Viewing comments posted by kniphofia

Introduced by Ludwig in 1954, Apple Blossom is a thoroughly reliable and beautiful cultivar. It's deservedly one of the most popular and common varieties available. It's a gorgeous pink and white, well named as it resembles the blossom of apples in colouring. It never disappoints.

Raised by Dutch grower van Geest in 2015, it was registered as Terra Mystica in 2018, which is how it is sold outside the US. It is a smaller flowering variety with blooms of 4-5 inches. The flowers are a stunning burnt orange with a dark plum throat and lime green on the outer petals. The flowers also have a thin white picotee edging.

This is a lovely tussock forming grass with a mound of blade like leaves around 15 - 18 inches high. In summer it bears long stems in a fan shape topped with dark purple flowers. It is suitable for any well drained soil in sun or partial shade but prefers an acid to neutral situation. It is a wonderful companion for other perennials and has superb autumn colour. It can be tidied up in early spring before the new leaves start to grow.

Surely Aster frikartii Monch must be a contender for one of the top ten garden perennials. A superb mildew resistant variety which is one of the first Asters to flower and has a very long flowering period. In late summer and autumn it is covered in masses of rich lavender blue, yellow centred daisy-like flowers. It makes a wonderful companion plant in the border and combines well with oranges and reds. Attractive to insects. Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Introduced in 1918 by Swiss plantsman Frikart and named after a mountain.

Capable of producing blooms up to 15 inches wide (40cm) when correctly stopped, this is a true large decorative Dahlia. It has lavender pink flowers with a creamy white base. If grown for normal garden use rather than the show bench the flowers will be smaller but more numerous. Named after the famous English football manager Sir Alf Ramsey, who managed the national team to their 1966 World Cup victory.

One of my very favourite perennials, Geranium Rozanne thrived in a pot for me until I had to give it away when I moved house. Named after Rozanne Waterer who found it in her garden, it is a hybrid of G himalayense and Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety'. It has everything you could want from a herbaceous perennial, lovely leaves, bee friendly blooms and good autumn colour.

Introduced in 1981, given to Alan Bloom by rose breeder Jack Harkness. 3 - 4 feet with a long blooming season. The colour is a uniform fiery orange. Named after the Yorkshire and England cricket fast bowler Fred Truman who was nicknamed "Fiery Fred". RHS AGM 2009.

When I visit the Royal Horticultural Society's garden in Harrogate, Yorkshire I always make sure to see this plant. It is a beautiful columnar beech with glossy green leaves which turn a rich orange brown in Autumn. It doesn't have the yellow early growth of the cultivar Dawyck Gold. Not a fastigiate form, it originated in Scotland around 1850. It has branches low down on the trunk and is very suitable for a small space or as part of an avenue.

This wonderful strain of Primulas was introduced in the late 1950s in the what was then Northern Horticultural Society's garden in Harrogate, Yorkshire. (The garden merged with the Royal Horticultural Society in 2001 which took over the running of the garden). Geoffrey Smith planted the original streamside scheme which included forms of P bulleyana, P japonica and P pulverulenta. These interbred and created what was later registered as P "Harlow Car" (a mistake in the spelling). The 'dolly mixture' colours can be found in large blocks throughout the garden and hundreds are propagated each year. They do particularly well in damp, almost wet soils.

A really outstanding, compact ornamental grass. If you love the look of Miscanthus, and who doesn't?, then this is a perfect choice for a small space, front of border, courtyard garden or large pot. RHS Harlow Carr has a couple of plants in their winter walk and they are interesting every month of the year, from fresh green leaves in Spring to pinkish flowers which develop into wonderful feathery seed heads which provide movement, to good colour in Autumn. A superb plant.

I've had this variety in a large container now for over 8 years. It's with some other plants, so I really will have to re-do the pot at some point, but it has thrived and blooms very well every year. Not too large, reaching about 3 - 4 feet. A gorgeous colour with apricot buds fading to a pale peach with age. Highly recommended.

This is a superb perennial. I grew it in my Yorkshire garden many years ago and absolutely loved it. It really is stunning and highly recommended. The bracts are a wonderful chartreuse yellow colour. The stems grow one year and in the second year produce the large showy bracts. I wish I had room to grow it again.

One of the most perfectly fragrant roses!