Salix gracilistyla 'Mount Aso', 4L Towels surrounded by greenish wine-red bracts

surrounded by greenish wine-red bracts

Sensational large pink flowers (each up to 6in across) with pointed tips and a white centre grace Clematis Picotee in spring and again in late summer

Hosta Lakeside Spellbinder offers interesting foliage for any difficult shady spots in the garden

this sturdy perennial

Salix gracilistyla 'Mount Aso', 4L Towels surrounded by greenish wine-red bractsMost people plant the bushy shrub Salix gracilistyla 'Mount Aso' for the utterly charming catkins that appear in the late winter, early spring. These are the softest of pinks with a grey fuzzy texture, as soft as mink; it is at once pretty and irresistibly tactile, and hugely cheering at the end of winter. The foliage of this deciduous willow is also appealing, with a blue hue and silvery underside.