Hampton Court Flower Show

Sustainable Family Garden Plant List

Trees:

Betula pendula – narrowly conical native tree with pendant branches, peeling white bark, diamond-shaped, sharply toothed mid-green leaves turning yellow in autumn, and yellow-brown catkins in early spring. Eventual height 20ms.

Acer campestre – broad upright native tree with five-lobed leaves, reddish-purple when young and turning dark green in summer. Height 8ms.

Cupressus sempervirens ‘Pyramidalis’ – narrowly columnar conifer with tightly compact dark green foliage. Height 4ms + eventually.

Shrubs:

Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’ & ‘Sulphurea’ & ‘Variegata’ – rounded evergreens with large glossy green leaves splashed with yellow. Height 1.2-1.5ms.

Buddleia davidii ‘Black Knight’ – large shrub with fragrant long cones of dark purple flowers July – August. Height 2ms.

Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’– rounded evergreen with divided, mid-green leaves and star-shaped scented white flowers June – July. Height 1.2-1.5ms.

Choisya ‘Sundance’ – as above but with more slenderly divided golden leaves.
Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ & ‘Siberica Variegata’ – vivid scarlet stems in winter, green leaves margined with white and white flowers in June followed by white tinged blue berries in autumn. Height 90-120cms.

Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’ – large shrub with rounded wine-red leaves turning scarlet in autumn and purplish-pink plumes of tiny flowers June – August. Height 1.5-2ms.

Euonymus fortunei ‘Blondy’– low-growing evergreen with dark green leaves variegated with gold. Height 60-90cms.

Fatsia japonica – large evergreen with large glossy palmate leaves and creamy candelabra-like flowers October – November. Height 2 – 2.4ms.

Garrya elliptica – evergreen wall shrub with dark sea-green, crinkled leathery leaves and long catkin-like silvery flowers February – March. Height 2 – 2.4ms.

Hebe ‘Warley Pink’ – compact evergreen with narrow green leaves and deep pink flowers fading to white in summer. Height 60-90cms.

Hebe ‘Midsummer Beauty’ – rounded evergreen with long narrow leaves and long lavender flower racemes in summer. Height 1.2 – 1.5cms.

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’– compact low-growing evergreen with silvery aromatic foliage and fragrant violet flowers July – September. Height 30cms.

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Spire’ – grey-white erect stems carry deeply cut foliage and lavender blue flower spikes August – September. Height 90cms.
Phormium ‘Gold Ray’ - evergreen with bold sword-shaped deep green leaves edged with gold. Height 1m.

Phormium ‘Maori Queen’ – as above but with olive green, pink and cream leaves. Height 1m.

Phormium ‘Sundowner’ – large evergreen as above but with bronze- green leaves variegated with gold and pink and tubular yellow-green flowers on tall stems in summer. Height 1.5-1.8ms.

Phormium ‘Yellow Wave’ - as above but with slightly weeping green and yellow leaves. Height 1m.

Phylostachys aureos. ‘Spectabilis’– non-invasive bamboo with narrow green leaves and golden canes. Height 3 - 4ms.

Potentilla fruticosa ‘Princess’ – compact shrub with small green leaves and saucer-shaped creamy flowers flushed pink late spring to mid autumn. Height 1m.

Spiraea japonica ‘Golden Princess’ – dwarf habit with leaves opening bronze-red and turning first yellow, then green and deep pink flat flower heads July-August. Height 60cms.

Climbers:

Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ - evergreen with long glossy leaves and scented pale pink flowers April – May.

Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’ – large mauve-pink flowers with pale yellow anthers in summer.

Clematis ‘Mrs. Cholmondeley’ – large lavender-blue flowers from early summer and again in autumn.

Clematis viticella ‘Polish Spirit’ – velvety purple flowers July – October.

Clematis viticella ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ – abundant double, reddish-purple flowers July – October.

Hedera colchica e.g. ‘Sulphur Heart’ – evergreen with large leaves with a yellow centre merging to pale then deep green.

Hedera ‘Marginata Elegantissima’ – evergreen with small green leaves edged with cream.

Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’ – evergreen with heavily scented yellow and white flowers in summer.

Passiflora caerulea – attractive foliage and complex blue, purple and white flowers July – September followed by edible orange fruits.

Trachelospermum jasminoides – evergreen with glossy dark green leaves and very fragrant white jasmine-like flowers July – September.

Perennials:

Agapanthus ‘Purple Cloud’ – large rounded heads of purple-blue flowers August – September above strappy foliage. Height 90cms.

Agapanthus ‘Bressingham White’ – large rounded heads of pure white flowers August – September above strappy foliage. Height 90cms.

Alchemilla mollis – loose sprays of tiny sulphur yellow flowers June – August above attractive downy rounded leaves. Height 45cms.

Anemone hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ – single pure white flowers with a yellow centre August – October. Height 1-1.2ms.

