Outdoor Growing Guides
The tropical look, hardy in the UK. Honest guides to choosing, planting and protecting hardy exotic plants.
Start here
New to outdoor exotics? Three steps from bare patch to jungle garden.
Find the right plants
Buying guides and comparisons to match plants to your garden, aspect and space.
2 · PlantGet them established
What arrives, when to plant and how to give hardy exotics the best start.
3 · ProtectKeep them thriving
Winter protection, seasonal care and honest hardiness advice for UK conditions.
Guides by plant
Find care advice and the plants themselves, organised by what you want to grow.
What hardiness ratings actually mean
Every outdoor plant we sell carries an RHS hardiness rating, from H1 (needs heated protection) to H7 (very hardy). Most hardy exotics sit between H3 and H5.
A rating is a guide, not a guarantee. Cold tolerance depends on drainage, wind exposure, how established the plant is and how wet the winter gets. An H3 plant in a sheltered city courtyard can sail through winter, while the same plant in a cold, wet, exposed garden will need fleece and good drainage to make it through.
That is why our guides state the RHS rating, a realistic minimum temperature and exactly what protection each plant needs, so you know what you are taking on before you buy.
