British natives worth growing

Start with species that once thrived here but have become scarce in gardens, not because they're difficult but because fashion moved on. Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) is a native biennial with electric-blue flower spikes in June; it self-seeds happily on poor, dry soil and feeds more pollinator species than almost any bedding plant. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), corn marigold (Glebionis segetum) and corncockle (Agrostemma githago) were common arable weeds until herbicides erased them; all three germinate reliably from autumn or spring sowings and tolerate clay.

Woodlanders like primrose (Primula vulgaris), wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) and wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) have been bred into gaudy doubles and sold back to us as novelties, but the straight species are lovelier and tougher. Primroses seed themselves under shrubs if the soil stays moist through summer. Wood anemones spread slowly by rhizome; plant them 5 cm deep in autumn beneath deciduous trees. Wild strawberries fruit from May to October in dappled shade and their flavour is finer than any cultivated variety.

For wetland edges or bog gardens, try ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and water avens (Geum rivale). All three accept ordinary garden soil as long as it doesn't bake dry. Ragged robin's shredded pink flowers appear in May; it self-seeds modestly and tolerates mowing, so you can establish it in a damp lawn corner. Water avens has nodding dusky-pink bells in April and thrives in part shade with consistent moisture — plant 30 cm apart along a pond margin or in heavy clay that other perennials sulk in.