Coolaroo 3.6m triangle shade sail – terracotta £44.99
As the Australians know a thing or two about the sun they’ve developed these great architectural shade sails to keep you cool this summer. Their unique shapes and flexibility means the Coolaroo Shade Sail lets you create interesting and unusual angles with it in the garden. Ideal for patio, play areas or even as a temporary car port. Size: 3.6m x 3.6 x 3.6m Features Made using Coolaroo’s famous polyester-weave fabric It blocks 90% of the sun’s dangerous UV rays Colourfast so will not rot, mildew, shrink, fray or tear Easily fixed using existing structures or attached to timber or steel poles Can be cleaned with mild detergent and water Fabric also ‘breathes’ to allow cooling air circulation The Sails are light shower resistant but not waterproof as there is small gaps in the fabric that are designed to disperse heat upwards. Edges are reinforced with polyester webbing Remains totally unaffected by moisture and natural temperature extremes Available in four colours: clockwise from top left – (swatch being updated) 5-year guarantee How To Install your Coolaroo Shade Sail Shade sails can be easily fixed from existing structures or attached to correctly installed steel or timber poles. There are a range of stainless steel fixing accessories for that professional finish. All sails come complete with a stainless steel d ring in each corner, it is recommended that a triangle sail have three pad eyes two snap hooks and one turnbuckle to tension. Fixing kit for triangle sails The importance of sun safety Kids tend to spend a lot of time playing outside and as responsible adults we need to play a key role in preventing skin damage caused by over exposure to the sun. A great way to help prevent this is to use a Coolaroo Shade Sail, which will protect you and your family from the sun’s harmful rays.

Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine) £39.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to August Flower colour: white flowers Other features: very fragrant flowers Hardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection) An attractive woody, evergreen climber with rich, dark green leaves which turn bronze in winter. Clusters of fragrant, pure white flowers are produced from mid- to late summer. It is best grown against a warm, sunny wall in milder areas or in a greenhouse or conservatory in areas prone to severe frosts. Garden care: After flowering has finished prune back to fit the available space. In frost prone areas, grow in pots of loam-based potting compost, such as John Innes No2 and move to a frost-free spot in winter.

Iris sibirica ‘Persimmon’ (Siberian iris) £8.99
Gorgeous, rich purple flowers with tiny yellow throats in May and June and slender, strap-shaped leaves. This striking Siberian iris is versatile and low-maintenance. Perfect for providing vertical interest in a sunny, well-drained herbaceous border or waterside planting, for maximum impact plant in bold clumps, allowing plenty of room. Position:full sun or partial shade Soil: well-drained, moderately fertile, neutral to slightly acid soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May and June Flower colour: rich-purple Hardiness: fully hardy Garden care: Plant shallowly with the upper part of the rhizome sitting on the surface of the soil, incorporating a low nitrogen fertiliser in the planting hole. After planting remove the upper-most third of the leaves to minimise the incidence of wind-rock. In exposed areas stake with bamboo canes in early spring Goes well with: Hemerocallis ‘Gentle Shepherd’, Kniphofia ‘Percy’s Pride’, Eryngium variifolium, Alchemilla mollis, Paeonia lactiflora ‘Kelway’s Glorious’, Echinops ritro

Eryngium giganteum (miss willmott’s ghost) £8.49
Position: full sun Soil: dry, well-drained, poor to moderately fertile soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June and August Hardiness: fully hardy (but often short-lived) Sea hollies make interesting and unusual additions to a sunny border or gravel garden. Their ruff of spiky bracts and cone-shaped flowerheads last well in both cut and dried arrangements, or if left on the plant, their architectural silhouette will remain a feature well into the autumn. This variety is also known as ‘Miss Wilmott’s Ghost’, after the nineteenth-century gardener, Ellen Wilmott, who liked to secretly scatter seeds of the plant in other people’s gardens. The name could equally apply to the plant’s appearance, with its ruff of large, prickly, steely-grey bracts that shine a ghostly silver in the sun. The mid-green, heart-shaped foliage is attractive too, and shown off to best effect planted in gravel. Or try this eryngium in bold clumps among grasses. This variety is biennial, but self-seeds freely. Garden care: This eryngium looks tatty after flowering, so cut it to the ground in autumn. Lift and divide large colonies in spring.

Senecio polyodon (senecio) £7.99
Position: full sun Soil: tolerates most well-drained soils Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to September Flower colour: pink, purple, magenta or violet Hardiness: fully hardy A native of South Africa where it is found growing in sunny grassland, this deciduous plant does best in a sunny spot with well drained soils, where it will form a vigorous, long-flowering carpet of colour throughout summer. Forming a basal rosette of leaves, it sends up sprays of daisy-like pink, magenta, violet or fuchsia coloured flowers with yellow centres from late spring to autumn. When happily settled, it may self-seed and produce new plants. Garden care: Try to avoid excessive winter wet and dead-head if you dont want it to spread.

Euphorbia seguieriana niciciana (spurge) £5.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to September Hardiness: fully hardy A stunning, late-flowering semi-evergreen Euphorbia with open sprays of intense, lime-green flowers held on red-bronze stems in late summer to early autumn. The foliage is handsome, too, with strappy, grey-green leaves held in whorls on the upright stems. This magnificent perennial forms a natural mound, bringing all-year structure to the garden. In the fading autumn light, it glows and looks fabulous among late-flowering perennials and grasses, or with spiky plants. It is drought tolerant once established. Garden care: After flowering remove the faded flower-heads. When working with spurges always wear gloves since the milky sap is poisonous and a potential skin irritant. Euphorbias do not like waterlogged soil.

Tulipa ‘Sapporo’ (lily flowered tulip bulbs) £5.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May Flower colour: yellow Other features: excellent cut-flowers Hardiness: fully hardy Bulb size: 11/12 Distinctly pointed petals form hourglass flowers on tall stems in late spring. Initially a soft buttery yellow, the flowers fade to creamy white as they mature. Perfect for the cottage garden, they look great planted with shades of orange or red. Garden care: In September to December plant bulbs 15-20cm deep and 10-15cm apart in fertile, well-drained soil. Alternatively, allow 7-9 bulbs per 30cm sq. After flowering dead-head and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser each week for the first month. Once the foliage has died down naturally lift the bulbs and store in a cool greenhouse.

Tulipa ‘Passionale’ (triumph tulip bulbs) £3.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: April to May Flower colour: purple Hardiness: fully hardy Bulb size: 11/12 Large, deep pinkish plum blooms, which have a deeper purple flame on their outer edges, top the stout stems from mid-spring. The petal edges have a very discreet ruffle that gives them a softness that is really very pretty. They mix with lots of colours, particularly forget-me-not blue, apricot and softer shades of pink. Garden care: In September to December plant bulbs 15-20cm deep and 10-15cm apart in fertile, well-drained soil. Alternatively, allow 7-9 bulbs per 30cm sq. After flowering dead-head and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser each week for the first month. Once the foliage has died down naturally lift the bulbs and store in a cool greenhouse.