Digitalis 'Apple Blossom'

Digitalis 'Apple Blossom' is a foxglove with the look of a carefully watercoloured botanical plate, all soft washes and clever details. From a rosette of green leaves rise tall, elegant spires carrying tubular, orchid-shaped flowers in a beautifully unusual blend. The lower petals are pale pink and white, freckled with deeper rose, while the upper petals glow creamy yellow, as though each bloom has caught a little spring sunshine. It feels refined rather than sugary, with just enough mischief in its colouring. Flowering in late spring and early summer, Digitalis purpurea 'Apple Blossom' brings a fresh, romantic lift to borders, particularly where pastel planting needs a little architecture.

Plant Digitalis 'Apple Blossom' in well-drained soil in sun or partial shade, and let its vertical stems weave among geraniums, nepeta, alliums and airy grasses. The soft colouring makes it easy to combine, yet never dull, and the speckled throats are irresistible to bees who clearly appreciate a well-decorated doorway. Digitalis 'Apple Blossom' is especially charming in cottage gardens, wildlife-friendly schemes and relaxed mixed borders, where it adds height without heaviness. Allow a few seedheads to stand if you enjoy that pleasing, lightly self-sown spontaneity. Graceful, distinctive and quietly theatrical, Digitalis purpurea 'Apple Blossom' offers all the charm of a classic foxglove with a more painterly, peachy-pink flourish.