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Hostas reign supreme when it comes to striking foliage. All hostas look great in containers, but for something a little more unusual, try Hosta nigrescens. Its upright habit makes an eye-catching patio feature.May - JuneJune - August30 minutes Hosta nigrescensLarge, glazed contai...

little corner of the countryside in your garden.any timeMarch - April20 minutesFoamflower, TiarellaBleeding heart, Dicentra spectabilisBrunneraWide, shallow potMulti-purpose compostCrocksPlace a layer of crocks at the bottom of pot, then three

of the thyme and ivy. September - early FebruaryFebruary - April20 minutesPansy plants x2Thymus pulegioides 'Archer's Gold' x2Ivy plants x3Medium-sized window boxFill the window box with compost. Place the pansies centrally and add one thyme on either side

not to break them.Water your arrangement and ensure it never dries out. Deadhead faded cowslips to encourage new blooms.AdamThese plants are perennial and can be planted in the garden after flowering. They enjoy a shady setting where they are free to naturalise

-growing alpine phloxes are covered in blooms from late-spring to early summer, as is the glossy mat of saxifrage.March - April April - June20 minutesThrift, Armeria maritimaAlpine phlox, Phlox douglasii 'Lilac Cloud'Saxifrage, Saxifraga 'Triumph'Wall container

Dahlias come in a fascinating variety of shapes and sizes, and the pom-pom types, with their rows of incurved petals, resemble old-fashioned bathing caps. Dahlia 'Franz Kafka' lends itself - ironically, given its name - to a relaxed cottage-garden

'Gypsophila cerastiodesPratia x2Small potWire 'gabion' basket planter, 23cm x 23cm x 15cm CompostFill a pot with compost and place a wire mesh container inside the pebble gabion. Place the alpine pink centrally in the container and position the pratia and Gypsophila

A shady garden might seem like a challenge, but in reality there's a huge range of plants suitable for growing in dark places. This container display is made using a boldselection of plants, combining different leaf forms, colours and textures

scabious echoes its purple accents from mid- to late-summer. Above these plants arch the leaves of the grasses, gently swaying in a summer breeze.March - April June - September20 minutesSedge, Carex buchananiiBlue fescue, Festuca glauca x2Scabious x2Thrift

on end. And no summer garden is complete without the delicious aroma of lavender.MayJune - August40 minutesSilverbush, Convolvulus cneorum x3French lavender, Lavandula stoechas x3Wallflower, Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' x3Bacopa, Sutera 'Abunda White' x3Faux