Far less famous than annual sunflowers, perennial Helianthus are excellent garden plants that deserve a place in more borders. They share the same cheerful, daisy-shaped flowers in shades of yellow, but look quite different in practice and are often mistaken for rudbeckias.

The flowers are smaller and the stems less cumbersome. While annual sunflowers are loved for their towering height and oversized blooms, perennial types offer a more refined look. Gardeners who find annuals overwhelming often prefer the elegance of these long-lived varieties.

They work well at the back of a border, providing reliable colour over a long period. Most flower from July through to October and are a useful source of food for pollinators, including butterflies.

Plant them now and they will return each year with dependable displays of colour.

How to plant and grow perennial sunflowers

Timing: Plant in spring or early summer. They can be planted at other times of year, provided conditions are not extremely hot or cold.

Site: Choose a sunny, sheltered position with rich, well-drained but moisture-retentive soil. Neutral to alkaline conditions suit them best.

Pests: Protect young plants from slugs. Nemaslug can be used as a control.

Diseases: Powdery mildew can occur. Allow good airflow by spacing plants properly. Water at the base and use an annual mulch rather than fertiliser.

Staking: Tall plants may need support in exposed or windy gardens.

Cutting back: Cut back after flowering in late autumn, or leave stems until spring to provide a winter habitat for insects before cutting down.

Mulch: Apply compost or another mulch in autumn or spring to feed the soil.

Propagation: Lift and divide clumps every three to five years in spring or autumn. This keeps plants healthy and productive, and provides new plants.

Jerusalem artichokes

Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) are nutritious and delicious, yet can be expensive or difficult to find in shops, so they are well worth growing at home.

Despite the name, they are not related to artichokes and originate in North America. They are easy to grow. Plant tubers in spring and harvest in autumn and winter. Plants can reach 3m tall, so they may shade other crops in smaller spaces. The yellow flowers add colour to the vegetable plot. Removing some or all of the blooms can help improve tuber yields.

Five perennial helianthus to try

• ‘Capenoch Star’: Anemone-like flowers with sun-yellow petals around a golden centre appear in early autumn. H: 1.5m

• ‘Lemon Queen’: A reliable choice for the back of a large border, producing a cloud of soft yellow starry daisies from August to October.H: 2m

• H. giganteus ‘Sheila’s Sunshine’: Bee-friendly daisies in a creamy vanilla shade on red-tinted stems. H: 2m

• H. salicifolius: The willow-leaved sunflower, grown mainly for its elegant arching foliage on tall stems. Best in larger gardens. H: 2.5m

• ‘Monarch’: Semi-double blazing yellow flowers up to 15cm wide above long lance-shaped leaves that can reach 30cm. H: 2m

What to plant with sunflowers

Strong yellow tones can dominate a planting scheme. To soften their impact, combine them with ornamental grasses in blonde, bronze and green shades such as miscanthus and panicum. They also sit well with softer tones like pale blue and soft pink asters including ‘Calliope’ and ‘Kylie’.

For stronger contrast, pair with blues, purples and oranges. Suitable partners include Verbena bonariensis, monkshood and tithonia.

Paler perennial helianthus, such as the buttermilk-coloured ‘Dorian Roxburgh’, are easier to blend into mixed planting schemes.

Five planting partners

• Stipa gigantea: Golden oats grass forms a tall, airy mass of oat-like flowers that catch the light and move on wiry stems.  H: 2m

• Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Adoration’: Culver’s root with upright lilac-pink flower spikes that attract bumblebees. H: 1.2m

• Miscanthus nepalensis: Graceful golden plumes arch elegantly and last through winter. H: 1.2m

• Aconitum ‘Stainless Steel’: An unusual monkshood with slim spires of grey-blue flowers. Toxic to people and pets. H: 1.2m

• Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Helen Picton’: A rich purple aster with bronze centres and healthy foliage. H: 1.2m

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If your houseplants are growing strongly and starting to look top-heavy, it may be time to move them into a larger pot. Many plants will cope in small containers if they are well watered and fed, but they will eventually outgrow this space.

