The unusual and immensely pretty Mirabilis jalapa opens its gorgeous flowers in mid-afternoon on sunny days in the height of summer - only to close them again at night, hence one of its common names 'The Four O'Clock Plant'. Incredibly, each plant produces its flowers in a mix of colours - from deep-magenta, to pure-white, bicolours, and even bright-yellow - it's no wonder its called the 'Marvel of Peru'! Plant this beauty in beds and borders, and it will form a neat, bushy shrub that will grow to about 1m (3ft) tall. Alternatively, plant them in deep pots, like carrots would grow (you will see what we mean when you get them!)
Remarkable trumpet-like flowers in a range of colours, all splashed or marbled in cerise-red. The well branched plants are full of small buds which break open in the evening and early morning, releasing a wonderful fragrance
Spectacular and highly fragrant 10- 15cm (4-6in) long 'trumpetflowers of Mirabilis longiflora open at dusk and close the following morning, filling the garden with their night time scent. The white and pale pink flowers with their dark pink centres sometimes reach 20cm (8in) long and their curling, magenta stamens are even longer, often projecting up to 5cm (2in) beyond the flower tips