If you are a neat and tidy gardener, this one's not for you. It self-seeds like crazy, which is why I have marked it down one star, but in a country garden it looks fabulous. Centranthus even grows wild in the village where I live, but it's worth buying a cultivated variety if you want a really good colour. When they start to interbreed, they can turn out a dirty pink rather than a gorgeous red. I like C. ruber, because it's the colour of Fifties lipstick. Don't be dismayed if your plant is quite small when you buy it. Put it in the right place (sunny, well-drained), and it will be enormous, and breeding children all over the place by the end of summer. If it starts getting above itself, chop it right back and it will sprout again.

Awkward Hill

Gloucestershire

It's too early for them to flower this year but all 6 look happy and I'm hoping for a good display . The plants arrived safely and well protected.

Hawkeye

London

Healthy plant bit smaller than expected for price . Postage high.Survived winter and starting to grow well.

Garden gnome

Somerset

This is a plant that grows in a large variety of areas and seeds prolifically. It flowers for a long time in summer, especially if the flowers are cut as soon as they seed. I grow it at the edge of a raised bed where it spills over but remains erect. I let it seed into the low stone wall and enjoy the result but you might have to pull seedlings out if they become invasive. I had the original plants for about 10 years but they died last year - not sure why. The replacements are looking good.

none

Aberdeen

I wanted to grow these close to a wall, where the soil is shallow and dry. They thrived when I planted them and have already started greening up again this year.

Jen

Hull

We were unsure how happy the plants would be in our alkaline soil but need not have worried.

Mummy Bear

Dunstable