With spring now well underway, many of us are looking at our outdoor spaces and thinking about giving them some TLC after another long winter.
According to the Scottish Environmental Horticulture Growth Strategy there are over one million people in Scotland who are regular gardeners.
From communal tenement gardens to expansive private grounds, we love our borders, rockeries, lawns and patios.
It’s hugely satisfying to see a plant you’ve cared for bloom into beautiful flowers, but you need to be careful what you choose and where you place it.
Many of us have gardens that have poor-quality sandy soil. It’s a particular issue in coastal areas - and Scotland has plenty of coast.
Luckily there are many plants with colourful flowers that can positively thrive in these conditions and will also cope with the notoriously unpredictable Scottish climate.
Here are 13 of our favourites.
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9. Oriental Poppy
Bloom don't come much more dramatic than produced by the stunning Oriental Poppy. Their showy flowers appear in early summer and as long as they get plenty of sun they'll grow beautifully in sandy soil. A word of warning though, their foliage dies back after they flower, so you'll want other plants to grow alongside them to provide coverage year-round. | Canva/Getty Images
10. Sedum
Much like a cactus, the Sedum stores water in fleshy leaves, meaning it has no issue with growing in dry sandy soil. It produces pretty pink flower heads in late summer, which turn bronze in autumn, continuing to attract bees to its late-season nectar. | Canva/Getty Images
11. Sea Thrift
Also sometimes known as Sea Pinks, the Sea Thrift is native to Scotland where it can be found on the coast - so is perfect to add to sandy gardens where it will make itself very much at home. It's a compact wee plant with tufts of grassy leaves and pink or white pom-pom flowers appearing in spring. It's also a perfect choice to pop in pots. | Canva/Getty Images
12. Tickseed
Easy to grow in sandy soil, Tickseed produces yellow daisy-like flowers that bloom over a long season, from the middle of spring well into autum. | Canva/Getty Images