The gardens may steal the glory at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but for many people, it's all about the plants. If you do a few circuits of the gardens and the Great Pavilion, you will begin to notice the same plants popping up here and there, in different ways. This year, there were the plummy tones of poppies, lupins, roses and baptisias, and pops of bright pinks from cistus, thrift and anemones, plus splashes of yellow and ochre from verbascums and achilleas, plus more naturalistic plants like valerian and angelica repeated throughout the gardens and in the exhibits in the pavilion.
We trawled the show to bring you this curated selection of 13 plants that either stood out as exciting or are obviously on trend this year.
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Valeriana officinalis
If there's one plant that seemed to pop up in the highest number of show gardens this year, it was probably valerian (Valeriana officinalis). It adds height to a planting scheme but thanks to its long, clear stems, gives an airy, see-through look, much like Verbena bonariensis does later in the season, and its white or pale pink flowers means that it combines easily with many other plants.
It works in many planting schemes, including a wilder, naturalistic or cottage feel. The roots were traditionally used in herbal remedies and the flowers are rich in nectar. Grow this perennial in your garden and it will pop up everywhere, too - it's a prolific self seeder. However it is easy to dig up and move or give away if it is getting too much. It likes full sun or partial shade, and needs moist but well-drained soil. Height: 1.2m.
Anemone multifida 'Rubra'
There were some delectable and unusual anemones in the show gardens this year, including this lovely Anemone multifida 'Rubra' on Tom Massey and Je Ahn's Avanade Intelligent Garden. The pretty cup-shaped, hot-pink flowers are held on top of stems with feathery foliage. This is another one for full sun or partial shade, and moist but well-drained soil. Height: 30cm.
Baptisia
Baptisias, or false indigos, also seemed to be having a moment - they are blooming on several gardens, including Jo Thompson's Glasshouse Garden, which featured Baptisia 'Burgundy Blast'. Baptisias are perennials that have pea-like flowers, followed by eye-catching black seed pods. Bright-yellow baptisias, Baptisia australis, were also in evidence on several show gardens. Height: 1m.
Beth's poppy
This sought-after designer favourite is currently flowering in large swathes at Great Dixter near Rye, where it is affectionately known as 'Beth's poppy', after Beth Chatto, and probably because its real name is (wait for it) Papaver dubium subsp. lecoqii var. albiflorum. It has been seen in a few show gardens in previous years but was much in evidence this year, including on Joe Perkins' King's Trust Garden and the SongBird Survival Garden. It is an annual and will self sow around on a sunny, well-drained site. Height: 40cm.
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Semiaquilegia ecalcarata
This low-growing semiaquilegia at the front of the SongBird Survival Garden was gathering a flock of admirers, with its pretty leaves and nodding, bell-shaped flowers in shades of dusky pink. It is good for the front of the border and will thrive in partial shade as well as a sunny spot. Height: 20cm.
Cistus x purpureus
It's not often you see Cistus at Chelsea, but given the trend for Mediterranean planting, it's not surprising that this drought-tolerant evergreen shrub featured this year. It was spotted on Nigel Dunnett's Hospitalfield Arts Garden and also on Tom Hoblyn's Hospice UK: Garden of Compassion garden. Each pink flower with a large deep-red blotch at the centre only lasts a day, but they are produced in profusion in early summer. Grow on poor soil in full sun. Height: 1m.
Lupin 'Masterpiece'
Lupins are always a crowd pleaser at Chelsea and smoky-toned ones were in evidence this year, including on Monty Don and Jamie Butterworth's Dog Garden (despite the fact that they are not dog-friendly plants). This one is called 'Masterpiece' and had everyone swooning. Grow in soil that is moist and not to heavy, in sun or partial shade. Height: 75cm.
Adonis annua
This pretty annual with small, deep-red, cup-shaped flowers and feathery foliage looks rather like an anemone and is in the Ranunculaceae family. It was spotted on Tom Hoblyn's Hospice UK: Garden of Compassion garden. It likes alkaline soil and a rocky site. Height: 50cm.
Pines
From the 14m-high Pinus nigra trees on Joe Perkins' volcanic-landscape-inspired King's Trust Garden to the diminuitive Swiss pines on the British Red Cross: Here for Humanity garden, pines were everywhere this year, showing that there is truly a pine for any garden, of any size.
Trollius × cultorum 'Taleggio'
In the SongBird Survival Garden and also on some show stands was this delightful Trollius. Its cup-shaped buttery (or Taleggio cheese-coloured) flowers will surely appeal even to those who say that they don't like yellow flowers. They combine brilliantly with blue hardy geraniums, irises and red valerian. Grow in heavy, moist soil in sun or partial shade. Height: 60cm.
Beech domes
Beech domes were in evidence on Jo Thompson's Glasshouse Garden and also on Monty Don's Dog Garden. While they're not evergreen, when clipped like this they do hold their bronze autumn foliage all winter through to spring, and have a slightly shaggy finish compared to tightly trimmed yew or box topiary. This complements lush planting and gives a looser, informal look.
Crepsis rubra
Most people may not be fond of dandelions, which is a shame as they're excellent for pollinators, but everyone seemed to love this pink version, Crepsis rubra (or red-flowered hawks' beard), on the SongBird Survival Garden. This pretty annual will grow in any well-drained soil in full sun. Height: 30cm.
Chickpeas
The Garden of the Future is home to many climate-smart crops including millet, pigeon pea, cow pea and sweet potatoes - plus chickpeas, which were scrambling prettily over willow domes. The large seeds are easy to sow in spring, either under cover in 9cm pots or directly outdoors from March to May. As they're deep rooted, they can grow with minimal water once established and they will enrich the soil by boosting nitrogen levels, too. They look really attractive, too, with pretty flowers and foliage and pods produced in profusion. The peas can be eaten young or left to develop over the summer into larger chickpeas. They do best in lighter soils, in full sun. Height: 50cm.