These are the ten plants that I use most often and the ones that I could not possibly live without. 1 AGAPANTHUS INAPERTUS Mid- to dark-blue, 7cm-long bells on very tall, bolt-upright stems, with many

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

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.

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

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

As well as being a visual feast, a garden can become a fragrant haven, says Heloise Brooke, head gardener at the National Trust’s Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. Here, she advises on plants to include for year-round perfume promise