Most plants are in 2 litre pots: that's about 5" (13cms) across the top. They are well established, well rooted, and can either be planted out straight away, or can be left in their pots until you are ready to plant, but as with all pots, you must remember to water them, even if it rains!
I have a permanent display area at Dews Meadow Farm Shop in East Hanney: here is the sign, on the main A338 from Wantage to Oxford. Just pull in, and bear either left or right, to the two large parking areas.
The selection of plants on offer there changes from week to week, varying with the season.
Listed below are all the plants which I sell: if there is something of interest on the list which you would like to see, do e-mail me at rachel-the-gardener@ntlworld.com, and I will add it to the bench selection.
For your convenience, here is a simple Price List which you can download and print off.
Should you require a border or bed to be dug over prior to planting, that can be arranged, as can planting out of your new purchases if required. Just e-mail me with some idea of what you want done, and I will give you an idea of cost and timescale.
Please note: all plants listed are subject to availability.
Graceful tree, with a horizontal form: the coloured bark is particularly nice on young branches, and provides winter interest. New foliage emerges orangey-yellow, and turns bright yellow in autumn. This tree is very good in containers, particularly when chosen for night lighting.
Can be restricted by growing in a pot, but even if planted in the ground this is only a small tree.
Likes a sheltered location - wind is very damaging for all Japanese Acers - and is not fussy about soil type, as long as it is not permanently wet, nor allowed to dry out. Unlike some Acers, it does not require special ericaceous soil.
An elegant small tree, grown for the distinctive olive green white-striped bark, but also beautiful in the autumn when the foliage turns rich shades of yellow and orange.
Grows rapidly in the early years, making it quick to establish, but then growth slows right down. Ultimately it makes 15m, but can be pruned in winter to maintain the required size.
Like all acers, benefits from a sheltered location: Sun or shade, any soil. Again, does not require ericaceous soil.
Tall spires of dramatic blue flowers though late spring and into summer in this classic cottage garden favourite: lovely finely divided foliage in fresh clean green, and strong enough that it does not require staking. All parts are poisonous, from seeds, flowers, leaves and stems right down to the roots. However, that's no reason to avoid having it in your garden, just train your children not to eat anything that's not on a plate!
Will self-seed quite freely. Sun or shade, any soil, very good at the back of a border. Cut down once the foliage has died back, and it will pop up again next spring.
Medium-sized stately trees, but can be restricted by keeping in a pot, and by pruning if necessary. They have handsome spreading leaves, and spires of red flowers in late spring.
If left unpruned, this tree can grow to 45' high (15m). They prefer a sunny position, to give the flowers the best colour, and they are good shade providers.
I have five-year old trees that I have grown myself from seed: they are 3-4' high (1m) and growing strongly.
Not to be confused with it's flamboyant cousin Alchemilla Mollis, this is a low-growing, slow-spreading, pretty little plant whose leaves are edged in silver. Retains foliage all through the winter, has delicate lime green flowers in summer.
Looks great growing through gravel.
Dwarf form of the popular Butterfly Bush - only grows to around 4' (1.2m) tall, so it won't take over the garden or require masses of pruning every year.
Grows in any reasonably well-drained situation, tolerates both sun and shade, as well as most soil types.
An interesting specimen tree, useful for larger gardens as it grows to 10-25'(3-8m) tall, it is nicely shaped, with large golden yellow leaves and white summer flowers, followed by dangling bean-like fruits.
I have four-year old trees, currently over 3' tall (1m) and producing nice leaves.
This very familiar, very English woodland plant provides the well-known spikes of white, scented flowers in May and June. It self-seeds without problem, and over the years will spread quite widely.
Happy in damp or dry positions, in good or poor soil: flourishes in almost all situations, even grows in deep shade. Excellent for woodland beds.These plants are well rooted and ready for planting out.
Fabulous stately perennial, grows up to 6' tall (2m) and does not require staking: strong purple stems, topped off by flat sprays of pinkish purple flowers through the summer.
Ideal for the back of a border, looks wonderful with a splash of bright red from Crocosmia Lucifer nearby, or as a foil to something light and airy such as Thalictrum.
Sun or shade, any soil. Will spread and form large clumps.
Looking very much like the usual strawberry but with pink flowers, which appear from early spring right through to early autumn. Edible fruits, not as large as commercial ones, but just as tasty.However, for the best flowering, dead-head and remove any runners. Semi-evergreen - in the last few mild winters, they have kept their leaves right through the year.
Happy in most conditions: very good on banks, lovely as an informal edging to a path. Also looks great growing through shingle or gravel. Sun or light shade, any soil, but it doesn't like being waterlogged.
An extremely decorative tree, which has remained largely unchanged for over 270 million years, as fossils have been found dating back to that time, clearly showing the unchanged leaf, which is a perfect fluted fan-shape, pale green in colour and held out to the sides, and which take on a spectacular yellow autumn colour.
