Abutilon

Hardy hibiscus can sit easily with arundo and abutilons. Deep red hardy Lobelia tupa and 'Queen Victoria', also have an exotic look.

Over the past few years I've noticed a smallish abutilon called 'Bella' for sale at some nurseries and plant stands.

Fuchsias, argyranthemums, salvias and tender abutilons all strike well from cuttings taken now and can be overwintered in the pot before being separately potted up next spring.

Others, such as cannas, plectranthrus, abutilons and coleus, are being lifted and taken into frost-free greenhouses.

As well as a large formal flower garden, there is a span greenhouse filled with mature pelargoniums and abutilons.

I look carefully at the vast array of fuchsias, salvias, marguerites, verbenas, abutilons and so forth.

5CHECK plants such as abutilons and fuchsias that have been containerised after lifting from summer bedding schemes.

I have a lot of plants around my garden that would be destroyed by frost, such as agarve, geraniums, plectanthrus, fuchsias, daturas and abutilons. All of these will tolerate temperatures down to 3C but won't survive severe frost.

1Plants in the greenhouse are showing signs of beginning to grow so, even in the cool greenhouse, subjects such as abutilons and fuchsias can receive a little more water.

10 Carefully check over plants such as abutilons and fuchsias that have been containerised after lifting from summer bedding schemes.

Make use of dot plants with standard Fuchsias, Cannas and Abutilons as features to give a third dimension to your bedding schemes.