Plant database
A library for small spaces
Edibles, herbs, fruit and flowers that thrive in pots, patches and windowsills.
Good picks for autumn
From our library — tuned to what's worth starting in September. Set your region for picks tailored to your climate.
Nerine
Shimmering pink lily-stars in October when little else is flowering.
Michaelmas Daisy
Drifts of lavender-pink daisies in October — late nectar for bumblebees.
Radish
Ready to eat in just 4 weeks – fastest reward in gardening.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Succulent plates that turn from pink to brick — September pollinator buffet.
Herb
St John's wort
St John's wort is a hardy perennial herb with bright yellow flowers traditionally used for medicinal purposes. It thrives in sunny locations with minimal care and can spread vigorously.
Herb
Lavender
Lavender is a drought-tolerant perennial herb prized for its fragrant purple flowers and silvery foliage. It thrives in sunny, dry conditions and is ideal for small containers.
Flower
David Austin White Rose
David Austin English roses are renowned for their classic cupped blooms, fragrance, and disease resistance. White varieties like 'Claire Austin' and 'Generous Gardener' combine old-rose charm with repeat flowering.
Flower
Dutch iris
Dutch iris are spring-blooming bulbs prized for their elegant flowers in blue, purple, yellow, and white. They naturalize well and make excellent cut flowers.
Leafy green
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Hardy annual
Quick salad crop, cut-and-come-again in shallow pots.
Herb
Mint
Mentha spicata
Hardy perennial
Vigorous spreader – keep in its own pot or it takes over.
Leafy green
Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
Hardy annual
Cool-weather green packed with iron. Sow successionally.
Cut flower
Impatiens (Busy Lizzie)
Impatiens walleriana
Half-hardy annual
Best shade-tolerant flower-power for north-facing balconies.
Cut flower
Tuberous Begonia
Begonia × tuberhybrida
Tender perennial
Camellia-like blooms that thrive where sun is patchy — overwinter the tubers.
Flower
Ajuga (Bugle)
Ajuga reptans
Hardy perennial
Glossy ground-cover with cobalt spires — happy in dry shade.
Flower
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Hardy biennial
Bumblebee skyscrapers — biennial, self-seeds for years to come.
Flower
Hellebore
Helleborus orientalis
Hardy perennial
Nodding winter blooms when nothing else dares — feeds early bumblebees.
Leafy green
Watercress
Nasturtium officinale
Hardy perennial
Grow in a pot stood in a tray of water — peppery superfood.
Herb
Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
Hardy annual
Delicate aniseed parsley cousin — happy in shadier spots.
Shrub
Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla
Hardy perennial
Blousy mophead blooms — colour shifts with soil pH on some varieties.
Flower
Astrantia
Astrantia major
Hardy perennial
Pin-cushion flowers in pewter, pink and crimson — bee magnet for shade.
Flower
Wood Spurge
Euphorbia amygdaloides
Hardy perennial
Acid-green spring bracts — happy in dry shade where little else grows.
Flower
Lungwort
Pulmonaria officinalis
Hardy perennial
Spotted leaves, pink-to-blue spring flowers — first bumblebee meal.
Flower
Coral Bells
Heuchera villosa
Hardy perennial
Caramel-to-purple foliage all year — frothy summer flowers.
Flower
Christmas Rose
Helleborus niger
Hardy perennial
Pure-white winter blooms in time for Christmas — feeds January bees.
Flower
Wood Anemone
Anemone nemorosa
Hardy perennial
Native white woodland anemone — pure spring innocence under trees.
Flower
Balm-leaved Archangel
Lamium orvala
Hardy perennial
Refined deadnettle — pink hooded flowers above big quilted leaves.
Cut flower
Martagon Lily
Lilium martagon
Hardy perennial
Turk's-cap lily with tiers of nodding flowers — shade-tolerant.