Tired of battling stubborn weeds in those shadowy corners of your garden? Imagine a plant that not only thrives where others struggle but also acts as a living carpet, suppressing unwelcome weeds ...

Small bugloss (Anchusa arvensis) is an annual that germinates in mid spring, grows up to 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide, flowers between June and August, and dies back with the first hard frost.

Terry Baker, 53, from Atworth who runs his own botanic nursery, has seen his Giant Viper's Bugloss (echium pininana) plant grow to more than 13 ft (3.9m). The plant is native to the Canary Islands and ...