VIBRANT POTS
Avisittothegardencentrewillreward
witha goodchoiceofvibrantblooms– like
flamboyantdahliasandliliesthatcomein
sizzlingshadesofpink,red,orangeandyellow.You
canbuytheminpotsatthistimeofyearandusethem
tocreatea feelingofwarmtharoundseatingareas.
Lookout,too,forthesculpturedflowersofcallalilies.
TheseSouthAfricannativeshavebeenthefocusofmuch
recenthybridising,resultinginvarietieswithflowersin
lusciousshadesofpink,purple,red,peach,
yellowandgold.They’reperfectfor
growinginpotsonthepatio.
OrtryLantana, withits
fragranceofripeblackcurrants,
airyhabitandmulticoloured
yellow,pink,orangeand
redverbena-like
flowers.36 womansweekly.com
GARDENING
PHOTOS:
ALAMY,
GETTY
Hot PAT I O!
Vibrant, jungle-style planting is a key trend this
summer, and it’s easy to create that exotic vibe with
lush leaves and brightblooms,saysAdrienneWild
Tropical heights
To add height, train the Chilean
glory flower, Eccremocarpus
scaber, over a wigwam so that you
can enjoy its 2.5cm long, tubular,
orange-scarletflowersuntil the
frostscomein October.
Anotherexotic-lookingplant
is Spanishflag, orIpomoea
lobata.This easy-careclimber
producesup to 12 crimson
flowersalongslenderspikes.The
flowerschangethroughorange
and yellowto white– like the
Spanishflag.
Bothare easy to growfrom
seed if you havea greenhouse.FLAMBOYANT
CLIMBERS
Ifyouwanta hardyexotic,thentrya passionflower.
Withitsexoticblooms,itflowersfreelyinmostparts
ofBritain,andinmildareasitcanevenbegrown
permanentlyoutside.Clianthuspuniceus, which
originatesinNewZealand,isreadilyavailableatmost
gardencentres.Ithascrimson-scarlet,claw-shaped
flowersthatappearinmid-summerinclustersof4-6
blooms.Knownasparrot’sbillbecauseofitsunusual
flowers,it’llreachupto3.6mona sunnypatio.Something
special
Specialistnurseriesare where
you’remostlikelyto find
‘specials’,like the fast-
growing,value-for-money,
evergreenshrub,Nerium
oleander.The flowersare
very fragrantand comein
singleor doublevarietiesin
yellow,white,pink and red.
Unfortunatelythe plant
is poisonous– as is the
amazingbrugmansiaor
Datura. This is usuallysold
as Angel’sTrumpetbecause
of its large,shapelyblooms,
whichcan be white,pink,
peachor gold,and comeas
singleand doubleforms.Chilean glory
flowerParrot’sbill
Ginger lily
N
o cash for a holiday? Then give your patio
a vacation vibe with hot-blooded tropicals.
If you’re looking for inspiration, open gardens
are a good place to pick up unusual plants and
ideas. For instance, in the south of England and the
mild west coast of Scotland, you may find tender
plants, such as ginger lilies (Hedychium),
which (in good weather) produce
fragrant orchid-like flowers through to
September. Even when the summer
weather is a bit of a flop, this plant
will still pack a punch with its shiny,
dark green, lance-shaped leaves.Passionflower
Calla lily