Other Varieties

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens,' commonly known as Black Mondo Grass, is an ornamental perennial plant renowned for its striking dark foliage and distinctive appearance. This cultivar belongs to the Asparagaceae family and is native to Japan, where it thrives in woodlands and shaded areas. In the United Kingdom, it has gained popularity as a garden ornamental for its unique aesthetic qualities.

The most notable feature of Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' is its almost-black, strappy leaves that grow in dense clumps. The rich ebony colouration intensifies as the plant matures, creating a captivating contrast with other plants in the garden. During the summer months, it produces small, insignificant bell-shaped, pale pinkish-white flowers on delicate stems. However, it is primarily grown for its striking foliage rather than its flowers.

Black Mondo Grass is a low-maintenance plant, making it an ideal choice for gardeners looking to add drama to their landscapes without excessive effort. It thrives in partial to full shade, making it suitable for shaded borders, rock gardens, or even as ground cover beneath trees. This plant is adaptable to various soil types, provided they are well-drained, and it is relatively drought-tolerant once established.

When it comes to care, Black Mondo Grass requires minimal attention. Pruning is optional but can help maintain its tidy appearance. It is generally resistant to most pests and diseases, making it a hassle-free addition to any garden. In colder regions of the UK, some winter protection, such as a layer of mulch, may be beneficial to ensure its survival.

The Dryopteris filix‑mas ‘Crispa Cristata’, often called the crested male fern, is an excellent choice for gardeners seeking structure and texture in shaded or partially shaded areas. This hardy, semi‑evergreen fern thrives in moist, humus‑rich soils and is well suited to woodland gardens, shaded borders, or as an underplanting beneath trees and shrubs. Its strikingly frilled, crested fronds create an intricate, sculptural effect that brings a sense of movement and detail to any planting scheme.

Unlike many delicate ferns, ‘Crispa Cristata’ is robust and low maintenance, tolerating cold winters and recovering well each spring. Its dense growth habit forms attractive clumps that help suppress weeds, making it practical as well as ornamental. The plant’s refined, curled fronds look beautiful alongside hostas, heucheras, and other foliage plants, while its deep green color provides a calming backdrop to brighter flowers.

In smaller gardens, it works perfectly in pots or shaded corners where it can be appreciated up close. With minimal care,simply remove old fronds in late winter, it will reward you with year‑round elegance and a unique, timeless appeal.

Festuca glauca 'Intense Blue', commonly known as Blue Fescue, is a striking ornamental grass that is cherished for its vivid blue foliage and compact growth habit. This perennial grass forms neat, dense clumps that typically reach a height of 20-30 cm and spread to about 20-30 cm wide, making it an excellent choice for borders, rockeries, and container planting.

The foliage of Festuca glauca 'Intense Blue' is its most notable feature. The slender, needle-like leaves are a striking silvery-blue, providing a cool, soothing contrast to the greens and other colours in a garden. This intense blue colour is most prominent in the spring and early summer, adding a refreshing splash of colour to the landscape. As the seasons progress, the foliage maintains its appeal, though it may take on a slightly greener hue during the winter months.

In late spring to early summer, Festuca glauca 'Intense Blue' produces delicate flower spikes that rise above the foliage. These flowers start off a soft blue-green and mature to a light tan colour, adding a subtle ornamental element without detracting from the plant's overall blue theme. The flowers can be left in place for winter interest or cut back to maintain the plant's tidy appearance.

Blue Fescue is a hardy plant that thrives in well-drained soil and full sun. It is drought-tolerant once established, making it an ideal choice for low-maintenance gardens. It also works well in urban settings due to its tolerance of pollution and poor soil conditions. Regular trimming of the older foliage in early spring can help maintain the plant's tidy appearance and encourage new growth.

Overall, Festuca glauca 'Intense Blue' is a versatile and visually appealing grass that adds texture and colour to a variety of garden settings, making it a favourite among gardeners looking for year-round interest and low-maintenance beauty.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' is a stunning ornamental grass that is highly prized for its delicate, airy foliage and graceful form. This clump-forming grass typically grows to a height of 4-5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide, making it a perfect choice for adding height and texture to any landscape or garden.

The leaves of Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' are a pale green color with creamy-white margins, creating a beautiful variegated effect that shimmers in the sunlight. The foliage is thin and delicate, which adds a sense of movement to the plant as it sways gently in the breeze.

This ornamental grass is highly adaptable and can thrive in a variety of soil types, including clay, sand, and loam. It is also drought-tolerant once established and requires minimal maintenance, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance landscapes.

In late summer, Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' produces graceful, feathery plumes of tiny, pinkish-white flowers that rise above the foliage. These blooms persist through the fall and into the winter, providing visual interest and texture to the garden even after the growing season has ended.

Overall, Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' is a beautiful and versatile ornamental grass that adds a touch of elegance and movement to any landscape or garden. It is a great choice for tree nurseries looking to offer their customers a low-maintenance, yet highly attractive ornamental grass option.

Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’ is an exceptionally versatile ornamental grass, making it highly suitable for a wide range of garden styles and conditions. Its striking lime‑to‑golden foliage provides vibrant colour throughout the year, instantly brightening shaded areas where many other plants may struggle. This grass is particularly well‑suited for woodland gardens, shaded borders, and contemporary landscapes, where its arching, soft blades create a sense of movement and texture.

One of its greatest strengths is its adaptability. ‘Everillo’ thrives in partial to full shade but can also tolerate some morning sun, making it ideal for awkward garden spots. It grows in neat, low clumps, so it works beautifully as an edging plant, a groundcover in mass plantings, or as an accent in containers. Its evergreen nature ensures interest through all seasons, and its low maintenance requirements—needing only occasional trimming—make it perfect for busy gardeners.

Furthermore, ‘Everillo’ pairs effortlessly with ferns, hostas, and other shade‑loving plants, creating lush, layered plantings. Whether used in modern designs or naturalistic schemes, this grass enriches gardens with year‑round charm and reliability.

Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, commonly called Shenandoah Switch Grass, is an excellent ornamental grass for gardens, prized for its striking foliage and resilience. This warm-season perennial, makes it suitable for a wide range of climates. It grows in upright clumps reaching about 3–4 feet tall, with narrow green leaves that develop deep burgundy-red tones by midsummer, intensifying through autumn.

One of its key advantages is adaptability. It tolerates poor soils, drought, and even periodic flooding once established, making it ideal for low-maintenance landscapes. Shenandoah Switch Grass prefers full sun but can handle light shade, though colour may be less intense. It also resists deer and pests, reducing upkeep.

In gardens, it works beautifully in mixed borders, prairie-style plantings, or as a bold accent in modern landscapes. Its airy, reddish flower panicles appear in late summer, adding texture and movement. Beyond beauty, it provides habitat for birds and supports pollinators.

With minimal watering needs and a strong vertical form, Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ is a versatile, sustainable, and visually stunning choice that enhances gardens with year-round interest.

Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal', commonly known as switchgrass, is a robust and ornamental perennial grass native to North America. This cultivar is prized for its striking, upright growth and steel-blue foliage that adds texture and colour to garden landscapes. 'Heavy Metal' typically reaches a height of 1.2 to 1.5 metres, forming a dense clump that remains sturdy throughout the growing season.

The foliage of 'Heavy Metal' is a distinctive blue-green, turning to a bright golden-yellow in the autumn, providing seasonal interest. Its leaves are narrow and arching, creating a fine-textured appearance that contrasts well with broader-leaved plants. In late summer, this switchgrass produces airy, pink-tinged flower panicles that rise above the foliage, adding a delicate, wispy quality to its overall form. These flower panicles eventually turn to a silvery hue as they mature, providing additional visual appeal and winter interest.

'Heavy Metal' is not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly resilient. It thrives in a variety of soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy soils, and can tolerate both dry and moist conditions once established. It is well-suited for full sun exposure, where it achieves the best foliage colour and growth. Additionally, this grass is drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and resistant to most pests and diseases, making it an excellent choice for sustainable gardening.

Beyond its ornamental uses, Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' is also valued for its ecological benefits. It provides habitat and food for various wildlife, including birds and beneficial insects. Its deep root system helps in soil stabilization and erosion control, contributing to healthier ecosystems.

Overall, Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' is a versatile, durable, and attractive addition to any garden, combining aesthetic beauty with ecological functionality.

Doodia media, commonly known as the rasp fern, is a small to medium-sized terrestrial fern native to eastern Australia and parts of New Zealand. It belongs to the Blechnaceae family and is well regarded for its striking appearance and ease of cultivation in temperate gardens.

This evergreen fern typically grows to a height of 30 to 60 cm, forming neat clumps of erect or arching fronds. The young fronds emerge a vivid pink or red, creating a vibrant contrast against the mature, dark green foliage. Each frond is pinnate, with leathery leaflets that have a slightly toothed or rasped texture—hence the common name.

Doodia media prefers shaded or semi-shaded environments with consistently moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. It thrives in sheltered woodland settings, rock gardens, or as part of an understory planting beneath larger shrubs or trees. Though relatively hardy, it does best in frost-free areas or where winter temperatures remain mild.

This fern is valued for both its ornamental qualities and its low maintenance requirements. It can be grown in the ground or in containers, making it suitable for patios and shaded courtyards. The colourful young growth adds seasonal interest, particularly in spring and early summer.

Propagation is typically by division of clumps in early spring. While generally pest-free, Doodia media may suffer in prolonged dry conditions or if exposed to direct, harsh sunlight.

In summary, Doodia media is a decorative and adaptable fern ideal for adding texture and colour to shaded areas of the garden. Its reddish new growth and tidy habit make it a desirable choice for gardeners seeking year-round foliage interest with minimal care.