Plants bought recently won't usually need repotting for about a year. After that, signs such as rapid growth, instability or very frequent watering can show the compost is filled with roots and no longer holding enough moisture.

When to repot

Repot houseplants while they are actively growing. This allows roots to quickly move into the fresh compost.

Avoid repotting in autumn and winter. Plants grow more slowly at this time, and excess compost around the roots increases the risk of overwatering.

Choosing the right pot size

Always move plants into only a slightly larger pot.

• Allow around 2cm of space around the existing rootball

• Avoid planting a small plant into a large pot

• Too much wet compost around the roots can lead to plant loss

Some plants will clearly show when they need more room by pushing themselves out of the pot or even cracking it.

Handling roots with care

Don't try to divide clumps of plants such as palm seedlings or spathiphyllum. Pulling them apart will damage the roots and weaken the plant.

Using the right compost

Choose compost suited to the type of plant:

• Most houseplants grow well in houseplant compost or multi-purpose compost mixed with perlite for drainage

• Orchids must be grown in coarse orchid compost

• Carnivorous plants need special compost with no fertiliser

Using the wrong compost can harm or kill the plant.

Top tips for successful repotting

• Make sure the compost is moist before repotting to help with watering afterwards

• Increase pot size gradually each time

• Watch for signs such as roots filling the pot or pushing upwards

• Always match compost type to the plant

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Roses are easy to recognise, whether they’re classic shrub types, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas or climbers over a doorway. But the space around them is often neglected or filled by chance plants.

That space can be used far more effectively. By choosing companion plants carefully, you can create combinations that work in harmony. Some will flower at the same time, others will extend interest before or after the roses. Options include ground cover, climbers, early bulbs and structured perennials.

Here are 10 reliable companions to plant alongside roses.

Nepeta (catmint)

Popular in cottage-style borders, nepeta works well at the front of shrub and English roses. Modern varieties are the best choice, including ‘Kit Kat’ and ‘Purrsian Blue’. They produce blue flowers from purple buds above aromatic grey-green leaves. Unlike older varieties, they stay upright in wet weather.

Alchemilla (lady’s mantle)

The lime-green flower sprays of Alchemilla suit roses of almost any colour. Use it as edging or ground cover. It can self-seed heavily, so cut plants back hard once flowering fades, down to 3–5cm. Water well afterwards to encourage fresh foliage that will last through the rest of the season.

Astrantia

A traditional border perennial, Astrantia is also valued for cutting. Flowers range from deep crimson to pink and white, forming compact clumps around 60–70cm tall (H: 60–70cm / S: varies). The blooms sit just below rose flowers, creating a natural overlap. Try ‘Star of Billion’ for pink flowers fading to white.

Digitalis (foxglove)

Foxgloves pair naturally with roses, but variety choice matters. Avoid dense flower spikes. Instead, look for more open forms such as:

• ‘Bubbly Pink’

• ‘Martina’

• ‘Lucas Pink’

• ‘Lucas White’

These create a lighter, more elegant effect among rose blooms.

Clematis

Climbing roses can double as support for clematis in smaller spaces. Pair thornless pink ‘Zéphirine Drouhin’ with a softer blue clematis such as ‘Betty Corning’. This variety has bell-shaped flowers and is less vigorous than older choices. Cut back to 15–30cm in spring.

Galanthus (snowdrop)

Snowdrops extend the season beneath roses rather than matching them. Plant vigorous, affordable varieties such as ‘Atkinsii’ in drifts under rose bushes. Add stepping stones to avoid damaging them when pruning roses. Mulch in autumn before growth appears.

Geranium (cranesbill)

Hardy geraniums are classic rose companions. Blue-flowered types such as ‘Orion’ and ‘Blue Cloud’ add a colour roses lack. Combine them with snowdrops and stepping stones so both pruning and cutting back can be done without trampling plants.

Erigeron karvinskianus

Once seen as weedy, this dainty perennial is now widely used in borders. Its flowers open pink and fade to white, so both colours appear together. Plant at the front of roses to soften and hide bare stems. It pairs well with smaller pink roses such as ‘Charles Rennie Mackintosh’ and ‘Noble Anthony’.

