Perennials - L, buy online

Perennials - L

Position: full sun or partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: July and August. Hardiness: fully hardy. Tall stems of narrow, mid-green leaves are topped with curved spikes of tiny white flowers in July and August. Chinese loostrife looks striking towards the back of a moist, well-drained border or beside water in sun or partial shade. But be warned, it can be invasive and its spread needs to be reduced each year. Garden care: To maximise water retention, incorporate lots of organic matter when planting and mulch each spring. Lift the plant and reduce the circumference of its roots each spring. This plant is featured in the Bright Shady Border. Click here to view the ready-made border design.

Lady's Mantle £4.95

Position: full sun or partial shade. Soil: moist, humus-rich soil. Rate of Growth: fast-growing. Flowering period: June to September. Hardiness: fully hardy. No garden should be without this beautiful and useful perennial. It has scalloped, bright green leaves which catch droplets of water that look like quicksilver and from June to September, it produces a frothy haze of tiny, chartreuse yellow flowers. Its ideal planted en masse for groundcover or edging paths, it tolerates a range of adverse conditions including heavy clay and, once established, is drought tolerant. Alchemilla mollis takes its name comes from the Arabic, meaning little magical one, due both to its reputation for having healing properties and because its leaves catch the morning dew. In the Middle Ages, the water collected from alchemilla leaves was believed to have magical properties. Garden care: Cut back the faded flower heads and foliage in August and the plant will often produce a second flush of flowers. Alchemilla has a tendency to self-seed freely, so to minimise the spread of the plant remove the seedheads carefully after flowering.

Lamb's Ears £5.95

Soft spikes of woolly, pink purple flowers appearing from June to September above rosettes of furry, grey green leaves. 'Lambs' Ears' is an excellent groundcover or edging plant for sites in full sun. Generally trouble free, it's drought tolerant and will provide a silver weed-suppressing carpet for much of the year. Position: full sunSoil: well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Rate of Growth: average. Flowering period: June to September. Flowers: pink purple. Other features: furry, grey green leaves. Hardiness: fully hardy Garden care: Pick off and destroy any foliage that becomes infected by powdery mildew and treat the remaining leaves with fungicide. Lift and divide large clumps in early spring

Lamb's Ears £5.95

Position: full sunSoil: well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Rate of Growth: average. Flowering period: n/aFlowers: n/aOther features: silvery white leaves. Hardiness: fully hardy. Rosettes of silver, greyish white leaves provide an attractive, weed suppressing carpet for much of the year. This non-flowering variety of 'Lamb's Ears' is an excellent, drought-tolerant groundcover or edging plant for a well-drained site in full sun. The foliage is a more intense shade of silver than flowering varieties of the plant. Garden care: Pick off and destroy any foliage that becomes infected by powdery mildew and treat the remaining leaves with fungicide. Lift and divide large clumps in early spring.

Lamb's Ears £5.45

Position: full sunSoil: well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Rate of Growth: average. Flowering period: June to September. Flowers: purple. Other features: large, greyish-white, felted leaves. Hardiness: fully hardy. Soft spikes of woolly, purple flowers from June to September above rosettes of large, greyish white, felted leaves. This form of lambs' ears is primarily grown for its leaves, which are larger than other varieties. An excellent groundcover plant for sites in full sun, it's drought tolerant and provides a weed-suppressing carpet for much of the year. Garden care: Pick off and destroy any foliage that becomes infected by powdery mildew and treat the remaining leaves with fungicide. Lift and divide large clumps in early spring.

Lamb's Ears £12.95

Lenten Rose £5.45

Position: partial shade. Soil: heavy, neutral to alkaline soil. Rate of growth: average Flowering period: February to April Flower colour: white/pink/red and may have speckles. Other features: all parts of the plant cause severe discomfort if ingested; the sap may cause skin irritation. Hardiness: fully hardy (borderline) Pretty, pendent or outward-facing, saucer-shaped, white or greenish-cream flowers from February to April and leathery, deep green leaves. The petals of these lovely Lenten roses become pinker with age. Attractive ground cover plants for areas of dappled shade under deciduous trees and shrubs, they prefer a heavy, neutral to alkaline soil. Unfortunately we can't guarantee what colour you get but the flowers are available in a fantastic colour range, either white, pink or red. Garden care: Add lots of well-rotted leaf mould or organic matter to the planting hole. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant in autumn and provide a top-dressing of general fertiliser each spring.

