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Larger, much earlier, broader leaved, more vigorous, mostly but not always two flowers per stem. From former Hungary now Western Ukraine. Stays true in cultivation and doesn’t, so far, seem to cross with Lvv. Seeds well with me.

A selection I made some years ago which reliably flowers first and usually in early January, hence Janus. Janus: a two-faced Roman god who looks back to the old year and forward to the new one. Otherwise it’s a typical vagneri.

A very rare green-berried form of privet found in Lincolnshire. Dense heads of white flowers in late June followed by green berries in Autumn. Height to 200cm. Flowers best in sun, any soil. Easy to grow.

The flowers start fully double and pale green and as they grow and expand, the petals get yellower and yellower. Very swetly scented. July and August. Glossy green leaves on upright stems to 90cm. Sun or part shade.

Amazing pale yellow flowers like 5-pointed stars with a central proboscis looking like pouting lips. Very narrow grey-green leaves. Clumping and running but dodging here and there between other things. To 45cm. From July to frosts. Very well-drained soil in full sun. A curious and unusual form of a British native found in the 1960s.

Brilliant blue flowers set on a long, narrow, leafy spike. Narrow, pale green leaves. Fully deciduous and very hardy. 75-90cm. Any moist soil in sun or part shade. September/October. Collected in Yunnan, China, in 1987. Often changing to brilliant yellow Autumn colour whilst in bloom.

Rich golden-yellow flowers in clusters in the leaf axils. Dark green hairy leaves. Rich brown bark. Branching upright habit to 2m. Any soil in sun or part shade. June. From Harry Hay. Rare.

Brilliant rose pink flowers produced in long succession in June and July. Densely grey-hairy leaves and stems. Clump-forming. Good perennial to 90cm. Full sun and dry. Found in Janet Cropley's garden in Northamptonshire.

Relatively short but very early flowering minature daffodil in sulphur yellow. Occasionally, the flowers can be semi-double. The leaves are relatively green and often have a recurved tip. Very vigorous but rarely offered. Originally, ‘The O’Mahoney’ because Bowles got it from a friend in Ireland, but widely distributed by Bowles and named for him by association.

Long, loose spikes of bright blue flowers a little smaller than in O. cappadocica. Long, narrow, shiny, dark green, evergreen leaves with brownish petioles. Clump-forming and will seed around. 20-30cm. April to June. Any soil in sun or part shade. Very hardy.

Many spikes of pure white, Arabis-like flowers produced to very striking effect. Forms solid clumps of rounded green leaves. Fully evergreen. 30-45cm. Any soil. Especially good in horribly dry, part shade. Seeds around. Will do in the worst spots.

Small heads of pale pink to white flowers produced on very thin stems in the upper leaf axils. The lyrate leaves are amazing with rings of green, brown, purple and brilliant silver. Greener in Summer. Forms large clumps to 75cm. July /August. Damper soil in sun or part shade. When it flowers, or if it threatens to get too big, give it a severe haircut, it won't mind in the slightest. A superb new plant from Bob Brown.

Heads of large pale blue flowers on upright stems. Forms a loose, open clump of pinnate green leaves. 60 to 75cm. Any soil in part shade. June to August. A superb hybrid from Monique Dronet which has stood the test of time and is much tougher than it looks.

Typical drumstick primula heads in soft purple. The leaves are strongly variegated with cream margins. Forms solid clumps when happy. 30cm. March /April. Damp soils in sun. The odd green reversions should be removed. An unusual form launched by Blooms in the 1970s and which almost disappeared.

Flowers start pink and soon change to a good blue. The leaves start upright and are relatively narrow, they have a narrow creamy-silver edge with the rest of the leaf blade being silver-grey. Clump-forming. 30cm. March / April. Average to damp in part shade. Started as one variegated streak in a leaf. Found by Joe Sharman in the late 1990s and has proved itself very tough.

double yellow, purple leaves

Large double cream flowers with really rich purple-blue backs. A unique combination. Fully fertile flowers held just above the leaves. 6 cm. Later flowering than some. Leaves almost all green with rare silver flecking. Found by Alan Robinson (at Wisley)

Amazing leaves, pink, brown, purple

A small clump-forming plant with many upright, green stems each bearing a small cluster of rich, dark red flowers which age to brown in seed. Leaves small, short and pointed. Makes brown trunks above ground looking like a small tree. 10cm. April / May. Any soil in sun but not too dry. One of my most popular plants.

Terminal custers of curious coppery-pink flowers. Upright, deciduous stems with many jagged-edged, purply-blue-green leaves. Solid clumps. 20cm. March. Well-drained soil in sun. Disappears early.

Flat heads of bright orange flowers aging to brown. Narrow, pointed, dark green leaves set along the deciduous stems. Makes a large swollen rootstock. 20cm. April / May. Any soil in sun but not too dry. Very slow to increase and difficult to propagate.

Rosa 'Mme. Jules Thibaud

Many, large, brilliant dark red single flowers. Glaucous leaves and stems. Shrub to 2m. From May to frosts. Any soil in sun. Can be cut to the floor by minus 10C but it always sprouts again. Syn. 'Sanguinea'

Many fully double, brilliant rich red flowers. Smaller greener but purple-tinted leaves than the above. Fine stems. Shrub to 1m. From May to frosts. Any soil in sun. Can be cut to the floor by minus 10C but it always sprouts again. To us from Graham Thomas.

Large, very double, magenta purple flowers followed by edible red berries. Fresh green lobed leaves. Attractive brown canes which are slightly bristly. 120-150cm. May/ June. Any soil in sun or part shade. Running in damper soils.

More of a shrub than a tree and much less vigorous. The stems are yellowish green at first becoming more orange later. Leaves are distinctly yellow. 6ft. 180cm.