Perennials "A"

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Acaena		Acaenas are a group of low growing evergreen perennials, having both attractive foliage and coloured burrs. Their foliage ranges through the glaucous blues to bronze.
The New Zealand Burr

Acanthus		Acanthus Mollis is a statuesque plant grown mostly for its wonderful dark green foliage, yet there are other forms some with much lighter green leaves, and some suitable for the rock garden.
Bear's Breeches

Achillea		The most well known form of Achillea is the yellow headed Yarrow popularised in cottage gardens. However there are many other forms that justify their slot in your garden.
Yarrow

Aconitum		Aconitum / Monkshood have up to 5ft tall flower spikes in colours ranging from white through pale yellows, and lilac, and into the dark blues. Poisonous
Monkshood / Wolfsbane

Actaea		Actaea ~ Baneberry ~ Bugbane, clump forming perennials for woodlands, shady gardens and riversides. Spires of white/Pinkish flowers. Highly Poisonous Berries on some plants. This group now includes Cimicifuga.


Adonis		Adonis ~ Pheasant's Eye, clump forming perennials with anemone like flowers.


Aegopodium		Aegopodium Podagraria ~ Ground Elder. Unfortunately someone thought that it would be a good idea to introduce a variegated version of this plant into the gardening market.


Aethionema		Aethionema ~ Stonecress, small plants suitable for the front of the herbaceous flower bed, or rockery, coming in various shades of pink.


Agastache		Agastache. Long lasting tubular flower heads from mid summer until autumn.


Agrostemma		Agrostemma ~ Corn Cockle. Purple to plum-pink, or white flowers during the summer.


Ajuga		Ajuga ~ Bugle. Grown mostly as excellent ground cover, with leaves of varying colours. Enjoy the bonus of blue or mauve flowers too.


Alcea		Alcea ~ Hollyhock. An old fashioned cottage garden favourite. They are usually grown as short lived perennials or biennials. Tall flower spikes up to 8ft tall, in a range of colours but not yet blue.


Alchemilla		Alchemilla ~ Lady's Mantle. This drought tolerant clump forming plant makes excellent ground cover, coming in a variety of leaf and flower colours.


Althaea		Althaea, some are very similar to Althea/Hollyhocks, but smaller. The blooms appear from early summer until early autumn, coming in shades of lilac, deep pink, or rose pink (some deep purple too).


Alyssum		Alyssum. Everyone has seen the low growing yellow mats of alyssum, paired with the deep purples through soft pink and white mounds of Aubrieta during late spring / early summer. Excellent ground cover and rockery plants.


Anacyclus		Anacyclus ~ Appealing daisy-like flowers and feathery foliage are the attraction of these low-growing and creeping plants.


Anaphalis		Anaphalis With their woolly grey foliage and clusters of everlasting papery white flowers, these additions to the rock garden and mixed or herbaceous border are useful where other grey leaved plants cannot grow due to excess moisture.


Anchusa		Anchusa Having a depth of blue not often seen in other plants, Anchusa are the horticultural artist's version of cobalt blue for the painter.
Alkanet

Androsace		Androsace These pretty mat-forming perennials are useful as ground cover, especially in the rock garden.
Rock Jasmine

Anemone		Anemone No cottage garden would be complete without at least one species of Anemone, whether the tall Anemone Hupehensis (formerly known as the Japanese Anemone), or one of the lower growing forms like Anemone Blanda.
Windflower

Angelica		Angelica Not everyone's idea of a garden plant, but for impact, the size of Angelica, allied to its architectural merits, cannot be rivalled.


Anthemis		Anthemis Aromatic foliage and daisy-like flowers are the chief attributes of these clump and mat-forming plants.


Anthriscus		Anthriscus. The ornamental varieties of this plant, with their delicate flower heads and lacy foliage bring a gentle charm.