Rootgrow is a mycorrhizal fungi product that helps plants establish stronger root systems by forming a symbiotic relationship with their roots. These fungi enhance nutrient and water uptake, particularly phosphorus, leading to healthier, more resilient plants. Rootgrow is commonly used when planting trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables to improve growth, drought resistance, and overall plant health.

However, some plants do not benefit from Rootgrow, including brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale), beets, rhododendrons, azaleas, and blueberries. These plants either do not form mycorrhizal associations or prefer acidic soil conditions unsuitable for the fungi. Using Rootgrow on these plants may provide no benefit or, in some cases, be counterproductive.

Pyracantha Mohave is a vigorous, compact, thorny evergreen shrub with upright branches, small, ovate, glossy, dark green leaves, and clusters of lovely, white flowers in summer. Flowers are followed by masses of attractive, bright red-orange berries that create a spectacular display from late summer to winter. Firethorn 'Mohave' is adaptable to various types of soil, but prefers fertile, slightly alkaline, sandy, loamy, moist and well-drained soils. It thrives in full sun, but grows easily in partial shade. However, flowering and fruiting are better in full sun. Once established, it is tolerant of drought. Resistant to frost and urban pollution. Generally, pest-free. Low maintenance plant, doesn’t require pruning. Pyracantha Mohave is a very decorative fruiting shrub, valued for its evergreen foliage and attractive scarlet fruit. It is great as a specimen or foundation plant, excellent for barrier hedging and espaliers, wall-side borders and trellises. Ideal for informal, cottage, urban, and wildlife gardens.

Camellia japonica 'Lady Vansittart' is a unique and captivating variety of the widely appreciated Camellia genus. This particular cultivar stands out due to its remarkable blooms that flaunt a blend of white petals, often beautifully streaked or blotched with shades of rose-pink. These multi-colored blossoms not only give the plant a distinct aesthetic appeal but also make it a favorite among gardeners and plant enthusiasts seeking something different from the traditional solid-colored camellia flowers.

The plant itself is characterized by its glossy, dark green, evergreen leaves which provide a striking contrast to its delicate blossoms. They create an all-year-round green backdrop, ensuring the garden remains vibrant even outside the flowering season.

Camellia japonica 'Lady Vansittart' is a slow-growing shrub, which makes it ideal for gardens where space is a premium or where a more controlled growth is desired. While it can tolerate some amount of direct sunlight, it generally prefers partial shade to maintain the vibrancy and longevity of its flowers.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, 'Lady Vansittart' is a testament to the adaptability and diversity within the Camellia genus. It's perfect for ornamental gardens, creating focal points or as part of mixed plantings, and it also does well in pots or containers, providing flexibility in landscaping options.

Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' is commonly known as Hall's Japanese honeysuckle. This vigorous, twining vine is native to East Asia and has become a popular ornamental in many gardens and landscapes worldwide. Its appeal largely stems from its highly fragrant, tubular, white to yellow flowers, which bloom prolifically from late spring to fall. As the flowers mature, they transition from a bright white to a creamy yellow, creating a lovely two-tone effect.

'Halliana' is appreciated not only for its captivating scent but also for its resilience. This honeysuckle can adapt to a variety of soil types, and once established, can withstand occasional droughts. Its dark green, oval to oblong leaves form an attractive backdrop for the blooms, allowing it to serve as an excellent choice for trellises, fences, and arbors.

However, gardeners should be cautious, as Lonicera japonica, including the 'Halliana' cultivar, is considered invasive in several areas. It spreads aggressively both by seeds and vegetative growth, often outcompeting native species. Regular pruning and monitoring can help manage its growth, but those planting it should be informed of its potential impact on local ecosystems.

In summary, while Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' offers beauty and fragrance, its invasive nature calls for responsible gardening practices.

The Camellia x williamsii 'Donation' is a renowned and cherished hybrid within the camellia world. Its prominence is owed to a range of desirable characteristics. Originating from a cross between Camellia japonica and Camellia saluenensis, the 'Donation' is best known for its impressive, large, semi-double flowers that bloom profusely. These blossoms are a striking shade of soft pink, adding a splash of color to the garden in the midst of winter to early spring when many other plants lie dormant.

This particular camellia variety boasts an upright and vigorous growth habit. Mature plants can attain a substantial size, but they can also be pruned to maintain desired dimensions. Their evergreen nature ensures year-round visual appeal; glossy, dark green leaves create a contrasting backdrop to the pink blossoms, adding texture and depth to landscapes.

'Donation' Camellias are shade-tolerant, which allows them to thrive in areas with dappled light or even in full shade. However, a little morning sun can accentuate their flowering potential. Their hardy nature ensures resilience against many common garden challenges, though like all camellias, they prefer well-draining acidic soils and benefit from protection against intense afternoon sun and drying winds.

In gardens, the 'Donation' Camellia stands out as a centerpiece or can be integrated into mixed borders for structure and seasonal color.