10 award-winning (AGM) plants for new gardens

When it comes to planning a new garden, a combination of long-term and short-term thinking is ideal, so you need two kinds of plants. Some that will mature into impressive specimens over time, even if they don’t make much impression at first, and others that will create impact almost straight away, even if you end up removing them later when they’ve done their job. And they often need to perform on poor soil that has not yet been improved. Hardy

Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season. They are generally easy to grow from seed or can be bought as young plants from garden centres. Annuals are ideal for growing in summer containers and filling gaps in borders. Some examples of annuals include sunflowers, cosmos, sweet peas and zinnia.

Perennials are any plant living for at least three years. The term is also commonly used for herbaceous perennials which grow for many years (To compare: annual = one year, biennial = two years).

perennials

Start in violet

This perennial is characterised by neat, dark green foliage and dense racemes of deep violet flowers in early summer

The blue-flowered

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.

• Read more about Salvia – The People’s Choice

A pure-white you must have

This vigorous medium-sized deciduous shrub has arching branches with attractive peeling bark and three-lobed leaves

Rubus ‘Benenden’ is a thornless, shrubby bramble that flowers prolifically in May, with large shimmering white flowers. Then, for the rest of the summer, it makes the ideal support for a morning glory (Ipomoea) planted in front, immediately after cutting out some of its old growth as the flowers fade. Grows well on poor soil, and quickly makes a good specimen. Height to 2m (6ft 6in). Hardiness rating H5.

Superb choice

Bistorta officinalis ‘Superba’ tends to spread more easily in sunny locations, less so in dry shade

Many new gardens have a damp patch. It may be natural, it may be the result of building work, but either way a perennial that fills out quickly, flowers for many weeks and can easily be removed or curtailed is exactly what’s needed. Bistorta officinalis ‘Superba’ fits the bill nicely. Stout pink spikes top the lush foliage in May and June. It spreads well, but is easy contained. 75cm (30in). Hardiness rating H7.

Cheerful yellow bush

Also called tree lupin, it's a fast-growing medium-sized evergreen shrub with palmate grey-green leaves

The yellow tree lupin, Lupinus arboreus, is a very bright and cheerful plant. It flowers when very young, quickly makes a big plant with evergreen, prettily-fingered leaves and then, having done its job for a few years, is inclined to die and leave a space for something else. The long spikes of yellow pea flowers are nicely scented. Needs sun and good drainage and is happy in poor soil. 1–1.8m (3–6ft). Hardiness rating H4.

Golden privet

Ligustrum ovalifolium ‘Aureum’  flowers small, dull white, in small panicles, and oroduces a small glossy black berry

Some gardeners still look down on privet, Ligustrum ovalifolium, but it has the great virtue of creating a colourful feature while putting up with the poor, unimproved soil, or even builders’ rubble, found in so many new gardens. Ligustrum ovalifolium ‘Aureum’ has rich golden yellow, almost evergreen, leaves with green centres from spring to autumn and beyond. It is happy in sun or partial shade. 2–3m (6ft 6in–9ft). Hardiness rating H5.

A dash of pink

Greyish, palmately-lobed leaves are accompanied by deep pink flowers in summer

The shrubby mallows, for example Malva × clementii, are perhaps the best of all shrubs for quickly making a colourful, long season impression – and then after a few prolific years they usually fade away to leave a space for something more permanent. Malva × clementii ‘Burgundy Wine’ has deep purplish-pink flared flowers for many months over the summer. Best in full sun, prune hard in spring. 1.2–1.8m (4–6ft). Hardiness rating H5.

The ‘early’ tree

Laburnum × watereri ‘Vossii’ is a broad-crowned small deciduous tree with deep green, ternate leaves

Plant a tree for the next decade, but plant Laburnum × watereri ‘Vossii’ for next year; it will usually flower the first year after you plant it. The unusually long – up to 60cm (2ft) – strings of brilliant yellow flowers open in June; and once it’s settled in you can plant a summer-flowering clematis to grow into it. 8m (26ft). Hardiness rating H6.

The ideal climber

Clematis montana var. rubens ‘Tetrarose’ is a vigorous very large deciduous climber with large bronze-green leaves and reddish-brown stem

Clematis are ideal climbers for new gardens. They grow to a good height in their first year and even though early growth may be thin, the flowers will open high up and give an impression of maturity. The bronzed foliage of Clematis montana var. rubens ‘Tetrarose’ adds an unexpected dimension, and its 8cm (3in) lilac pink flowers in May and June soon come in vast numbers. 5m (16ft). Hardiness rating H4.

Mat of leaves

This creeping, evergreen perennial forms a mat of large, glossy dark bronze-purple leaves

At the front of shady borders, or in between newly planted shrubs, a large-leaved bugle will quickly cover the ground, look good and help prevent weed growth. Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’ has leaves that at 15cm (6in) are larger than those of most bugles and with their bronze colouring, plus the spikes of blue spring flowers, they quickly make a bold impression but are easy to pull out when the time comes. 20cm (8in). Hardiness rating H7.

Don't miss the creamy yarrow

It's an upright perennial, sometimes short-lived, with finely-cut, greyish-green foliage

Achilleas bring us the perfect combination of pretty foliage, long-lasting flowers and a tolerance of less than ideal soil conditions. Achillea ‘Credo’, with its finely-cut grey foliage and its yellow heads of tiny flowers that fade to creamy yellow, will flower for many weeks in soil that needs improvement. Just give it sun, and snip off the dead heads as they fade. 0.9–1.2m (3–4ft). Hardiness rating H7.