Plan plants for all seasons

The majority of gardens are filled with blooms that look their best during the spring and early summer, meaning that the green space can look bare during the cooler months.

However, with a little preparation it is possible to create a garden that has something to delight the senses at any time of year, news provider CNN suggests.

The agency notes that flowers such as annual petunias and impatiens will retain their colourful appearance until autumn and that this will be accompanied by Japanese maples and birch leaves turning a golden colour.

During the winter months, conifers can provide interest in a predominantly barren landscape, as can the fruit of the hawthorn tree.

In related news, online resource NovaNewsNow.com recently covered a story by industry commentator Carla Allen that implored horticulturalists to consider where in their garden they would place a plant before buying it as a lack of forethought could lead to an unwise purchase.