RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
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10 standout plants of RHS Hampton 2024

Meet the floral stars of the show and discover inspiring plant ideas to take home from this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

The plants at a glance

  1. Feijoa sellowiana (formerly Acca sellowiana) – pineapple guava
  2. Hemerocallis citrina – long yellow daylily
  3. Dianthus carthusianorum – German pink
  4. Rodgersia ‘Bronze Peacock’
  5. Geranium psilostemon ‘Catherine Deneuve’PBR – Armenian cranesbill ‘Catherine Deneuve’PBR
  6. Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Lavender Lady’ – Mexican fleabane ‘Lavender Lady’
  7. Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Dwarf Snow Lady’ – shasta daisy ‘Dwarf Snow Lady’
  8. Allium schubertii – Schubert’s allium
  9. Digitalis isabelliana ‘Bella’ – Isabel’s foxglove ‘Bella’
  10. Alyogyne hakeifolia – Australian hibiscus


Feijoa sellowiana (formerly Acca sellowiana)

Multistem and standard forms of Feijoa sellowiana on The Mediterraneo Garden
Hailing from the subtropics of South America, this hardworking exotic evergreen is an underused gem. Tolerance of a wide range of soils and climates, drought resistance, fragrant foliage, stunning red flowers and edible fruits are all packed into one easycare shrub that requires minimal maintenance.

Despite its tropical looks, pineapple guava is mostly hardy, and its fast-growing nature, dense habit and amenability to being cut right back make it highly versatile as a shrub, hedge or small tree.

Some of this versatility is showcased on The Mediterraneo Garden, which includes both a multistem form planted in a bed and a lollipop-shaped standard form displayed in a pot, to create cohesion and sustained interest in a small space through the use of variations on a theme.

A really underused plant. I think it’s the shrub of the future in the UK

- Emma Allen, RHS Head of Horticultural Relations
  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: well-drained
  • Flowering period: May to July
  • Hardiness: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK
  • Find out more
 

Hemerocallis citrina

Hemerocallis citrina on The Lion King Anniversary Garden
This tall and elegant daylily is an eye-catching addition to The Lion King Anniversary Garden, where it mingles with other warm tones of Achillea ‘Desert Eve Terracotta’, Carex testacea ‘Prairie Fire’ (orange New Zealand sedge) and the unusual asphodel relative Bulbinella frutescens ‘Sunset Orange’, which perfectly picks out the orange leaf tones in the Carex.

Trumpet-shaped lemon-yellow blooms are held high above narrow, strap-like leaves on dark stems. The taller stems and more delicate, paired-back foliage compared to many Hemerocallis allows the blooms to really shine above the rest of the planting. 

In The Sounds of Adventure Garden, H. citrina contrasts with the blue tresses of Campanula lactiflora ‘Pritchard’s Variety’ and the stout violet spikes of Lythrum salicaria ‘Robert’. The clean lemon-yellow tones perfectly with the acid lime green of Euphorbia ceratocarpa to pull the whole combination together.

Hemerocallis citrina is native to East Asia and is actually more of a night lily than a daylily, since the blooms open out fully around sunset before closing again the following morning. The half-closed trumpets give the plant a refined and delicate look during the day, while the evening opening releases a delicious lemony scent, making this the perfect perennial for planting close to a walkway or seating area where the fragrance can be best enjoyed.
 
  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: moist but well-drained
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • Hardiness: fully hardy
  • Find out more


Dianthus carthusianorum

Dianthus carthusianorum on the Climate-Forward Garden
If the frilly double blooms of many highly bred carnations aren’t your thing, try the species pink Dianthus carthusianorum, which is being used more and more by designers for both its sleek, up-to-date looks and its low-maintenance robustness.

Refined clusters of small, clean, elegant single blooms are held aloft on slender stems that rise above the rest of the planting and sway gently in the breeze. These light and airy pops of colour mingle perfectly with other perennials and grasses that also thrive in the hot and dry conditions enjoyed by this resilient perennial.

In The Climate Forward Garden, this tall German pink contrasts with orange Achillea and the feathery plumes of Stipa tenuissima in a gravel-based planting scheme, while in The Sounds of Adventure Garden it weaves through the equally airy blooms of Gaura and sits alongside the textural furry stems of the unusual Phlomis lycia. 

