With spring now well underway, many of us are looking at our outdoor spaces and thinking about giving them some TLC after another long winter.
According to the Scottish Environmental Horticulture Growth Strategy there are over one million people in Scotland who are regular gardeners.
From communal tenement gardens to expansive private grounds, we love our borders, rockeries, lawns and patios.
It’s hugely satisfying to see a plant you’ve cared for bloom into beautiful flowers, but you need to be careful what you choose and where you place it.
Many of us have shaded areas that see little in the way of sun and - let’s face it - sometimes it feels like Scotland doesn’t get much sun generally.
Luckily there are many plants with colourful flowers that need little in the way of direct sunlight and thrive in the notoriously unpredictable Scottish climate.
Here are 12 of our favourites.
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1. Hosta
A hugely popular garden plant, Hostas originally come from northeast Asia and are sometimes known as Plantain Lilies. They are loved by gardeners for their lush, architectural foliage and elegant, bell-shaped summer flowers. Shade-tolerant and hardy, this is a perfect plant for borders under trees or walls. Just be careful to protect them from greedy slugs and snails, who see Hosta leaves as a delicacy. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Toad Lily
Looking like it would be more at home in the Amazon rainforest than a damn back garden in Fife, the Toad Lily's exotic orchid-like flowers with spotted petals appear in late summer to autumn. It's a reliable bloomer that prefers partial to full shade. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Astilbe
Also known as False Goat's Beard and False Spireanative, Astilbe is native to Asia and North America where it growns in mountain ravines and woodlands. Its feathery, plume-like flowers come in a spectrum of colours, including pink, red and white. When not flowering in late spring and summer it still has pleasing fern-like foliage - adding texture to gardens. It's a plant that thrives in damp, cool shady borders. That certainly sounds like Scotland. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart is a stunning plant which takes its name from its remarkable flowers that look (funnily enough) very much like a bleeding heart. The plant comes from Northeast China and Korea originally but now happily grows in gardens worldwide. It thrives in moist, humus-rich shade that's common in Scotland and brightens up dark corners beautifully. | Canva/Getty Images