Here’s our pick of the best 14 foreign plants UK that will thrive in the

When Helen’s daughter gets married, she dreads seeing her own ex with his new young wife

1 EUCALYPTUS GUNNII

With eye-catching cream and brown bark, dramatic bluish-green young foliage and clusters of white flowers, the cider gum is hardy to -15°C (5°F) and capable of surviving the UK’s most bitter winters. This Tasmanian native sheds much of its bark each year, creating a spectacle as it peels away to reveal shades of orange or pink. Give it a sheltered spot in full sun and welldrained neutral-to-acid soil. Trees can exceed 10m (33ft) high when mature, so plant a sensible distance from the house.

3 DICKSONIA

ANTARCTICA

The Australian tree fern creates a jungle-like effect with its arching, serrated fronds. Garden centres stock pricey mature specimens but you can find smaller examples from around £20 – just bear in mind that they only grow 2.5cm (1in) a year so it’s a long-term project. Grow in shade, in a deep container filled with John Innes No3 compost, and keep the trunk and crown moist. If growth is sluggish, feed with seaweed extract and new fronds will unfurl. Frost-hardy tree ferns can remain outdoors over winter, but protect stems and the crown with straw.

2 PHORMIUM

Few architectural plants beat the New Zealand flax for its ability to make a dramatic statement. Its arching leaves blend into planting schemes and it’s unfazed by even the most exposed environments. Try Phormium ‘Evening Glow,’ a clump-forming showstopper with vivid, pink and red strap-shaped leaves that can reach 75cm (30in) high. It loves a sunny spot and is capable of surviving winter lows of -10°C (14°F).

4 CALLISTEMON CITRINUS ‘SPLENDENS’

Lance-shaped leaves with an aromatic lemon scent add an instant exotic touch, but it’s the dense, cylindrical, bright crimson bottlebrush flowers borne in summer that make this evergreen an exotic superstar. Plant it in well-drained soil by a sheltered, south-facing fence or wall. ‘Splendens’ thrives in the UK, as long as plants are kept well watered. It can suffer in freezing winters if the mercury dips below -5°C, (23°F) so grow in a big pot and move containers to a frost-free greenhouse in winter.

5 LOMATIA TINCTORIA

The guitar plant will strike a chord with gardeners who are keen to embrace Tasmanian flora. Look closely at its spikes of blooms and you’ll see a striking resemblance to miniature guitars! Flowers of this suckering shrub are loved by bees and butterflies. Give it a sunny spot, shelter it from cold winds and grow in slightly acidic soil. Hardy to -10°C (14°F), maturing to more than 1m (3ft).

6 GREVILLEA ROSMARINIFOLIA

It’s not uncommon for this Aussie favourite to flower year-round in a sheltered site. Foliage is evergreen, and it’s hardy across much of the UK, tolerating -10°C. (14°F). For best flowering performance, a sheltered position in full sunlight is a must. Grevillea likes well-drained acidic or neutral soil, and reaches a mature height of 1m (3ft) in UK gardens.

7 ASTELIA CHATHAMICA ‘SILVER SPEAR’

Here’s a brilliant evergreen, clumpforming perennial that’s guaranteed to add an architectural touch to your plot with its silvery sword-shaped leaves and panicles of green/brown flowers which are followed by orange berries on female plants. Hardy in milder areas of the UK and will grow in sun or part shade, reaching 1.2m (4ft) high.

9 LEPTOSPERMUM SCOPARIUM ‘APPLEBLOSSOM’

If you only have room to grow a plant in a container, the New Zealand tea tree is just the ticket. Bees adore its double light-pink flowers with dark pink centres, while elliptic, needle-like foliage adds a tropical touch. This evergreen, which grows to 2m (6ft), is best overwintered in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory.

8 CORDYLINE

AUSTRALIS

Few plants create a year-round ‘holiday at home’ atmosphere like the cabbage palm. Yes, these single-trunked trees are common, but they’re a cheap and easy way to add an instant exotic touch. Mature trees can reward owners with big, showy panicles of fragrant cream flowers. They’ll survive spells as low as -5°C (23°F) and can stay outdoors year-round in mild or coastal areas.

10 BANKSIA INTEGRIFOLIA

A common sight along the east coast of Australia with its elliptic light-brown leaves, this large, vigorous evergreen will be at home in the sun. Its bottlebrush-style flowers appear Aug-Oct, providing a late source of pollen and nectar for bees when many have gone over. Avoid lime soils and choose a snug, sheltered spot.

11 CANNA ‘STUTTGART’

Native to semi-tropical and tropical parts of the Americas, Canna lilies will thrive in UK gardens. This unusual and distinctive variety will certainly make an impact. Grown mostly for the narrow glaucous leaves, which are variously striped and splashed with white, ‘Stuttgart’ also produces striking peachy-orange flowers in mid-to-late summer. Perfectly for a sunny border, it’s also compact enough to grow in pots, so you can surround yourself with this lowmaintenance beauty on the patio, too.

As part of our FitMind50 campaign we’re encouraging readers to push outside their comfort zone and pledge to try 50 new things. Why not make growing an exotic plant one of your 50? Sign up online at www.fitmind50.co.uk where you’ll find lots of tips and ideas to get you started

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achel breezed through the front door announcing loudly: “We’ve finally set the date, Mum!”

