Acoelorrhaphe wrightii is native to Florida and parts of the Caribbean, this striking fan palm is small to moderately tall. Hardy to -6°C (20°F) it is one of just a few palms that can survive in saturated soil conditions. A good outdoor palm for a milder areas and a very tropical alternative to a hedge of shrubs.

For most of the year Ajuga is a pleasant, quiet achiever, a very versatile low growing ground cover, with evergreen, rosette-like foliage that hugs the ground like an evergreen carpet but those weeks in spring when the blue flowers appear are simply quite magical.

Angelica archangelica is a majestic plant that deserves a prominent position at the back of a border or in a wild part of the garden. All parts of the aromatic plant have culinary or medicinal uses, but it is best known for its candied stems, used as a cake decoration.

This pretty little wildflower is a slow growing, long-lived plant with attractive spikes of rich pink-mauve flowers that are very attractive to bees and butterflies as a nectar source. The flowers, which rise from dark green crinkly leaves, keep their colour throughout summer and look stunning when growing en-masse.

“Crozy Hybrids” are the most cold-hardy of the garden Canna. Growing to around 85cm they produce red to yellow flowers that resemble a miniature gladioli. With their lush tropical foliage and showy flowers they make borders and beds come alive with their bright colours all summer long until first frosts.

Cardamine pratensis is one of the most beautiful and one of the best loved of our wild flowers. It bears long narrow leaves and supremely elegant flowers in late spring/early summer. It flowers at the time the first cuckoo starts to call.

Cyperus alternifolius is a very popular both as a house plant and pond plant. The bracts are symmetrically arranged in an umbrella formation and held atop elegant stems that sway with the breeze, giving a tropical touch to the garden. They are also excellent when used in fresh or dried floral arrangements.

'Pulchrum' means beautiful in botanical terms and amply demonstrated by this South African species. From late spring to late autumn it producing dense sprays of largish purple-veined mauve flowers and with gorgeous large silver-grey velvety leaves, they are simply irresistible.

Heleniums are much under-rated garden plants. They are a mainstay of the summer and autumn border but are so often overlooked. They are hardy, colourful, easy to grow, tolerate difficult growing conditions, provide months of colour, are attractive to insects and unaffected by most pests and diseases.

If there's one plant that can inject a little razzle-dazzle into the border during our gloomy late summers it is Helenium. From late July 'Helena' blooms with masses of vibrant blooms in a spectrum of rich colours from gold to mahogany red. Perfect for the back of the border and wonderful for cutting.

Hosta are grown predominantly for their outstanding foliage, from leaves as small as a teaspoon up to those larger than a dinner plate, colours range from deep blues to silvers, darkest shiny greens to bright yellows, from a single solid hue to the myriad of variegations the choice is almost overwhelming.