The earliest of the red hot pokers flowers with them; often known today as Kniphofia 'Atlanta', it is probably nothing more than the old garden plant K. tuckii. Stalwart pokers are borne freely, I coral-red in bud opening to cream. FOLIAGE EFFECTS Some taller plants of good long-lasting foliage are the I magenta-crimson Geranium psilostemon whose black centres do so much to give it character, the double blue forms of Geranium pratense 'Plenum i Caeruleum' and 'Plenum Violaceum', Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht' in dusky violet, S. haematodes in light lavender, and Thalictrum aquilegiifolium | whose fluffy heads of bloom, pink-lilac, purple or white are held above elegant columbine-like foliage. A lupin-relative should be borne in mind; it is Baptisia australis whose soft blue pea-flowers give way to black pods among wiry stems of divided leaves. Right in front can be placed catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) which is in flower from June onwards, and Bergenia i 'Morgenrote'. This plant has the added value of producing a second crop of its pink flower heads in June, well after the spring crop, and, of course, all the bergenias are first class for giving solidity to the front of the border or bed; their broad, rounded leaves are an excellent foil for masonry or gravel besides being a contrast to almost everything else. Foliage it will be seen plays a very important part in garden display. After all, even the deciduous plants bear leaves for six months and the value of the few evergreens among perennials cannot be stressed too strongly, such as Campanula latiloba, bergenias, the glaucous trails of Euphorbia myrsinites, London pride and thrift to name but a few. They go a long way to knitting the perennials to the shrubs in winter. Almost without exception it is the height of the foliage of a plant which dictates its position in the border. Campanula latiloba, for instance, grows to some 3ft(im) in flower, but its evergreen rosettes of leaves demand a frontal position. Good crisp covering of frontal leaves of any colour give great tidiness to a border, besides solidity. In fact, a border can be made or marred by its frontal appearance, and where these solid plants can be allowed to spread over a gravel or paved path-or paved verge of a lawn-their value is enhanced. COLOUR COMBINATIONS In the early months we so avidly await every bloom that opens, that colour from flowers or foliage is accepted at face value. By June some splendid pictures will arise, and by July, when we are in the full spate of bloom from perennials, we can pause and look around for long-lasting colour combinations. Spring flowers come and go fairly quickly; summer brings us the full value of some flowers which can be coupled with the background of shrubs whose foliage and flowers last for weeks.