Plants within the cool colour palette provide a calming influence and look dreamy on hot days. They are also useful in smaller spaces as they tend to recede - making the garden feel larger than it actually is.

Planting tip: A newly planted border of herbaceous perennials can look a bit sparse until the plants start to fill out. You can overcome this by adding temporary seasonal bedding to add extra colour and interest during the first couple of seasons.

For this border, you will need a sunny bed measuring 3 x 1.5m.