Shire Plants Blog

Our blog features interesting plants we've noticed recently at the nursery, news and other information. For further inspiration, we recommend looking at our Caught Our Eye page, which lists many plants that have caught our attention recently.
The Coneflower

The Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea is known as the Coneflower, due to the large cone in the centre of the flowers, from which the long petals sweep backwards. These large plants are fantastic border perenials, being very drought-tolerant and loved by bees and butter...
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Dianthus Bridal Veil

Dianthus Bridal Veil

Dianthus 'Bridal Veil' dates from the 17th Century. This old 'Pink' has always been popular in gardens and as a cut flower for the vase. One of several rare old Pinks we have available now.
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Drought and Salt tolerant Rock Sea-Lavender

Drought and Salt tolerant Rock Sea-Lavender

Limonium britannicum, commonly known as Rock Sea-Lavender, is a rare evergreen perennial, native to the sea-cliffs and rocky coastal regions of Great Britain, particularly North Cornwall, North Devon and a few areas of Wales. It's well adapted to cop...
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Lady's Mantle for Drought Tolerance

Lady's Mantle for Drought Tolerance

Lady's Mantle is one of those plants which will grow anywhere. Completely hardy and drought tolerant, it manages to do well wherever it's put. It's excellent for edging a path or border, or in the border or when used to cover a difficult dry shady sp...
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Cupids Dart Flowers

Cupids Dart Flowers

Cupid's Dart (Catananche caerulea) flowers are a gorgeous deep blue. We also sell the white form. They flower for much of the summer and make excellent cut and/or dried flowers. The blooms are much loved by bees and butterflies too.Available to plant...
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Penstemons for late-summer and autumn colour

Penstemons for late-summer and autumn colour

Penstemons are late-summer flowering and are ideal for boosting colour in the borders late in the season. They usually continue to flower until mid-late autumn.There are many varieties and colours available and all are bright and colourful and liven ...
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Cliff Maids for Drought Tolerance

Cliff Maids for Drought Tolerance

Cliff Maids, from North America, are very drought resistant and are excellent for rockeries, gravel gardens and containers. Masses of colourful flowers on 20cm stems in spring and summer.In the wild their habitat varies from clinging to rocks, growin...
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The Mendlesham Minx

The Mendlesham Minx

Dianthus 'Mendlesham Minx' is a lovely alpine 'pink', with striking dark-maroon double flowers elegantly laced with white petal edges. It has tidy compact grey-green foliage and it's suitable for a rockery, container or the front of a border. It has ...
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Drought-tolerant Grey Evergreen

Drought-tolerant Grey Evergreen

This very drought-tolerant evergreen perennial has large, silver-white leaves and it makes an eye-catching feature plant for a border or container. Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings' will grow in any well-drained soil and comes from the coast of Ch...
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Hardy Chrysanthemum 'Ruby Mound'

Hardy Chrysanthemum 'Ruby Mound'

Hardy Chrysanthemum 'Ruby Mound' has stunning, large, double ruby-red flowers from late summer well into autumn. It makes a welcome late-summer and autumn show in borders and beds, with the added benefit of providing perfect cutting material for flor...
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