VARIETIES TO PLANT THIS YEAR

P. saccharata

Gorgeous marbled leaves add detail and beauty to shady spots. The flowers start out pink before becoming blue. A very early flowerer, with blooms from February. Height: 30cm (1ft).

‘Trevi Fountain’

This is a beautiful bright shade of blue, with the flowers lasting from March to May, and produced in abundance. The mature, marbled leaves can reach 20cm (8in) long in summer, so make a real feature.

‘Blue Ensign’

A tremendously bright shade of blue that stands out well against plain green leaves, producing lots of flowers in clusters on upright stems from March to May. Height: 30cm (1ft).

P. rubra

Enjoy pretty coral shade flowers against plain green leaves very early in the year, from February until the end of spring. A superb ground cover plant for filling difficult shady areas, spreading well. Height: 50cm (1¾ft).

‘Sissinghurst White’

This is a perfect plant for adding something calming and elegant to a shady woodland patch, with cool white flowers in March and April and silvery, spotted foliage. Height: 30cm (1ft).