Plants to add drama

A fiery foxglove

A new introduction, Digitalis × valinii 'Firebird' is a dramatic foxglove that produces 80cm spires of pinkish coppery-red tubular flowers starting in early summer, but it is said to repeat flower through the season. It should be a good perennial

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

plant, clumping-up to form arresting groups that will add drama to borders in semi shade or some sun, as long as soil is fertile and not too dry. Hardy to -5°C. Won second place in the 2019 RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year competition.

Valiant valerian

The Pyrenean valerian has plenty of impact while also allowing views through

Valeriana pyrenaica is a charming perennial with arresting heads of pink flowers, making a useful plant for injecting height to the front of a sunny, open border or gravel garden. The flowers appear in early summer atop bolt upright stems which are slender enough not to block planting behind, giving it a 'transparent' quality. Easy to grow in full sun.

Majestic melianthus

With its unusual saw-toothed leaves, the honey flower is sure to make a statement

Producing arguably the most handsome foliage of any (relatively) hardy perennial, Melianthus majoris a sensational plant – like a living sculpture. It may be cut to the ground by a cold winter but in spring new shoots soon develop wonderful jagged glaucous foliage. Useful for a silver or white planting scheme; alternatively contrast it with purple-leaved cannas. Grow in full sun with shelter. Hardy to around -5°C.

Vital viburnum

Tiers of growth bedecked with pure white flowers give this viburnum real impact

A deservedly popular shrub, Viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii' repays good cultivation and plenty of space by forming a broad, handsome mound of elegant layered growth, which in spring produces masses of dainty white flowers atop the top of its branches. In autumn the leaves develop attractive red hues. Plant in light shade or some sun in any good well-drained garden soil that does not dry out.

Reaching to the heavens

Angelica makes a magnificently statuesque plant

For adding architectural drama to borders, Angelica archangelicais hard to beat. In its second year from seed it produces lofty stems topped by huge ball-shaped heads of green flowers. It grows best in some shade in moist fertile soil, and produces profuse amounts of seed which germinates easily: if you want to avoid masses of seedlings

A seedling is a young plant grown from seed.

, cut off the heads before seeds fall.

Grow your own wedding cake

The wedding cake tree has a beautiful tiered structure

With layered growth, dramatically variegated

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white.

foliage and heads of white flowers, Cornus controversa 'Variegata' makes a splendid tree that can form a dramatic living focal point in a garden. It is best positioned in the shelter and light shade of nearby deciduous

Deciduous refers to plants (mainly trees and shrubs) that lose their leaves seasonally, usually during autumn. This is a natural process triggered by the season's shorter days and lower temperatures and allows plants to conserve energy during the winter months.

trees to allow it to really stand out from the crowd. Give it fertile, well drained soil and be prepared for the long haul – this is a slow grower but it's well worth the wait.

A summer snowstorm

This hydrangea is great for providing a long season of interest

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake' is a summer flowering shrub producing remarkable clusters of white blooms on arching stems over a long period, then in autumn, the plant's oak-like foliage develops appealing fiery tints. Mature plants also develop stems with peeling bark

Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants.

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A pretty perfect peony

This peony's pale flowers shine out from garden borders

A stand-out herbaceous peony, Paeonia 'Claire de Lune' produces golden chalice-like flowers that provide an outstanding accent for a few weeks in early summer. Grow it in a sunny or lightly shaded border in fertile soil that does not dry out.