Plants Q to Z

It's not surprising that a genus as large as Salvia should contain every sort of plant, from the frou-frou to the sombre, from the thoroughly hardy to ones that keel over from the slightest draught. We grow lots of those that need to be pampered during the winter as they tend to be the most flamboyant during the summer. But we don't overlook the quiet, modest ones.

Superb for late summer flowering, pink or white!

To call a plant ‘dependable’ sounds like damning it with feint praise. The subtext is ‘reliable, but boring’. There are lots of plants though, sedums amongst them, that are easy-going, hard-working plants that are comfortable in most gardens. They may not have firework flowers or extravagant architecture but sedums are beautiful from the first stirrings of early spring to the twilight of autumn. They are like old friends: you can rely on them without lots of fussing over and they lift the spirits whenever you see them.

A shade lover and some of them grow quite tall. Chinese meadow rue.

Having grown toad lilies for years in Britain and in France, I was surprised recently by several people's comments on the difficulties of growing them. They are as easy as marigolds. As long as they have a bit of cool shade and soil that does not dry out they soon form large colonies.

Intoxicating evening scent