What are hardy plants? There are so many different terminologies used in the word of gardening it can be hard to keep up. From learning the difference between perennial and biennial. Or deciduous and ericaceous, there is a lot to remember. So don't worry we'll make this as simple as possible...

What does 'hardy' mean?

In the world of gardening the word 'hardy' is used to describe a plant that can stand up to low temperatures and survive. According to the Hardy Plant Society, there are several levels of hardiness that depend on the temperature level: a hardy plant can survive a temperature of -15°C compared to a frost hardy plant that can survive a temperature of -5°C. On the other end of the spectrum we have half hardy plants that can only stand temperatures as low as 0°C and tender plants which will not survive temperatures below +5°C.

In the United Kingdom on average the winter temperature drops no lower than -11°C meaning that hardy plants do well here. However, there is no guarantee that your plants will survive. The changeability of the weather is something to make note of. One minute your plants will be covered in frost and then basking in sunlight.

What are some examples of hardy plants?

There isn't just one particular type of hardy plant, they come in all sorts of varieties. Here are some of our hardy plants:

• Iris Latifolia
• Agapanthus Twister
• Euphorbia Blackbird
• Catananche caerulea Major
• Digitalis Hardy Apricot Beauty