100 GREAT PLANTS ULF NORDFJELL’S MOST BEAUTIFUL AND USEFUL PLANTS WORDS ULF NORDFJELL In my work as a landscape architect, working in different climate zones, I’m always looking for long-lasting plants that offer both natural- looking structure and soft colours – and ones that are loved by wild bees and butterflies. I don’t use too many plants, preferring instead to repeat a limited number in different combinations so they offer harmony and variety throughout the year. All of this starts in my own garden, which contains many of the plants I’ve chosen here. Some are new species I’m trialling, others are plants I’ve grown for years – all are ones I love. JASON INGRAM JASON 35 100 GREAT PLANTS Annuals 9 LILIUM MARTAGON VAR. ALBUM Foliage and ferns 4 Another bulb that has grown in my garden, 11 1 AMMI MAJUS ‘GRACELAND’ for many years. Its elegant white flowers with 17 ALCHEMILLA EPIPSILA A pure-white umbellifer, with delicate, lacy scrolled back petals and orange stamens look A low-growing alchemilla that is perfect for flowers held above fern-like foliage. It normally fabulous naturalised among grasses and ferns. groundcover. Makes a tidy edging plant with flowers in June and July, but with successional H 1.6m. S 50cm. C Needs a deep, well-drained, sprays of bright lime-green flowers. Orange sowing, you can keep the display going until humus-rich soil; part shade. SI June – July. autumn foliage. H 30cm. S 20cm. C Moist soils; September. AGM*. Height (H) 1.2-1.5m. Spread HR RHS H6. full sun or part shade. SI May. HR RHS H7. (S) 25cm. Conditions (C) Rich, well-drained soil; full sun to part shade. Season of interest (SI) July 10 LILIUM ‘ORANGE MARMALADE’ 18 ANAPHALIS TRIPLINERVIS – September. Hardiness rating (HR) RHS H6†. This vibrant-orange Turk’s cap lily with slender Silvery grey foliage adds light to any border. Its arching petals is one of my favourite cultivars. pretty, papery-white flowers are a bonus to the 2 ANTIRRHINUM MAJUS ‘ROCKET RED’ Flowers shine out among green foliage. H 1.6m. autumn border. AGM. H 30cm. S 30cm. C Well- Snapdragons are short-lived, tender perennials S 40cm. C Needs a deep, rich, leafy, well-drained drained soil; full sun. SI All summer. HR RHS H7, that are normally grown as annuals. This one has soil; part shade. SI June. USDA 3a-9b. tall, upright, dark-red flowers that add rich colour to a late-season border. H 70-90cm. S 25cm. 11 NARCISSUS ‘ACTAEA’ 19 ARUNCUS ‘HORATIO’ 5 C Rich, well-drained soil; full sun. SI July – An exceptionally long-lived narcissus with an An eye-catching plant that boasts spikes September. HR USDA 7a-10b. old-fashioned scent. Its pure-white flowers have of creamy-white flowers on red stems above an orange red ring in the centre. Best in part fresh green foliage. H 90cm. S 45cm. 3 COSMOS BIPINNATUS ‘PIED PIPER WHITE’ shade. H 40-50cm. S 10cm. C Moist, well-drained C Moisture-retentive soil; full sun or part Cosmos bipinnatus are easy to grow with a long soil; full sun to part shade. SI April – May. shade. SI June. HR RHS H6, USDA 4a-7b. flowering season. This cultivar is perhaps the HR RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. most elegant with fluted, white petals around a 20 ASARUM EUROPAEUM yellow eye. H 80cm-1.2m. S 40-50cm. C Fertile 12 NARCISSUS 'THALIA' This evergreen perennial with glossy, kidney- soil; full sun. SI July – September. HR RHS H3. A late-flowering cultivar that produces many shaped green leaves creates an attractive pure-white flowers. Provides a delicate groundcover that is the perfect backdrop for 4 LATHYRUS ODORATUS ‘CHATSWORTH’ counterpart to early shoots of perennials, plants such as Anticlea elegans and lilies. AGM. An exceptionally pretty sweet pea with ruffled soft such as astilbes and epimediums. H 40cm. S 10m. H 10-15cm. S 25cm. C Humus-rich moist soil; part lavender blooms and a superb fragrance. H 1.8m. C Moist, well-drained soil; full sun to part shade. shade. SI Year round. HR RHS H6, USDA 4a-7b. S 30cm. C Deep, fertile, moist but free-draining SI April – May. HR RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. soil; full sun. SI July – September. HR RHS H2. 