See new colours shining through

It's time to spruce up your plot with striking midsummer wonders

- DIARMUID GAVIN

After very hot weather, the rain has arrived and replenished our thirsty plants. In the gardening calendar we are at the height of summer and enjoying the kaleidoscope of flowers that blossom in these months.

Here are some top plants for this time of year to spruce up your plot - easy to grow and with colourful flowers that will keep going until summer's end.

Nepeta 'Purrsian Blue'

Nepeta is an undemanding perennial and quickly rewards with lots of flowers and scented foliage. It's ideal as a filler plant and looks lovely tumbling over the edge of a path. 'Purrsian Blue' is a cultivar that has the RHS Award of Garden Merit - it's compact and very floriferous. Its witty name refers to this plant's common moniker, 'catmint' because the aromatic foliage is said to be loved by them. But if you want to give your feline friend a real treat, plant Nepeta cataria, also known as catnip.