Perennials

These glossy purple/bronze leave look great all year round. Spikes of dark blue flowers appear in late spring and early summer. Enjoys most garden situations in moi

These have double blooms, small and with an appealing intensity. They are coloured dark pink, deep maroon at their centre. The petals are rounded with a slender pale pink edge. They carry a slight fragrance. The leaves are coloured blue-green and make an informal tussock beneath the flowers. This summer flowering cultivar is one of the laced pinks bred by Allwood's nursery, this cultivar dating to 1972. Enjoys a position in full-sun and well-drained soil.

Vivid strong dark pink blooms that are evenly coloured. There is the occasional area of paler pink or touch of white, but otherwise the colour is clean and clear. The flowers are rather flat-faced with layered petals that have regularly crisped petals. The flower is fragrant and sits on a mass of very slender blue-grey leaves. It should flower from June till October. Photo taken in October.

Compact variery with lovely, year round foliage and long lasting yellow-green spring flowers. Hardy and perennial. Enjoys a spot in sun/light shade and well-drained soil.

A chunky-looking compact plant that flowers during April and May. These are coloured yellow-green with a noticeable red ring on each of the many floral 'heads.' In the case of euphorbia's this circular structure, which includes the seed capsule is called the cyanthium). The plant has long blue-green leaves that stand out horizontally from the upright reddish stems. These leaves take on burnished, even coppery hues in winter that last into early spring. The floral heads also take on burnished bronze hues as summer progresses. This is a highly ornamental plant of modest height. It could be placed in front of shrubs with purple foliage to good effect.

Handsome with its long slender bluish-green leaves whorled round chestnut stems that stand largely upright. It makes a good foliage clump that is particularly intriguing in May and June when it is in flower. The flowers form a substantial bell that covers the top portion of each upright stem. It is primarily coloured a bright, slightly greenish, yellow. At the centre of the flowers are many red-black 'eyes' that sit beneath the fruit capsules. Overall, the combination of colours is particularly striking. This makes a handsome plant, whether or not it is in flower and deserves careful placing.

Fens Ruby is a desirable variety of this small spurge. It makes a feathery clump of foliage composed of fine, dark-green leaves with red tipped young shoots and good autumn colour. Lime-green flowers are clustered at the top of the stalks.

A fairly compact chunky-looking plant that will become quite broad with age. It has upright brown stems, each clad in long slender matt green leaves that are held out horizontally. The flowers form a good sized head of Granny Smith apple green. The flower's nectaries, at the centre of each individual cup, are coloured a reddish chocolate shade. This is a strong and solid plant that can be combined with plants having a soft and indeterminate shape.

This is a perennial which reaches about 50cm (20in), providing useful groundcover with its handsome whorled leaves. These are a rich purple-brown, particularly handsome at the end of winter when it takes on rich reddish tints. The acidic greenish-yellow flowers in April and May may come as a bit of a shock if you'd planned a soft planting scheme. By midsummer the seed heads, held in sprays over the foliage, contribute pink and green spots of colour.

An evergreen mound of red tinted deep green leaves forms a handsome site, especially when it is covered with contrasting clusters of lime-green flowers. Great for the front of a border, pots and poor soils. Photo taken in October

Delightful fan-shaped clump of light, bright, steely blue. There are slender stems that carry pinky brown flowers in late spring and early summer. These are held somewhat vertically and can be removed if desired. This can be grown in a container or planted as a low growing feature in the garden, best in groups with space, enjoying poor to average soil in a sunny spot.

A particularly lovely variety of a classic herbaceous perennial. Helleborus niger ‘Christmas Carol’ bears gleaming white blooms with a central crown of prominent yellow stamens. Flowering from December through to mid spring, and often over the festive period, the blooms gradually develop a pink flush as they mature. Enjoy this evergreen perennial year after year. This Hellebore makes a fabulous addition to shaded borders where it will also attract pollinating insects to the garden. Photo taken in flowering season.

These small, delectable hellebores flower for several months from as early as Christmas. They may still be in flower in April. This form has sheeny green leaves with lighter veins that are held on reddish stems. The rounded, full stamened flowers are held upright or slightly pendulous. They are coloured a warm pinkish cream with warmer pink suffusion at the petal base and marking the underside of the petals. The stamens are creamy yellow. Note: These are hybrids between Helleborus lividus and Helleborus niger.

This is a spectacular variation on the well-known ‘Christmas Rose’ or niger that is so familiar. Large saucer shaped flowers that face outwards, pure white in colour but having delightful inner rays of additional sepals that gradually open varying slightly in size, forming a double bloom. Great for darker borders, winter, spring and woodland gardens or in containers. Hardy and perennial for many years. Best in partial shade in a fertile moist but well-drained soil. Height 50cm Spread 50cm.

These are wonderful plants for the winter garden. Varieties like Helleborus niger give flowers at Christmas, and with other varieties there can still be flowers in April or even May. The flowers are open cups or are carried in clusters. There are double forms as well. The range of colours and forms has increased greatly in recent years so there are a huge range of subtle shades available including yellow and near black. Many of them hold their heads pendulously and, carefully lifting the flower cup, the often beautiful interior can be revealed. There is a British native, Helleborus foetidus, which has attractive foliage and clusters of green-purple edged bell flowers. There are forms with attractive foliage, for example Helleborus argutifolius, and this has been used in combination with other forms to develop some complex hybrid forms where both the flowers and the foliage are of great beauty. Hellebores stand between around 20cm and 75cm in height. When the flowers have finished they make a substantial foliage mound, and space should be allowed for this when planning their position. Assorted varieties available as shown in pictures. Please e-mail shoponline@oldrailwayline.co.uk if you have specific order requirements.

The silvery bluish evergreen leaves are a special feature of the hardy Monte Christo® Snow Rose. Starting to flower in early December, it continues to flower into the new year. The myriad of cream-coloured, green-tinged blooms on red flower stems turn an interesting green with a pretty pale rose edge over time. Enjoys sun/partial shde in well-drained soil.

Beautiful white saucer flowers from November onwards. Enjoys light shade in moist soil.

Lovely soft apple green foliage veiled with silvery white. A compact plant with intense rich deep lipstick red flowers that re-bloom over a long period! Excellent for containers and garden in light shade good for the rockery . Enjoys a spot in light shade and well-drained soil.