The genus Viola is a large group that contains over 500 species of herbaceous plants and small shrubs. It belongs to the violet family, Violaceae, and there are several popular flowering plants within the genus! These can be separated into distinctive garden types: pansies (Viola x wittrockiana); Violets (Viola odorata, Viola riviniana, V. cornuta, and … Read more
Delphiniums are a group of around 365 plants that belong to the genus Delphinium, and the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as larkspurs, delphiniums, although similar, are actually different plants altogether! Plants in this group consist of annuals, biennials, and perennials. The most common delphiniums grown today are part of or derived from … Read more
Lupines, more commonly known as lupins, are a group of around 200 herbaceous and partly woody plants that belong to the genus Lupinus. They are members of the pea family Fabaceae, alongside sweet peas and edible peas! Most wild species are not particularly suited to being grown as ornamentals, however, a large number of hybrid … Read more
Alcea rosea is commonly known as hollyhocks and are lovely flowering plants belonging to the genus Alcea. They are part of the Malvaceae family, which also contains Mallows and Hibiscus, and are classified as biennials, or short-lived perennials. However, they readily self-seed so they can persist for years in the garden. Hollyhocks are hugely popular … Read more