In this Top Ten List, our garden expert - Phil McCann - has compiled his favourite Hardy Annuals.

What is a hardy annual? An annual is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one year, and then dies. These tend to be your bedding plants. A hardy plant is one that will tolerate light frosts - so they are particularly good spring plants where we can still be caught out

The recent cold weather has taken its toll on some plants. I was worried for my own fresh, young shoots of lupins but they seem to have come through unscathed. I have, however, spotted some phormiums and yuccas that have been knocked about a bit. Time for action.