BRIGHTYOUNGTHINGS

SUMMER is meant to start this weekend — after what, so far, has been a real stinker. Our barbecue hasn’t been out of the shed, the lawn is a marsh and the puddles have been there long enough to develop their own pond life.

Awash with colour: There’s still time to plant out summer annuals despite the wet weather

OUR collection of hardy osteospermums comprises nine jumbo plugs, three each of hardy Snow Pixie, Tresco Purple and jucundum compactum. Buy three plants of any variety for £11.99* or nine (three of each variety) for £17.98* — half price. Delivery from next month. Orders to: Mail Shop Offer, PO Box 3, Diss, Norfolk IP98 1HH. Cheques to Daily Mail. Order with free P&P online at mailshop.co.uk or call 0843 382 0000 (quote R30787TA). *P&P is £3.99 per order but free when you shop online. winter. And certain plants perform in all weathers. The perennial, sky blue lobelia Hot Tiger Eyes loves the rain and flowers outrageously.

If you manage to buy one, cut the stems back to promote fresh growth and expect months of colour. That gentle blue is lovely to contrast with the bronze, gold or red leaves of flame nettles (Coleus) or with yellow Bidens ferulifolia.

The best way to select plants for a salvage job such as this, is to visit garden centres and see what’s on offer. You can plant almost anything in pots or tubs, so take a gamble. Potted ferns, though it’s surrendering to green, look lovely in the wet and could be moved to permanent homes, in shade, next autumn.

Penstemons are great for colour and there are so many fancyleaved heucheras — maroon, gold, caramel — that you’ll be spoilt for choice.