Lenten Rose £9.95

Position: partial shade. Soil: neutral to alkaline soil, including heavy soil. Rate of growth: average Flowering period: February to April. Hardiness: fully hardy. A stunning variety with large, saucer-shaped flowers from dark purple to almost blue-black from late winter to early spring. The handsome evergreen foliage is leathery, deeply cut and dark green. This lenten rose is grown from seed, so colour variations may occur. It is best planted in groups at the front of a partially shady mixed border, or near the house, among narcissi or snowdrops, that will set off the dark tones of the flowers. In former times, hellebores were planted close to cottage doors to prevent evil spirits from crossing the threshold. Garden care: A top tip from the Crocus crew is to cut back the old leaves down to the ground in January or February. This will show off the emerging flowers to best effect and it also helps to get rid of foliar diseases such as hellebore leaf spot. Add lots of well-rotted leaf mould or organic matter to the planting hole. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3 in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant in autumn and provide a top-dressing of general fertiliser each spring.

Lily £5.95

Position: full sun (with shade at the base) Soil: well-drained, acid to neutral soil, enriched with leaf mould or well-rotted organic matter or a loam-based potting compost, such as John Innes no. 2Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: July and August. Hardiness: fully hardy. Stately sprays of large, fragrant, sunny yellow flowers edged with dark burgundy-red bands appear high on slender stems in July and August. The leaves are slender, dark green and glossy. Lilies are one of the all-time favourite summer-flowering bulbs as they look superb in any garden scheme.Be warned, lilies are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases, including lily beetle, and as such can be high maintenance and may need replacing regularly. The RSPCA have reported that all parts of lilies can be fatal to cats, including the flower, leaves and pollen. Garden care: Lilies are best planted in the autumn, when the bulbs are still plump, but they can still be planted in spring. Between August and March choose a sunny spot where the plant can keep its feet in the shade. Plant 15-20cm (6-8in) deep in a well-drained soil, enriched with well-rotted organic matter or leaf mould, using a marker to minimise any unnecessary disturbance. Stake with ring stakes or bamboo canes in spring before the flowers appear. Deadhead the faded blooms and cut the stems back to ground level at the end of autumn.

Loosestrife £5.95

Position: full sun or partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July and August. Hardiness: fully hardy. Tall stems of pointed, mid-green leaves, tinted dark coppery-brown, are topped with pale lemon flowers in July and August. This pale lemon loosestrife will thrive in a moist herbaceous border or bog garden. Less invasive than the popular yellow loosestrife, it will happily grow in sun or shade. Garden care: Incorporate lots of organic matter when planting. Apply a generous 5-7cm mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plants in spring and lift and divide congested colonies.

Loosestrife £5.95

Position: full sun or partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: May to September. Hardiness: fully hardy. Striking, burgundy flower spikes on long slender stems flower continuously from May to September. The attractive, crinkled, rosettes of silver-green foliage is an excellent foil for the flowers, which are also highly attractive to butterflies. A versatile plant that spreads slowly and performs best in a moist border in sun or partial shade, or it can be grown in a pot on the patio. It makes an excellent cut flower, too. Garden care: Incorporate lots of organic matter when planting. Do not allow to dry out. Apply a generous 5-7cm mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plants in spring and lift and divide congested colonies.

Loosestrife £5.95

Position: full sun or partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist but not waterlogged. Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: June and July. Hardiness: fully hardy. In early and mid summer, tall spires of starry white flowers float on strong stems above attractive, lance-shaped, grey-green leaves. This lovely, clump-forming perennial is one of the best loosestrifes for the garden and it makes an interesting cut flower too. It flowers best when planted in full sun, but it will tolerate some shade. In its natural habitat it is found in meadows near streams where water is readily available, so make sure the soil does not get too dry, or plant it beside water. Garden care: To maximise water retention incorporate lots of organic matter when planting. Apply a generous 5-7cm mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plants in spring and lift and divide congested colonies.

