foolproof plants

Alchemilla mollis - Ladies mantle*. P

A clump forming perennial with softly hairy pale green leaves that hold drops of water beautifully after rain. Unusual tiny greenish yellow flowers borne in great quantity from early summer to early autumn. Excellent ground cover and good for cut flowers. Drought-tolerant. Very easily raised from seed.
Alchemilla mollis | Alchemilla seed

(*Something to do with firming of the bosom apparently, though what you do to achieve the supposed effect I don't know).

Buddleia davidii - Butterfly bush S

(Buddleja if you want to be pretentious, sorry RHS) Medium to large shrub, fast growing (stand well back) covered in fragrant purple cone-shaped inflorescences 4"-12" long in summer that are in turn frequently covered in butterflies. Flowers of different varieties come in shades from white through lilac to quite dark purple with pinks too. There's also an orange flowered variety B. globosa with golf-ball sized and shaped inflorescences. The star of the group for my money is Buddleia alternifolia, though not as tough or quick as davidii. Given three trowels for maintenance as it needs pruning every year or it ends up showing its flowers to the birds while you admire them from below, otherwise easy.
Buy Buddleia | Buy Buddleia seeds

Campanula carpatica P

Pretty blue bell-shaped (hence Campanula) flowers. Good ground cover in sun or partial shade, to 12".
Buy Campanula carpatica | Buy Campanula seeds

Campanula poscharskyana P

Not as tough as carpatica maybe or as easy to find. Better grown in partial shade, remarkably drought tolerant and I like the name (practice saying it). A creeper, low growing to about 4", will "flow" up and around obstacles in a most satisfactory way. Flowers of lilac-blue.

Cotoneaster spp.* S

A largish group of shrubs of various habit from prostrate ground cover to tall arching tree-like species. Some deciduous and some evergreen. Pretty tough as a group and withstand dry conditions (once-established). Most have white or pinkish-white flowers in spring followed by autumn / winter berries the colours of which vary in different species.

C. horizontalis - I tend to regard this one as a bit dull but worthy, but maybe I just don't know better. OK as a odd one in a mixed display, but rather over-planted by housing developers on new estates. Low-growing, deciduous, millions of red autumn berries, herringbone pattern to the branches, to 3ft tall. Can be successfully grown upwards as a wall shrub.
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C. lacteus - vigorous evergreen to 12ft, dense foliage so good as a hedge, red berries.

C. rothschildianus - vigorous evergreen to 15ft, a good inclusion to a mixed hedge. Slightly unusual but very attractive golden yellow berries.

*abbreviation of species (plural).

Fuchsia riccartonii S

Hardy upright fuchsia covered with small pink and purple flowers, to 6ft + if you let it, can be used for hedging.
Buy Fuchsia riccartonii | Fuchsia Hardy Trio

Geraniums - hardy species - Crane's bill* P

These are not the red and pink half-hardy summer flowering plants that have metallic smelling foliage frequently referred to as geraniums, those are called Pelargoniums.

Hardy geraniums differ in that they are first of all, hardy, and generally have flowers in shades of pink and blue that are borne in small groups. They are also some of the prettiest and most useful additions to the garden.

There are dozens of varieties, and are one of the types of plant that some people go barmy over and fill their garden with hundreds of different types of the one plant. They're good as ground cover with several species rooting as they go.

G. grandiflorum alpinum - very pretty mid-blue flowers to about 12"

G. phaeum - Mourning widow. - Lilac to purple, not the most spectacular flowers in the world but the bees certainly appreciate them. Tolerate deep shade like little else will. To about 24".

Geranium Macrorrhizum - pink-purple flowers in a variety of named forms, all good.

*when the petals fall off the flowers, the remaining seed pod resembles a crane's bill (and head).
Buy hardy geraniums | Buy hardy Geraniums 2

more on hardy Geraniums

Hemerocallis - Day Lilies P

Individual flowers last about a day, but they come thick and fast. Numerous varieties usually in hot colours from yellow through reds and orange with some pinks. Arching strap-like leaves, flowers 10" to 36" tall depending on variety, spread to about 3ft, an excellent addition to mixed borders. Tall orange ones are meant to be the most reliable. A recent introduction "Bonanza" has longer lasting flowers and needs less space.

