My top ten
| 1 | Cornus alba 'Aurea' | Crisp golden foliage the whole season followed by red winter stems. An ideal foil for a dark background. |
| 2 | Lonicera (unnamed) | Magnificent perfume at even' time throughout the whole garden. Good for night flying insects. |
| 3 | Yucca flaccida 'Golden Sword' | Prominent variegated leaves remain the whole year to make this low growing architectural plant an excellent front border feature . |
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4 | Geranium
clarkei 'Kashmir Purple' | Purple/blue flowers the whole summer long make this a 'must'. Works well with mauve leafed varieties of Berberis and will climb through stems. Self seeds occasionally. |
| 5 | Weigela variegata | Pink flowers in late spring/early summer complement the creamy variegated leaves. A haven for newly emerging insects which is 'buzzing' with life during the flowering period. Deciduous. |
| 6 | Ceanothus
'Concha' | Blue flowers with yellow tips cover the whole shrub during spring filling the garden with colour. Extra interest is provided by the dark green leaves the whole year round. Excellent for insects. |
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7 | Rosa
blanc 'Double de Coubert' |
A shrub rose with quite beautiful fragrance. This rugosa rose has the characteristic thick leathery mid green foliage and from late spring to late summer produces semi-double large white flowers 3" across with yellow stamens which exude a quite beautiful and powerful scent. Excellent for insects. In autumn flowers are followed by large orange hips. |
| 8 | Eryngium
'Bourgatii' |
Steely blue flowers in July are unique and complemented by spiky grey leaves. A truly beautiful and unusual plant which is good for insects too. Good for drying and as a cut flower. A 'must have' plant. |
| 9 | Lavandula
'Munstead' | Evergreen grey leaves are accompanied by purple flowers over a long period during the summer. Brush by the plant to obtain the wonderful perfume loved by gardeners and insects alike. Good for cutting and drying. Provides year round interest but is relatively short lived. |
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10 | Syringa
Microphylus 'Superbia' | An unusual but interesting minature lilac which flowers in spring. Finely cut delicate leaves are matched by slender straight stems. Likes a clay soil and is deciduous but hardy. Beautiful fragrance. |