This tough climber has been cultivated in England for 400 years. Vigorous, long lived and easy to grow some plants in our garden are 20 years old. We grow it both on a trellis and climbing through a Rubus ‘Benenden’. more... about Clematis viticella
There can hardly be a better carpeting plant than this dark flowered form of Convolvulus sabatius. In our dry climate garden it makes dense yard wide mats of evergreen foliage thickly studded with sky gazing round deep blue moons. more... about Convolvulus sabatius ‘Dark Blue’
There can hardly be a better carpeting plant than this north African plant. Convolvulus ‘L.A. Form’ is an especially large flowered variety imported from California. The silvery-blue, moon shaped, upward facing flowers cover the trailing stems from spring until late autumn. more... about Convolvulus sabatius ‘L.A. Form’
A new strain of globe artichoke bred in California which will produce good crops within four or five months if given reasonable conditions. I grow it in a hot sunny spot in the vegetable garden where it is watered regularly and produces abundant heads. more... about Cynara scolymus ‘Imperial Star’
An attractive little shrub small enough to grow in the rock garden and showy enough to be given pride of place in our dry climate shrub borders. Its dark green leaves and stems are smothered in spring with dark yellow pea-like flowers. more... about Cytisus x beanii
I first saw this sea holly flowering splendidly in the purple borders at Sissinghurst Castle more years ago than I care to remember. It produces masses of flowers with metallic blue central cones and a spiky ruff. The overall effect is more discreet than the bold blue forms. more... about Eryngium x tripartitum
There can’t be a finer berried shrub than this when it’s in full autumn glory. Masses of deep pink, almost red berries, make such a spectacular display that visitors to the garden invariably rave about it. more... about Euonymus europeus ‘Red Cascade’
Everyone who has seen this in the garden has been most impressed. From a shrubby plant well clothed with narrow blue leaves, a billowing mass of lime green flowers are produced in a seemingly endless succession from early spring until late summer. more... about Euphorbia ‘Copton Ash’
A newish plant from the U.K. which during late winter and early spring pierces the soil with remarkable maroon red spring foliage. The leaves are still reddish when the flower stem reaches its full extent and then turn green as the lime yellow flowers open out. more... about Euphorbia ‘Excalibur’
This Lambley introduction is one of the finest variegated Euphorbias. Very different in effect from E. ‘Tassie Tiger’, E. ‘Ascot Rainbow’, has soft gold and blue-green leaves with red and pink tonings during cold weather. more... about Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’
This is one of the best groundcovers for dry shade where it will make suckering 40 cm tall evergreen stems clothed in handsome blue-green foliage. During spring the whole is covered by heads of lime green flowers. more... about Euphorbia robbiae
This is the best dwarf Forsythia which only grows 120cm tall by as much across. During early spring it produces a mass of lemon-yellow open bells so abundantly that you can barely see the stem for flowers. During autumn the foliage turns burgundy chocolate. more... about Forsythia ‘Gold Clusters’
This species is new to us but it’s considered to be a fabulous foliage plant for a shady spot even relatively dry shade when once established although it is native to the mountains of southern Mexico where it does get regular rainfall. more... about Furcraea quicheensis
About thirty years ago my father sent me some seed of Geranium pratense collected from his own garden. When the resulting seedlings flowered one stood out as being very free flowering and exceptionally rich in colour. I named it for my wife, artist Criss Canning. more... about Geranium ‘Criss Canning’
A vigorous hybrid between Geranium renardii and Geranium platypetalum, ‘Phillipe Vapelle’ bears flowers from summer into autumn. The bluish purple flowers have prominent dark veins and are borne in a mound of soft green foliage. Light shade or full sun. 25 cm x 40 cm. more... about Geranium ‘Phillipe Vapelle’
I hadn’t seen this plant for 20 years or more until I dropped in on Malcolm Harris at Stoneyford near Colac several years ago. In Mr Harris’s garden this evergreen shrub was 70cm tall by 100cm across. more... about Halimiocistus wintonensis ‘Merrist Wood Cream’
As silver as the Australian Silver Cushion Bush, Leucophyta brownii, but much more frost hardy. A delicious smell of curry is given off by the leaves if you brush past them. more... about Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum
Day lilies which repeat flower are always useful plants. Deep rich cranberry pink, flared flowers are produced, several to the stem, from mid spring until quite late in the autumn. I divide and replant dwarf day lilies every 3 or 4 years. more... about Hemerocallis ‘Cranberry Baby’
There are few plants as beautiful, as architecturally interesting and as tough as this. A native of northern Mexico and the Rio Grande area of Texas, it tolerates extremes of heat, cold and drought as long as the soil is well drained. more... about Hesperaloe parviflora
One of the most beautiful of the frost hardy Hibiscus which has startlingly beautiful white flowers with a magenta-red centre. Happy in any sunny spot in the garden. A good cutting back by about a third will keep it healthy and floriferous. I grow it as a small standard. more... about Hibiscus syriacus ‘Red Ensign’
A beautiful shrub from central Asia which has been given the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society for its outstanding traits. We’ve grown it at Lambley since we moved here twenty years ago. As it flowers on new wood we cut it back to 90cm each winter. more... about Indigofera heterantha
Raised by us from seed collected in Greece, this delightful form of the winter Iris (better known as Iris stylosa) carries its rich deep violet flowers above the leaves which are narrower and shorter than usual. Flowers from May until September. Very drought tolerant. more... about Iris cretensis ‘Mia’
One of the most beautiful of all the bearded iris, Iris pallida ‘Amethystina’ has been one of the stars of our dry garden for more than ten years. The beautiful blue-green sword shaped foliage is clean the whole season long. more... about Iris pallida ‘Amethystina’
This is one of the best plants for difficult dry spots in sun or light shade, making evergreen clumps of narrow arching leaves. During winter and early spring large, beautiful, deliciously fragrant soft mauve-blue flowers are produced. more... about Iris unguicularis
