What can I use to plant my raised bed?

QWe have built a raised bed with a water feature in a sunny area. The soil is clay improved with compost. What should I plant in it? I do like heucheras. Helen Scot, Lincolnshire

AThere are various considerations when choosing plants for your raised bed. The first is the soil. Free-draining is good for most plants, but if it goes very dry in summer this limits the plants that will thrive. The second is the sun. There are many more plants that enjoy a sunny spot than those that prefer shade but sun on plants that are dry at the roots can cause problems .

Third is the spray from the water feature. It ought to help keep plants a bit cooler and provide extra moisture at the roots, but if water is landing on leaves in the midday sun, they could become scorched. It is best to avoid plants with hairy leaves as these tend to hold on to water rather than letting it run off.

Heucheras are a lovely idea, but they prefer a really light soil so won’t enjoy the dry clay, even if it is free-draining for much of the year.

■ Some plants you may like to try are: Prunella grandiflora cultivars ‘Rubra’, ‘Alba’, ‘Freelander Blue’ and ‘Rosea’; Ceratostigma plumbaginoides; Arabis procurrens ‘Variegata’; Arabis alpina ‘Snowcap’; Cerastium tomentosum; and ‘Album’; Geranium sanguineum G.s. Persicaria affinis and P.a. ‘Darjeeling Red’ and ‘Superba’; Armeria maritima and A.m. ‘Alba’; lavender.

To extend the season of interest you could underplant with crocus, grape hyacinth and starflower (ipheon) bulbs and plants with delicate leaves.