Exotic paradox in the herbaceous borders

Powis Castle, Wales A dangerous beauty stolen by European adventurers and hinting of vast plains a world way

The anchor plant, Colletia paradoxa, with its geometric architecture, looks like trouble among the summer flowers in the herbaceous borders on the terrace gardens. And yet its very oddness makes it fit with an assembly of plants few, if any, of which would grow together in the wild. A paradox indeed.

Plants from the Americas, the far east and Europe grow cheek by jowl according to an aesthetic based on colour and form rather than geography. Although many do share similar ecological characteristics, some appear suited for other planets.