She had to shout to be heard above the noise of the vacuum going full blast. Helen turned it off and plonked herself down in a chair, glad of a rest. She could never understand how just the two of them could make the house quite so messy.

“Hooray! A wedding day at last!” She beamed up at her daughter. “So, when is it to be?”

Rachel and her fiance Mike had been talking about tying the knot for quite a while so she wasn’t completely surprised by the announcement.

“Six weeks,” Rachel replied happily. “Gosh, so soon?” Helen said. “Have

Ryou told your father? Don’t forget he will have to book flights if he and Dawn are coming.” Helen felt a pang as she said it. If she was honest, she had always felt a little jealous of Rachel’s relationship with her ex-husband, although she tried to hide it.

Rachel smiled. “You are the first to know, Mum. I’ll tell Dad later. I’m going to ask him to walk me down the aisle.”

Helen swallowed hard. She had been preparing herself but somewhere deep inside her it still hurt. She got up and hugged her daughter. “Good idea, love. I’m sure he’ll be honoured. You’ll make a lovely bride and a wonderful wife. You and Mike are made for each other.”

“Thanks, Mum.” Rachel sounded relieved. “And don’t worry, it’s not going to be a massively expensive wedding. We are going to have a ‘home-made’ affair – the reception will be in the village hall, but I will need your help with a few things. Must dash now, I’m meeting friends. I’ll tell you all about it later.”

Helen sank back into the chair and stared at the silent vacuum cleaner. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she processed the news. Her only child was getting married, which was wonderful, but she was going to miss Rachel terribly when she moved out into her own place. And her ex-husband who had been absent from their lives for 20 years was going to walk their daughter down the aisle, no doubt watched adoringly by his pretty young wife.

Helen couldn’t think of anything worse. She almost wished Mike and Rachel would quietly elope to Gretna Green – but that wasn’t going to happen.

“I’ll get the coffees then you can tell me everything,” Helen’s friend Rose said when they met the following morning. “Now, which part of this are you feeling most worried about?”

Helen stirred her coffee while she tried to put her jumbled feelings in order. “I’m thrilled that Rachel and Mike are getting

‘I was the one who struggled to bring her up on my own so I don’t see why he should get any of the glory now. I know it’s irrational...’

married and of course I’m going to help in every way I can, but watching John walk her down the aisle is going to be really difficult.”

“He has always kept in touch with his girl, though, hasn’t he?” Rose said.

“I know you split up when she was very little, but he didn’t completely abandon you both.”

“Well, I suppose not, if you believe that Skyping and sending money for special presents made up for going off to live in Canada. I was the one who struggled to bring her up on my own so I don’t see why he should get any of the glory now. I know it’s irrational, Rose.”

“Feeling jealous?” her forthright friend asked.

“Yes, jealous and angry and a bit

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foolish, to be honest.” Helen snapped a biscuit in half. “And

I’m not sure that I’m going to handle this very well, especially with his young trophy wife there, too. I’ll be the lonely, middle-aged mum and ex-wife…”

A tear rolled down Helen’s cheek and plopped onto the table. She had never let self-pity or envy creep into her life and hated feeling this way now.

Rose handed her a tissue. “It has been just you and Rachel for a long time so it will be hard when she leaves home. Maybe it will be good for you to move on and have a bit of ‘me time’. Jealousy is a green-eyed monster so try to be the brave, kind person you really are.”

“I know you’re right,” Helen said, brushing the tears away.

“And I’ve got a few ideas that might help,” Rose added mysteriously.

Two days before the wedding, the friends met for coffee again. Helen was feeling exhausted. Her daughter’s idea of ‘a little help’ had been an understatement. “I’ve done almost relaxing facial and hair styling’. The session was booked for the following day.

“Rose, you’re the best friend ever! This is exactly what I need right now.”

“Just one other thing,” Rose laughed, “I have also arranged for someone to be at your side on the day of the wedding. His name is James.” “James?”

“Yes, James. Don’t look at me like that, Helen – he’s a nice man of around our age, widowed, who happens to work for a very respectable escort agency.”

Punctually at eleven o’clock on the day of the wedding, James arrived to accompany Helen to the church. Handsome, courteous and great company, he stayed glued to Helen’s side throughout the service and the reception. Much to her surprise, they got on like a house on fire. For the first time in weeks, she relaxed. This was her daughter’s big day and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

When the organ struck up the Wedding March and John walked Rachel down the aisle, Helen remembered Rose’s wise words about the green-eyed monster and put on her brightest smile.

Later, when the dancing started James led her onto the dance floor. Taking her in his arms, he whispered: “Let’s give them all something to talk about.”

A tingle ran down Helen’s spine as she rested her cheek against his. She giggled: “I think I might need to hire you forever!”

“Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary,” he laughed. “Would you mind very much if I asked to see you again?”

“Please ask away!” Helen smiled and as they twirled past the top table she gave John and Dawn a cheeky little wave.

Hazel, who lives in Herefordshire, says her stories are inspired by everyday life: “Summer weddings are wonderful if you’re a guest but not always so much fun for the people organising them.”