STARS OF THE MONTH

Cleome hassleriana ‘Colour Fountain’

When I was aged about 10 years, one of the few things

I was good at was Greek mythology: ask me about the Olympian hierarchy or the adventures of Odysseus or Jason, and I could bore you for hours. I mention this partly for my own aggrandisement, but also because Cleome always sounds like the name of a minor deity – maybe The Muse of Glorious Late-Summer Colour or The Goddess of Arachnids, seeing as the common name for this little beauty is the spider fower. (Since you ask so politely I was also quite good at goalkeeping and singing angelically).

Leggy looking but excellent for the back of a border. Needs sunshine. Sow seeds in early spring. Height x Spread 1.5m x 50cm