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Stachys Byzantina(Rabbits Ears)
This low growing plant has grey felted leaves that are very soft to the touch. Although it is mainly grown for the stunning leaves, it does produce small magenta pink flowers on strong woolly stems. Ideal ground cover for a hot sunny site, where it produces a carpet of silver leaves and gives a Mediterranean feel to the garden. It is useful for edging a bed and as acting as a foil to other colours used in the design; pink or blue flowers and purple foliage in particular. The leaves persist into the winter.
This plant is easy to care for, the only tasks are to cut back the flowering stalks once the flowers have finished and in the spring to clear out any dead and blackened leaves from under the new growth. It doesn’t need any feeding.
Famous plants woman Gertrude Jekyll has made much use of this plant, spilling out of beds over stone paths.
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Betula Utilis var. Jacquemontii (White-barked Himalayan Birch)
A good way of bringing colour to an autumn garden this hardy plant's attractive red flowers appear at the end of August.
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Pyrus Salicifolia ‘Pendula’ (Weeping Silver Pear)
A graceful, small tree with silvery grey leaves. The branches droop to give a loose weeping appearance. The tree is covered with small white blooms in April. It does produce small pears but these are inedible and it is grown for the brilliance of its silver leaves. This is a tree that brings light into any border and enhances the colour of nearby plants. It contrasts especially well with purple foliage.
This pear can grow to 4-5m and will become a dense mound growing 2-3m wide. Alternatively, branches can be removed to reveal the trunk.
Give this tree sun and good drainage and it will thrive. It is very hardy and seems resistant to pollution.
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