Masses of sizeable, sumptuous, beautiful royal-purple blooms open wide, amidst velvet leaves, constantly from March or April. These continue all through autumn and sometimes into early winter, or even all-year-round in warmer climates. Perfect trained as a shrub, or even allowed to grow finally into a small tree, it is one of the world's most spectacular plants. In the wild, Tibouchina lepidota is fairly widespread in montane and cloud forests of the Andes mountains between Venezuela and Peru from 800 to 3200 m, and therefore has a considerable measure of hardiness. ... Learn More

These summer-flowering Iris relatives from Central America have flamboyant showy carmine-pink flowers, which are Iris-like in structure, but with broad petals, held widely open. They come in a range of bright colours often spotted or flecked with a darker tone. The genus name means 'tiger-like', and this refers to the colour and pattern of T. pavonia, which is the species that is usually grown. Hardy and long-lived in a hot spot and can even self-seed when happy. ... Learn More

This famous flamboyant flower gives one of the world's most spectacular displays with brilliant three-petalled, very large orchid-like flowers of red, pink, orange, yellow and white, which appear in early summer, all above insignificant fans of long, thin basal leaves. ... Learn More

The huge scarlet blooms of this outstanding red form of Tigridia pavonia open early in the morning and close when dusk begins to fall; each day seeing a different bloom opened. Plants grown from seeds bloom in the first year and are often grown as a tender summer annual, planted in spring and dug up again in autumn for storing in a dry frost-free place. Coming from dry places in South Africa it needs all the sun available, as this not only encourages flowering, but also ripens the bulb to ensure a similar display the following year. Few seeds collected. ... Learn More

The huge bright yellow blooms of this lovely flower open early in the morning and close when dusk begins to fall, each day seeing a different bloom opened. Plants grown from seeds bloom in the first year and are often grown as a tender summer annual, planted in spring and dug up again in autumn for storing in a dry frost-free place. Coming from dry places in South Africa it needs all the sun available, as this not only encourages flowering, but also ripens the bulb to ensure a similar display the following year. Few seeds collected. ... Learn More

Clusters of charming, sugar-pink, three-petalled flowers appear over a long period on long, fleshy, erect stems, which are clad with quite awesome tongue-shaped leaves. Growing this gorgeous plant from Tropical America as an annual, is a worthy use for those in colder areas. If you have a shady corner to fill up with a lush, exotic-looking plant, this one will grow rapidly into a dense mound, and it will even self-seed as the seeds are frost-proof. This should be on your “I wouldn’t want to be without it” list. ... Learn More

Greenish-yellow flowers, grouped in a dense spike, are mounted on a straight and stiff stem, and open from June to August on the high mountains of Gotland, Estonia southward to the Pyrenees, Montenegro and the Ukraine, where they live in swamps and wet grasslands. These unusual plants used to be variously in the gentian and lily family, but now reside in the Tofieldiaceae! ... Learn More

Very striking, violet or bright lavender-purple flowers open on this lovely spreading dwarf cushion plant. In the wild, flowering can be as late as July in the higher mountains, and as early as May in lower mountain ranges, such as the Tendoy Range. One of the loveliest high alpines, "Mountain Townsendia" may be found on dry open places, often in sand or gravel, among rocks or on cliffs, and can be found at elevations from 7000 to over 8500 feet. Very few good seeds collected. ... Learn More

This drought-tolerant, almost stemless plant from the mountains of the United States, opens its large white to pink flowers with a prominent yellow button disk. It blooms in early spring on dry hillsides where its grey-green, hairy narrow leaves make gorgeous, very compact cushions. Whether grown in a pot, or as a beautiful rock garden specimen it is always superb, but as with many members of the compositae family rarely makes much viable seed! We offer a few good reliable seeds patiently sorted out from the handfuls of dead pappus. ... Learn More

This very handsome American plant has numerous large, long-rayed, golden-eyed white flowers which open on very short stems above a silvery dome of thin leaves. Incana is Latin for "hoary", and refers to the conspicuously white-hairy stems which are much whiter than the leaves. Whether grown in a pot, or as a beautiful rock garden specimen it is always superb, but as with many members of the compositae family rarely makes much viable seed! We offer a few good reliable seeds patiently sorted out from the handfuls of dead pappus. ... Learn More

Large single flowers are borne on short,upright stems in early summer, and consist of purple-blue ray florets and yellow disc florets. These plants slowly form solid clumps of hairy leaves and are one of the favourite scree, tufa and show plants. This alpine treasure comes from high elevations in western North America and will require good drainage, whether in the garden or in a container. ... Learn More

This rare high alpine flower is endemic to Colorado in the USA where it lives in the snow-melt area. Here it makes low, tight cushions of thick, glabrous, slightly hairy leaves, with golden-eyed blue flowers that hug the cushion, opening on the shortest possible stems. This gem is more easily grown in the rock garden than T. hookeri, and it needs good drainage. But to obtain a prize-winning specimen for a show it will do best in the alpine house. Few good seeds collected. ... Learn More

This very long-lived and most attractive palm is probably the only one which is completely hardy in the UK. However it is best grown in a sheltered spot to preserve the beauty of the impressive fan-shaped leaves. ... Learn More

Impressive large fans of pleated leaves, which are much more divided than those on the normal variety, adorn a slender fibrous trunk and bring an instant touch of the Mediterranean to your garden. Despite its delicate appearance, this plant is hardy across most areas of the UK and tends to be quite slow-growing so that you can be sure it will not be too quick to overwhelm whatever space you give it. ... Learn More

This stunning palm has large, nearly-circular leaves, and when mature forms a smooth, grey, bare trunk. It has a very restricted geographical range in the wild and is found only in an isolated pocket in the Sikkim Himalayas in north-east India which is immediately threatened by destruction. This palm has only recently been introduced into cultivation, but is about to make a huge impression in the palm world! It is heat-resistant and hardy: -10 to -12°C (14 to 10°F) . ... Learn More