Spring
The left hand picture features a smoke bush (cotinus) at the front with a hardy palm in the pot behind. The right hand picture features a Rosemary and Phormium in the sunny herb border with a Victoria plum tree behind
The picture above features a deciduous azalea and Granny's Bonnet (aquilegia) in the foreground. The aquilegia is very easy to grow and self seeds all over the garden. After flowering cut off the flowers if you don't want it to seed. The foliage then dies down and other plants can be grown through it to give summer colour.