Then there's stinking iris, Iris foetidissima, whose leaves have a pungent scent but which comes into its own visually in autumn and winter, putting on a spectacular display when its huge seed pods burst open to reveal brilliant orange, sometimes red, seeds.

"Last year our survey showed that creeping buttercup and cowslip were among the UK's most common wildflowers where as stinking iris and alpine lady's mantle were the least recorded.

THE muddy purple-tinged beardless flowers of the stinking iris (iris foetidissima) are nothing compared with the huge pods, which in autumn split to expose bright orange seeds that remain attractive for months.

If you like dried flowers then consider strawflowers or Helichrysum, the seed heads of the stinking iris or the seed heads of alliums.

As autumn approaches Iris foetidissima or stinking iris have bulging seed pods which pop to reveal brilliant red seeds.