BBC Gardeners' World

Plant details

• Common Name: Lady's mantle
• Genus: Alchemilla
• Species: mollis
• Skill Level: beginner
• Exposure: full sun, partial shade
• Hardiness: hardy
• Soil type: moist, well-drained/light
• Height: 0.6m
• Spread: 0.75m
• Time to divide plants: March to April
• Time to plant seeds: March to May
• Flowering period: June to September

A charming little plant with frothy lime-green flowers in early summer and neatly pleated apple-green, fan-shaped leaves which persist all season. These can be refreshed if they look tired after a hot dry summer by cutting the plants back hard. Often overlooked by gardeners in search of something exciting, the unpretentious appearance of lady's mantle makes it extremely useful all round the garden. Grow as ground cover in shade or beneath roses. If allowed to self-seed into gravel or cracks between paving, the resulting seedlings are very drought tolerant.The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).