Plants to suit your home

New builds

We still see our gardens as outdoor rooms that are used as much as a place to socialise in as they are to tend plants. They're also increasingly havens for wildlife.

Our outside spaces are getting smaller, which means breeders are coming up with more compact plants for borders such as smaller versions of the butterfly bush. The 1990s saw the rise of decking and garden makeover shows, which introduced the idea of plants such as tree ferns for instant impact.

Meanwhile, Christopher Lloyd dug up the rose bed at his influential garden, Great Dixter, and replaced it with exotics such as dahlias (pictured left), bananas, cannas and Verbena bonariensis. Recent influences include 'new wave' planting from Germany and the Netherlands - a relaxed, low-maintenance style using grasses and perennials.

Suggested plants:

• Butterfly bush eg Buddleja 'Silver Anniversary'
• Clematis eg Clematis 'Angelique' (pictured right)
• Grasses eg Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
• Verbena bonariensis
• Perennial wallflowers eg Erysimum 'Apricot Twist'
• Dahlia eg 'Bishop of Llandaff'
• Canna
• Banana
• Tree fern

30 years of the NCCPG

The NCCPG (National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens) conserves and promotes the huge range of plant varieties that exist in the UK.

One way of finding plants that match the age of your house is to ask a National Plant Collection® holder - a person or group who maintains a comprehensive collection of a particular group of plants. They're experts in their chosen plants and can give you a wealth of advice on them.

This year, the NCCPG and the National Plant Collections are celebrating 30 years of conserving our plant heritage. There will be special events held throughout the year. The first of these will be hosted by Cambridge University Botanic Gardens on 8 June where you can buy and learn about plants from 25 of the National Collections. Many of the 650 Collections also have open days for the public. Visit www.nccpg.com or call 01483 447540 to find out more.

Gardening Which? is a subscription-only gardening magazine published 10 times a year by Which? For details on how to receive three issues of Gardening Which? for £3, telephone 01992 822800 or visit www.which.co.uk