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Since Christmas the weather has been almost universally ghastly - rain, fog, leaden skies and general Januaryness. Over the last couple of days, however, I have noticed everything change; the skies are blue and the sun is shining. In the hedges buds

and slightly dangerous. Quite an impressive combination I am sure you will agree. These are my top four:Eryngium tripartitum - little dancing thimbles of blue with spiny ruffs of metallic silver. One of the most attractive features of this family

chrysanths. They seem to have slipped out of fashion over here. Not so in America.I was fortunate enough to be rumbling around New York a couple of weeks ago. The sun was glorious and the glimpses of azure blue sky amidst the skyscrapers were awe inspiring

: it is about 3m high and has gloriously scented tubular white flowers in Autumn, lush Autumn colour and bright red berries. Or Gentiana farreri, a trailing evergreen delight with flowers like sky blue fanfares? These are just two of the plants that Reginald

When I was at school we used to sing a song (to the tune of Men of Harlech) which went "Tramp up Snowdon, with our woad on. Never mind if we get rained or snowed on!" It was a sort of homage to our hardy ancestors running around painted with blue

days, stretches of perfect white sand, bobbing seals, heathery hills, shining blue lobsters and lichened rocks. But, even though to the casual observer it may have seemed that I was lolling around all week doing very little, I have been diligent in my

and work well as part of a mixed border - I have a lovely white iris called Iris sibirica 'Snow Queen' and a blue one called 'Emperor'.These are fine, but they pale into insignificance compared to the huge, complicated flowers of their bearded cousins. Each

:Tulipa 'Ballerina': so many tulips, almost all of them gorgeous, but as I have to choose, I'll plump for this one. Water-ice-orange, a waist like Grace Kelly and the faintest scent of velvet glove.Bupleurum longifolia: the leaves have a slight blue tinge

ovoid leaves with inquisitive tendrils that stick to the brickwork like flies' feet. Very late in the season it produces propeller-like buds from which emerge gorgeous flowers that change from limey green to deep purple-blue as they age

TENA  Active Living Garden designed by Yvonne Matthews. Based around a bright blue pavilion there are vibrant pink roses, red peonies, blue salvias and pretty much every other colour under the rainbow.David Domoney is a perennial exhibitor at RHS Shows