24 KEY PLANTS

1 Salvia ‘Amistad’ A towering plant with rich, velvety-purple flowers that offer a dark accent from May until November. 1.5m. AGM*. RHS H3^† .

2 Dahlia ‘Waltzing Mathilda’ One of Mary’s favourite dahlias, this single-flowered cultivar is great for pollinators. Its blooms are a warm coral colour that are held above black-crimson foliage. 75cm. AGM. RHS H3.

3 The attractive wild carrot, which Mary grows from seed, forms gentle, lacy, white platforms amid the soft grasses in summer – a calming contrast to the richly coloured beds.