Penstemon

Penstemons add upright contrast to the rounded form of roses. To ensure flowering overlaps, tidy plants early in spring to encourage stem development. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering into October. Look for ‘Pensham’ varieties, especially ‘Pensham Czar’ with its white flowers edged in purple.

Tulips

Tulips can be planted among roses for early-season impact. Planted in small groups between rose plants, they flower before rose foliage develops enough to hide them. Bright, intense colours work best and stand out clearly when little else is in bloom.

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After the first flush of spring growth, fruit trees and bushes are in full leaf. This is a good time to shape plants. Summer is also the only safe time to prune stone fruits such as peaches, cherries and plums. Pruning at this stage avoids exposing cuts to silver-leaf disease.Remove a few badly placed or overly vertical shoots where needed. Keep shaping light and targeted.

Open up the centre for better air and light

On apples and pears, thinning twigs and branches to open the centre improves air movement. This helps reduce fungal problems such as scab and mildew. Allowing more sunlight into the canopy also helps fruit ripen more evenly.

Gooseberry bushes benefit from the same approach. Opening up the centre reduces the risk of sawfly, which lay eggs in dense inner foliage. The larvae can then spread and strip outer leaves.

Tackle aphids while you prune

Cherries and plums are often affected by aphids on the shoot tips. These pests cause leaves to curl.

Snipping off affected tips removes the aphids and gives the tree a light prune, encouraging a bushier shape.

Currants can suffer from blister aphids, which distort young leaves. Pruning away the tips removes the worst of the damage and keeps bushes neatly shaped.

Top tips for summer pruning

• Thin weak twigs and poorly placed branches on apples

• Remove dead twigs to limit dieback and fungal problems

• Cut back vertical or badly placed shoots on plums and cherries while in full leaf

• Control new growth on fan-trained peaches by removing thin shoots to expose fruit to sunlight

• Prune shoot tips on currants to encourage bushy growth and reduce aphid damage

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There’s rarely a time when nothing can be sown or propagated, and now is ideal for taking softwood cuttings from hydrangeas and other shrubs. Popular mophead hydrangeas are particularly easy to grow this way using non-flowering tip cuttings.

Taken at this stage, cuttings should root well before winter. Young plants can then be planted out in spring and should flower the following summer. Even newly bought plants often have strong, fresh shoots suitable for cuttings, making it simple to raise several new plants at no extra cost.

Choosing the right cuttings

Select shoots that are:

• Healthy and strong

• Free from pests

• Not carrying flower buds

Avoid cutting flowering tips, as buds can slow down rooting and remove part of your garden display.

Hydrangeas have large leaves that lose moisture quickly, which can lead to wilting. To reduce this, trim the top half off each leaf to help balance water loss while the cutting establishes.

Preparing your compost and conditions

No specialist equipment is needed. Cuttings will root well on a windowsill if covered with a clear plastic bag or placed under a plastic dome. Use a light, open compost mix to encourage rooting:

• Equal parts multi-purpose compost and Perlite or Vermiculite

Fill clean pots loosely, then tap gently to settle the compost without compacting it.

Rooting hormone is not required. Cuttings should root within about a month. You will know roots have formed when the cuttings stop wilting in the morning.

Step by step

1 Prepare your material: Cut healthy, strong shoots and place them in a plastic bag to prevent wilting before use

2 Make the cut: Trim just below a pair of leaves and remove the lower leaves, leaving one pair of full-sized leaves at the top

3 Reduce leaf size: Trim the ends of the remaining leaves to cut down water loss, then insert the cuttings into the compost

4 Water and cover: Water well to moisten both compost and leaves. Place in light shade and cover with a propagator lid or clear plastic bag

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Colder, wetter spring weather has delayed many vegetable sowings and some early attempts may not have germinated in cold soil. There is still plenty of time to sow fast-growing vegetables that will produce well into autumn.

As a guide, choose ‘early’ varieties for late sowing. These develop quickly and are more likely to mature before colder weather arrives.

Reliable crops for late sowing

Lettuces are well suited to sowing now as they can be picked at any stage. The same approach works for:

• Beetroot

• Turnips

• Kale

• Carrots

• Kohlrabi

• Spinach

Some herbs grow quickly and tend to run to seed, including coriander, chervil and dill. To keep a regular supply, sow small amounts at intervals.

