Facing page

Top row, from left Agapanthus ‘White Heaven’ thrives in sheltered parts of the garden; in this border between the house and the sea, the pale blue of Perovskia atriplicifolia and Lavandula x chaytoriae ‘Sawyers’ create a pleasingly subtle tonal contrast between russet Anemanthele lessoniana in flower, a bronze-leaved Phormium and the pale stone of the holding wall; another African native the purple Osteospermum ‘Nairobi Purple’ is quite hardy in this northerly garden.

Second row, from left Lavandula x chaytoriae ‘Sawyers’ attracts pollinators to the garden; the silvery sub-shrub Convolvulus cneorum benefits from good air movement in this open garden; the subtly variegated climber Parthenocissus henryana.

Third row, from left Red valerian Centranthus ruber is at home in coastal areas and will repeat flower if cut back; the globular inflorescences of Phlomis russeliana mingle with the round flowerheads of Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ and contrasting spires of Perovskia atriplicifolia; Colin finds a thick mulch is a crucial defence allowing plants, such as this Agapanthus ‘Black Buddhist’ to survive the harsh winters, and uses gravel as it is more in-keeping with the stone walls and surrounding landscape.

Bottom row, from left The aromatic, grey-green foliage of Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’ is both an attractive linking plant as well as a useful herb; the senescent flower stems of Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ also help to link the different areas of the garden while also acting as an impressive feature in their own right; on a good day, the flowers of Achillea filipendulina ‘Gold Plate’ contrast nicely with the blue of the sea. When overcast, they have deep-blue Eryngium x tripartitum for company.