Aquilegia
Aquilegia are a quintessential cottage garden favourite; coming in a variety of colours and sizes, they are also known as Columbine and Granny's Bonnets. They are easy to grow and will self-seed so are great for naturalistic or wild gardens. The nectar-rich flowers are attractive to pollinators.
Angelica
All parts ofAngelicaplants are highly aromatic and they have traditionally been used for medicinal as well as culinary purposes. It’s good for including in wildlife planting as the flowers are attractive to pollinators and the seeds are eaten by birds.
Cyclamen
Beware: Cyclamen hederofolium (summer/autumn flowering) and Cyclemen coum (winter flowering) are not good companions. This guide focusses on Cyclamen hederofolium; a perennial to 15cm, with somewhat ivy-shaped leaves patterned with silvery-green, and pink, sometimes fragrant, flowers 2.5cm in width, darker around the mouth, opening before or with the leaves which die off in spring and summer.
Digitalis
Digitalis, more commonly known as the Foxglove is a traditional cottage garden flower favourite. Tall elegant spires of trumpet shaped flowers in a wide colour range, including many shades of purples. Attracts bees and butterflies with its lightly sweet fragrance. Digitalis are superb for shady shrub and tree areas, back of borders and excellent for cut flowers. They can really bring the early summer garden alive!
Forget Me Not
The perfect partner for spring bulbs, Myosotis, commonly know as Forget Me Not produces frothy sprays of sky blue flowers from mid-spring to early summer. Stunning when planted en masse, Forget Me Not creates a carpet of colour in beds, borders and containers and is so easy to grow. A simple yet effective bed filler.
Honesty
Honesty, or Lunaria, is an old-fashioned cottage garden plant, known more for its seeds than its flowers. The distinctive flat, translucent papery pods, which hold the dark seeds, are often used in dried flower arranging but, if left on the plant, they're good for adding winter interest to the garden. The purple or white fragrant flowers in spring and early summer are very attractive to pollinating insects.
Mimulus
Mimulus is known for having unusual monkey-faced, snapdragon-like flowers. Typically, they grow in woodland environments, and can often be seen beside woodland streams. Trailing varieties of mimulus will turn any hanging basket into a profusion of cascading flowers. They will grow freely in spring and when grown in a flower bed it will produce a mound of flowers throughout the summer.
Nepeta
Nepeta, also known as Catmint, is an attractive, hardy and easy-to-grow flowering perennial, renowned for its aromatic foliage which tends to attract cats, hence its name. Its aromatic leaves are green or grey-green and its stems are clothed from summer to autumn in small mauve or blue flowers. Cats can safely nibble and eat catmint leaves, stems and flowers – indeed many cat toys are stuffed with dried catmint leaves. Some cats love it so much they roll around and sleep on the plants.
Sweet Rocket
Sweet rocket, Hesperis matronalis, is a pretty biennial (that may act like a short lived perennial in the right circumstances), bearing white or purple flowers similar to Honesty. Leave them to seed themselves and they will maintain this diversity indefinitely, gradually naturalising over a large area. The flowers' fragrance is as sweet as a violets, and strongest in the evening. It looks good when allowed to drift, naturally through an informal sunny or partially shaded border, especially in a cottage garden or wildlife garden.
Shade Friendly Flowers to grow from seed
-
Sorry, I'm really popular and busy growing in other gardens, back in store soonHonesty, Crown Mix
Regular price £1.45 GBPRegular price -
Digitalis, Candy Mountain
Regular price £2.15 GBPRegular price -
Aquilegia, McKana's Giant Mix
Regular price £1.45 GBPRegular price -
Sweet Rocket (Hesperis Matronalis), Crown Mix
Regular price £1.45 GBPRegular price
