A seed-grown exotic for a damp spot
Hibiscus coccineus
is a magnificent plant hailing from the swamps of Florida. It takes a bit of love and a lot of water to do its thing, but when this bog hibiscus blooms, its huge protruding style and vermillion-red bu erfly blooms make it all worthwhile. Start it from seed in a propagator in March and grow on in the same way as the brugmansia above. It can be planted out after the frosts in the dampest, sunniest spot possible, where it’ll easily make a skinny 2m (6ft) plant. If you have a drier soil, then either grow it in a pot or enrich the soil’s water-holding capacity by digging in well-ro ed horse manure. It, like the plants above, can be lifted in autumn and kept frost free over winter, ready to bring some exotic excitement back to your garden the following year.