Gunnera mannicata in the background with a splash of the wonderfully double Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Ruby Port' and the delicate fronds of Rheum palmatum against Aconitum 'Bressingham Spire' in the foreground.

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Ruby Port' brushing shoulders with Veronica gentianoides 'Tissington White' and the bronze fronds of Actaea simplex atropurpurea group.

Golden yellow Geum chiloense 'Lady Stratheden' blowing in the wind with the warm red of Potentilla 'Miss Wilmott', Achillea 'Fanal' and Carex buchannii and a personal favourite, the very maroony naughty Knautia macedonica...

Sheer dazzle... In the background Cotinus coggygyria 'Royal Purple' – the Smoke bush, with a glorious selection of Eremurus – 'Roford' and the spectacular 'Cleopatra', mixed in with Verbascum 'Cotswold Beauty', Achillea 'Fanal', Heuchera 'Cherries Jubilee', the wonderful fuzz of Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum', spikey flames of Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' and a dash of Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum'. What a lovely firey display.

More of the same, with Eremurus 'Yellow Giant' and Verbascum 'Gainsborough' fighting for attention with the bright yellow splash of Oenethera 'Crown Imperial'... the evening primrose.

What beautiful colours – I love the fluffy clouds of Foeniculum vulgare purpureum with the spikey flamey Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron', and Phormium 'Sundowner' snuggled in at the back.

Sunny Oenethera with delicate Thalictrum flavum 'Gold Lace' and lemony Verbascum 'Gainsborough'... nice contrast.

I love mixing grasses with plants that would be found naturalizing in them... here Geum 'Red Wings' rampages naturally through the coppery stems of stipa arundinacea. Red hot pokers – Kniphofia peep up through the grasses, and exotic red Canna indica elegantly grow tall in the background.