This is the extremely beautiful, rarer, and much earlier-flowering form of Colchicum speciosum, which produces pale, almost white buds with a greenish perianth tube. Mature flowers, which appear in late autumn, long before the leaves, are pale rosy-lilac with white throat. This form from Northern Turkey has narrower leaves and purplish anthers, and although it was once considered a species, it is now included in Colchicum speciosum. ... Learn More

A new, rare and exquisite relative of tecophilaea the "Chilean Crocus", from the Andes and very rarely available. Thin stems produce a succession of early summer flowers carrying reflexed, inky, gentian-blue petals with darker spotted white throats and protruding yellow tongues. It will be best grown in a very gritty soil in an alpine house or trough ... Learn More

"New Zealand Tie-Palm". A long lived 'palm' producing a slowly thickening trunk, carrying at the top a rosette of strap-shaped long leaves. This tree is in the same family, and similar to a "Dragon Tree" or dracaena, but it is hardier in winter, and easier and faster to grow. Older plants grow enormous panicles of deeply scented white flowers in early summer, producing white berries in autumn and winter. Severe winters can kill the leaves but this invariably results in the trunk sprouting several heads. ... Learn More

"New Zealand Tie-Palm". A long lived 'palm' producing a slowly thickening trunk, carrying at the top a rosette of long, purple, strap-shaped leaves. This tree is in the same family, and similar to a "Dragon Tree" or dracaena, but is much hardier in winter, and easier and faster to grow. Older plants grow enormous panicles of deeply scented white flowers in early summer, the perfume can be overpowering on warm nights, and these later produce white berries in autumn and winter. Severe winters can kill the leaves but this invariably results in the trunk sprouting several heads. Seeds are only i ... Learn More

Rare and very difficult to source from apparently anywhere in the world, this graceful long-leaved Cordyline from the North Island and the north-western parts of the South Island of New Zealand grows in coastal and lowland scrub and rocky banks. Even in New Zealand it is not especially well-known compared to the much more familiar Cordyline australis and indivisa plants. In mid-summer enormous sprays of white flowers are produced followed by heavy, cucumber-shaped bunches of small round red/purple berries. The leaves are quite different from Cordyline australis being longer and broader in th ... Learn More

One of the more compact and stout members of the cordyline family, this rare and unusual member has multiple branches of wide, strappy leaves diverging from the trunk. The large panicles of flowers, followed by white seed capsules, are held stiffly erect above the foliage unlike other species which are pendulous. In New Zealand, it is quite common on the main islands of the Three Kings which are now protected as Nature Reserves. It is very localised and possibly at some risk on Norfolk Island, and is less common south of there, but still rather widespread, especially on remote Murimotu and the ... Learn More

This rare and striking smallish species bears deep green rosettes of leaves on branching stems. Very large spikes of spectacular, fragrant purple flowers, white inside, open in mid summer, creating a dazzlingly dramatic effect. The amazing display is followed by heavy clusters of large berries containing hard black seeds. This smallish Cordyline lives in the wild in moist, temperate forests in southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia at altitudes of up to 2200m (7200 ft.). It is a tough plant that prefers cool climates and can take windy conditions and considerable freezes. So ... Learn More

This new impressive poppy relative is a lovely clump-forming plant with strong much-dividing stems bearing masses of delicate ferny leaves and carrying on the end of each branch a large multiple flower head of yellow, brown and white flowers. This is the biggest, fastest-growing and most amazing corydalis we have ever encountered. ... Learn More

This diminutive treasure is packed with racemes of large, white or creamy-yellow tubular flowers above finely-divided glaoucous foliage, very early in the year. It will thrive virtually everywhere, making a superb show every spring, along with a gentle increase underground. It may also self sow a little but never to cause a problem, and soon after flowering this amazing plant vanishes underground into hardy tubers for another 9 months ... Learn More

This lovely compact plant is somewhat similar to Corydalis lutea, but has greyer foliage in spring and for most of the summer, below a long succession of striking, bicoloured, greenish-yellow and white flowers. ... Learn More

The lovely albino form of this plant. Sown early can make an impressive mass smothered with yellow-tipped snow-white flowers. ... Learn More

A compact variety with a dwarf habit compared to many Cosmos but with very large white flowers. A reliable performer which will flower for many months before going to seed. ... Learn More

With feathery, apple- green foliage and large daisy like semi-double flowers in white and all shades of pink, these will add height and interest to summer borders. A classic cottage garden plant, Cosmos are easy to grow, and flower all summer right up until the first frosts. Excellent for cutting, they will last well over a week in fresh water. The more flowers you cut the more the plants produce. These are amazingly productive plants and what's more our bees and butterflies love them too! ... Learn More

Also known as crepe or Malay ginger, (Syn. Cheilocostus speciosus) this is possibly the best known cultivated species of the genus Costus. These plants differ from the common ginger by having only one row of spirally arranged leaves. The flowers appear in late summer or early autumn, and are quite unusual looking, forming large red cone-shaped bracts, with several, pure white, crinkled flowers protruding from each cone. The flowers look like crepe paper - thus the common name of crepe ginger. After the flowers fade away, the attractive red cone-shaped bracts remain. This is the most cold- ... Learn More

A rare and most unusual plant bearing disproportionately-large, erect pink or purple flower heads with spherical, spiny, woolly-haired involucres. The erect spiny cottony stems hold deeply pinnately-lobed spiny leaves, white and cottony beneath. Rarely seen or offered, this high altitude herbaceous plant is found on stony ground in the Himalayas from Afghanistan to West Nepal and Tibet, at altitudes of 3000-4200 m, where it flowers in July and August. ... Learn More