It elevates over everything else and adds a pop of colour that lifts the whole scheme. It’s such a clear pink

- Nic Howard, designer of The Sounds of Adventure Garden
  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: well-drained
  • Flowering period: June to September
  • Hardiness: extremely hardy
  • Find out more

 

Rodgersia ‘Bronze Peacock’

Rodgersia ‘Bronze Peacock’ on The Way Of Saint James
A compact, clump-forming perennial that loves to have wet feet, Rodgersia ‘Bronze Peacock’ is ideal for a tricky damp corner of the garden, but also thrives in an average border that doesn’t dry out too much. Stunning, five-lobed bronze foliage appears in spring, with clusters of small dusty-pink flowers rising above the leaves in summer.

Nestling next to a pebbly pool, ‘Bronze Peacock’ is used to great effect on The Way of Saint James, where it sits among Dryopteris ferns, Hakonechloa grasses, Astrantia and Nandina domestica for a muted, subtle and beautifully tranquil palette of colours and textures.

Amazing leaves, lovely colour, and you even get flowers too

- Emma Allen, RHS Head of Horticultural Relations
  • Position: full sun or part shade
  • Soil: moist but well-drained or poorly drained
  • Flowering period: July to August
  • Hardiness: fully hardy
  • Find out more
 

Geranium psilostemon ‘Catherine Deneuve’PBR

Geranium ‘Catherine Deneuve’ on the Exodus Adventure Travels: The Sounds of Adventure Garden
A rarely seen cultivar of the popular hardy geranium Geranium psilostemon, ‘Catherine Deneuve’PBR features very unusual, much reduced petals, which give the flowers a beautifully delicate and starry appearance that complements the finely divided foliage.

In The Sounds of Adventure Garden ‘Catherine Deneuve’PBR is used as groundcover near a water pool, where it blends with Astilbe and Hackelochloa to create a beautifully naturalistic, woodland-style planting combination for a slightly damp and shady spot.

The smattering of pollinator-friendly flowers, which though a strikingly intense magenta are kept light in feel by their narrow, starry petals, is perfect for brightening up a shadier corner while not detracting attention away from the rest of the planting. In autumn, the leaves turn red before dying back to extend the season of interest. 
 
  • Position: full sun or part shade
  • Soil: well-drained or moist but well-drained
  • Flowering period: May to September
  • Hardiness: extremely hardy
  • Find out more


Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Lavender Lady’

Erigeron ‘Lavender Lady’ on the RHS Adventure Within Garden
This new cultivar of the much-loved Erigeron karvinskianus brings all the same fantastic qualities to the table as the omnipresent species from which it was bred: astonishingly long and prolific flowering, virtually zero maintenance, drought tolerance, hardiness, and total unwillingness to die or succumb to any kind of garden malady.

A pale lilac version of the traditional white and pink fleabane, ‘Lavender Lady’ oozes pastel calm and is perfect for containers, gravel gardens, the front of dry borders, and even cracks in the patio for a naturalistic look.

In the RHS Adventure Within Garden, Erigeron ‘Lavender Lady’ spills over the border edge in front of Salvia nemorosa and Agapanthus for a dreamy combination of blues and purples, while others are dotted through the gravel for a self-sown look, interwoven with contrasting pops of orange from Californian poppies.
 
  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: well-drained
  • Flowering period: May to October
  • Hardiness: fully hardy
  • Find out more


Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Dwarf Snow Lady’

Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Dwarf Snow Lady’ by D’Arcy and Everest in the floral marquee
Reaching only around 20-30cm tall yet packing a punch in terms of flower power, this dwarf shasta daisy is ideal for containers, gravel gardens and the front of sunny borders.

A profusion of cheerful, pollinator-friendly white and yellow flowerheads rise above a small, neat mound of deep green foliage from May to October with regular deadheading. Drought tolerant and hardy, it will provide colour over a long season for very little input.

Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Dwarf Snow Lady’ is planted in a gravel-topped container in D’Arcy and Everest’s display in the floral marquee.

