U RT E N F O ALS COLLEC IO S I N TH

510874

040036 ‘Almost Black’

040014 ‘Anniversary’

040066 ‘King Edward VII’

040011 ‘Mrs Collier’

154016 ‘Solway Serenade’

154019 ‘Top Hat’

The Ultimate Sweet Pea Collection A wonderful selection of all the best long-stemmed, strongly scented varieties.

Click here for how to plant, grow & care for sweet peas

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