Perfect present to plant | In Fiona's Garden

There's the tingle of anticipation while you lie awake thinking about what to buy, the fun of wandering round the nursery choosing your plants, and finally the joy of seeing them safely installed in the garden, a perpetual reminder of the givers and the pleasure that their gift has brought.

A few months ago some lovely friends gave me a voucher for a special birthday but I waited until now to spend it, as autumn is our best planting season.

Part of the anticipatory fun is making a shopping list - this is vital, choice can easily overwhelm you when you hit the nursery stands.

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Mine included colour for winter through to early summer, ground covers to fill a couple of sunny but dull corners, and vegetable and herb seedlings.

The first thing I saw on arrival at the nursery was a stand of small hardy cyclamen, C. coum, perfect for my sunny but dull corners.

C. coum comes from eastern Mediterranean regions and has pink, white and magenta flowers and jade-green leaves beautifully marked in white in different patterns.

It is frost hardy but likes some summer moisture.

Also from the Mediterranean is a winter flowering anemone, A. coronaria.

Anemones have large, buttercup like flowers and most of them flower in spring, so I was pleased to find bulbs of A. coronaria with semi-double flowers, blue with prominent black centres, and white with yellow and green.

Next I spotted a tray of blue, purple and white pansies, perfect for my winter pots.

I also found Viola tricolour in mixed colours, a lovely little perennial viola with tiny flowers that continue through summer.

Hyacinths were a must for indoor flower and scent in mid-winter so I bought lots of bulbs in shades of purple, blue and pale yellow.

Planting them will be the perfect school holiday job for my grandchildren, it should keep them happy for a least an hour, I hope.

I found punnets of stocks and foxgloves for lovely early summer colour.

Foxgloves are easy but I've never had any luck with scented, double flowered stocks as they are slightly tender in our climate.

I have earmarked a sunny but sheltered spot near our front steps where I can keep an eye on them, so fingers crossed.

For winter vegies I bought cauliflowers and broccoli, with lettuce and rocket for salads.

I already have half a dozen each of cauliflower and broccoli well under way from a February sowing, so I'm hoping that punnets planted now will extend the season.

Coriander, parsley, lemon thyme, oregano and purple sage should provide me with enough herbs to last through winter.

By now I knew I was well over budget but couldn't resist a vast packet of mixed daffodils before heading nervously for the cashier.

Nursery owners know customers will always overspend a voucher - this is why they're such a deadly present.

No prizes for guessing what I'll be doing for the next week.