I was asked to take stock of a garden back in the autumn – move a few plants around, introduce some new ones and help to identify what was there. The owner had inherited many of the plants when they moved in a few years ago and I was asked to walk round and list what they’d got before the perennials died down.

At the end of the garden in a shady location I spotted some lush leaves, quite large, an elongated heart shape. They reminded me of comfrey, but weren’t quite right. I looked but didn’t touch. They appeared quite coarse with tiny hairs and many years ago I made the mistake of picking a handful of lovely blue Alkanet flowers. Our garden was full of them when we moved in and I thought how pretty they were. I soon discovered that the tiny hairs covering the plant are a painful skin irritant and that Alkanet is a deep rooted weed that seeds around everywhere. This mystery plant had leaves that were still lush in October but with no sign of any flowers to give me a lead. I went away mystified. I just couldn’t place them.

A few days later I joined a group visit to RHS Harlow Carr. We were shown round by a volunteer who then left us to wander and, no sooner than he disappeared, I spotted ‘the leaves’. They had been planted as ground cover under shrubs. No-one else could identify them and the clump wasn’t labelled. It’s only a question of time I thought to myself and, sooner or later, I’ll nail it.

Fast forward to a recent wander round the winter garden at Dunham Massey, Cheshire. With my granddaughter racing along in front of me following a children’s trail, I suddenly spotted ‘the leaves’. ‘Wait!’ I yell and proceed to annoy both granddaughter and husband by holding up the game and staring at a clump of inauspicious leaves. Again, no label. Again, the plant was being used as ground cover in dry shade. The difference this time however…a flower! Mid February and I’m looking at a flower that has the distinctive structure of borage, in shades of blue, white and violet. It sounds exciting but, in reality, it’s not that eye-catching, but at least it’s given me more to go on.

The flowers are a curious mix between borage and comfrey. Photographed in early March

I admit to going home and searching on-line for ‘February flowering borage-like plant’. I should have known that Beth Chatto’s nursery would stock it. It’s called Trachystemon orientalis – early flowering borage. Their description – Superb ground-cover in dense shade. Makes an important feature with large healthy-looking coarse green leaves forming overlapping mounds. Curious blue borage-like flowers on pink naked stems, in early spring, before the leaves take over. Spreads by underground rhizomes and can overrun less robust plants and bulbs. Will provide rapid cover in dry shade although the leaves will collapse during very dry spells.

At last, I’d tracked down the mystery plant. I can’t imagine I’ll be using it in a garden soon though, unless it’s a large garden requiring lots of ground cover plants. The clue is in the description! Perfect for big spaces like Harlow Carr and Dunham Massey where it can romp away.

Trachystemon orientalis used as ground cover at Dunham Massey, Cheshire. This area has recently undergone clearance so the plants would have been in shade