This plant is impressive for impact. It gives real bang for your buck

- Tim Upson, RHS Director of Gardens and Horticulture

  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: well-drained
  • Flowering period: May to October
  • Hardiness: fully hardy
  • Find out more


Allium schubertii

Allium schubertii in the floral marquee
With its purple and white forms bookending a stunning allium display in the floral marquee, this explosive number, which so boldly rebels against the tidy globe-shaped heads of so many alliums, is hard to miss. Alliums are loved for their ability to plug gaps in borders and create transitional pops of colour in late spring, with the taller forms becoming emergents that bring early height to a border.

If you like your alliums quirky, Allium schubertii can be used in much the same way, but its stout spikes are relatively short, so keep it near the front of the border where the detail of its intriguing shape can be admired at close range. 

A. schubertii’s flower power becomes all the more impressive when you consider that it is just a wild-type species, native to North Africa and the Middle East, meaning its wacky looks are all natural rather than a result of targeted breeding.

An outrageous plant in the best possible way. It’s like a firework going off

- Emma Allen, RHS Head of Horticultural Relations
  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: well-drained or moist but well-drained
  • Flowering period: May to July
  • Hardiness: hardy through most of the UK
  • Find out more


Digitalis isabelliana ‘Bella’

Digitalis isabelliana ‘Bella’ on Lancaster’s Garden of Renewal, Nature’s Embrace
A relatively recent introduction, ‘Bella’ was bred from the wild Canary Island foxglove formerly known as Isoplexis isabelliana by US plant breeder Birdie Lenard-Fountain. Birdie had fallen in love with the tenacity of this rare foxglove, which clings to sun-baked stony hillsides in Tenerife and Gran Canaria as an evergreen shrub. 

‘Bella’ was bred to keep the elegance and striking colouring of the wild form, but in a compact, bushy habit that is ideal for a garden setting. This evergreen perennial is unmissable for its dense spikes of slim, vivid apricot flowers, which festoon reddish-toned stems.

In Lancaster’s Garden of Renewal, Nature’s Embrace, the foxglove’s gorgeously rich orange tones are picked out throughout the garden by Pilosella aurantiaca (fox and cubs) and Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, as well as in the hard landscaping by means of the warm golden-orange path through the garden.

Flowering from midsummer, ‘Bella’ will continue to offer beautiful colour all the way through to mid-autumn with its multiple flower spikes. It will thrive in a sunny, well-drained spot, but in the UK is likely to require winter protection or bringing indoors except for in mild or coastal areas.

I didn’t want too much colour in the garden – just one touch. The foxglove was a heart call

- Giada Francois, designer of Lancaster’s Garden of Renewal, Nature’s Embrace

  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: well-drained
  • Flowering period: June to September
  • Hardiness: half-hardy


Alyogyne hakeifolia

Alyogyne hakeifolia on the Exodus Adventure Travels: The Sounds of Adventure Garden
This rare hibiscus relative is an immediate eyecatcher on the Exodus Adventure Travels: The Sounds of Adventure Garden. The dainty evergreen is covered in a smattering of delicate lilac blooms, each a furled whorl of silky petals with a dark eye at the centre.

The narrow three-lobed leaves, which are very reduced in width and density compared to a hibiscus – reflecting its arid Australian habitat – give the shrub an open and airy feel, allowing you to see through the web of beautiful blooms to the rest of the planting beyond.

Though Australian hibiscus will need winter protection in most areas of the UK, it will make a magnificent specimen shrub, either in a well-drained, sunny border from which it can be lifted, or planted in peat-free compost mixed with sand or gravel in a container that can be brought in over winter. Its impressively long flowering season and sheer novelty factor make it well worth the extra effort of providing winter protection. 

I saw it on the nursery and thought, oh my goodness, what is that plant – it’s absolutely fabulous

- Nic Howard, designer of The Sounds of Adventure Garden
  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: well-drained
  • Flowering period: May to September
  • Hardiness: half-hardy

About the author – Olivia Drake

With a background in plant sciences, Olivia is passionate about sustainable horticulture, plantsmanship and biodiversity. She is trained as a botanical horticulturist and previously worked in public gardens around the UK and overseas.

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