Until a few years ago you would never have seen wild garlic on a menu, but these days is definitely a chefs' favourite. The whole plant is edible. The flavour is softer, more pleasant than cloves from garlic bulbs. The leaves have a vibrant colour that brings food to life.

Borage is one of the most reliable sources of blue flowers, often flowering lavishly for weeks after sowing. The beautiful blue star-shaped flowers are edible and very important for bees, providing pollen and nectar in prodigious amounts.

“Miranda” is a very distinctive new Calabrese. It produces a distinctly beautiful, large violet head on a central stalk. Once the main head is removed, small side shoots form which are tender, delicious and ideal for florets. Hugely fashionable, very pretty to look at and extremely beneficial to health!

Camomile is a most useful plant. It can be used to make beautiful lawns and raised beds, an infusion of the plant is an ideal family remedy, calming and sedative, perfect for restlessness or travel sickness, while cold camomile tea is effective as a spray to prevent “damping-off” of seedlings

Where areas aren’t required for crops or bedding or if you simply plan to give a garden bed a rest, put the area to good use by sowing sunflowers. Not only will they look very attractive in a group, sunflowers act as a cover crop, protecting soil and inhibiting the growth of weeds.

Humulus lupulus, is a climbing hardy herbaceous perennial. The Hops are actually the female flower cones or 'strobiles' of the plant. Hops are used as a sedative and relaxant. Leaves and shoots are eaten either cooked or in salads, the flavour is said to be delicious.

Woad has been grown for its indigo-blue pigment and for its medicinal properties since the 13th century, recently capturing popular imagination as the blue dye for body paint used by the Celts. This fashionable plant has a fresh wildflower appearance that can brighten any garden.

Lavendula angustifolia or English Lavender is thought to be the best Lavender for medicinal and aromatherapy purposes. This evergreen is a staple plant for the herb garden, the fragrant flowers have been used in perfumes, poultices and potpourris for centuries.

Phacelia is a very attractive plant and one with a variety of uses. Very rich in both nectar and pollen, it is listed as one of the top 20 honey-producing flowers for honeybees. It is ideal for a wildlife-friendly planting scheme and makes a wonderful green manure.

Thymus serpyllum is one of the most versatile groundcovers. Forming dense evergreen cushions of flowers these low maintenance plants don’t require mowing, watering or care, and can take a lot of abuse. Its leaves can be used as a culinary herb and its uses in the garden are almost unlimited.

Nasturtium “Alaska Mixed” is favoured for its highly ornamental leaves, which are an unusual marbled green and white in colour. The leaves in themselves produce a very attractive plant - add to this the vivid multi-coloured blooms and an unforgettable sight is produced.

“Empress of India” is a classic Victorian heritage nasturtium with opulent, velvet crimson-scarlet flowers and impressive dark blue-green foliage. The unusual leaf colour makes it an interesting plant even before it begins to bloom. Very easy to grow and perfect for pots, tubs, window boxes or the border.