Most salad leaves are also quick to mature and benefit from little and often sowing. Good choices include:

• Rocket

• Pak choi

• Mustards

• Peas for pea shoots

• Purslane

Quick cabbages and peas

Fast-growing summer cabbages such as ‘Caraflex’ and ‘Duncan’ can still be sown. They can be harvested fully mature or picked earlier as tender spring greens. There is also time for a final sowing of peas. Choose reliable quick varieties such as ‘Onward’ and ‘Kelvedon Wonder’, or sow mangetout types. All sowings should be watered carefully after planting and kept moist during dry spells to support strong growth before autumn.

What to sow now

French beans: Sow in the ground or in pots. Place two seeds 3cm deep, spaced 15cm apart in multi-purpose compost

Beetroot: Sow in shallow drills. Space seed clusters 5cm apart. Use young thinnings as salad leaves

Salad leaves: Sow in rows in the ground or containers. Scatter seed and rake lightly into the surface

Courgettes: Early sowings crop sooner but often finish by late August. A fresh sowing now will give a later crop.

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Peonies are back in favour. Their popularity as cut flowers has encouraged more gardeners to grow them, whether in traditional borders, mixed planting schemes or as standout specimens. They are also ideal for cutting and drying at home.

These are naturally long‑lived plants that cope well in most well‑drained soils in sunny spots. With a little extra care, they will produce generous flowers for many years.

Do peonies need any special care?

Very little will hold peonies back apart from waterlogging and heavy shade. Plant between September and March in rich, well‑drained soil in full sun. Before planting, improve the soil with weed‑free organic matter. In early spring, apply a general fertiliser to support growth. Add a weed‑free mulch to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Keep in mind:

• Flower heads can be heavy, especially double forms, so support the stems

• Remove faded flowers near the top of the stem

• Once foliage dies back, cut stems to ground level

• Plants can remain undivided for up to seven years

Over time, they will form substantial, impressive clumps.

How often should you divide peonies?

Not often. As they mature, peonies become more productive and develop into large specimens without regular dividing.

If needed:

• Lift plants in winter

• Wash soil from the roots using a hose

• Trim roots to around 15cm

• Cut the crown using sharp secateurs or a knife, ensuring each section has two or three shoots

• Improve the new planting site with compost or soil improver

• Replant straight away and firm soil around the roots

• Keep divisions moist until established

Do not allow the roots to dry out during replanting.

Should peonies ever be moved?

Peonies are resilient and can survive in neglected spaces, but this does not mean they benefit from being left indefinitely.

When plants begin to grow more slowly and flowering declines, simply moving them is not the answer. This would transfer the plant along with tired soil.

Instead, lift and divide the plant, then replant into improved soil.

Can peonies be grown from seed?

Yes, but it is a slow process.

Seeds are large and easy to handle, though development takes time:

• After the first winter, a root forms

• After a second winter, a shoot appears

By the stage when other perennials are flowering, most peonies will still only have a small shoot. Buying established plants avoids the wait.

Why are peonies expensive?

Peonies are raised by dividing mature plants. Each plant produces only a small number of divisions, often just three.

This limited supply, compared with plants that can be propagated more freely, keeps prices higher.

Do tree peonies grow into trees?

No. Tree peonies are deciduous shrubs with woody stems.

They produce striking flowers but their young growth can be damaged by spring frost, especially when early sun thaws frozen shoots quickly.

For best results, plant in a west‑facing position so new growth thaws more gradually.

What are intersectional peonies?

These are hybrids between herbaceous and tree peonies.

They have become more popular due to their vigour and because they are easier to propagate than traditional types.

Why do petals fall off when peonies are cut?

Cutting at the wrong stage is the usual cause.

To harvest stems correctly:

• Cut before flowers open but when buds feel soft when gently squeezed

• Take no more than three stems per plant

• Leave at least two sets of leaves at the base of each stem

• Avoid removing more than a third of the flowers

Taking too many stems can weaken the plant.

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