Sanguisorba

Sanguisorba is one of those plants that makes you lean in closer, because what it's doing is subtle and strange and quite unlike anything else. 'Tanna' produces these small, dense, oblong bobbles of the deepest burgundy-red, dangling from wiry, branching stems that move constantly in the slightest breeze. They look like tiny, very elegant boxing gloves.

It's a compact variety — about forty centimetres — which makes it useful at the front of a border where you can actually see the detail. The larger sanguisorbas are magnificent but they tend to disappear into the general mass of the border. 'Tanna' is small enough to notice.

What I love is the texture those bobbles bring to a planting. When everything around them is flat or round or spiky, sanguisorba offers this completely different shape — pendant, rounded, dense. It's the kind of thing that makes a border feel considered, even if you just shoved it in a gap and hoped for the best.

They're fantastic in a mixed autumn arrangement. Those dark bobbles alongside grasses, achillea, and a few late-season roses create something that feels like a nature table from the best possible walk. They dry well too — the bobbles darken and hold their shape, which extends the interest well into winter.