An elegant tree known as the 'Persian silk tree'. Albizia julibrissin produces a broad and graceful canopy of fern-like foliage. The foliage will close up at night and open during the day, making it an effective shade tree for hot summer days. In mid-summer mature plants produce a profusion of pink blooms that appear to be made up of silk threads. Albizia julibrissin truly is one of the most beautiful hardy trees we can grow in the UK. It's fairly easy and fast to grow from seed too!
PACKET CONTAINS 10 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Soak the seed prior to sowing. Sow the seed to a depth of 3mm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (20-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
A real feature plant for the summer garden. Amaranthus caudatus, commonly called 'Love Lies Bleeding', produces striking tassel-like racemes of tiny crimson flowers hang down from the plant creating a very tropical look. Large lush green leaves are held on fleshy stems. Very easy to grow from seed and will reach up to 1.5m tall in one season.
PACKET CONTAINS 30 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Surface sow the small seed. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
Produces stout stems with enormous heads of flowers that resemble a trumpeting Elephant. Amaranthus gangeticus 'Elephants Head' is sure to be a real talking point for anyone that visits your garden. Very easy to grow from seed and will reach up to 75cm tall in one season.
PACKET CONTAINS 30 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Surface sow the small seed. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
An attractive foliage shrub known as the 'Tree Poppy'. Sparsely branched and can grow to the size of a small tree with large oak-shaped leaves. In the Papaveraceae family, making it a relative to Poppies. Large, deeply lobed dull green leaves are beautifully pale underneath. Bocconia intergrifolia is native to montane or cloud forests from Ecuador to northern Argentina.
PACKET CONTAINS 5+ SEEDSDIFFICULTY: Medium
SOWING TIPS: Surface sow the small seed, lightly cover. Use additional heat (20-25 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination. Do not over water.
An amazing half-hardy foliage plant that grows up to 150cm tall. Boehmeria nivea is a perennial shrub made up of mostly herbaceous material. On older plants the lower stems become woody and can reach a width of 2cm. The foliage has a wonderful leaf vein texture and striking serrated edges. The leaf underside is silvery-white and is velvety to the touch. Boehmeria nivea is widely cultivated in China for its incredibly strong fibres.
PACKET CONTAINS 20+ SEEDSSOWING TIPS: Surface sow the small seed. Use additional heat (20-25 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination.
Height at maturity: 150cm+
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: Tender
Light requirements: Partial Shade
Soil: Moist but well drained.
A popular flowering shrub from the high altitudes of Columbia to Bolivia. Soft green leaves with large trumpet shaped flowers. The gorgeous blooms of Brugmansia sanguinea 'Vermilion' are scentless. Very fast growing from seed and half-hardy in mild parts of the UK.
PACKET CONTAINS 10 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Sow the seed to a depth of 3mm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
The tea leaf Camellia! Grown your own brew with these seeds of Camellia sinensis 'Darjeeling'. This evergreen shrub will survive mild British winters, or can be grown in a cool spot indoors. Camellia sinensis 'Darjeeling' produces small glossy evergreen leaves and delicate looking white flowers.
PACKET CONTAINS 5 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Sow to a depth of 5mm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (16-22 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
A vigorous climber with dense evergreen foliage, though likely deciduous in the UK. Cobaea scandens, known as the 'Cup and Saucer Vine', will quickly cover a wall or garden structure to heights of 6-8m in one season. Large bell shaped flowers begin as pale green buds and gradually darken to a deep purple colour as they age. Pollinated flowers are followed by large green egg shaped fruits (inedible). This incredible climber will produce these large and colourful flowers from summer to the first frosts. Cobaea scandens is a great plant to grow from seed if you want to quickly cover a wall or create cooling shade beneath arbours, pergolas and archways.
PACKET CONTAINS 10 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Sow the large seed to a depth of 5mm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
An iconic almost spherical cactus known as the 'Golden Barrel Cactus'. Echinocactus grusonii produces stiff golden spines that seem to glow when they catch the sun. Great for growing in a pot or protected dry border when mature. Native to a small area of Mexico.
PACKET CONTAINS 10 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Surface sow the small the seed and lightly cover with grit. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
An shrubby evergreen short lived perennial Echium. Echium fastuosum produces multiple rosettes of silvery green lance-shaped leaves. Flowering stems reach up to 2.5m tall. The densely packed flower heads have hundreds of blue-purple flowers, mainly in spring and summer.
PACKET CONTAINS 10+ SEEDSDIFFICULTY: Easy
SOWING TIPS: Surface sow the small seed. Use additional heat (20-25 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination. Do not over water.
A beautiful deciduous tree commonly called the 'cockspur coral tree'. The leathery foliage is composed of 3 triangular leaflets that feature hidden recurved hooks on the underside (hence its common name!) Beautiful racemes of deep scarlet red, pea-like flowers or produce in summer and autumn on mature plants. Each flower can be over 5cm in length. The woody stem develops a great textured bark.
PACKET CONTAINS 5 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Soak the seed prior to sowing. Sow the seed to a depth of 1cm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (20-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
A reliable climber with intensely purple coloured blooms. Ipomoea 'Grandpa Ott' is a cultivar selected for its particularly deep purple flowers with a eye-catching red star shaped centre. The flowers of this cultivar combine beautifully with the rich green heart shaped leaves. Ipomoea 'Grandpa Ott' can grow to 5m in one season, climbing happily up a trellis or scrambling through larger shrubs. Though half hardy, this plant is best treated as a fast growing annual in UK gardens.
PACKET CONTAINS 10 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Sow the large seed to a depth of 5mm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
Known as the 'giant black parsley'. This fantastic and fast growing plant originates from the island of Madeira. In its first year it will produce large divided leaves that look great in a jungle garden. As the central stem matures it somewhat resembles bamboo. In its final year Melanoselinum decipiens will produce a crown of umbles of tiny white flowers that are loved by pollinating insects.
PACKET CONTAINS 10 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Sow the seed to a depth of 3mm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (20-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
A vigorous wild banana from Northeastern India. The pseudostem of Musa cheesmanii is a dark reddish brown colour which looks very striking against the large green leaves. Each leaf has a pale green mid-rib. Musa cheesmanii will grow into a medium sized plant that is thought to have similar hardiness to Musa sikkimensis.
PACKET CONTAINS 5 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Soak the seed prior to sowing. Sow to a depth of 1cm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
A striking ornamental banana that is said to be cold hardy in the UK. Musa sikkimensis produces striking sail-like green leaves that are streaked with red markings, though these fade on older leaves. Musa sikkimensis s very fast growing once the seeds have germinated and can reach 1.5m in height in its first year. We find the leaves of Musa sikkimensis to be more wind resilient than the delicate leaves of Musa basjoo.PACKET CONTAINS 5 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Soak the seed prior to sowing. Sow to a depth of 1cm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.
A beautiful and colourful form of American pokeweed. Phytolacca 'Laka Boom' is a herbaceous shrub that produces green foliage with purple stems and leaf undersides. Striking racemes pink flowers bloom from midsummer to early autumn followed by purple-black fruit in autumn. Phytolacca 'Laka Boom' looks great in garden borders and will also grow well as a specimen plant in containers on your deck or patio.
PACKET CONTAINS 10 SEEDSSOWING TIPS:
Sow the seed to a depth of 3mm. Sow in an unheated greenhouse in early spring to encourage natural germination. Use additional heat (18-24 degrees Celsius) and light to improve germination if sowing out of season.