Mid border plants

Achillea

Flying saucers of colour hovering over lesser plants, yarrows love a sunny spot and don’t really mind if things get dry underfoot. ‘Moonshine’ is an excellent variety; replace when it gets woody.

Cosmos

A real trouper when it gets going. Plant the larger varieties where the pink and white flowers will sprinkle airily over unobtrusive ferny foliage and among other plants.

Oriental poppies

For achingly elegant perennial loveliness, these poppies are hard to beat. Give them a sunny, well-drained spot and enjoy the dramatic buds and silky blooms.

Knautia macedonica

Ideal on a sunny, welldrained site, the winepurple pincushion flowers look great with pink or acid green. Remove spent flowers to encourage reblooming.

Hemerocallis

Daylilies they may be, but the flowers just keep popping! They need at least half-sun but are otherwise unfussy. Try ‘Lemon Bells’ or ‘Whichford’ and divide every few years.

Agapanthus

With tousled globes of blue, white and violet, agapanthus is where it’s at. While often recommended for containers, taller variety ‘Loch Hope’ adds some essential bling in a border and looks great with purple echinacea or helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’.

Lychnis coronaria

Weaving charmingly through the centre of a flowerbed, the silvery rosettes are topped with white, rose or dark pink blooms. Happy in the sun on good soil, but tolerant of adversity.

Penstemon

Versatile, floriferous and available in a huge range of colours, they grow really easily from cuttings. Treat them kindly and don’t leave them in the shade.

Rosemary

A tall rosemary such as ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ looks great anywhere in the garden. With flowers, scent, structure and evergreen leaves, few plants are more deserving of a prime spot.

Sweet peas

You can never have too many sweet peas – fact! Grow in deep, moist soil, trained up wigwams for support. Pick flowers or deadhead to keep flowers coming.