The couple’s top tips

1 Select the lighter, whiter tones of flowers, so a white-flowered allium rather than a purple one. The lighter the flower, the more they’ll stand out against a dark background.

2 Use flowing and moving plants, such as taller grasses, to draw a ention in the evening sunset, in areas where later in the day they catch the light and sway against the dense background beyond.

3 Use plenty of pigeon grit with hostas to keep them leafy and free of slugs. Apply it as soon as the leaf spikes start to show above the soil, and reapply weekly through the season. With acid soil it also helps to raise the pH and it’s completely organic and harmless to wildlife.

4 Always be prepared to edit and prune larger shrubs as they grow in order to avoid the shade becoming too dense.