In the 12th century, Troubadours would wear a sprig of wallflower to signify that their love survive time and misfortune. It is said that this is as a result of seeing the plant growing on the ruins of fallen towers, the rather romantic image of beau...

Hedge Woundwort is a British native perennial wild flower that provides nectar to our bees and butterflies. In the wild it grows in woodland and unmanaged grassland and prefers partial shade.It produces whorls of beetroot-coloured blooms with white m...

Valerian is a British native and a powerful herb which has had centuries of use in inducing sleep and calming nerves. The dried, ground roots are used as a herbal tea.John Gerard, in his 1597 Herball, states that his contemporaries found Valerian "ex...

Cottagers used to distil a water from the leaves and roots of the Peach-leaved Bellflower, which was then used as a cure for sore throats. The roots were also eaten as a vegetable.Campanula persicifolia is a classic cottage garden flower with large b...

Papaver rupifragum, known as the Spanish poppy is a lovely perennial poppy that is useful for introducing orange to the border. It produces many bowl-shaped, light orange, single and semi-double flowers up to 8cm across on tall stems which don't need...

Viola 'Rebecca' is a popular perennial viola with a very nice scent. It is an excellent viola for a pot on the patio, where it will flower for months. The mauve markings on each cream flower and it makes an impressive display when fully in bloom .Per...

Why settle for the common yellow Dandelion when you can grow a pink or white form? Always a talking point, these easy to grow plants are a close cousin of our native Dandelion and are perfect as a specimen plant in a container or for growing in the g...

Erigeron karvinskianus, the Wall Daisy, is a low growing plant introduced into the UK 1780 and has been loved by gardeners ever since. It's excellent for tumbling over a wall or a rockery and grows almost anywhere. Masses of pink and white daisy flow...

Self-heal, Prunel, Heal-all, Woundwort, Heart-of-the-earth, Carpenter's Herb, Brownwort or Blue Curls - all names for Prunella vulgaris, a native herb which can be found growing in roadsides, woodland edges, meadows and gardens across the UK.The youn...

Symphytum grandiflorum is our native Creeping Comfrey which spreads well and is excellent for groundcover under trees and shrubs.Clusters of creamy-yellow to white drooping flowers from pink-red buds appear in late spring and early summer and bees lo...