Living sculpture

Houseleeks (sempervivum) come in a variety of colours, ranging from purple to reddishbrown, blue-grey and silver green. Each plant is a distinctive rosette with numerous smaller offshoots, called offsets, that usefully spill out over the sides of a pot in careless abandon (these can also be separated and replanted elsewhere, giving you new plants for free). For your pot, use a John Innes No1 or 2 compost, add 25% horticultural grit for drainage and ensure there is a layer of grit in the base of the pot.

Because of their offfsets, sempervivums are sometimes known as ‘hen and chicks’