Plants for February Interest

Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ is an evergreen perennial shrub that brings early interest in the year.
A shortlisted Chelsea plant of the century as well as being a reliable go too plant for decades.
Great as an early food source for insects, it adds life to the garden when most other plants are yet to start their growth. Can be grown in mixed planting, pots and rock gardens. Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ AGM

Echinacea are vibrant, easy to grow perennials bearing large daisy-like flowers. Coneflowers prefer being planted in spring and summer when positioned in full sun and well-drained soil. These flowers are great for pollinators, attracting bees and butterflies making them a perfect addition to prairie-style gardens.

A vigorous evergreen climber with large leaves coloured with gold and lime green variegations, great for adding colour to shaded walls. This hedera promises to provide vertical interest to the garden all-year-round, becoming brighter as the plant ages.

Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood’ is a deciduous shrub and has an upright erect habit.
With dark Leaves that are toothed ovate to lance shaped that are sometimes 3 lobed. The flowers are large, rich yellow and slightly fragrant with a pendula cross shape, that are born in two’s or three’s on last year’s new growth before the leaves burst in late winter. Good informal hedge adding a bright yellow hit to a late winter afternoon and a Great food source for early insects, dense branches are also a good shelter for overwintering birds and animals. Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood’ AGM

Rich royal red flowers smother elegantly arching branches with lance-shaped leaves. This highly scented butterfly bush intoxicates its pollinators from summer through till late autumn.

Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ is an evergreen to semi evergreen shrub that forms mounds up to 1.2m tall. Very easy to grow it is great as a mixed planting structural plant, as well as a low informal hedge. Flowers from Summer through to Autumn with flowers being followed by red to black berries that are a great food source for birds. Berries can persist right into February if birds don’t get to them first. Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ AGM

Phormium tenax ‘Sundowner’ is an evergreen perennial with erect bronze green striped leaves with margins of red and pink creating a dramatic statement as a feature plant or within a mixed border. Happy to grow in any well drained soil including coastal settings in full sun to part shade and hardy to -10. A very versatile plant to add interest and structure all year round. Low maintenance not requiring any pruning apart from removing old or damaged leaves.

Sorbus offers several seasons of interest, flowering in spring and offering rich autumn berries later in the year. A wildlife friendly hard-working tree sitting upright and deciduous with pinnate leaves and clusters of white flowers.

A small tree with unique zig-zag branches and masses of showy white flowers with pink centres. This wonderful compact specimen tree makes a great addition to patio and cottage gardens, when planted in full sun and well-drained soil.

This vigorous ajuga forms an evergreen carpet of interest, perfect for a border front. Bronze-purple foliage sits on upright spires of deep blue flowers blooming in late spring to early summer.