This was going to be a small tree with white flowers in April on copper foliage and turn bright red in autumn. I hoped it would be interesting enough to replace the magnificent Fremontedendron which flowered all summer but upset the neighbours with its itchy hairy leaves and seed pods so had to go. RIP. As it turned out I decided fairly quickly that it was simply too dull and it was removed after it had flowered. I think it took me longer to research and decide on it than it lasted in the ground.

Great performers. Tall (60 -120 cms), great cut flowers. They have been wonderful since planted. Tip: to remove faded flowers don't dead head but pull the whole stem out of the ground with a jerk to kick start new growth from underground.

This is a tall variety (50- 90 cms) and has been great ever since planted. The foliage is evident from early spring and they flower from June to November. They make great cut flowers and the way to 'dead head' them is to pull the whole stalk sharply out of the ground which stimulates new growth.

Allium is another plant that doesn't seems to appreciate my soil and almost never repeats so I stopped planting them in 2005. Imagine my surprise when one suddenly popped up again in 2011 having been missing for 5 years.

I am very pleased with this deciduous tree which you see a lot in the South of France but is hardy to -20C. It claims to be slow growing but the branches grow quickly, have beautiful leaves like Acacia which close at night and then bright pink flowers like electric fibres on top in Summer.

This came with me from my previous house and still flowers every year from the same pot. And it's huge and thick stemmed.

A very reliable Agapanthus. It's not enormous nut it's very pretty and flowers a bit later than the others.

I love Agapanthus and I have three pots together filled with them by the pond and Family statue. They need no care and flower regularly every year. This is my most recent one and is slightly shorter and a darker blue.

This came with me from a previous garden since it is in a pot by the greenhouse. It has stayed small as a result and is a lovely burgundy most of the year until it goes red in Autumn. Very pretty foliage.

This is a small (2-3m) tree and the perfect shape over the pond. It is a lovely pinky purple during the summer and then goes bright red in autumn. It was nearly killed by the bamboo that was originally behind the Family sculpture (they don't like their roots disturbed) so the bamboo had to go. It took four days to remove.