Plants in the Boodles Raindance Garden

Polystichum tsussimense, is one of the basal green ferns in the planting, providing texture and structure, as well a perfect example of fractal forms. A reliable fern with glossy, upright, darkly veined fronds and a delicate spine-pointed tip for shadier spots and underplanting. Polystichum tsussimense is evergreen, but old fronds can be cut back in early spring to reveal the newly emerging purple-tinged fronds that transition to green from neat basal rosettes.

A unique gymnosperm with ancient fossil records, defies the traditional image of its plant family. Once thought extinct, its inclusion in the garden is akin to finding a rare pink diamond. This wonderful, ancient tree from China dates back at least 200 million years. Its distinctive, fan-shaped, bright green leaves turn bright gold when a warm autumn follows a warm summer.

Umbellifer Astrantia ‘Shaggy’ evokes jewel-like facets in the garden. With exceptionally long, green-tipped, white bracts that are often incurved in the middle and raggedly toothed towards the ends, ‘Shaggy’ produces larger than average flower heads for an Astrantia. In ideal conditions this masterwort will self seed freely if the faded flowers are not removed, but the resulting seedlings rarely come true to type.

The Iris ‘Perry’s Blue’ colour echoes the water of the ‘Raindance’. This lovely Siberian iris is perfect for planting at a sunny waterside on well-drained, neutral to slightly acid soil. Ideal for providing all-year vertical interest and looks stunning planted in bold clumps.

Cenolophium’s brightness represents the sparkling light of diamonds. Big, starburst-like heads of elegant flowers are the key feature of this plant – although the dark green, fern-like foliage they rise above from midsummer to autumn is also attractive. Acting as a beacon to beneficial insects, these gorgeous flowers also make wonderful additions to cut or dried flower arrangements.