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. In terms of value, a single perennial could cost you, say, £5.00 to buy, but you could pick up a packet of Godetia Dwarf Mixed flower seed for just £1.39, and grow 1,000 plants! Yes, 1,000 seeds in a packet, and other hardy annuals offer similar great value

sun. It reaches 1.5m high.Eryngium giganteumHappy in woodland conditions, the yellow- or orange-flowered Welsh poppies are annuals that don't mind shade, making them perfect to weave under trees and taller shrubs.Meconopsis cambricaA cottage garden

combined with Phormium 'Bronze Baby' for height, along with nasturtiums and purple basil for good measure.Top container annualsCoreopsis tinctoria 'Mahogany Midget'The cottage-garden feel of these daisy-like flowers adds a sense of informality and movement

For the boldest, brightest display in a hanging basket choose a large container (no smaller than 35cm) and pack it with plants. But keeping them flowering is thirsty work, so for a really successful show the plants will need plenty of water on a

Osteospermum 'Tresco Purple' and rosy Diascia 'Red Ace' although any crimson or maroon trailing bedding plant would work well.1 Ipomoea 'Sweet Caroline'3 Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Cherry'1 Osteospermum 'Tresco Purple'6 Diascia 'Red Ace'36cm metalware basket

Find out how to combine annuals and perennials of varying heights in a 'wave' planting, in this practical video guide from Carol Klein.springMore planting advicePlant a bare-root rosePlant a shrubPlant a bare-root treePlant a fig tree

than plant a rose or another wisteria - there might be some unpleasantness hiding in the soil - I decided to stick with annual climbers. We usually have morning glories (Ipomoea species) in pots, so I moved one of them to fill in and it did an admirable

While the large flower shows are pretty mind-blowing, it's the local flower shows that get me excited about growing plants and vegetables. Many towns and villages have horticultural societies or gardening clubs, which hold at least one flower show a

this frustration got me thinking about bedding.I admit to not being a huge fan of annual bedding plants, but I can see their attraction. For the gardener, they provide instant results - quick-fix solutions to gaps in borders, a tired corner, a dreary patio

Will our love affair with Verbena bonariensis ever wane? This fabulous flower looks as good growing individually among low border plants as it does planted en masse. The open, airy quality of the stems only adds to the appeal. Wildlife loves V