Plants in Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden

This will provide the light, wooded feel for the garden. Fast-growing, deciduous tree to 18m tall, with a conical habit and shaggy bark, peeling in layers at first pinkish-orange then brown, or almost blackish or grey-white and ridged on old trees and diamond-shaped, glossy green leaves turn yellow in autumn; yellow-brown male catkins to 8cm long in early spring.

This is a Gaelic symbol of durability and is a metaphor for fulfilled potential. A large, evergreen tree to 25m, with the upper trunk and branches orange-brown, developing a picturesque, irregular outline with maturity. Twisted grey-green needles are borne in pairs. Cones 5cm in length.

This will provide a contrasting upright form in the garden, as well as providing colourful flowers. As a clump-forming plant, this Siberian flag iris needs space to spread out and thrives in moist, neutral to slightly acidic soil, in either sun or partial shade. Planting ‘Tropic Night’ in bold drifts beside water allows this hardy perennial to naturalise, creating a stunning display. Particularly useful on difficult banks, it helps prevent erosion and eventually forms large clumps, and additionally, can be grown in a pot.

This plant has a bright, vibrant colour for expressing the sense of fun in the planting. A vigorous, deciduous herbaceous perennial with long-stalked, broad ovate green leaves and clusters of fragrant, nodding, pale yellow flowers. Thrives in slightly damper soil, besides streams and ponds.

A curious-looking tuberous perennial with pyjama-like white and pale-pink striped, hooded spathes with a greenish tube (10cm in length) emerge in summer. Luxuriant and large mid-green leaves follow the flowers.

Melica uniflora f. albida weaves throughout the woodland planting. It is a woodland grass which will provide a good foil for the delicate woodland flowers that will be included in the garden. A delicate looking, creeping perennial grass with bright green deciduous foliage, native to the UK. Green flower stems with white flowers and yellow stamens appear from June to July.

A small, ornamental grass native to the wet, rocky cliffs of Japan’s Honshu Island, including the area around Mount Hakone, after which the species is named. It is a slow spreading, deciduous grass which builds into gently cascading hummocks of bright green that are useful as a simple understorey to light shrubs and as a soft edging to paths or steps.