Antirrhinum		Antirrhinum ~ Snapdragons, highly coloured short lived perennials, usually grown as annuals/biennials, every colour but blue. Here the breeders have been industrious, and the form and colours of snapdragons is now hard to beat, especially with pendant varieties for the hanging basket.
Snapdragons

Aquilegia		Aquilegia ~ Columbine ~ Granny's Bonnets. No cottage garden has ever been without one of the many forms of Aquilegia, which bring a continuity of flowers that tide us over from the end of spring and until the summer borders come into their own.
Columbines

Arabis		Arabis These small mat-forming evergreen or semi-evergreen perennials can bring colour to poor dry sites where little else will grow.


Arctotis		Arctotis The silvery leaves of these perennials and annuals reflect the South African origins of these heat loving plants. For colour and huge daisy-like flowers suitable for cutting, they are hard to beat.
African Daisy

Arenaria		Arenaria These low growing mat-forming plants, will make a useful addition to any garden, thriving in dry conditions.
Stonewort

Argemone		Argemone, the prickly poppy. Resembling a cross between a thistle and a poppy, Argemone are an unusual addition to any garden. In its native habitat Argemone grows with mustard, and occasionally they seed together. Argemone seeds are poisonous
Prickly Poppy

Armeria		Armeria Much loved for their fluffy, rounded, pink flower heads, Thrift are a delightful addition to any garden, especially as an edging to the flower borders, where their delicate foliage can be seen to full effect.
Sea Pink / Thrift

Arnebia Pulchra		Arnebia Pulchra This easy to grow plant with its fuzzy-haired leaves, does not have the popularity it deserves. Its cheerful yellow flowers with reddish brown spotting, have their place in either the rock garden or to the front of the herbaceous or mixed borders.
Prophet Flower

Artemesia		Artemesia Artemesia are well known for their attractive aromatic, and ferny foliage, and indeed many gardeners cut the flowers off, to preserve the foliage effect.
Mugwort Sagebrush Wormwood

Arthropodium		Arthropodium These little-known relatives of the Lily are much appreciated by plants-people for their clumps of grass-like blue, or grey-green leaves topped by pendulous white, pale violet, or blue flowers.


Arum		Arum Whilst most Arums have a particularly unpleasant odour, some have the sweetest of perfumes, so it cannot be the aroma that make Arums so unpopular, especially when they produce foliage when all other plants are having a rest, so it has to be the fact that all parts of these plants are poisonous.
Lords and Ladies

Aruncus		Aruncus With their attractive feathery plumes of flowers held above handsome mounds of foliage, Aruncus have to be one of the most desirable plants for planting in moist or boggy soils.
Goatsbeard

Asarina. procumbens		Asarina Here we have included not only the low-growing and creeping Asarina Procumbens, but also the climbing varieties too. Their little snapdragon-like flowers coming in a veritable firework display of colours.
Creeping Snapdragon

Asclepias		Asclepias Renowned for their colourful clusters of flowers, which attract bees and butterflies to the garden, Asclepias have to be a very useful addition to any wildlife garden.
Silkweed Milkweed

Asphodeline		Asphodeline Closely related to the Asphodelus, Asphodeline thrive in dry soil conditions, relying upon the moisture stored in their fleshy roots to carry them through periods of drought.
Jacob's Rod

Asphodelus		Asphodelus A rare but beautiful plant that deserves a position in any garden, especially suited to dry soils and the Mediterranean garden.
Asphodel

Aster		Asters Once much loved in the cottage garden, and then falling from popularity. But now breeders have worked wonders with them, and now they are back in a big way.
Aster

Astilbe		Astilbe For damp or moist areas like the bog or water-garden, Astilbe cannot be rivalled for the white, cream, soft-pinks, and red shades of feathery plumes that are held above attractive mounds of dark-green leaves.


Astrantia		Astrantia The delicate and distinctive flowers of Astrantia, held above clumps of attractive divided leaves, make them suitable companions for many other plants in the garden.
Hattie's Pincushion

Aubrieta		Aubretia Everyone knows the wonderful displays of these mat forming perennials during late spring, where many a front garden has them partnered with yellow Alyssum.
Aubretia