This will come as no surprise, but at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, you see a lot of flowers – peonies, hydrangeas, roses, alliums. So when one particular bloom manages to stop you in your tracks, you know it’s special.
This year, for us, that flower was Verbascum ‘Clementine’.
Tall, elegant and surprisingly easy to grow, Verbascum ‘Clementine’ is a striking perennial with soft yellow-peach petals and distinctive purple centres. It stood beautifully in the Trussell’s Together Garden, designed by Rob Hardy & Co and built by Peter Gregory Landscapes.
Designer Rob told us he wanted to create a warm, vibrant bed of colour at the front of the garden – and Verbascum ‘Clementine’ was key to achieving that uplifting, front-of-border effect.
Why Verbascum ‘Clementine’ stands out
‘The beautiful thing about Verbascum is that if you squint, it looks yellow, but then it's also got that hazy pink and orange alongside it as well,' Rob says. Here, the butter yellow petals fade into a peachy orange colour, giving the flower a striking sunset effect.
Verbascum ‘Clementine’ is also relatively rare. 'It's not that common. You don't find it very often, but it's a lovely plant,' Rob tells us. 'We use it quite a lot in our schemes.'
What to plant with Verbascum ‘Clementine’
All seasoned gardeners will know that picking the plant you want is just one part of the battle – it's what you pair it with that really counts.
In the Trussell's Garden, Rob paired Verbascum ‘Clementine’ with rich violet salvias and Iris ‘Carnival Time’ to create a warm, layered palette full of contrast and depth.
The deep purple salvias were chosen to make the Verbascum’s glowing yellow-orange tones stand out even more, while the coppery shades of Iris ‘Carnival Time’ helped draw out its richer red-orange colouring.
How to grow Verbascum ‘Clementine’
Despite its rare, showstopping appearance, Verbascum ‘Clementine’ is relatively easy to grow. The perennial thrives in full sun and well-drained alkaline soil, and once established, becomes both hardy and drought-tolerant. Requiring very little maintenance, it’s an ideal choice for gardeners looking to add bold colour and height to sunny borders.
As well as flowering throughout summer, Verbascum ‘Clementine’ is also well-suited to pots and containers, making it a versatile option for smaller gardens and patios. Better still, the blooms attract butterflies and work beautifully as cut flowers indoors.
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