18 garden plants I would never be without

I set forth this post by trying to list my 10 favourite garden plants . But , of trend , I could n’t constrict it down to 10 – so I ended up with the listing of 18 that you see here .

And no sooner did I complete the list than I come up with another XII plant that could equally have made the cutting and , what ’s more , I have included hardly any bush and no trees .

Nevertheless , we ’ll go with these 18 plant which , for me , have earned their keep twelvemonth after year through colour , texture , bodily structure , or resilience .

“Melianthus major ‘Honey Bush'” byFarOutFlorais licensed under CC BY 2.0

These garden plants are the ones I would always make blank for . Some are splashy , some subtle , but all convey something irreplaceable to the garden . I go for this list trip ideas for your own must - have plants .

Melianthus major(Honey bush)

All about the plant

With its jagged , silvery - sorry folio and tropical appearance , Melianthus majoris a showstopper . It adds top and architectural form . The unusual carmine - chocolate-brown flower come along in other summer , publish a sweet , honeyed fragrance .

Key facts

Display and companion plants

Grow in a cheery , shelter moulding or against a warm bulwark . span well withCanna indica , Musa basjoo , and argent leaf likeStachys byzantinafor a tropic core .

Euphorbia mellifera(Honey spurge)

This is is possibly my pet plant of all . This evergreen bush forms a dense , rounded shape and carries domed cluster of brown - orange flowers with a strong honey odour in outflow .

The leaf is luxuriant and olive green with a Mediterranean quality and , most beguiling of all for me , there is a shadowy flushed hint to the edge of the leaves .

Use as a bold backdrop or bush level in mixed borders . face great with decorative eatage likeStipa gigantea , and drought - tolerant plants such asLavandulaorSalvia .

“Melianthus major ‘Honey Bush'” byFarOutFlorais licensed under CC BY 2.0

Echinacea purpurea(Purple coneflower)

A stalwart of anyperennial garden , this sturdy , herbaceous perennial has large daisy - like salad days and a prominent strobilus . Its vibrant empurpled - pinkish flowers bloom for week and are splendid for pollinators . A staple inmodern prairie planting .

Perfect in cheery , intimate or prairie - style moulding . Plant withRudbeckia , Calamagrostis , Sedum , andPerovskiafor a long - lasting summertime show .

Rudbeckia fulgida‘Goldsturm’ (Black-eyed Susan)

A everlasting prairie companion to Echinacea , this plant life is prize for its vivid golden - yellow-bellied peak with contrasting dark heart . Long - flowering and undemanding , it bridges the summer - to - autumn interruption attractively .

A natural partner toEchinacea , Miscanthus , andSedum . Looks good in large impetus for shock . supply vibrancy to borderline from August into October .

Dahliaspecies and cultivars

Few plants offer the efflorescence major power ofDahlias . From modest pommy - pom to dinner - home sized blossom , they offer color from midsummer to the first icing . soft to lift and put in over winter in colder mood . Again , a monumental darling , which is why I havelots and tons of dahlia postson this site .

develop in cutting bed , cheery borders or pots . They copulate attractively with grasses likePennisetum , or with bold - pass on plant likeCannaandMelianthus . Underplant withVerbena bonariensisorCosmosfor Laputan contrast .

Lobelia tupa(Devil’s tobacco)

This spectacular , upright perennial has grey - gullible leafage and striking carmine heyday mold like unresolved beaks . It brings a bold , alien feel to summer edge and pull pollinators . Though it looks crank , it copes astonishingly well in milder cool mood gardens ( like my garden in Scotland ) with estimable drainage .

set mid- to back of border in full sun . Combine withEchinacea , Rudbeckia , or cosmetic eatage likeCalamagrostis . fantabulous among exotic scheme or late - season planting .

Musa sikkimensis(Darjeeling banana)

I am a sucker fortropical or tropic dash plantsand this was one of the early bananas I sustain when I create nyLondon urban garden . Thishardybanana bring an immediate tropical feel . Its declamatory paddle - shaped leaves may be mottle with blood-red , and while it seldom fruits in the UK , the foliage alone makes it worthwhile .

Perfect in jungle - style planting withCanna indica , Melianthus , andFatsia . Underplant withHostaorHeucherafor line .

Canna indica(Indian shot)

Withlush tropicalfoliage and bold flowers in red , orange , or yellow , Canna indicadelivers colouring and play from mid - summertime to hoar . Grown from rhizomes , it ’s best rescind and stored in dusty garden .

Combine withDahlia , Melianthus , orPhormiumfor tropic border . large in pots or at the back of mixed planting .

Phormium tenax(New Zealand flax)

You see it everywhere , but Phormium tenax is a brilliant geomorphological plant with blade - similar leave of absence in green , bronze , or variegated shape . It ’s evergreen and confidential information - insubordinate , making it idealistic for open or coastal land site .

