GET WINTER GLORY

The potted poinsettias we see everywhere just before our summer Christmases are cajoled in Australian nursery greenhouses to produce their merry red colour just in time for our festivities. But these Mexican natives flower naturally in winter – perfect in northern climes for that traditional red and green cheer. But don’t expect these little plants to perform again next Christmas. They’ll revert to their natural inclination and flower in winter. So find a sunny spot in your garden to plant them and then appreciate their fiery colour in the dim, grim days of winter.

12 bold plan Team red poinse ia bushes in your garden with white varieties.

11 mighty tiny The flowers are li le pop-ups, edged not by red leaves or petals, but by bracts, which are modified leaves.