Photinia x fraseri "Red Robin" S

Photinia "Red Robin" An upright foliage shrub, evergreen, with bright red new foliage at ends of shoots in spring. Leaves remain red for a considerable time turning green as they age. Best colour obtained in full sun. Can be used for hedging, though pattern of coloured foliage is lost rather when the hedge is clipped. Not for the most exposed conditions.
Buy Photinia red robin | pack of 3 | hedging pack | standard trained plant | or try here

Prunus laurocerasus - Cherry laurel S

Large dense, bushy evergreen shrub. Long glossy leaves to about 6" long, dark green above, lighter below. Fragrant white flowers produced in spring. With the (quite deserved) decline of x Cupressocyparis lleylandii as a hedging plant, laurels should be the ideal replacement. They are dense and fast growing, but respond better to trimming and don't just proceed skywards indefinitely.

Whereas conifers rarely if ever grow from brown wood, even old established laurels will respond to a severe pruning by producing fresh green growth from mature brown wood that hasn't seen direct sunlight for years. Within a year or so, you will be rewarded with a new curtain of attractive foliage. Don't trim with shears though, the large leaves don't look good when they start to turn brown at the edges after being chopped through. A smaller variety "Otto Luyken" grows to about 3ft tall and wide and is suitable for inclusion in a border.

Tough and hardy, a single plant may be grown as an informal wind-break or at the back of a large border where the dark green leaves set off other foliage and flowers admirably.
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Saxifraga x urbium - London Pride P

Rosette forming vigorous evergreen ground cover plant about 3" high. White flower panicles flushed with pink to about 10" in summer. Spreads reliably even in poor soils, needs some shade.
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Pyracantha - Firethorn S

Upright evergreen shrub with white spring flowers and autumn / winter berries of various shades, (depending on variety) of red, through yellow and golden yellow to orange. Viciously thorny and makes a good burglar-proof hedge or spot planting against vulnerable downstairs windows, fences etc. Can be grown as a free-standing shrub or trained against a wall or fence. Can be easily trained and takes hard pruning well, effective as an informal hedge. One of my favourites is in the village of Madingley, a golden yellow berried variety growing against an old house that is painted a sympathetic shade of yellow-earth - an inspired planting. Withstands some shade and reasonably tolerant of soggy soils.
Buy Pyracantha / firethorn | Pyracantha orange glow | orange glow pack of 5

Sedum spectabile - Ice plant* P

Clump forming deciduous perennial. Fleshy pale green leaves. Large flat pink-red compound flowers in late summer - early autumn, much loved by bees and butterflies. Tolerates drought once established, every garden should have at least one. The leaves make a good contrast against grasses / gravel / rocks / wood etc. To 18". Easy to propagate by stem cuttings in spring or autumn.
Buy Sedum spectabile / ice plant | Sedum Citrus Twist | Sedum Lynda Windsor | Sedum Pink Chablis | Sedum brilliant | Sedum herbstfreude

*No idea why it's called the "ice plant.", In the language of flowers, giving someone this plants means "your looks freeze me" but I'm not sure whether this led to, or arose from the name.

Vinca major - Periwinkle S

Variegated ground cover plant with blue spring / summer flowers. To about 20" tall, spread indefinite, roots as it goes. Very tough once established, and tolerates sun or shade. Vinca minor is equally unfazed by novice gardeners or shade, will confine itself to about 8" and a much reduced spread.
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Viburnum tinus S

Bushy dense evergreen shrub eventually to about 10ft tall and wide. Fragrant white flowers borne over a long period through winter and spring, followed by blue/black berries. Tolerates a fair amount of shade and can be hard pruned.
Buy Viburnum tinus | Viburnum tinus 3 pack | Viburnum tinus 10 pack

Foolproof Plants