Meet your end-of-summer garden project: a four-step guide on how to plant a flowering hedge. So, why plant a hedge? And why plant one that has flowers? The answer is obvious: all gardens need some hedge-screening; and a screen of lovely flowers beats a wall of green leaves any day.

1. Hedge power: Hedges have super-powers. They can hide something ugly. They can stop people looking in at you. They can soften blustery winds. They can direct foot traffic so people stop taking a short cut across a lawn or through a garden bed. Take a look around and it shouldn’t take you long to work out where your new super-power hedge will be planted. Step one is complete.

2. Hedge selection: Step two involves picking the right plant for your hedge. There are two ways to go about it. Take a good look at the site you’ve chosen and note its conditions – sun, shade, wind and soil – then do a bit of research to find a plant that will be happy to grow there. Or you can keep it simple and search for Fairy Magnolias®, a series of Magnolias which is tough enough to thrive anywhere and is absolutely gorgeous. It also comes in three colours. Now to step three…

3. Hedge planting: Follow these instructions and you will have success. Dig a trench, not individual holes. Yes it’s more work, but your plants will grow together and be happier. Work out how many plants you’ll need all up: FYI Fairy Magnolias should be planted three feet apart. Go source your plants then water them in their pots, letting them sit for half an hour before tipping them out and setting into your trench. Aim to match your levels… the top of the potted root ball should line up with the surrounding garden bed. Backfill the trench and water everything in well. Now to step four…

4. Hedge care: In the early days, just keep your new plants well-watered. After they’ve settled in they won’t need much more than a timely drink during a hot summer, and a handful of slow release fertiliser in spring and autumn. As for trimming, it depends on the look you’re after. Do nothing and you’ll have a loose natural hedge that will grow somewhere between nine and 12 feet tall. Clip away if you want something groomed or shorter. Simple. Project complete.