Best of the bunch

Verbascum ‘Gainsborough’ THIS is a wonderful friendly summer plant – big architectural silvery leaves that are almost like wings and from them shoot a central spire which, in time, produces candyfloss yellow flowers.

It’s not a plant that mixes easily but it will create a stand-out statement suited towards the front of a border.

The elegant pale lemon spires will flower for a long period and attract the bees and butterflies.

It’s a plant that will do well in poor soil as long as it’s light, well drained and in full sunshine.

This is a fairly short-lived perennial but easy enough to propagate from root cuttings.