From 'Black Cats' to 'Teddy Bears', we take a look at the botanical treats that caused a stir in the Plant Pavilion.

'Black Cat' scabious

In contrast to the bold yellows and oranges that dominated this year's show, there was one fast-selling plant that was much more dark and mysterious. According to the staff of Reginald Kaye nursery, Scabiosa 'Black Cat' was their star of the show.

The plant is a 3ft (90cm) tall, willowy scabious that is covered in stunning, golf ball-sized maroon-black flowers. It can be grown from seed and flowers throughout the later summer months. This dark beauty can be slightly less frost-hardy than other scabious but, judging by the number that was carried away in bags and plant trollies, this didn't put off Hampton visitors.

'Art's Pride' coneflower

"It's all the rage this year - we've almost run out already!" said Ross Humphrey of Knolls Garden, about this startling, rich red-orange coneflower. A perfect mid-border perennial plant, this echinacea is self-supporting and is particularly suitable for dry gardens or those who suffered in this year's summer heat.

"It's not the usual colours that you'd see in an echinacea, and as it flowers a little earlier than other varieties, it bridges the gap between early and late summer plants," says Ross.

Planted against some of the many grasses available at this year's show, this plant's rich colours made it worth looking out for.

'Bressingham Sunbeam' red-hot poker

A genuine 'golden oldie', this buttery-yellow kniphofia caught the attention of Hampton visitors at the Blacksmith's Cottage Nursery stand. The plant's elegant, grey-green strappy leaves, copper stems and mid-height yellow flowers are bold and distinctive, and formed a key part of their display.

"We're trying to revive this wonderful old variety," said Ben Potterton of the nursery. "It's been a bit out of fashion before now, but this year red hot pokers are the perfect plant for the garden: they're drought-resistant, they don't mind poor soil and, if you cut them back, they'll flower continually throughout the summer."

'Rubrum' fountain grass

The popularity of grasses continues to grow, and never more so than on the Foxgrove Plants stand, where this purple fountain grass sold rapidly.

"People are choosing a more relaxed style of gardening these days," said Robert Peters, "and grasses fit perfectly into this."

As this elegant, graceful grass waved in the breeze, it was easy to see why it caught the eye of so many visitors. Its year-round colour and texture make it ideal for a border, and, unlike many grasses, this sterile variety is not invasive or prone to self-seeding.

'Teddy Bear' sunflower

Hampton Court is well known for its floristry displays, and in the Floral Marquee there was one flower that turned heads.

"Although it looked very much like the sunflowers that Van Gogh painted, 'Teddy Bear' is a fairly new variety of dwarf sunflower," says Andrea Caldecourt of the Flowers & Plants Association. "It can be grown in the garden, but we've been using it for indoor arrangements. Its small size makes it easy to handle, and the flowers are particularly long-lasting."

Style tips

From talking to the nursery owners in the plant pavilion, it seems that relaxed, prairie-style planting and grasses were the fashion at this year's show, with bold splashes of rich colour to add focus and drama. Look for loose, soft plants in shades of golden yellow, burnt orange, copper and coffee, and contrast them with the more structured splashes of deep purple and brick red.