The white form of the easiest of the garden Daphnes. Narrowly upright to about 30 ins.. Stems liberally clothed in mid green leaves and early in the year masses of sweetly scented white flowers, followed by yellow berries.                                                                                                                                      

AGM

Shrubby, up to 3 ft tall eventually. Evergreen foliage is long, narrow and lustrous green. Yellowy green flowers, with a mild lily of the valley scent usually arise in pairs from the leaf axils in early spring, followed by fleshy black berries. Fully hardy here.        

NEW

DARK FORM

A particularly dark form both in foliage and flower, that we saw in flower on the rock garden at Gothenburg and we brought a few cuttings back (remember we had permission). It is very free flowering and should be easy. 4 in. 

LUMNITZERI

A neat low cushion of mid green spiky leaves on purple stems. Slightly fringed saucer shaped flowers that are a half inch across of baby pink on one inch stems and are sweetly scented with a hint of  spice

The lovely, but not easy, pure white form that with us will throw up the occasional flower at any time of year with its main flush in June. The flowers almost nestle in amongst the foliage. 2 ins.

Collected at 2000m. in Russian western Caucasus on limestone screes. Linear glaucous leaves with solitary rose-pink flowers that are heavily veined and have a golden reverse. Semi prostate stems to 5 or 6 inches.

 PRIZE’ 

Grown from cuttings of the prize winning seedling (D. alpinus x D. callizonus) shown by Alan Spencely at Pudsey in June 97, hence the obvious name. Neat deep green foliage and large flowers in profusion on 3 in. stems. Ill. P. 506, AGS Bull. Vol 68.   

Possibly the best known of the microlepis forms due mainly to its success on the showbench. Tight grey green cushion lost in May beneath the large baby pink short stemmed flowers, that unlike other forms all appear at the same time. 

SIMULANS

Seen several times recently on the show bench this is also a good garden or trough plant. Dense cushion of grey leaves. Rose red, short stemmed flowers. 4 in. 

2-00 

The dwarf form of this Russian endemic has grey green needle like leaves that form a mounded mat. early flowering it has fringed pure white blooms on 2 in. stems. Ideal for a trough.    

 'ICE CRACKER'

New to us last year, and proving to be very popular. Almost white flowers on upright stems to 12 ins. over a long period. Neat. 

DIERAMA PAUCIFLORUM JCA 3143-5OO

Collected and highly rated by the Archibalds this Drakensberg endemic is early flowering producing typical willowy stems to 15 in. from tussocky grass like foliage. Bright purple pink wide open flowers are produced in sequence amongst rust-brown bracts.  

 #       

A whole batch of seedlings from a collection of Josef Halda's was grown on to flowering. The tightest cushion with the best short stemmed flowers was selected for vegetative reproduction and this is it. Brilliant pan plant as a cushion or in flower. Grown in a Dionysia compost it needs overhead protection if grown outside. 2 in.

Deep green quite spiky foliage forms neat rosettes that make a neat mounded cushion. Several pure white flowers on each 2 in. long stem. Making a good trough plant, but also good in a pot. 

EPIMEDIUM GRANDIFLORUM ‘ROSE QUEEN’ AGM   

Probably the most attractive of the small deciduous forms. Deep metallic looking foliage and racemes of rose pink flowers with long white spurs in April/May. Foliage turns to russet hues in autumn. 8 in.                         

New foliage in May

PINNATUM ssp. COLCHICUM   AGM 

Dense clumps of mid glaucous leaves. 12 in spikes of bronze-yellow flowers on 12 in leafless stems.

x VERSICOLOR ‘SULPHUREUM’ AGM

Spring foliage erupts a lovely coppery colour, produces masses of yellow typical flowers, spends a quiet summer before turning  to russety tones in autumn. 8 in..    

Apple green foliage setting off well the white, yellow centred, flowers. As with the others of its group it has good autumn colour.           

One of the easiest to please of rock garden plants – gently seeding around it makes tufts of crinkly foliage and over a long period produces many deep rose pink flowers. 2 ins.                                        

Beautiful foliage, which is fern like being heavily dissected, of silvery green, each leaf from a central point being up to 10 inches long. Large sulphur yellow flowers in profusion over a long period in mid to late summer. Its semi-pendant nature lends itself to tumbling over an overhang. 4 inches. 

Admired by all who see this when it produces its delicate pink flowers, set off well by the rosette of apple green crinkly foliage. Lovely in a trough. 1 in.

NEW

A very good form of this double pink flowered variety which, under shelter, flowers for 9 months of the year and is just as happy on the rock garden. Keep a cutting inside over winter to be on the safe side. 2 inches.

ERYSIMUM KOTSCHYANUM

Seen and admired at a friends garden, typically within a couple of months a pot full was received. What a wallflower, tight low mat of deep green foliage disappears for long periods in summer beneath almost stemless mid yellow flowers. These elongate in seed but can then be cut off. First impression is of a yellow Androsace. 2 in.

EUONYMUS JAPONICUS MICROPHYLLUS    AUREO-VARIEGATUS

Tiniest little shrub that is fully hardy. After ten years on a sunny scree it is still only 4 in. high by 6 in. across. Stunning creamy yellow tight foliage on upright branches throughout the year. 

A cushion forming succulent from the Drakensberg mountains of S. Africa. The plant is made up of finger sized succulent growths which are very (but evenly) knobbly. After 9 years my stock plant is the size and shape of half a football. We still await the appearance of the small cream flowers that are said to cover the plant in mid summer.

FORSYTHIA 'BRONXENSIS' 

There are many impostors around posing as this. Over the years we bought three before obtaining the true form. A sport that is the only member of the genus small enough for the rock garden being little more than a foot in height or spread. Pale yellow flowers in March-April. Does well here in full sun.

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