Shady characters

These proven performers can handle heat, shade, drought and more – but some do come with a warning!

Beyond Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, other figures are synonymous with Sissinghurst – not least Sibylle Kreutzberger and Pamela Schwerdt, joint head gardeners from 1959 to 1990. They were l

Liz Zorab picks her favourite self-seeding and spreading plants for easier gardening

Many grasses are capable of thriving in those less-than-sunny spots

Liz Zorab shares her pick of the sky-reaching stars that are easier to look after

Plants are so clever at adapting to their increasingly hot, sunny and dry surroundings