Asplenium scolopendrium – evergreen fern with glossy green leathery strap-like leaves. Height 20-30cms.

Bergenia ‘Bressingham White’ – large glossy leathery bright green leaves and spikes of white flowers April – May.

Delphinium elatum ‘Blue Nile’ – spires of intense deep blue flowers with pale blue eyes June – July. Height 1.5-1.8ms.

Delphnium elatum ‘Emily Hawkins’ – as above but with pale blue flowers with a lilac tinge.

Echinacea purpurea ‘Rubinstern’ – purple-red daisy-like flowers with a prominent central cone July – September. Height 90-120cms.

Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ – evergreen grass with bright blue blades forming neat mounds and blue flower heads in summer. Height 40cms.

Geranium clarkei ‘Kashmir White’ - abundant, saucer-shaped, pink-veined white flowers May - August above attractive mounds of deeply cut foliage. Height 30-50cms.

Hemerocallis ‘Joan Senior’ – large, lily-like white, pink flushed flowers with yellowish-green throats mid to late summer above semi-evergreen strappy foliage. Height 60cms.

Hemerocallis ‘Pink Damask’ – as above but with deep pink flowers.

Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ – evergreen with attractive crinkled purple leaves and sprays of tiny ivory white flowers May – July. Height 60cms.

Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’–very large rounded, broadly heart-shaped, blue-grey glaucous leaves and pale lilac-mauve flowers July – August. Height 75-90cms.

Hosta ‘Wide Brim’ – as above but with heavily puckered, glaucous, dark green leaves margined with cream and pale lavender-blue flowers. Height 45cms.

Leucanthemum superbum ‘Wirral Supreme’ – large white double daisy-like flowers June – August. Height 90cms.

Liatris spicata ‘ Kobold’ – bold spikes of deep purple flowers summer to autumn. Height 40-50cms.

Polypodium vulgare – evergreen fern with lance-shaped, pinnate dark green fronds. Height 30cms.

Polystichum setiferum – evergreen fern with graceful arching fronds arranged in shuttlecocks. Height 90cms.

Salvia nemerosa ‘Ostfriesland’ – spikes of violet-purple flowers June – August. Height 45cms.

Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ – light blue pin-cushion-like flowers June – October. Height 75cms.

Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears’ – pink flower spikes June – August above large, felted silver-grey leaves. Height 45cms.

Thalictrum delavayi ‘Hewitt’s Double’ – tall slender stems, delicate foliage and tiny, fluffy, pompon-like mauve-pink flowers midsummer to early autumn. Height 1.2-1.5ms.

Verbena bonariensis - violet-blue flowers June – September on tall graceful airy stems. Height 1.2-1.5ms.

Meadow Area:

A selection of meadow grasses and summer flowering wild flowers to include Corncockle, Cornflower, Field Scabious, Meadow Buttercup and Ox-Eye Daisy.

Fruit and Vegetables:

A selection of easy to grow summer crops to include self-fertile Espalier Apple and Pear trees, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, mangetout, spring onions and runner beans.

Herbs:

Allium schoenoprasum – Chives – grassy foliage and round heads of pink edible flowers. Height 15-20cms.

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’ – Fennel - clumps of airy, feathery purple foliage. Height 1.8ms.

Laurus nobilis– Bay – shiny aromatic evergreen leaves. Grown as a standard.
Mentha – Spearmint & Pineapple Mint – soft green and green variegated with cream foliage respectively and pale lilac flowers in late summer. Height 30-40cms.

Origanum vulgare & ‘Gold Variegated’–Marjoram/Oregano – green and golden foliage respectively and mauve-pink flowers in summer. Height 30-45cms.

Rosmarinus officinalis - Rosemary – erect form with blue flowers May – June. Height 1-1.2ms.

Salvia officinalis & ‘Purpurescens’ – Sage – with green and soft greyish-purple leaves respectively. Height 50-60cms.

Thymus ‘Doone Valley’ & ‘Redstart’ – Thyme – soft pink flowers May – June and golden variegated foliage, and red flowers and green foliage respectively. Height 15cms.

Notes:

Ornamental planting is intended to be in groups where appropriate and perennials in particular will be planted to provide swathes of colour rather than dotted about individually.

The scheme is designed to provide full ground cover in the beds and give the impression of an abundant mature garden. Plants have been selected not only for their resilience to child play and their interest to children, but also for their ability to attract, insects, bees, butterflies and birds to the garden. This is important not just from a conservation point of view but also as an aid to vegetable and fruit cultivation.

The areas towards the rear of the garden tend more towards the natural in keeping with the eco-friendly remit with the meadow area and more shade-loving woodland-type planting providing habitats for insects and birds.

Throughout the garden the planting is also designed to be low maintenance, non-toxic and fairly drought resistant.