Give lacklustre borders a lift by adding plants that provide dramatic architectural impact. In this border pink, purple and silvery white tones are blended together to create summer interest, while the cool clumps of the steely, sword like astelia will provide a year-round foil.

Planting tip: A newly planted border of herbaceous perennials can look a bitsparse 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.

This design will fit into a sunny border 3m long by 1.5m wide.