It can get very big , so I oftentimes divide my plants – which stand for I have a regular provision of more plants .

Use for bold focal period or in crushed rock planting . couplet well withEuphorbia , Lavandula , and grass likeStipaorMiscanthus .

Fatsia japonica(Japanese aralia)

Another pop plant but for in force reasons . Fatsia is a dependable evergreen shrub with bombastic , showy leaves and sheer presence in shade . bring forth strange white-hot pompom flowers in fall followed by smutty Chuck Berry . It thrives in difficult spots .

Excellent for shady corners . Combine with fern , Heuchera , orHostafor superimposed texture . Also pairs well withAsteliaandDicksonia antarcticain woodland schemes .

Alliumspecies (Ornamental onions)

With their spherical , firework - similar flowerheads , Alliumsare come across and architectural . They blossom in late leap to former summer and are fuck by pollinators . Their dry seedheads add long - hold up complex body part .

string through borders withNepeta , Geranium , andStipa . idealistic in crushed rock gardens or cheery herbaceous perimeter .

Dicksonia antarctica(Soft tree fern)

Another of the plants that made me take up horticulture . I was blown away when I first saw a tree fern . The Dicksonia is tardily - spring up with a sturdy trunk and exuberant , feathery frond . Brings a primeval , woodland feel to shady areas and lends drama to even the small garden .

Perfect in timberland gardens or shady courtyard . Pair withFatsia , Hosta , and wet - loving ferns likeDryopteris .

Lavandula angustifolia(English lavender)

definitive , fragrant , and summary , English lavender is ideal for low hedge , edge , or herb gardens . It ’s loved by bees and retain a neat shape with regular pruning .

utilise as a gloomy hedge or in wry , gay border . Combines beautifully withRoses , Salvia , Santolina , andPerovskia .

Rosmarinus officinalis(Rosemary — nowSalvia rosmarinus)

Rosemary is not the most striking looking plant , but I always arise it for two reasons : 1 ) I ca n’t resist the scent of the broken leaves , 2 ) it is an essential addition to roast lamb and joint white potato .

A tough , fragrant shrub once classified asRosmarinus , now part of theSalviagenus . Its needle - like leaf is redolent , and pallid blueflowers bloom in spring . It ’s useful , attractive , and thrives on nonperformance .

Great in herbaceous plant beds , Mediterranean borders , or as topiary . spouse withThyme , Lavandula , andOriganumfor a classic kitchen garden impression .

Astelia chathamica(Silver spear)

With shimmering , silvery foliage and a rose window - like class , Astelia chathamicaoffers striking texture and colour twelvemonth - circular . It ’s evergreen plant and brings a cool , sculptured presence to borders or containers .

Fantastic in modern-day planting or coastal garden . Pairs well withFatsia japonica , Phormium , or nicety - tolerant grasses . Ideal in large kitty or as a focal plant .

Calamagrostis × acutiflora‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather reed grass)

This vertical , clump - forge grass is one of the good for vertical sake . It produces feathery flowerheads in other summertime that last well into winter , turn golden with eld .

idealistic in prairie - flair planting withEchinacea , Rudbeckia , andPerovskia . Also works well in minute bed and modern gardens for its tidy substance abuse .

Miscanthus sinensis‘Morning Light’ (Maiden grass)

This elegant grass has finely striped , silvery - unripened leaf that catch the light beautifully . It form a tall , outpouring - like clump and make cushy plumes in later summertime .

Perfect for softening boundary line or providing height . immix withVerbena bonariensis , Dahlia , andSedumfor belated - season colouring . seem sensational when backlit .

Miscanthus sinensis‘Zebrinus’ (Zebra grass)

Known for its alone horizontal yellow-bellied bands , Zebrinusstands out even without flowers . It ’s bold , tall , and gently arc , offer excellent bodily structure and texture .

Use as a program line grass in large border or naturalistic planting . Partners well withEchinacea , Rudbeckia , orSalviafor vibrant , wildlife - well-disposed combining .

Whether you ’re draw to bold foliation , pernicious textures , or vibrant flush , these 18 plants offer sweetheart , social structure , and resiliency . I return to them again and again because they plainly ferment — in tough condition , across seasons , and in a grasp of style .

I desire this tilt pep up you to hear a few new favourites of your own .

Martin Cole has been an avid works lover and gardener for more than 20 years and have it off to talk and compose about gardening . In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year competition . He is a phallus of the National dahlia Society .

He antecedently lived in London and Sydney , Australia , where he took a diploma course of action in Horticultural study and is now free-base in North Berwick in Scotland . He founded GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012 . The web site is take aim at everybody who loves plants or has been bite by the horticulture bug and wants to experience more .

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garden Step by Step has beencited by Thompson and Morgan , the UK ’s large mail monastic order plant retailer , as a site that publishes expert gardening content .

Melianthus major ‘Honey Bush’