Mike Palmer celebrates the seasonal awakening of our gardens from their winter slumbers with trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs to get seriously excited about

Picotee-pink-edged, large flowers that look at you from a tall stem. Followed by marbled evergreen leaves. A sterile cultivar from Rodney Davey, it flowers prolifically as its energy is saved for flow

Now spring is in sight, gorgeous plants herald a new season

I love the delicate, open, airy height provided by Anthriscus sylvestris so early in the year, with a drama and elegance like few other spring-flowering perennials. Its off-white flowers and burgundy

Erysimum Rysi Copper One of the definitions of a wallflower is that of a shy and awkward person with whom nobody wants to dance: I am sure we have all felt like that at some point in our adolescence.

Presenter and garden designer Mark Lane shares his top picks for thrifty gardeners – easy to propagate, low maintenance and they’ll put on a fabulous floral show