Top perennial pick and mix

With a little planning now, you'll be able to enjoy colourful flowering perennials all year long

- With DIARMUID GAVIN

As the days stretch and temperatures begin to rise, it’s a good time to plant herbaceous perennials.

These are plants whose foliage dies back in winter but the root system remains alive and then leaves reemerge in spring. They are a good investment plant for your garden as they return for many years and when they begin to lose vigour, they can be lifted and divided into new plants. They can be grown in pots and borders and if they are hardy, they can remain outside all year.

Many are low-maintenance and will keep growing without asking too much from their owners.