This most unusual and drought-tolerant plant bears fragrant yellow flowers in late spring and early summer leading to stems of curious spherical seed pods which make intriguing specimens for dried flower enthusiasts. In the garden these eventually fall apart to release the seeds. ... Learn More

From the high mountains of central and eastern Europe comes this rare alpine gem which makes a compact cushion of small silver-grey leaves supporting numerous bright yellow flowers. It will make an ideal subject for a well-drained dry scree, rockery, or alpine house. ... Learn More

New and rarely-offered, this fabulous alpine-house, rockery or wall plant produces solid cushions of tiny velvety silvery-grey leaves, which disappear in spring under sheets of thousands of tightly packed, fragrant golden flowers, and is as choice as you can get with a spring alpine. It is native to the high mountains of Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. ... Learn More

One of the essential flowers for a hot rockery, this perpetual favourite produces bright sheets of yellow flowers over clumps of grey-green leaves. Will self-seed when happy even on the hottest, driest bank. ... Learn More

This curious flower looks just like any dwarf alyssum with yellow flowers over a tight, woody green cushion in early spring, but then the flower stems stand up and the seed pods expand, just like little balloons! This curiously attractive flower is perfect for a raised bed or rockery. ... Learn More

Delicate, willow-like foliage is topped with beautiful, pale powder-blue star-shaped flowers in spring, the light green foliage looking good all summer long before turning a beautiful golden-yellow in autumn, even standing right through most of the winter. This plant gets better with age (unlike us) and doesn't shine until a few years old. ... Learn More

This most desirable native of Greece and Asia Minor has heads of ornamental, rich blue flowers which are larger, and open for longer than most other varieties, and narrow lance shaped foliage. A beautiful, if rarely-seen plant, it deserves to be more widely grown as it is well-behaved and runs very slowly indeed. Few good seeds collected. ... Learn More

Starry clusters of elegant pale blue starry flowers appear from spring to midsummer. This rarely seen perennial deserves better recognition for its long flowering period and reliable performance as it grows happily in sun or dappled shade, coping well with drought. ... Learn More

A spreading alpine plant with yellow-eyed, white daisy type flowers sitting just above the grey-green, ferny foliage . The flowers close at dusk or on cloudy days to show a fuchsia underside. Best in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Suitable for rock gardens and even stone walls. ... Learn More

The lovely British native "Scarlet pimpernel" is too often overlooked, but closer inspection of the flower and seed capsule will reveals the fact that it is in fact in the primula family! Its stemless scarlet-red flowers appear over a very long succession all summer long. When allowed to naturalise in a hot place it will surpass many of the more common alpine plants, and it will even send out its long, leafy prostrate stems where others will not, such as on hot dry banks and rockeries. ... Learn More

One of the compact mossy kinds of androsace, this dwarf alpine from the Caucasus mountains forms small rosettes of deeply-toothed oval leaves and dense heads of pale pink flowers from April to July and is best in an alpine house or on a dry rockery. ... Learn More

A choice and hardy alpine forming low cushions of pointed leaves with short-stemmed, yellow-eyed fragrant pink flowers in spring and early summer. This dwarf plant from the Alps and Pyrenees is ideal for the alpine house or alpine trough where it will gently spread for many years. ... Learn More

This tiny "Rock Jasmine" has small loose rosettes of dark green leaves, with short stems bearing clusters of white flowers. It is excellent for a trough or raised bed and does not need winter protection. It is a fairly easy-to-grow plant when established in sun to part shade in gritty, sharply drained soil. ... Learn More

This is one of the choicer dwarf species and is also one of the easier to grow. A tiny plant, very much like Androsace ciliata, it comes from the same regions in the Pyrenees, where it forms mossy tufts of rounded cone-like columns, each less than an inch high, covered thickly with hairs, with white flowers nestling in the centre during April and May. ... Learn More

An exceptionally lovely and easy Tibetan gem. Could be mistaken for a primula, with sprays of pink flowers in succession from spring to autumn. Most attractive rounded hairy leaves on thin stems (predictably rather like small geranium leaves). An outstanding plant in all respects. ... Learn More