I love euphorbias in the garden, they are plants with style. Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii has been a designer’s favourite plant for many years. Perfect for that dramatic “full stop” in a border. The problem is that gardens are becoming smaller now and we need plants that will work in all sizes of gardens.

Featured Plants

Euphorbia x martini ‘Ascot Rainbow’

Euphorbia x martini, a cross between E. amygdaloides, a dwarf British woodland plant, and E. characias, the parent species of wulfenii, had always been my choice, it is neater and more in scale with my garden. Now there is a variety of this that looks like being a real hot success called Euphorbia x martini ‘Ascot Rainbow”. It has bluegreen leaves with golden edges and redflushed new growth, a tinge of pink even appears through the leaves during cold weather. It wants a warm, sunny, welldrained space at the front of the border where you can really appreciate all the shades in its foliage.

Euphorbia ‘Little John’

For even smaller gardens try Euphorbia ‘Little John’. This is an even more compact form selected by our exnursery director John Woodhead from a big batch of seedlings. It has bold, bluegreen foliage, tinted red when young. It makes a neat ball and is perfect in small spaces.

In spring it has the usual covering of delicious acid green flowers.

Deutzia hookeriana

Sometimes you come across plants and wonder why they are not more widely seen in gardens. Deutzia hookeriana is one of these. It has gorgeous, tumbling clusters of flowers like tiny rambler roses, scented with vanilla and hawthorn, flushed pink as they age. This deutzia looks fabulous in larger gardens where its elegant, arching branches can be fully appreciated. It is a tough, reliable shrub, I love it planted with Philadelphus, Syringa, Weigela and Kolkwitzia; a flurry of delicate summer flowers delicious!

Ribes ‘Elkington’s White’

Ribes ‘Elkington’s White’ is something quite special. It is a new form of the flowering current with icywhite, pendant flowers. It was discovered as a chance seedling in the garden of Patricia Elkington, the Hampshire representative of the National Gardens Scheme. Luckily Patricia is a great plantswoman and recognised that this was something quite different. It has a neat upright habit unlike other white flowering currants and is really easy to grow. It looks fabulous underplanted with a sea of rich blue pulmonaria or ajuga.

Ceanothus ‘Tuxedo’

My final plant, Ceanothus ‘Tuxedo’ is really exciting. It’s not often that there is a really different colour break in a plant type but this is a real show stopper. The nurseryman who discovered it in Ireland spotted it among a crop of 2000 Ceanothus ‘Autumnal Blue’ cuttings. One branch just started growing with very dark foliage and to his delight it propagated true to type.

The foliage colour is really dark chocolate and looks fabulous when the lavender blue flowers contrast against it. The great thing is that it is extremely hardy and flowers like Autumnal Blue in late summer and early autumn. I love it with silver foliage, which really shows up its stunning colours. Let me know how you get on with it in your garden.