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.

Pale greenish-white, pincushion-like flowers surrounded by a ruff of greenish white bracts are produced from June to October. The delicate Astrantia alba is perfect for naturalising in areas of moist, dappled shade. It works equally well in a woodland edge or in a mixed border.

Astrantia major “Primadonna” is a splendid and most attractive cultivated variety forming bushy plants, good for ground cover, and bearing long, loosely-branched stems of very lovely flowers in various shades of wine to deep red. The papery bracts remain presentable for months, rustling in every breeze.

Stump your garden buddies with this one! Berkheya Purpurea “Zulu Warrior” is a striking tender perennial from South Africa which has an outrageously impressive show of very pale purple-white flowers with dark purple centres. They are definitely a bloom with class and make a useful cut flower, fresh or dried.

Cheerful and bright, use Calendula in beds, borders or containers. Calendula is prolific and durable, and like most hardy annuals it is easy to grow, simply sow where it is to flower. It is currently one of the top herbs used for medicinal use. Sprinkle salads and decorate cakes with the edible tangy petals.

With large, frilled flowers some with chocolate coloured centres, Calendula 'Art Shades Mixed' contains not only the usual bright orange but also various unusual shades - apricot, orange, primrose and cream. Gorgeous and remarkably easy to grow they will flower non-stop from spring until first frosts.

‘Indian Prince' has unique petals quite unlike other Calendula, the dark orange rays are in layers of orange, backed with rich mahogany red petals.Prolific and durable the daisy-like blooms grow up to 20cm wide they are perfect candidates for cutting and flower arrangements.

Campanula carpatica 'F1 Blue' is a lovely lavender-blue-flowered variety of this easily-grown campanula. It covers its low mounds of foliage with upward-facing blue bells for weeks in summer. The flowers are held on short stems above dainty heart shaped, bright green leaves.

Campanula carpatica 'F1 White' is a lovely white-flowered variety of this easily-grown campanula. It covers its low mounds of foliage with upward-facing white bells for weeks in summer. The flowers are held on short stems above dainty heart shaped, bright green leaves.

Campanula carpatica is a dwarf, perennial campanula which forms low-growing floriferous mounds that slowly spread to form an attractive ground cover. Throughout summer the plants explode with cup-shaped vivid blue or white blooms.

Campanula Pusilla is very low growing and distinguished by its production of enormous numbers of very elegant, lavender-blue bell-shaped blooms. It grows horizontally with rosettes of shiny green heart shaped foliage, rarely exceeding 10cm in height. It will spread indefinitely but generally grows to around 30cm in width.

“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.

Persian Cornflower is an attractive clump forming cornflower, with bushy, branched plants and the unusual characteristic of being perennial and flowering in the first year. Large deep lavender-pink blooms adorn the divided foliage throughout summer.