Team Chatto's favourite plants - part 2

Here, my colleagues from the Beth Chatto Team continue to share some of their personal favourites.

Kathy - Production Assistant

"Sisyrinchium 'Californian Skies' is such a pretty little perennial. Despite being delicate in appearance, it is a hardy little grass-like plant with beautiful bright blue, star-shaped flowers. Happy with full sun in a well-drained soil, it is an ideal addition to any scree garden, butler sink or garden trough."

Mel – Acting Growing Manager

Melica uniflora f. albida

"What is there not to love about this plant? I first saw it at Beth’s 10 years ago. After potting many seedlings, I never realised its true beauty until I went into the growing tunnel a few weeks later and was amazed that what I had potted had grown into something quite so beautiful.

I find it so elegant, with its fine, lineal leaves. I love how the arching stems sway in the breeze, and how the delicate white/cream buds, which look like grains of rice, sparkle in the light. Being a shade-loving plant, it gives a touch of brightness and a glimmer of shine, which I find quite magical and relaxing to watch.

It has a flowering period from April to June. Being clump-forming and fully hardy, I find this an excellent plant, as it can be planted in most types of soil. At home in my garden, I have planted it with dicentra and ferns, as I find they complement each other rather well."

Pratham – Seasonal Production Assistant

"Agapanthus ‘Twister’ is one of those plants that quietly steals the spotlight. The white and deep blue flowers look like they are hand-painted and really stand out without being too bold.

What I find most interesting is its resilience - thick, water-storing roots make it naturally drought-tolerant, flourishing in full sun with very little maintenance. Flowering through summer, it brings both structure and nuanced drama, especially in containers or sunny borders.

I would say It’s a perfect balance of beauty and efficiency - a plant that looks refined yet works hard behind the scenes."

Kirsten – Growing Assistant

"Nepeta nuda ‘Romany Dusk’ is one plant I love to see growing in a garden as it brings me joy with their beautiful aromatic silvery foliage, dark stemmed spires of tiny pale lilac flowers. As it originates from southern and Central Europe, it loves a well-drained soil in a warm, sunny position. Best grown in the middle or towards the back of a border as it reaches 90cm in height. Cut back after flowering and it will reward you with a second flush of flowers."

Steve – Head of Horticulture

"Whorled Solomon's seal, Polygonatum verticillatum, provides a dramatic, frothy vertical in a shady corner of the water garden, mixing well with Hosta ‘Frances Williams’ and Actaea matsumurae 'Elstead Variety'. I love the new shoots erupting from the ground in spring, slender stems, with dusky tones, before they green up and the narrow leaves helicopter out, providing a backdrop for the many clusters of creamy-green flowers. The stems gently arch over through the year, gradually colouring to yellow and amber.

As a bonus, it is a rare UK native, now restricted to a few Scottish sites. A rewarding plant for a good soil, in shade."

Rob – Plant Health & Biological Control Handler

"Cynara cardunculus, the mighty cardoon, the striking artichoke thistle, a true favourite of mine! Often cited as an architectual feature plant, it's a true showstopper! Although, my personal fancy, at least from an aesthetic view point derives from the huge spectacle the Cynara cardunculus delivers.

With the potential of reaching heights of 2.5 metres and a spread of 1.5 metres, this Cynara is going to be noticed! The individual, great arching leaves alone of this marvel can even grow to a metre in length.

They range from a glaucous complexion, to a rather dazzling silverish colour. This, along with their distinguished, deep pinnatifid construction can add real contrast amongst softer foliage.

Although it's very easy to think of this plant as simply architectual and statuesque, I fell in love with it whilst holding an entirely different aesthetic in mind. For me, this Cynara breaches across that veiled border, between realism and the romantic, deeply mystical fantasy of the natural world. When established, its towering form, atop with bursting purple thistle-like flower heads, almost Lovecraftian in vision, casts a spell. It belongs to the fae. And any plant which can, even if it's only for the most briefest of moments, conjure into your mind a magic, it must belong in your garden.

It's fully hardy, clump forming, and enjoys the full sun, in a fertile, well draining soil."