What is it?
Ah, the dreaming spires of foxgloves, the cottage garden classic that evokes an age when watering cans were galvanised and compost came not from B&Q, but a heap. These native woodlanders have a biennial lifecycle, springing up one year, then flowering, seeding and dying the next.
Any good varieties?
The native species, Digitalis purpurea, is beautiful. Its white form, D. purpurea f. albiflora, and peachy ‘Sutton’s Apricot’ are both elegant, while ‘Pam’s Choice’ (white trumpets splashed with burgundy inside) is striking. The Illumination series (a hybrid of D. purpurea and the Canary Island foxglove, Isoplexis canariensis) in shades of pink and apricot are long-flowering and have the benefit of being perennial, although they tend to last only a few years and don’t self-seed.
Grow it with?
For the full nostalgic effect, add lupins, roses, hardy geraniums and nepetas.
And where?
Foxgloves love dappled shade with their roots in fertile soil, but they’re super-adaptable. They’ll self-seed to find their sweet spot.
Any downsides?
Every bit of it is poisonous, so avoid if you have pets or children who eat anything going.
What else does it do?
Bumblebees make a beeline for foxgloves: watching them fumbling about in the bells is a treat.
