Cutting Celery is also known by the botanical name, Apium graveolens. Cutting Celery is closely related to celery and celeriac, but these particular seeds have been selected and reselected especially for the flavour of their leaves. The leaves taste like celery – it’s a strong flavour – so a little goes a long way, but it’s not too overpowering. I really enjoy the taste of Cutting Celery leaves.
‘Parcel’ or ‘Par-Cel’ is also known by the botanical name, Apium graveolens. This is a hardy biennial plant that produces edible leaves with a strong flavour of celery; Parcel’s stems are edible too, but it is the pungent leaves that this plant is usually grown for. The name of ‘Parcel’ was given because this edible plant has foliage that resembles parsley but when eaten it has the flavour of celery; so the plant’s common name is an amalgamation of the two names – ‘Parcel’.
Alliaria petiolata is a commonly found wildflower in Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. Whenever its foliage is bruised, crushed, or trampled, this plant’s leaves release a scent that’s reminiscent of garlic; as a consequence, in the UK, Alliaria petiolata is often called Garlic Mustard, or Hedge Garlic. Another common name for Alliaria petiolata is Jack-by-the hedge, which reflects one of this plant’s habitats and Alliaria petiolata’s prominence as a plant that lines our hedgerows.
Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora is the botanical name for our naturally occurring, white-flowered form of Digitalis purpurea – the foxglove. I adore both our pink-flowered foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) and this stunning white-flowered form – they’re two of my favourite plants. I’ve grown foxgloves in every garden I’ve created; I used to grow foxgloves at my allotment, too; I simply can’t be without these fabulous plants!
Digitalis ‘Candy Mountain’ is a short-lived perennial foxglove, famed for its horizontal flowers. Every single bloom is tilted upwards. This floral adaptation allows us to admire each individual flower’s markings; it provides us with the perfect opportunity to observe bees buzzing in and out of each tubular bloom, as they pollinate Digitalis ‘Candy Mountain’ flowers.
Digitalis purpurea – our wildflower has downward facing blooms which tend to be held on one side of its main stem.
Digitalis purpurea is the botanical name for one of our stunning wildflowers – the foxglove. Foxgloves are charming plants that produce towering spires of handsome pink-purple flowers in June, July, and August. We may chance upon Digitalis purpurea plants during country walks. Groups of Digitalis purpurea flowers brighten our walks as we traipse through woodlands or heathlands, along coastal paths, over banks and hillsides, and alongside hedges and towpaths.
Hesperis matronalis is a short lived perennial or biennial that’s often known as Sweet Rocket or Dame’s Violet. These lovely plants are very easy to grow; they really are super plants to grow in your garden. Hesperis matronalis are hardy throughout the UK and they’re also drought tolerant, too. Plants will grow in any soil, apart from waterlogged soils; so avoid sowing these seeds on wet ground.
Hesperis matronalis var. albiflora is a short lived perennial or biennial plant that is often known as Sweet Rocket or Dame’s Violet. These lovely plants are very easy to grow, they’re nice things to have around. Hesperis matronalis var. albiflora plants are hardy throughout the UK and they’re also pretty drought tolerant, too. Plants will grow in any soil, apart from waterlogged soils, so avoid sowing these seed on wet ground.
Arctium lappa can be found growing wild across Europe, Scandinavia, and the Mediterranean, as well as other locations around the world. In the UK, Arctium lappa is more commonly known as Greater Burdock, but I’m sure that this plant has a range of common names, as it’s a native plant of so many countries.
This is an edible and medicinal plant that is grown or foraged for food and medicine.
Echium vulgare is a hardy biennial with hairy stems; plants produce pretty pink buds, which open as sky-blue coloured flowers. This is a superb plant for a wildlife garden, as whilst it’s blooming, Echium vulgare is a veritable bee magnet!
This is a UK native plant that can also be found growing naturally in the wild in other European countries. Echium vulgare thrives in areas that are out in the open and warmed by the sunshine.
Anthriscus sylvestris is a biennial or short lived herbaceous perennial plant, which is more commonly known as cow parsley – in the UK, at least anyway – where Anthriscus sylvestris grows as a wildflower, along roadsides, hedgerows, in grasslands and meadows.
Flowering in late spring, in May, Anthriscus sylvestris is a popular plant with bees, hoverflies, and other pollinating insects
Easily grown from seed, sown in autumn or springtime, Anthriscus sylvestris flourishes in any well-drained soil.
Digitalis ‘Camelot Cream’ is an absolutely fabulous foxglove! This F1 hybrid flowers for a really long time, much longer than many foxgloves, producing flowering stems that are full of gorgeous cream flowers, which are decorated with crimson-maroon freckles. It’s a really very pretty plant that’s so popular with bees!
Sometimes Digitalis ‘Camelot Cream’ performs as a biennial, other times as a short lived perennial.
Angelica archangelica is a simply divine garden plant! I love the zingy green colour tone of this biennial’s flowers and seeds, their fresh colouring and the plant’s tall, architectural, and statuesque appearance is of great value in the garden.
Angelica archangelica favours moist, well drained soils, though please don’t give up hope if you have sandy soil – for many years I have grown Angelica archangelica very successfully on sandy, silty, free draining soils.
Digitalis ‘Lemoncello’ is a new biennial foxglove, which was launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017. Digitalis ‘Lemoncello’ produces lemon-yellow coloured flowers all around each flower stem, as opposed to just having the flowers all over to one side of the flower stem – as you find with many of the beautiful foxgloves that grow as wild flowers, in the countryside.
