A mini waterfall of golden tresses make this compact little Japanese grass a stunner in both the border or as a feature container plant. No flowers as such but great foliage all year - even in winter when the leaves take on a parchment colour for months. Ht 20cm Spread 60cm.

Baloon flower. A compact perennial brandishing huge blue , upward facing bells rather like a campanula in mid summer. Good in sun and containers. 30cm

Unusual biennial sage that will seed about. Above the architectural leaves come the most glorious big flowers in shades of amethyst. Needs good drainage and a sunny spot. Flowers June July 50cm 9cm pots supplied

Unusual and tough perennial which is good for picking. The tapering, narrow spikes in mid blue are a neat as a pin and perfect for some vertical shapes in the border instead of delphiniums. Take the flower-heads off after their first flowering in May and you get a drawn-out reblooming through summer. Will gently seed about in good soil. 1.2m Sun

The classic tall and airy plant for summer. Ever popular, both for its long flowering over several months and as a wildlife mecca that buzzes with bees and butterflies. Mauve flowers in clusters appear from July to October and in the sunny places it loves this will seed about but never become a nuisance. Perennial in the South-West 1.4m

A long-lived perennial providing elegant vertical interest with spires cloaked in yellow or white flowers with a rose pink centre in July- Aug. Cut to the ground for a repeat performance in the autumn or leave for attractive seedpods and plenty of seedlings. Prefers lighter soils and sun 1.4m

Mexican Ponytail grass. This small textural mass of blond leaves is popular with garden designers. Great in sunny places such as gravel gardens Year-round interest. Just cut off at the ground in Spring to refresh. Ht 30cm

Native wildflower that paints verges and grassland in magenta purple through high summer but does equally well gently seeding itself through garden borders. A tidy perennial plant 30cm

This is a hybrid form of our native Betony. Very neat and upright in the garden the summer spikes are a magnet for bees and make lovely seed heads all through winter. Flowers July -Aug 30cm

Above neat, iris-like leaves, the slender spires of starry, lemon-yellow give a unique look to the border in June and July. This is a short-lived plant which likes well drained places and will seed about and pop up in unexpected places in sun or light shade 40cm

The strongest and most popular sedum with the best winter seedheads. This is the one your granny grew - smothered in late summer with butterflies. The pinky red blooms - rather like broccoli, are held above neat apple-green succulent foliage 35cm (Now annoyingly renamed Hylotelephium Herbstfreude)

Steals the show in September with the reddest flowers of all sedums – smallish heads and grey leaves. Cut back by half in May to avoid staking later on Ht 40 cm. Full sun and good drainage.

The best of the dark purple-leaved sedums. This perennial really stands out in the border with its rosy red flowers through September set above dark purple leaves followed by decent winter seed heads too. 30cm 9cm Pots

The biggest sedum at 40cm. Lovely pewter- tinged leaves and soft pink flowers Sep-Oct 40cm. Great foliage all summer and then the butterflies get busy in Autumn. Like all sedums, very drought tolerant and sun-loving. Ht 40 cm

One of the best hardy salvias partly for its longevity of flowering and unusual colour. A great bee plant if you keep deadheading you will have masses of purple spikes from June to November. Protect new shoots in spring from slugs. Ht 40cm by Width 50cm Full sun and good drainage.

Native sanguisorbas (or Burnets) have become very desirable with garden designers - valued for their architectural presence, neat habits and ease of growth. The unusual flowers blend well with grasses in naturalistic schemes and remain to decorate the winter garden. Neat, ferny foliage is a bonus. Avoid dry soils. July - Sep 25cm

This is my favourite pink shrubby salvia. The individual flowers are large for a sage with a silvery hue that really shimmers and sings in the border. As with all the shrubby sages - hardy - long flowering and easy plus deer and rabbit resistant. 40cm Jul-Nov

A favourite shrubby salvia with among the largest lipstick pink flowers of its type which go on for months through high summer till the first frosts. Shrubs get about 40cm high. Trim them lightly in April to keep them looking neat. Hardy and reliable but a bit brittle and delicate if you have large dogs or kids footballs flying about! Nice complement to the larger blooms of roses or dahlias.

Classic garden designer plant which delivers so much. The leaves are neat and attractive and the show of bold cheerful gold daisies continue for months in late summer just as the garden is flagging. Reliable and easy but needs plenty of water and good soil in dry summers to perform best. Seed heads look good too in winter 30cm Jul - Oct

When you see a meadow thick with these native wildflowers you will want to welcome them into your borders where they can gently seed about. They like a bit of sunshine and are valuable spring nectar plants for wildlife. 15cm

Vigorous ground covering carpet with masses of pink globular flowers in May - June. Lovely trailing over a wall or path edges. Ht 10cm Cut back hard in spring. Sunny site and good drainage.

One of my favourite groundcovers - it rapidly spreads sideways - over ugly drain covers and down walls before covering itself in pretty spikes of flower which start white - fade to pink before darken to red which creates a lovely multi-coloured effect for months from June to October. In winter the leaves turn deep brown. 20cm - spread 1m +

Cape daisy. Huge, cheerful flowers in brilliant white backed in mauve are plentiful over a thick mat of evergreen leaves. This South African plant flowers for months from May until October in a sunny place - draping itself down sunny walls if so placed. A dependable front of border plant for full sun and good drainage Ht 20cm. Spread 80cm

Wild marjoram. A native herb with aromatic foliage and long-flowering heads of purple smothered with bees, butterflies and all manner of insects. In light soil and sunny spots this will seed gently about . Ht 30 cm.

Scented Catmint is a favourite cottage plant for gardeners and pollinators alike when clouds of soft blue flowers appear in June & July. Cut it back after flowering and enjoy another show in Autumn. Aromatic foliage drives cats into ecstasy. 40cm x 60cm wide

The bergamots are aromatic perennials traditionally used to make herbal teas but worth growing for their showy, crown-like flowers in July- August. In this form flowers are stunning deep red - a great bee plant Monardas don’t need staking but protect from slugs in spring and give them plenty of water in dry summers. They prefer rich - heavy soils - sun or shade 40cm.

This wildflower should be used more in gardens for it flowers for ages with brilliant white saucers all summer and in the sunny spots it loves - gently seeds about. 30cm

An especially elegant form of purple loostrife. And though this is a classic perennial of pond edges, this tough plant copes with any good garden soil making erect spikes of cerise flowers in July to August and stiff seed-heads all winter Stays put Ht. 50cm.

Dusty Miller. No other plant looks like this. Ghostly skeletal, upright structure above a rosette of evergreen grey furry leaves. This is a short-lived perennial for sun and good drainage but it will seed about generously and is long flowering - effective in gravel areas. Carmine flwrs June – Jul. Ht 40cm

Purple toadflax is an elegant, narrow perennial which looks good wherever it self seeds. Narrow spikes from June to September if you deadhead promptly. Tidy leaves 1.2m