Hardy

Erysimum, also known as wallflowers, can brighten your garden, bridging the months from spring through to summer. Here, garden writer and plant expert Val Bourne recommends the best Erysimum to grow. Photographs Sharon Pearson

Download this border planting plan, created exclusively for Gardens Illustrated by award-winning garden designer Sarah Price. It will look good from late winter to early summer. Illustration by Hannah McVicar.

Winter heather provides colour in the coldest months. Shrub expert Andy McIndoe recommends 20 of the best winter-flowering heathers, including Erica carnea, to grow in your garden. Photographs Dianna Jazwinski

Advice and tips for planting spring bulbs in borders to create a colourful display in spring, plus how to combine bulbs with perennial

Designer Kristy Ramage brings pizzazz to a late summer container combination using plants in lilac tones and a splash of orange. Here's how she did it. Photographs Andrew Montgomery

Lavender is a very versatile, low maintenance plant to grow and is suitable for gardens of all sizes. Here is a list of favourite lavender cultivars, along with tips on how best to grow and maintain them

Often thought of as tall, airy plants with finely cut foliage and a froth of flower, thalictrum are, in fact, much more varied. Organic gardener and plant expert Val Bourne is your guide to growing thalictrum and recommends the best varieties. Photographs Lynn Keddie

Jekka McVicar, one of Britain’s leading herb growers, creates a compact scheme that’s both beautiful and full of flavour – so all you have to do is the planting and the picking. Illustration Hannah McVicar

Although known as vigorous plants, Clematis montana can be also be medium sized or even compact. Here are some recommended varieties from the National Collection at the garden of National Collection holder, Val Le Neville-Parry. Words by plant expert Andy McIndoe. Photographs by Dianna Jazwinski

Our round-up of the best plant fairs to find quality plants, shrubs and trees