azara £14.99
Position: full sun, partial or full shadeSoil: fertile, moist, humus-rich soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: February to AprilFlower colour: greenish-yellowOther features: pale mauve or white berries may form after hot summersHardiness: fully hardy (borderline)This upright evergreen plant can be grown as either a small tree or large shrub, but is especially effective when trained flat against a wall. It is tolerant of quite heavy shade, and this makes it invaluable for those tricky spots where little else will grow. Its very dark green leaves provide interest throughout the year and in late winter it produces tiny greenish-yellow flower clusters, which seem to be tucked into the join between the leaf and the stem. The flowers are far from showy, but they have a delicious vanilla scent that will fill the air with their perfume. The hardiest of the all the Azaras, it originates from woodland margins in Chile and Argentina, but will still appreciate some protection from icy winds in winter.Garden care: Cut back flowered shoots immediately after flowering if it outgrows its alloted space.

rock rose (syn Wisley Pink ) £7.99
Position: full sunSoil: fertile, well-drained neutral to alkaline soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: April to JulyFlower colour: pink with a yellow tinted centreHardiness: fully hardyOften sold as H. ‘Wisley Pink’ this pretty, sprawling shrub looks great tumbling over the edges of a stone wall or terracotta pot. It thrives in hot, sunny spots and becomes drought tolerant once established, so will thrive in difficult to fill positions. The pink flowers are infused with yellow at their centre and look very pretty against the grey-green foliage. Each flower will only last for one day, but in the right conditions it can produce so many flowers that the plant is covered in them for many weeks.Garden Care: Prune in mid to late summer after flowering, cutting back any straggly stems.

fuchsia £7.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil (or loam-based potting compost)Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to OctoberHardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection in cold areas)One of the hardier fuchsias, this one will survive outside in sheltered gardens throughout the year, especially if tucked in with a generous layer of mulch in autumn. It is a bushy, upright, deciduous shrub, which produces slender, green-tipped, white flowers that appear to drip from the stems for several months throuout summer and autumn. Providing long lasting interest, it is perfect for mixed or shrub borders, and will even make an attractive, informal hedge.Garden care: To encourage bushy growth, pinch out the growing tips of young plants after the sixth or seventh pair of leaves. During the growing season water regularly, applying a balanced liquid fertiliser each month. Cut back to the permanent framework in early spring.

germander £7.99
Position: full sun, light shadeSoil: moderately fertile, most but well-drained soilRate of growth: averageFlowering period: June to JulyFlower colour: rosy purpleOther features: faded flower spikes provide birds with valuable food.Hardiness: fully hardyA fine sturdy plant which needs no staking. Fingered spires, lime green in bud, progressively open up each stem to a rosy purple, rather like a firework sparkler. Reliable and trouble free in an open position in most soils, this plant retains its attractive structure even after flowering.Garden care: Protect young plants from slug damage using environmentally friendly slug pellets or beer traps. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in spring, taking care not to cover the crown.

silver grass £7.49
Position: full sunSoil: fertile, moist, well drained or sandyRate of Growth: averageFlowering period: August and SeptemberHardiness: fully hardyA stunning,fountainous grass for a mixed or herbaceous border, this has narrow, silvery leaves with a white stripe down the centre. It flowers profusely and keeps on flowering right into autumn, when its new, reddish-brown, tassel-like flowers are a pretty foil for the faded, silvery older ones. Use it to add height to a perennial border, and to give winter presence.Garden care: Protect from excessive winter wet. Cut down to the ground in later winter, before new foliage appears.

red bistort £6.99
Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: any moist soilRate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: July to OctoberHardiness: fully hardyLong, slender spikes clustered with tiny, fluffy, crimson-red flowers rise from mid summer to early autumn above semi-evergreen, lance-shaped, mid-green leaves. This clump-forming, vigorous perennial has handsome foliage and quickly makes dense groundcover in sun or partial shade. Plant it in bold swathes to add vertical interest in the border right through till mid autumn and give it plenty of space. Persicaria does not like dry soil, so performs best in a bog garden or beside a pond. Bees and other insects love it too!Garden care: Lift and divide congested colonies in spring or autumn.

button eryngo £6.99
Position: full sunSoil: moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: average Flowering period: July to September Flower colour: steel blue, whitish or greenOther features: interesting foliageHardiness: fully hardyAn evergreen eryngo which forms a clump of bluish-green, strap-shaped leaves that have a serrated and spiny edge. Iin mid summer and autumn upright, branching flowerspikes emerge bearing rounded or oval shaped flower clusters, which turn shades of greyish-blue, cream or green as they open. A variable plant, which originates from the Eastern States of the US, it is tolerant of poor soil and drought once established.Garden care: Lift and divide large colonies in spring. Avoid the temptation to cut back the flowerheads in autumn as they provide interest in the winter garden.

showy evening primrose £6.99
Position: full sunSoil: poor to moderately-fertile, well-drained soilRate of growth: average Flowering period: May to June Flower colour: pinkOther features: the flowers are highly attractive to butterflies and beesHardiness: fully hardyClusters of large, fragrant, saucer-shaped, pink flowers opening during the day in late spring and early summer, filling the air with their heady scent. This vigorous, undemanding plant spreads by underground runners to forming dense mats of low-growing foliage. Evening primrose is excellent towards the front of a sunny border where it can spill over and soften the edges of hard landscaping. It’s best planted in poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil.Garden care: Once established it can be hard to get rid of, so make sure you plant it somewhere it has room to spread. Divide over-large clumps in spring. Protect the young foliage from slug damage using beer traps or environmentally friendly slug pellets.