16 KEY PLANTS

Persicaria amplexicaulis A long-flowering herbaceous perennial that makes mounds of tidy, green foliage with thin, branching stems that are topped with narrow spikes of bright-pink flowers. Prefers good, moist soil and will tolerate shade. 1m. RHS H7, USDA 4a-7b†.

Dahlia This tall, decorative type of dahlia has neat, double flowers in shades of tangerine. The flowers are held on strong stems above the dark-bronze foliage. Deadhead and feed to promote flower into the autumn. 1.5m. AGM*. RHS H3. Euonymus alatus One of the best shrubs for reliable autumn colour, making intense, claret-coloured foliage in October. It does best in a sunny position and will thrive in moist soils. Also makes a good hedge. 1.4m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Canna indica A wonderful canna with dense thickets of dark-purple, paddle-like foliage and small, orange flowers. This is one of the strongest-growing and most reliable cannas and is quite hardy. Feed and water during the summer. 1.6m. RHS H3, USDA 7a-10b.

Catalpa erubescens This purple form of the Indian bean tree can make a substantial tree, but in the garden it is best coppiced annually in winter to promote larger foliage and stronger purple colouring, and to keep it in context with the borders. 15m. AGM. RHS H6.

Dahlia An extraordinarily strong and easy-to-grow dahlia. Large, double flowers are bright red and each petal is edged with a fine gold. Stake with a strong cane to keep them from collapsing in wind and rain. 1.4m. RHS H3.

Rhus typhina The stag’s horn sumac makes a rangy shrub with thick, felty stems and pinnate foliage. It will travel slowly via suckers, but is generally quite well behaved. Cut back annually in the spring to promote strong fresh growth. 2m. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. Hedychium densiflorum A hardy perennial ginger for a woodland or shade garden. The smart, green foliage is held in upright ranks, and produced on top of each stem are slim spikes of waxy orange flowers with a spicy scent. 1.2m. RHS H3, USDA 8b-10b.

Tetrapanax papyrifer One of the best hardy exotic foliage plants with large palmate leaves. This suckering shrub can make a small tree or be cut hard back in the spring to keep the foliage nearer ground level. 4m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 8a-10b. Rudbeckia triloba A tall biennial making masses of small, yellow, black-eyed daises. Once established it can reliably self-seed through the garden. It may benefit from a little staking and looks wonderful combined with autumn hues. 2m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.

Ricinus communis A good version with large, copper-red foliage and bristly red flowers. It is a fast-growing annual, best started in March under glass and kept moving, potting on when ready, until it is planted out in mid-May. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H2, USDA 9a-11. Canna One of the best cannas for flowers, with large, flamboyant orange blooms held on stiff stems above dark-maroon foliage. Cannas like living in moist soils and should be deadheaded regularly to keep the display tidy. 1.6m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 7a-10b.

Kniphofia rooperi A late red-hot poker that makes squat poker flowers in shades of punchy orange and yellow, held above mounds of lively linear foliage. The blooms look wonderful combined with the plumes of pampas grass or autumnal reds. 1.6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Senna corymbosa This tender shrub produces fresh yellow flowers in loose panicles on the tips of the new growth. It is best overwintered in a frost-free greenhouse and bedded out in early May into good, fertile soil. 1m. RHS H1C. Dahlia The Karma dahlias were bred for cutting, and so have strong stems and long-lasting flowers. Start from cuttings in February to get the strongest plants. Deadhead and feed to promote flowering into the autumn. 1.4m. RHS H3. Ricinus communis A strong-growing bronze form with creamy-coloured flowers. It forms a tall plant decked in large, shiny, palmate leaves. It’s at its most impressive when grown in fertile soil and in a warm, sheltered site. 1.8m. RHS H2, USDA 9a-11. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.