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Simulate an understorey between canopy and beds with small ornamental trees such as Japanese or paperbark maples, weeping cypresses or dogwoods.

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No woodland garden is complete without hostas, sumptuous shade-loving plants that come in a range of sizes, shapes and shades, from dark green and deep blue to gold and chartreuse.

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Plant masses of spiky astilbe for a dose of alleviating colour. Other flowers that do well in the shadows include beebalm, bellflowers, hellebores and lamb's ears.

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Screens and trellises beg for climbers, such as the clematis incorporated by Craine in this space. Other hardy trailing plants include grape, wisteria, morning glory and ivy.

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Another good option for sunny open spaces: bamboo, a fast-growing grass that comes in myriad varieties and even produces flowers.

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For a touch of subtropical pizzazz, include a potted dwarf palm among container picks. Move it inside once the weather turns cold.

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Looking to box in your garden? Try European box, the ideal and most common hedging material. Other good bets include holly, myrtle, privet and privet.

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Hardy and long-lasting, geraniums are excellent picks for both beds and containers, offering pleasing mounding forms and attractive foliage. Choose elegant white varieties for green-heavy formal plots.

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For a blast of spring colour, install an even number of small flowering trees, such as crabapple, cherry or magnolia. Prune them frequently to maintain health and shape.

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