'Britannia' is a cross between 'Queen Wilhelmina' and 'Stanley Davies' and its dense clusters of scarlet flowers are magical. Ideal for a medium-sized garden, it can be grown in a border where its summer flowers will be distinctive.

The choice of rhododendrons is huge, with up to 900 species to choose from. There are rhododendrons for all sorts of gardens, from species that will be far too large for small suburban gardens to very small varieties that would be ideal. They need to be grown in acid soils so use peat and bark chippings.

Looking Good:
See the displays of rhododendrons at the Arduaine Gardens, Argyll, Scotland, during the spring.

Best With:
Best alone, but you can run the scarlet Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) through dwarf varieties.