Our pick of the best

BEST FOR DARK FOLIAGE ‘JOSÉ AUBERGINE’

This dark-leaved but dainty sedum endures cold winters. Its narrow foliage gets smaller close to the pink-red branching heads of flowers. H and S45cm (18in)

BEST FOR BIG FLOWERS ‘MR GOODBUD’ H. spectabile

This hybrid has 10cm (4in)-wide heads of purplish flowers from August. The foliage is ordinary, but the flowers are showstoppers. H and S45cm (18in)

BEST IN A BORDER ‘KARFUNKELSTEIN’

Persists from year to year and always looks pin-neat, with dusky summer foliage topped by starry August flowers. H60cm (2ft) S50cm (20in)

BEST IN A ROCKERY H. CAUTICOLA ‘COCA-COLA’

A garden-centre favourite, grown for its neat rosettes of silver-grey foliage, with long-lasting pink buds that open sugar-pink. H10cm (4in) S30cm (12in)