When planning a new bed, it’s worth drawing up a calendar of the flowering times of your chosen plants. You can then determine at a glance whether you will have something flowering all the way through from spring to autumn and whether there will always be food available for the butterflies and bees.

Balconies and patios are extreme locations for trees and shrubs as plant pots offer limited space for their roots. They are therefore more exposed to the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter than plants grown in protective garden soil. This calls for particular care when choosing plants. Hardy, robust varieties such as Japanese maple, shadbush and dwarf purple-leaf plum are a good choice.