August - Plants of the moment

August - Plants to excite the senses

Virtually every plant will stimulate one sense or another, so this month we’re celebrating plants for all their diverse sensory appeal. Whether you’re looking for something colourful, tactile, fragrant or flavoursome there are plants available to enjoy all-year-round.

Be creative by developing displays along paths and around areas you sit outside, so you can get up close and personal with the plants you choose.

Sensory plants could include:

Colourful Plants:
Highlight plants for both seasonal colour impact and year-round value. Consider colour theming plant displays, and recommending planting partners.

Tactile Plants:
Plants with soft, hairy or textured leaves, stems or bark such as Oranemtal grasses, Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’, Santolina (Cotton Lavender), Phlomis fruticosa (Jerusalem Sage), Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear), Itea illicifolia.

Scented Plants:
Plants with fragrant flowers and foliage like Lavender*, scented leaf Pelargoniums, Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ (Catnip), Artemisa ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)

Swaying and Rustling Plants:
Tall, graceful ornamental grasses like Miscanthus, Stipa, Pennisetum, Cortaderia (Pampas grass) and Bamboo.

Tasty Plants:
Culinary herbs like sage, thyme, chives, parsley, basil and ornamental angelica, plus fruits from trees and bushes, soft fruits like strawberries, and vegetable crops and delicious fresh salad leaves straight from the garden!