Key plants in the RHS Britain in Bloom 60th Anniversary: The Friendship Garden

Elegant, golden-yellow catkins appear in late winter and early spring and are closely followed by mid-green, heart-shaped leaves. A native of European woodland, it has long been a staple ingredient in our hedgrows. Edible nuts that are rich in vitamins, protein and unsaturated fats, ripen from late summer.

An evergreen terrestrial or epiphytic fern, with creeping rhizomes and lance-shaped to oblong, pinnate or very deeply pinnatifid dark green fronds.

In spring the emerging deeply lobed foliage is flushed with red, but it gradually turns a lush, mid green and stays that colour throughout summer. It then takes on buttery yellow tones as the temperatures start to drop again in autumn. Small greenish-yellow flowers appear in spring, which are hardly noticeable, but the subsequent, winged fruits are quite attractive. 

 Its rich green leaves have a wonderful aroma (and flavour), and are topped in summer with pretty white flowers.

Making a wildflower meadow, whether large or small, will give your garden a more natural, relaxed feel and attract pollinating insects and other wildlife. 
Wildflower meadows usually flower between May and September, and attract a wide range of pollinators. You can also buy seed mixes tailored for specific wildlife, such as butterflies, bees or seed-eating birds.