Fully hardy, this tree can be planted out to eventually make a large specimen tree, or can be kept small by growing in a pot or container, and by pruning in January or February if it outgrows the situation.
Sun or shade, any soil, perfect for growing in a largish container.
Not strictly a Perennial, this is a strange and unusual type of ivy - instead of clinging to walls, or rampaging across the ground, it rises upright on spooky stiff stems, rarely growing higher than 2-3' (30-60cms). The leaves are pretty fluted heart-shapes, and go from bright green when new, to dark glossy green as they mature.
To make this plant branch, just pinch out or cut off the top: rather like the hydra, each one you cut will regrow as two stems, which can lead to some interesting formations
Very popular with flower arrangers, this plant, being evergreen, gives some useful height and colour through the winter.
It is very tough and tolerates most growing conditions: also, unlike normal ivy, it is very slow-growing, so it won't become a nuisance. The clump in the lower picture is about 10 years old: you can see that when it grows too high, it just curves gently over and then start growing upwards again.
A fan of wide strappy leaves in spring is followed in summer by sturdy, tall stems bearing a cluster of fabulous terracotta-coloured flowers. Known as Day Lily as the flowers tend to only last for one day, but they appear in a succession for weeks through early and middle summer.
Tolerates sun or semi-shade, any soil. Great for the middle or back of the border, or in pots: the stems can easily grow four feet high, and they don't generally need staking.
Just look at these flowers! Huge and gorgeous, what more could you ask for?
NOTE: In recent years, these plants have been afflicted by Gall Midges, tiny insects which lay their eggs inside the buds. The developing larvae distort the buds, ruining the flowers. You can spot this problem easily, as the buds become fat and often ugly, instead of being long and smooth, and of course they don’t open. It is vital to snip off all infected buds and either burn them or put them in the household waste - but don’t compost them! - to prevent the maggots falling to the soil and overwintering. At the time of writing there is no spray to kill the midges, nor to protect the plants, so vigilance is the only answer.
Hardy, deciduous shrub bearing large pure white pompoms of flowers all through the summer.
An elegant addition to almost any garden: draws the eye into corners, or can be a stand-alone shrub in an island bed. Does not require pruning, although you can remove the flowered heads if they start to look tatty: each year in late March or April, just trim back any frost-damaged tips and it will soon be leafy and floriferous again.
Sun or part shade, any soil. The colour of the flowers is not affected by the soil ph.
Sturdy upright stems carry striking yellow and purple flowers in early summer.
Ensure when planting that the rhizome is just clear of the soil, and don’t mulch over them, as they need to bake in the sun through summer in order to get good flowers for the following year. It also helps to plant them with the fan of leaves backing to the north, so that as much sun as possible can get to the rhizome.
Sunny spot preferred, any soil.
Graceful slender stems bear rich dark purple flowers in early Spring. Although this looks like a waterside plant, it does not require permanently damp conditions, although it does like moist soil, and it will happily flourish in the shade.
Don't mess around with this one - if you see it, kill it! This is the beast that has taken over whole areas of the south-west: it was imported from Japan by the Victorians, who thought it was pretty, and who didn't know that over here it has no predators, and in our climate it grows and grows and grows.
Be alert in your garden for small plants like this one - look for the spade-shaped leaves, the red blotches on the stems, and the way the leaves sprout alternately from kinks in the stem. Mature plants grow to five or six feet high, they have hollow cane-like or bamboo-like stems, and roots about two miles deep. Pull out what you can, burn the bits, spray glyphosate on the new leaves when it re-sprouts - and believe me, it WILL re-sprout - and warn your neighbours.
An unusual jasmine, which bears bright yellow flowers in early-mid summer, and has pretty, rounded, dark green leaves.
The stems are quite lax, so it does not climb by itself - it needs to be tied in to a support, whereupon it provides an airy waterfall of bright green foliage, not to mention the scented flowers.
In a mild winter, especially if grown against a wall, this plant keeps the foliage right through the winter..
Sun or shade, any soil, fully hardy, and can be trained up walls or over pergolas.
The well-known winter flowering jasmine: tiny bright yellow flowers appear on bare stems through winter. Can be trained up trellis or on wires, on arches, or up poles: or can be allowed to tumble down steep banks. The long flexible stems are bright green, and give the appearance of being evergreen.
Tolerates most soils and conditions: to keep under control, cut out one third of the main stems to ground level every year, or grow it as a standard with one main stem, and remove any side shoots to keep the original stem clear.
As the name implies, flowers in early summer: fragrant pretty pink tubular flowers on long bright green stems with elegant pointed foliage that twines, and will climb unaided up walls, trellis, etc. Will remain evergreen in sheltered conditions.
