Eleonore de Koning says she has Achilleas in her soul, describing them as 'good company', as indeed they are for many other plants.

Traditionally, Achilleas have been regarded by many as plants with not much credibility, but one look at the stunning rainbow of colours and textures in Eleonore's seedling garden suggests that it's time they were given higher status.

If you ever thought Achilleas were dull, think again! 2,500 Achillea seedlings provide a stunning spectacle in Eleanore's nursery.

These easy-to-grow plants provide months of colour, but until now many varieties have disappointed the gardener by having an unruly habit with stems that get too tall and start to flop over. So, as with her Papavers, Eleonore set herself on a mission to breed some manners into her companions while making them even more appealing with rich colours.

Her inspiration was a sport from 'Apfelblute' ('Apple Blossom'), which will be available to purchase in 2006 as 'Pretty Belinda'. This was a plant Eleonore sold to a customer who's daughter has passed away, and who grew it as a momento. Initially named 'Fleurtje van de Mooye Staak', its rich pink flowers are held on sturdy upright stems that form a plant with a compact, bowl-like habit.

Eleonore has since made other Achillea selections with a similar habit, all named after

women featured in famous pop songs, such as ‘Angie’ and ‘Pretty Woman’. However, there are room for many more, and in 2004 Eleonore and Cees sowed 2500 varieties from which they eventually plan to select just 5. They say it will take another 5 years to whittle down the pack of contenders.

An amazing array of forms and colours can be found

As with all plant selection procedures, one of the hardest parts is having the discipline to throw the lesser quality seedlings away. It's relatively easy in the first year, but as the standard of those that remain gets higher, the decisions become much more difficult to make!

No, Eleanore hasn't yet managed to breed different types of flowers onto one plant! Here she uses Daylilies to demonstrate how this extremely floriferous pink-white variety can look in combinations with other flowers. This variety is still known as "Number 24".