With so many different plants to choose from, it can be difficult for gardeners to pick a specific color scheme with which to fill their greenhouses. Indeed, there are plenty of options for those who want to set their green space apart from the crowd.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Chris Marchant from Orchard Dene Nurseries recommended Acanthus mollis – alternatively known as Rue Ledan – as a good option because it is a weird and interesting-looking acanthus. It has pure white flowers with no hint of the purple usually associated with this species.
This makes it a bright and ghostly presence that can really bring sombre, north-facing borders to life. They really stand out against red backgrounds for those who are planting outside a home and their strong, straight stems ensure that the plants still look good right the way through in to winter.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant with an underground rhizome – and its name derives from the Greek word akantha, which translates as 'thorn' and refers to the spiky sepals that are found on the plant. However, the Latin name of the plant – mollis – means smooth.
As well as reaching an average of anywhere between 30 cm to 80 cm in height and attaining a maximum of 180 cm.
Mr Marchant also suggested the Campanula lactiflora – or Alba. He explained that it has "wrongly fallen from grace".
"You do not see it often because it does not fit the garden centre brief of looking good when small and being shelf and trolley-compatible," the expert continued, adding: "It is at its best in magisterial full flower, a great, voluminous thing, with a branched, airy structure, reaching to well over a meter."
"It has white flowers, with a pretty, defined purple calyx, is very easy to grow in full sun or dappled shade, has strong stems, excellent for cutting," he continued.
This makes for a healthy plant that can easily be grown with very little hassle, offering form that can be really useful for keeping borders in shape.
It comes from the species Campanula that is also by the common name of bellflower, which incorporates a wide range of over 500 annual, biennial and perennial plants.
Leaves typically vary in shape from plant to plant, with larger and broader ones usually at the bottom and base of the stem, getting smaller toward the top as it grows higher.