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Penstemons
Adored by the Victorians, penstemons have recently had a well-deserved revival. These vibrant perennials will bring a splash of colour to any garden with their strong, upright stems covered in delicate, bell-shaped flowers. Plant them in the centre of a cottage garden border or give them star billing in your patio pots. Our growers are big fans, with new varieties being trialled every time we visit the nursery! Which one will you add to your collection next?
Which penstemon?
With an impressive range of colours, you’re sure to find a penstemon to complement any garden design. Choose from vibrant reds, blues and purples, bright whites and blush pink shades or eyecatching bicolours. The Pensham range of penstemons are particularly good, as are Phoenix varieties. With their long lasting flowers and slender stems, they’re ideal for cutting, too.
Planting schemes and partners
Long flowering penstemon is a perfect plant for a wild and romantic cottage garden planting scheme, but these compact plants are also versatile enough for container displays and make a great addition to a prairie or meadow. They’re also a bit of a pollinator magnet, so add some to your wildlife garden and watch the bees and butterflies come rushing…
Growing tips
Penstemons are easy to grow in almost any position in a border or pot, and won’t take a lot of maintaining, as they’re drought resistant once established. Plant them in sun or semi shade - they’ll be happy in any soil except heavy clay. Your plants will keep blooming for months, and you can extend this even further by deadheading the flowers when they finish. In cold areas, apply a dry mulch of bark chips of straw around the crown of each plant in autumn and leave the old foliage intact until spring to protect your plants during winter.
Cottage Garden must-have in rich Purple
- Deep purple flowers on tall upright stems
- Flowers from July to November
- Adds height to a Cottage Garden border
- Attracts bees and butterflies
Bright white bee-friendly blooms
- Lace white clusters of flowers on slender stems
- Flowers from June to October
- Ideal for cottage garden borders
- RHS Plants for Pollinators
Rich wine-red flowers on tall stems
- Deep red flowers on tall upright stems
- Flowers from July to November
- Ideal for the middle or back of a border
- Perfect for Pollinators
Bee-friendly blush pink and white bells
- Large bell-shaped white flowers with a soft pink blush
- Long flowering from May to September
- Plant in drifts in your cottage garden border
- RHS Plants for Pollinators
Electric Blue Penstemon sparks interest in borders
- Electric blue flowers tinged with purple
- Summer flowering from June to September
- Ideal for the middle or back of a border
- Adored by bees
The long flowering Victorian garden classic
- Flowers from June to October
- Perfect for mid-front borders or patio pots
- Super hardy, low maintenance perennials
- A cottage garden classic
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