Flowers best in fairly sheltered spots: prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade.
Strong young plants, lots of new stems growing on, ready for planting out and training.
A lovely addition to a larger garden, or they can be kept smaller by being kept in pots. The leaves are large and shaped just like a tulip, hence the name. It also has tulip-shaped flowers, but they can take 8 years to appear, and the seedlings I have for sale are only two years old, so you might prefer to enjoy the leaves for a while.
They make a tall, upright tree, and can grow as much as 200' high (67m) with the right conditions. I have been wanting one of these trees ever since I saw one in Kew Gardens as a child, so I'm delighted to offer my spare seedlings for sale.
Sun or shade, any soil.
Small slow-growing shrub, grows to about 3' (1m) high but can be pruned to size and shape as required. Small leaves with a silver edge, held on arching branches to give a light, airy effect. Nowhere near as rampant as the plain green nitida, requires very little attention.
An excellent choice for an inaccessible bank, as it requires practically no attention from one year to another.
Very easy to grow and tolerant: enjoys most soils, will grow in sun, dappled shade, or deep shade.
Small slow-growing shrub, with graceful arching habit, grows to about 3' (1m) high but can be pruned to size and shape as required. Small leaves with a yellow edge, held on arching branches to give a light, airy effect. Nowhere near as rampant as the plain green nitida, requires very little attention.
An excellent choice for a pot or to call attention to a shady spot: requires practically no attention from one year to another.
Very easy to grow and tolerant: enjoys most soils, will grow in sun, dappled shade, or deep shade.
Large but slow-growing shrub, bearing creamy-white, very fragrant flowers through late winter and into early spring. Gives you all the advantages of the honeysuckle scent, but without the mad tendrils and untidy growing habit!
This is a lovely shrub to plant near to a pathway or at the edge of a patio that you use in the winter. It is better unpruned, as it forms graceful arching branches, but it can, if required, be restricted by pruning if it gets too large.
This is an easy care shrub, that happily tolerates sun or shade, any soil, including chalky and sandy.
Strong growing perennial with deep purple foliage, topped by brilliant yellow flowers through summer. Grows to at least 3' tall (1m) so very good for the middle of a border, particularly if the foliage is used as a backdrop to something brighter and smaller.
This photo shows a swathe of them in full bloom in the garden.
Sun or shade, any soil, will spread!
Tall, dramatic bamboo (technically, a grass) growing over 6'(2m) tall every year, makes a lovely screen which rustles in the wind.
Cut the canes off in February each year and use them in your garden!
The long, elegant green leaves have a white stripe running down the centre, and they turn gold in autumn. They hang on the plant for a long time, continuing the rustling.
Very wind tolerant: grows in most soils, easy care but will benefit from watering. Spreads slowly. For the best decorative effect, strip off the dead brown leaves at intervals through the autumn to reveal the increasingly purple culms or stems.
Here are two snaps of one of my own clumps, showing the height and fullness in early July, and then showing the wonderful red colour of the stems in winter. Great as a specimen plant, or particularly useful as an informal hedge or summer screen.
Fabulous plant for growing through gravel, it has dark purple-green strap-like leaves that turn jet black when grown in full sun. Grows about 6" (15cms) tall, and looks best grown through shingle, on a rock garden, or in a raised bed as a foil for plants with brighter foliage. Has the added advantage of 6" (15cms) spikes of lilac/purple flowers in summer, followed by glossy black berries.
Grows best on very well-drained soil such as rockeries, or gravel paths or drives. Spreads slowly by runners: if left undisturbed it will form fair-sized colonies. Does not lose it's leaves over winter.
Strong, well-established plants of an easy,large bamboo, with bright green stems and slender green leaves. Another very hardy Bamboo which can be grown in beds, in pots (the larger the better), and also makes a good screen, as in most winters it keeps the leaves. Like most bamboos, is just perfect growing through gravel.
Tolerates shade, semi-shade or sun: like all bamboos, the more you water it, the more it will grow. Reaches 15' high, but only spreads very slowly.
A classic tall bamboo, perfect for the contemporary garden. Once established, sends up incredibly fast-growing shoots which start off dark green, and after two years or so become shiny ebony-black. Best used as a feature plant, and looks just perfect growing through gravel.
Strong young plants for sale, all with some taller stems, as per the pictures: they are all throwing up strong new shoots at a rate of knots!
Tolerates shade, but a sunny situation produces the best stem colour : like all bamboos, is always described as disliking windy situations, but I've had this plant in my very windy back garden for years, and it is perfectly happy. In a mild winter, does not lose the leaves, which are narrow, lance-shaped, and green. But it's the black stems that are the real beauty of this plant. Grows 10-15' high, but only spreads very slowly.
