Louise Daniels says the idea of a low-maintenance flower border may be just what she needs for the small garden at the back of her ground floor town flat.

She writes: "I'm afraid, though, that I am fairly new to gardening and I'm not quite sure about the different kinds of perennials as distinct from annuals."

It is easy to forget the needs of first-time gardeners and I ought to explain that while annuals grow from seed to maturity within one year and then die, perennials will grow and flower for a number of years. This is a simplification for there are different kinds of annual and perennial.

I am always delighted to see a seed or plant catalogue that explains the distinctions. The latest catalogue from Suttons Seeds is a good example.

It is a help to be able to apply the definitions and know that you can plant the hardy perennial peonies in a

border and leave them alone for a lifetime whereas the half-hardy perennial pelargoniums need to be taken indoors for winter.

Even more useful is to be able to distinguish between, say, a hardy perennial rudbeckia and a half hardy annual rudbeckia.

Planning a perennial border may be a mix of different kinds of perennial. Much depends on how much effort is to be employed on the annual maintenance. Other important factors include the height to which we can expect our chosen perennials to grow. Colour and season of bloom are important too.

One of the cleverest planting schemes I have ever seen was in a circular bed in a private garden comprised of bands of different kinds of dahlia rising from ground-huggers to giants in the middle in all the blazing colours of a Catherine wheel.

I would suggest a copy of a perennial plant catalogue like that from Suttons Seeds. You can get a copy from Suttons Seeds, Woodview Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 7NG.