liriope muscari

Big blue lilyturf is one of those quietly reliable plants. Dense clumps of narrow, arching dark green leaves stay looking good all year, and come late summer it sends up stout spikes of violet-purple flowers, a bit like grape hyacinths on stilts.

It reaches about 30 to 45cm tall and spreads slowly to form a tidy mat. Small black berries follow the flowers into autumn.

Plant in partial shade to full shade in any reasonable soil that doesn’t sit waterlogged. Copes with dry shade under trees once established, which is hard to beat. Tidy tired foliage in early spring before new growth comes through.

A firm favourite for shady edges, woodland gardens, or drifts along a path.