21 BRUNNERA MACROPHYLLA ANTIRRHINUM MAJUS ‘BETTY BOWRING’ 5 NICOTIANA SUAVEOLENS Sprays of tiny, pure-white flowers on bare ground 8 A delicately scented plant with small, elegant ‘ROCKET RED’ HAS TALL, are followed by large, heart-shaped, dark-green 13 15 white flowers on the end of soft-pink tubes. UPRIGHT, DARK-RED leaves. Lovely groundcover that combines beautifully H 50cm-1.5m. S 45cm. C Well-drained soil; full sun. with narcissi. H 30-40cm. S 45cm. C Moist soil; SI June – September. HR USDA 10a-11. FLOWERS THAT ADD A part shade. SI May. HR RHS H6, USDA 3a-7b. RICH COLOUR TO A LATE- 6 ORLAYA GRANDIFLORA ‘WHITE LACE’ SEASON BORDER 22 CRAMBE MARITIMA This has been one of my favourite annuals As its common name sea kale suggests, this is a for many years, with beautiful, pure-white 13 TULIPA ‘MERLOT’ plant native to coastal areas, and tolerant of salt. Its umbellifer flowerheads. AGM. H 60cm. S 30cm. A late, lily-flowered tulip, in a rich shade of attractive leaves are large and grey-green in colour C Well-drained soil; full sun. SI June – July. burgundy, that works well in combination with with a wavy margin. In late summer it produces . HR RHS H7. other bulbs and with mid-height and tall huge clusters of sweetly scented flowers. Best perennials. H 40-50cm. S 15cm. C Well-drained used as a single plant at the front of a border. Bulbs soil; full sun. SI May. HR RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. H 60cm. S 60cm. C Well-drained soil with gravel; full sun. SI May – June. HR RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b. 7 CAMASSIA LEICHTLINII SUBSP. SUKSDORFII 14 TULIPA ORPHANIDEA WHITTALLII GROUP Produces clumps of erect stems of deep lavender- This bronze-red, wild tulip provides an unusual 23 EPIMEDIUM X RUBRUM 9 blue flowers, which looks wonderful grown en contrast to early perennial beddings. H 35cm. An evergreen groundcover with leaves that are 19 23 S 15cm. C Perfect in well-drained soil and gravel; available. where given ratings Hardiness masse with grasses, such as Sesleria nitida (see † tinted red in spring and autumn. The thin picture on page 39), and ferns. H 70cm, S 35 cm. full sun. SI April – May. HR RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. rhizomes allow other plants, such as lilies, peonies C All soils, including heavy clay soil, full sun to part and trilliums, to thrive among it. AGM. H 20cm. shade. S1 May. HR RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b. 15 TULIPA ‘PINK DIAMOND’ S 40cm. C Leafy and moist soil; part shade. SI All A late-flowering, pink tulip that combines summer. HR RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b. 8 FRITILLARIA MELEAGRIS VAR. well with perennials. H 50-70cm. S 15cm. UNICOLOR SUBVAR. ALBA C Well-drained soil; full sun. SI May. 24 HEUCHERA ‘OBSIDIAN’ A self-seeding fritillary that I know has been HR RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. A striking new semi-evergreen cultivar with growing in my garden for more than 70 years. deep-purple, almost black leaves and sprays With pretty, white pendent bells that dangle like 16 TULIPA UNDULATIFOLIA of small, cream flowers in late summer. Provides lanterns on short stems, it looks absolutely An elegant wild tulip. Its tomato-red petals, which a real contrast plant for pale colours, and works stunning when grown en masse among carpets are margined with yellow, are up to 7cm long. An especially well when grown alongside astrantias, of Asarum europaeum. AGM. H 20cm. S 20cm. eye-catching addition to a gravel garden. H 35cm. lamiums and Veronica gentianoides. H 25cm. C Moist but well-drained soil; full sun to part S 15cm. C Well-drained soil and gravel; full sun. S 45cm. C Good soil; part shade. SI All summer. Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Society. Horticultural the Royal from Merit Garden of an Award Holds 4 JONATHAN BUCKLEY / GAP PHOTOS; 5 MARIANNE MAJERUS; 8 JASON INGRAM; 9 FIONA RICE / GAP PHOTOS INGRAM; 8 JASON 5 MARIANNE MAJERUS; / GAP PHOTOS; BUCKLEY 4 JONATHAN INGRAM JASON 19 & 23 15, 13, 10, shade. SI April – May. HR RHS H5. SI April – May. HR RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. * HR RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. 36 37 100 GREAT PLANTS 25 HOSTA ‘PATRIOT’ 25 A very attractive and popular hosta that produces Grasses 37 tall mounds of large and oval-shaped, dark-green 33 CALAMAGROSTIS BRACHYTRICHA leaves, which have a distinctive white margin. In Forms a clump of glossy green, linear leaves that late summer these are joined by spikes of lavender- turn yellow in autumn. In late summer purple- blue flowers. Combines well with violets and tinged flower plumes, emerge which fade to Euphorbia dulcis. AGM. H 30-40cm. S 30-40cm. create a silvery winter silhouette. AGM. H 1-1.5m. C Well-drained, humus-rich soil; moderate shade. S 50cm-1m. C Moist, well-drained soil; full sun. SI All summer. HR RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b. SI Year round. HR RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. 26 HOSTA ‘PRAYING HANDS’ 34 HAKONECHLOA MACRA Unusual hosta with upright mounds of This clump-forming grass with bamboo-like, narrow, tightly folded, olive-green leaves that bright-green leaves provides a soft structure to have a gold margin.