Back

Plants to add drama

A touch of drama and a few statement plants help any garden look its best. Taking inspiration from a Chelsea Gold medal winning design by Chris Beardshaw, here are some plant suggestions to help you get a similar effect in your garden

A fiery foxglove

These foxgloves are hybrids between native and exotic species.
Dark stems contrast nicely with vibrant copper-coloured blooms
A new introduction, Digitalis × valinii 'Firebird' is a dramatic foxglove that produces 80cm spires of pinkish coppery-red tubular flowers starting in early summer, but it is said to repeat flower through the season. It should be a good perennial plant, clumping-up to form arresting groups that will add drama to borders in semi shade or some sun, as long as soil is fertile and not too dry. Hardy to -5°C. Won second place in the 2019 RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year competition.

Valiant valerian

The Pyrenean valerian has plenty of impact while also allowing views through
Valeriana pyrenaica is a charming perennial with arresting heads of pink flowers, making a useful plant for injecting height to the front of a sunny, open border or gravel garden. The flowers appear in early summer atop bolt upright stems which are slender enough not to block planting behind, giving it a 'transparent' quality. Easy to grow in full sun.

Majestic melianthus

With its unusual saw-toothed leaves, the honey flower is sure to make a statement
Producing arguably the most handsome foliage of any (relatively) hardy perennial, Melianthus major is a sensational plant – like a living sculpture. It may be cut to the ground by a cold winter but in spring new shoots soon develop wonderful jagged glaucous foliage. Useful for a silver or white planting scheme; alternatively contrast it with purple-leaved cannas. Grow in full sun with shelter. Hardy to around -5°C.

Vital viburnum

Tiers of growth bedecked with pure white flowers give this viburnum real impact
 A deservedly popular shrub, Viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii' repays good cultivation and plenty of space by forming a broad, handsome mound of elegant layered growth, which in spring produces masses of dainty white flowers atop the top of its branches. In autumn the leaves develop attractive red hues. Plant in light shade or some sun in any good well-drained garden soil that does not dry out.

Reaching to the heavens

Angelica makes a magnificently statuesque plant
For adding architectural drama to borders, Angelica archangelica is hard to beat. In its second year from seed it produces lofty stems topped by huge ball-shaped heads of green flowers. It grows best in some shade in moist fertile soil, and produces profuse amounts of seed which germinates easily: if you want to avoid masses of seedlings, cut off the heads before seeds fall.

Grow your own wedding cake

The wedding cake tree has a beautiful tiered structure
With layered growth, dramatically variegated foliage and heads of white flowers, Cornus controversa 'Variegata' makes a splendid tree that can form a dramatic living focal point in a garden. It is best positioned in the shelter and light shade of nearby deciduous trees to allow it to really stand out from the crowd. Give it fertile, well drained soil and be prepared for the long haul – this is a slow grower but it's well worth the wait.

A summer snowstorm

This hydrangea is great for providing a long season of interest
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake' is a summer flowering shrub producing remarkable clusters of white blooms on arching stems over a long period, then in autumn, the plant's oak-like foliage develops appealing fiery tints. Mature plants also develop stems with peeling bark.

A pretty perfect peony

This peony's pale flowers shine out from garden borders
A stand-out herbaceous peony, Paeonia 'Claire de Lune' produces golden chalice-like flowers that provide an outstanding accent for a few weeks in early summer. Grow it in a sunny or lightly shaded border in fertile soil that does not dry out.
Save to My scrapbook

You might also like

Discover Wisley's Exotic Garden

Discover Wisley's Exotic Garden

Find the right plant for your garden

Find the right plant for your garden

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.