If you are relatively new to gardening, it can be hard when you visit a garden centre to know which plants will survive in your garden and return to flower year after year. Let’s take a look at David and Tom’s recommendations for herbaceous plants that survive the worst of the Scottish winter weather to put on their best show in their garden every year.

Herbaceous Perennials

Generally, most herbaceous perennials are plants which die back to the ground in winter although there are a few exceptions. The roots of the perennial plant stay alive and produce new growth as the weather warms up in springtime. The stems are soft or succulent and green, as opposed to brown and woody.

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Alstromeria is a very colourful, late summer flowering plant, growing to about 3ft high which makes it a great plant for cutting. The variety ‘Indian Summer’ is also a spreader and we let it spread as it supports some of the other plants.

Anemone Japonica is an herbaceous plant which is great for early autumn colour. It does well in shade and exposed positions and depending on the variety, can grow to between 2-3ft which adds good height to borders.

Aquilega produce lots of colour in May and June and they will even bloom in partial shady spots. Growing to a height of 18 inches, they may need support in more exposed, windy areas.

Asters, often known as Michaelmas Daisies, are a favourite autumn flowering herbaceous plant with lots of different colours and heights from which to choose. They grow well both in borders and pots.

Delphiniums are tall, flowering plants, recognisable in many shades of blue in an herbaceous border. Slugs love the young foliage so they will need protecting until they get to about 15cm and then they will need to be staked as they grow.

Doronicum is one of the earliest plants to flower, producing yellow daisy-like blooms in April which reach about 3ft high. They are a short-lived perennial but are worth it for the colour.

Erigeron are very easy to grow, summer-flowering plants that grow to about 2ft in height. Successful both in pots and in the borders, it is a familiar sight in many gardens.

Hemerocallis, Day Lilies, fill a pot or spot in the garden with bright colour and have a long flowering season. Day Lilies are easy to grow in a sunny position and grow to about 2 to 3ft.

Hostas are loved mainly for their foliage from spring through to late summer and there is bound to be a variety to suit your space from miniature to huge-leaved ones. They are adored by slugs so many people choose to grow them in pots.

Lupins are colourful and popular plants with tall spikes of colour which flower in June and July. Usually a short lived perennial, they add a real wow factor to the garden.

Paeonies take a few years to become really established and then grow beautifully for years. Different varieties produce glamorous blooms in colours from white and pink through to crimson and scarlet. They grow to at least 3ft in height.

Phlox are brightly coloured perennials generally flowering through June, July, and August although with selected varieties you can extend the season until the first frosts. They grow to about 3ft high. 

Veronica is an herbaceous perennial which flowers in June, adding a soft spike of colour to the front of borders.

Other plants which survived the last, harsh winter and are growing well in David and Tom’s garden:

• Brunneria
• Campanulas
• Diascia
• Evening primrose
• Irises
• Geums
• Lillies
• Meconopsis
• Nepetas
• Pensteman 
• Persicaria
• Phlomis
• Sedums
• Senecio Polyodon
• Stachys

Located in Bonnybridge, Central Scotland is a small garden with over 630 different plants, 200 containers, 30 hanging baskets. Tom Williamson has been developing the garden over the last thirty-five years, working with David Gallacher over the last ten to create its unique look.

Tom is a keen gardener, planting where he thinks a plant will be happy. David is a time-served gardener in commercial gardens and landscaping. In their colum for Scotland Grows, Tom and David unlock the secrets of their garden and their success with plants. For more updates on their garden, you can follow David and Tom in ‘Tom’s Hidden Garden’ Facebook Group.