Sarah Raven, inspirational gardener, cook and writer

COSMOS BIPINNATUS

‘RUBENZA’ ‘Cosmos will give you light, fluffy clouds of colour, with as much foliage as flowers. My current favourite is Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Rubenza’ with large, open buttercup-like flowers of carmine pink with delicate, feathery foliage. It’s a short cosmos, too, so if planted in a sheltered spot it should not need staking.’

DAHLIA

‘SARAH RAVEN’

‘With their zingy, stained-glass colours, dahlias are the backbone of my summer and autumn garden. Dahlia ‘Sarah Raven’ is an anemone dahlia – rich and soft at the same time, with tall, straight, ebony stems. It has a good vase life and exceptional amounts of pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies.’

SALVIA VIRIDIS

‘BLUE MONDAY’ ‘Grow salvias as a foliage flower, to form the backdrop and foil to a flamboyant crew of dahlias and cosmos. Salvia viridis ‘Blue Monday’ is a brilliantly coloured and invaluable foliage annual, which can be used like lavender for edging paths. We grow it as a companion plant to help keep our roses fungal-free.’