Forget-me-not

During winter, forget-me-nots look like undistinguished leafy rosettes, sometimes discoloured by hard weather. But as spring advances, they turn into a carpet of rich blue, or white and pink in some varieties, that form the perfect background to wallflowers and tulips. 'Blue Ball' is a particularly neat variety that also succeeds as formal edging to paths and beds, and in tubs and other containers. In borders they may be left to grow and seed themselves freely, but bedding is discarded, although plants can be shaken to scatter seeds first.