You’re right, I had Bird of paradise and Japanese bananas that I did take in over the winter but they didn’t come back, such a shame as they were enormous by the end of the first summer. Again thanks for the ideas I’ll be adding them to my short list.
I like the sound of this too, I had been looking at ‘Bee Bombs’ but imagine they are just an expensive way to plant wild flowers. Next door have some buddleia so may be I can get a split off them. Thanks.
A trailing rosemary could work too, it would look nice draping over the white.It's an evergreen and this huge one that I walk past regularly always seems to be in flower. Photos taken last April when it was covered in bees.
Have a look at , Rodgersia tough and hardy, huge leaves when it gets going, Ligularia Desdemona another with great foliage, Artimesia Oriental Limelight, bit of a thug but brightens up a dull corner and you can easily control it if it grows beyond it’s allotted space, Hostas, yes ok slugs, avoid the blue tinged ones which seem to get attacked more readily than the variegated or pure green, Macleaya, great grey green unusual shaped foliage, all easy and undemanding.
Rosemary is great but not sure if it would be hardy enough for North East England, I certainly cannot grow it here in central Scotland. I grow it but keep it in a pot which gets moved into a unheated greenhouse over winter.
@hailbopp @Escarpment, thanks for the suggestions too. This list is getting longer and every time I go and look something up I end up seeing loads of other flowers I like ‘Toad Lilly’ being one, that popped up after looking at Rodgersia and also Muhlenbergia capillaris looks brilliant. That leads me onto another question is there a best place to buy that most people agree on? In the past I’ve bought from Gardening Express and I’ve always been pleased with condition the plants have arrived and how well they’ve been packaged.
@Ryan Youll toad lilies are lovely but the flowers are small in shades of mauve/purple and are the sort you look at close up. So they may not give you the tropical wow! I know oriental poppies are common, but for size of flower and impact they are great. I like "Beauty of Livermere" for a proper big red bloom
I think there might be a thread on best places to buy from, or maybe that was on the GW forum. Probably worth a search to see or maybe starting a thread as then you’ll get more up to date opinions I’ve had good experience from Crocus but they are expensive but sometimes have good sales. I think the following often come up in forum conversations as good Beth Chatto, Hardy Cottage plants, Ballyroberts. We have a Blue Diamond GC near us and they have a good range. Oh Heuchaholics are good
Rosemary may well be hardy enough for the NE if sheltered and in well drained preferably raised bed. They really don't like cold wet conditions. For buying common things a good GC, for more unusual things then l start with a good nursery, they have more plants than tat. After that it's mail order; search the internet and take your pick.