A favourite old cottage garden plant that appears early in spring, producing graceful arching stems followed by dangling, green-tipped, white bells through late spring and early summer. Stems and foliage remain eye-catching even after the flowers are over. Prone to slug damage when young, and caterpillar damage when mature, but worth a little pest-picking.
Enjoys woodland conditions of dappled to deep shade, under trees: in cool, shady borders and woodland beds. Spreads to form thickets.
Well-known woodland favourite: grows eventually into a kingly tree, but takes many years to reach a size where it become problematical. It has a long and fascinating history of medicinal use, but it's probably best just to enjoy it as a tree. It has the familiar lobed leaves, and the much-loved acorns.
These are a good subject for hardy bonsai (I have a friend who has a fascinating collection of outdoor bonsai of what you and I might call "normal" trees) if restricted by being grown in a pot.
Prefers moist or wet heavy soils: not so good in sandy or chalky soils. Will eventually get quite large..... I have a selection of young trees, aged between 2 and 5 years old, of varying sizes.
Easy to grow, this herb has dark, velvety leaves, and is increasingly being used by garden designers. Particularly good against silver foliage, or grown through gravel, or used to soften the edges of paths. Its culinary uses are exactly the same as for the common sage, and it is regarded by herbalists as being more potent that common sage.
Grows up to 2' (60cms) high, can easily get very woody if not pruned. For the best tender, tasty, leaves (or just to maintain a nice looking plant) cut back about one third of the oldest stems, right down to the ground, every spring.
Grows just like normal Sage: prefers sunny, well-drained position and is likely to suffer if too wet through the winter.
Interesting and unusual Sage, with lax habit that makes it perfect for hanging baskets, or for tumbling over walls. Evergreen silvery grey/green fragrant leaves, and insignificant blue flowers in summer.
Bright green, strongly aromatic foliage makes this dwarf shrub ideal for ground cover, for low walls, for edging paths, or anywhere you will brush past it. During mid summer, the bright yellow pom-pom flowers add a splash of colour. Remains green all winter: can be prone to frost damage.
Needs a sunny position in well-drained soil: after flowering, cut back as hard as you like to keep it neat. Starts as an upright dome, but soon starts to tumble: looks great over low walls.
One of the most dramatic large clump-forming grasses. Slender wiry green leaves arch out and downwards, while the stiff flowering spikes tower six feet or more, forming a slow-motion waterfall of golden heads. Fabulous in prairie planting, or as a feature towards the back of a border.
Looks particularly nice with Verbena Bonariensis. In winter, cut down the flowering spikes and rake through the clump to remove any dead leaves. Wear stout gloves and long sleeves, as the edges of the leaves can be very sharp.
These are strong young plants, and will grow considerably after planting, so bear in mind the eventual spread of 8-10 feet and avoid crowding them.
Full sun, prefers light, well-drained soil.
An interesting, pretty, slow-growing dwarf conifer. The flattened leaves are scale-like, and are so glossy and bright green that they almost look as though they were made of plastic.
Like a lot of so-called dwarf conifers, this one can grow and grow, but it is very easily kept to size by pruning. Literally, just cut off any branches that are getting too big. Makes an interesting evergreen addition to a shrub border.
One of my all time favourite plants: easy to grow, low maintenance, and a never-ending succession of these beautiful blue triangular flowers, from early summer right through to autumn. And just as you think it's all over, the stout upright stem will sprout another flowering head! At the end of the year, just chop the foliage right down.
Ideal for woodland beds, as they like sun, but also tolerate shade. Not fussy about soil, will tolerate damp soil or dry soil, and will spread into strong clumps. What we used to call "a good doer".
A classic tall, airy perennial for the back of a border, for prairie planting, and for adding an easy splash of purple through the summer. The open, airy shape of the plant means that it can also be used at the front or middle of a border, despite being tall, and it is an excellent butterfly plant.
These plants have stiff, squarish stems that rise 5-6' (2m) high without the need for staking, and are topped by flattened clusters of pinky-purple flowers that start in June and go right on through September. The stems can be left for frost interest, or cut down: if expecting a hard winter, it is often best to leave a length of stem to protect the crown, as they can be susceptible to damage by very cold weather. However, they seed generously, and small seedlings can easily be moved to replace any specimens that don’t make it through the winter.
Best in full sun, as shade makes the stems less able to support themselves.
One of those shrubs where you just wish it had a popular name: Weigela, Deutzia and Scabies are all plants that, I think, are just crying out for a better name.
Names aside, this is a lovely flowering shrub: the leaves are shapely, the branches are elegant, the flowers are beautiful in shape, and a very interesting dark red in colour.
Easy to maintain: once established, just cut out about one in three stems, right back down to ground level. This keeps the shrub to about 5-6' tall (2m) and keeps it flowering just where you can see and appreciate the blooms.
Not fussy about conditions: sun or shade, any soil.
