In the first of a two-part series, Mike Palmer celebrates his favourite fuss-free hardy geraniums for sunny borders

REAL readers' gardens!

REAL readers' gardens! Pruning roses A plant-packed suburban ...

This spring jewel is so wonderful when it pops up in gardens, whether it is planted in borders or in areas of grass – as it is just as happy in both. The foliage will start with a slight purple tone a

Purple punctuates the planting: here an acer, verbena and some pinky-purple crinum, or swamp lily, stand out

The country’s Cape Floral Kingdom has incredible bloom diversity with around 9,000 species – and some make spectacular plants for our British gardens