I'll be honest - I'm not a fan of all flowers. I'm not going to name names but some are a bit cheesy or old-fashioned and others are a little hard work.

Cornflowers, however, are a variety I'm quite fond of. In my opinion, they have universal appeal. I know all sorts of different people from different generations who are fans of cornflowers, all for different reasons. They look good and they're easy to grow. But the main reason I'm a fan of cornflowers is for the wild, non-conforming feel they add to a garden.

This pinky, lavender, blue or white coloured flower grows well next to cosmos because they like the same conditions and they'll hold each other up. I also like to plant it amongst my lavender, roses or delphiniums for the same reasons.

All you need is a sunny, well-drained spot with soil that isn't too sour. Before you start planting, I recommend adding a good general fertiliser like nitrophoska blue or blood and bone to help give the seedlings a good kick-start.

Then dig a little hole and plant each seedling around 10cm apart. They're quite upright growing plants and planting at this space apart will allow them to support the weight of each other.

Don't have much space? They also grow really well in pots. Try planting cornflowers in the centre of your pot and lobelias around the outside.

In around six to eight weeks your non-conforming plants will start to flower and provide a splash of colour for autumn.