Purpletop vervain, Verbena bonariensis, is a lovely perennial that doesn’t seem to live for many years but does come easily from seed so is something I try and put a few new ones in around the Magic Garden. It is a lovely graceful perennial with three waving heads of clusters of little purple flowers

I love it as it stands clear of the crowd but fits in perfectly. Its unusually good in staying upright in our gales. Its also this year one of the earliest plants to be stirring with fresh growth. It is also a favourite of butterflies and bees alike.

All in all a good all-rounder, Verbena is an appropriate name too for a plant in the Magic Garden as it means ‘sacred bough’, coming from a Celtic root.