Verbascum (Cotswold Group) Cotswold Queen | 2 Litre Pot

Ideally suited to gravel gardens. Position: full sun Soil: poor, well-drained, alkaline soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: July to August Hardiness: fully hardy (but short-lived) Wrinkled grey-green leaves form an attractive, semi-evergreen rosette from which the slender spires of saucer-shaped flowers emerge. Opening upwards from the base of the spire throughout summer, each yellow flower has a purple eye. Garden care: Apply a 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch around the base of the plant in autumn to protect from winter extremes, taking care not to cover the crown. Stake in spring with bamboo canes or twiggy prunings before the flowers appear. Mullein moth caterpillars can be a problem, so pick off the insects in early June as soon as they appear. Remove faded flower spikes. It is worth keeping in mind that these plants are mainly biennial, so although they usually self-seed freely, the plant will only live for two years.