Gardens never stand still. And as you look round your beds and borders, however lovely they may be there’s always something that can be improved. Perhaps a plant is not thriving as it should, or neighbouring plants you expected to flower at the same time are out of sync, or colours clash instead of harmonise. So look critically, decide where improvements can be made and order the plants to do the job. Mr Fothergill’s 2008 Perennial Collection offers some enticing new varieties as well as some traditional favourites.

In a new twist to the tough-as-nails perennial cornflower Centaura montana, ‘Amethyst in Snow’ is a gorgeous form with ring of white petals around an amethyst-purple eye. You’ll want to cut them to take indoors – so it’s fortunate that ‘Amethyst in Snow’ is so prolific that it will still look good in the border after you’ve cut a few stems.

‘Sweet Heidi’ is one of the best hardy geraniums of recent years. It has the same incredibly long June to October flowering season and efficient ground covering capabilities as ‘Buxton’s Blue’ and ‘Rozanne’, but its bold, prettily veined flowers feature a pink ring between the rich blue outer zone and white eye – lovely. ‘Sweet Heidi’ is descended from that valuable old standby G. wallichianum, as is the gorgeous ‘Crystal Lake’ with ice blue flowers veined in deep purple.

There’s quite a revolution in phlox at the moment with new colours and dwarf, more bushy growth which is easier to manage. ‘Swizzle’ is a real eye opener, its clean white flowers sparkle with a bright pink eye and the whole plant is no taller than 18in/45cm. Group it with Astrantia ‘Shaggy’ and Veronica ‘Purpleicious’.

Late summer is often a time when borders need sparking up with colour and Helenium ‘Festival’, in blazing red, will do just that. Combine it with the large coppery orange daisies of the unexpectedly fragrant Echinacea ‘Sundown’, add maroon foliage of Euphorbia polychroma ‘Bonfire’ with its fiery sparks in front, then back it all with the purple-leaved smoke bush, Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ – and you have a summer combination of flame and smoke. Need more sparks? Add the dazzling yellow daisies of Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’.

And think back to spring… were there gaps in your spring flowers, did you notice shady areas that were, frankly, just a little dull? The Brunnera Collection features three tough shade lovers with prettily patterned foliage and blue or white forget-me-not flowers and get this: they will even cope with dry shade. Brunnera ‘Mr Morse’ with silvered foliage and white flowers really lights up dark corners. The Epimedium Collection will add clouds of dainty spring flowers (they’re good cut for spring posies too) with copper or red foliage. The bicoloured flowers of Epimedium x rubrum are supported by four seasons of attractive foliage.

Finally, this collection of dependable perennials is accompanied by a fine range of fragrant winter shrubs including one of my favourites, Sarcococca confusa – its midwinter scent is just captivating.