With rising temperatures and hopefully more settled weather, we can look forward to a colourful spring and summer.

This is, of course, contingent not only on Mother Nature but also our choice of materials and how we plant them.

Annuals are an old faithful in giving colour and fill that need admirably, either as a carpet bedding or when interplanted with foundation plantings.

Extra care should be taken at this time of year with regard to watering plants until they become established, and even thereafter during periods of hot, dry weather.

April saw a spurt in growth which should be followed in May by a flush of flowering activity from trees to ground covers; this offers a potential palette of ongoing colour as each plant displays its attributes.

Flowers, when intermingled with foliage, really give the bold statement required to make impact using the various hues of green foliage. When coupled with leaf shape, this offers some interesting architectural interest.

In certain areas I will use groups of plants such as Cryptostegia madagascariensis (rubber vine), which is a favourite of mine.

It has purple bell-shaped flowers and very shiny foliage which rambles as it grows, interlacing through branches of neighbouring plants.

A group of three or five — for larger beds — makes a bold statement, growing to a workable height of six feet.

Plumbago auriculata dark blue or Plumbago white, is best grown in groups, which should be pruned hard back after flowering to create new growth and flower.

A good plant to mix perhaps in and around the blue Plumbago is Jatropha hastata (Peregrine), which has crimson red flowers and an upright habit which offsets the blue Plumbago.

Fragrance in the garden can be achieved by using Brunfelsia americana (Lady of the Night) with yellow flowers, Cestrum nocturnum (Night Blooming Jessamine) with white flowers, and the Night Blooming Cereus (Hylocereus undatus), which is best grown along a wall or rambling through trees.

Interesting vines to consider: Allamanda cathartica hendersonii (large flowered Allamanda) is a bougainvillea hybrid found in many colours and best grown in areas where it can ramble through branches or over a strong structure. Senecio confuses (Mexican flame vine) is great as a vine or ground cover with orange flowers; also consider Trachelospermum jasminioides (confederate jasmine) with its creamy white flowers.

I am still a great believer in using the Lantanas and Pentas with their wide range of flower colour creating masses of visual impact throughout the spring and summer and even into the autumn months. Prune them back immediately after flowering to encourage new growth and a quicker return of flower production.

Watch out for caterpillars on the Pentas and aphids on the Lantana. If present, make sure soil is moist before applying a pesticide. Several of the Salvias such as S Greggii and S leucocephala, are also heavy flowering if maintained correctly, with purple and red being added to the colourful palette of neighbouring plants.

In slightly shady areas consider plantings with larger foliage or with serrated or indented leaf shapes.

Philodendron selloum planted as a stand-alone or in a group makes a good centrepiece within such an area. Of a similar nature, but also being a partial climber, Monstera deliciosa (Locust and Wild Honey) will fill a large space with an interesting outline of foliage.

Zamioculcus zamiifolia (Zi Zi plant) is an interesting candidate for its plain but interesting “outline” with upright habit.

The same can be said for the Colocasia species which have large “roundish” foliage which emerge from the base of the plant. Again, this creates interest when contrasted against the more upright growth of its neighbours.