As spring shifts into summer, the garden starts to come into its own. There are plenty of plants which are flower in the summer, and the season goes on until first frosts. This means that you need to plan to include both early and late season performers in order to get the most from your planting.

In summer, most herbaceous plants are at their best, offering a wide range of varieties from which to create a rich tapestry of colour. These include perennials, which supply interest year after year, and annuals and biennials such as poppies (Papaver) and sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), to add diversity and to fill in between established plants.

The foliage of some bulbous plants such as ornamental onions (Allium) and foxtail lily (Eremurus) begins to die down before the plants come into flower; it's usually best to plant them behind late-flowering herbaceous plants so that their leaves will be hidden.