Have a browse through any planting catalogue or garden centre and you'll find a huge range of perennials originating from all around the world, all enjoying a variety different climates and soils. This means that you should have no problem finding perennials to flourish in your garden site, whether it's stony or fertile, exposed or sheltered.

With this huge choice available, it's always better to select plants that will thrive in your given growing conditions rather than picking something that will struggle in an unsuitable environment. Before deciding which plants to grow, take the soil type and climate of your site into account, as well as the amount of sun, shade and shelter it receives. Make a map of your garden, noting down these conditions; this will make it easier to put together a shortlist of plants for different areas.

However, if you have a small garden, you may find that you need to slightly adapt the conditions to allow you a little more freedom. Shelter can be created using hedges, fences and other windbreaks, and shade reduced by the judicious pruning of trees. Light soils can benefit from the addition of organic matter, whilst heavier soils may either be drained or eliminated by the use of raised beds.

North-facing sites are usually cool and shady, which suits species such as Euphorbia or Hosta, whilst south-facing borders are excellent for plants that thrive in sun, such as Agapanthus or Sedum. Plants that are not fully hardy (such as gladioli) may thrive in planting positions by a fence or a wall; although the effect of the rain shadow will make the soil drier than in other garden spots, it will also tend to be warm and sheltered. Take a look at the planting guide elsewhere in this section to find planting suggestions for different areas in the garden.