Lungwort £5.95

This handsome Jerusalem sage produces bluish-lilac flowers from late winter to late spring. Considered one of the best pulmonarias for foliage, the mid-green leaves are marbled and hairy to touch. An excellent groundcover plant for moist, shady spots, it looks great at the front of the border or for edging paths. Position: partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average. Flowering period: February to May. Flower colour: bluish-lilac. Other features: marbled, hairy leaves. Hardiness: fully hardy Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps every three to five years after flowering or in autumn. Cut back plants affected by mildew to the ground, water and feed - the plant will regenerate and produce new leaves later in the year

Lungwort £5.95

Blue-purple to intense-blue, funnel-shaped flowers from late winter to late spring and white-spotted, dark-green leaves. The spear-like leaves hug the ground more closely than other forms. A perfect groundcover plant for shady, moist areas, the dense flower-heads are particularly long-lasting. Position: partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average. Flowering period: February to May. Flower colour: blue. Other features: white-spotted leaves. Hardiness: fully hardy Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps every three to five years after flowering or in autumn. Cut back plants affected by mildew to the ground, water and feed - the plant will regenerate and produce new leaves later in the year

Lungwort £5.95

Delicate, pure-white, funnel-shaped flowers in early spring and white-spotted, bright-green leaves. This dainty pulmonaria is perfect for shady areas. One of the first to flower, it looks lovely alongside dwarf narcissus. Best in a soil that remains moist over summer, since mildew can take hold if the roots dry out. Position: full or partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average. Flowering period: March to April. Flower colour: white. Other features: white-spotted leaves. Hardiness: fully hardy Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps every three to five years after flowering or in autumn. Cut back plants affected by mildew to the ground, water and feed - the plant will regenerate and produce new leaves later in the year

Lungwort £5.95

Delightful, large blue-violet flowers borne in spring above unspotted, dark green foliage. An excellent groundcover plant for a shady spot. Choose a place where the soil retains moisture over the summer and where the bright flowers can be fully appreciated. Position: partial shade. Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average. Flowering period: March to May. Flower colour: blue-violet. Other features: dark green, unspotted leaves. Hardiness: fully hardy Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps every three to five years after flowering or in autumn. Cut back plants affected by mildew to the ground, water and feed - the plant will regenerate and produce new leaves later in the yearThis plant forms part of the Spring Border Collection. Click here to view the border

Regal Lily £5.95

Position: full sunSoil: well-drained, including chalk, enriched with leaf mould or a loam-based potting compost such as John Innes no. 2Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July. Hardiness: fully hardy. One of the most popular varieties of lily, and its not hard to see why. The huge trumpet-shaped white flowers are flushed with pink, smell divine and provide great wafts of scent through. out the garden when they are open. Alternatively bring them inside as cut flowers and they will fill your home with their heady perfume. Lilies are one of the all time favourite summer-flowering bulbs as they will look superb in any garden scheme. Be warned, lilies are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases, including lily beetle, and as such can be high maintenance and may need replacing regularly. The RSPCA have recently reported that all parts of lilies can be fatal to cats, including the flower, leaves and pollen. Garden care: Lilies are best planted in autumn when the bulbs are still plump, but they can still be planted in spring. Between August and March, choose a sunny spot where the plant can keep its feet in the shade. Plant 15-20cm (6-8in) deep in a well-drained soil, enriched with well-rotted organic matter or leaf mould, using a marker to minimise any unnecessary disturbance. Stake with ring stakes or bamboo canes in spring before the flowers appear. Deadhead the faded blooms and cut the stems back to ground level at the end of autumn.

Round-headed Leek £5.45

Position: full sunSoil: fertile, well-drained soil. Rate of growth: average. Flowering period: July to August. Hardiness: fully hardy. Small, egg-shaped, claret-coloured flowerheads appear like drumsticks on tall, slender stems above strap-like, mid-green leaves in mid- to late summer. Planted en masse in a border in full sun, these diminutive claret flowers look great emerging from a screen of foliage, or against a backdrop of ornamental grasses. They gently fade as summer comes to a close. Garden care: Split and divide large clumps in autumn or spring.

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