Sometimes known as the Cobra Lily, it's not hard to imagine how it got this name, resembling the forked tongue of a Cobra. A fiery, exotic and fabulous looking summer-flowering bulb, not widely known or grown, yet very easy in pots. Not entirely hardy, it will take a degree or two of frost if well-drained, so we suggest growing in pots, with added sand or gravel for drainage. Plant 3 or 4 corms in a 25-30cm diameter pot, as they will spread over 5 years or so, giving bigger and better displays. The best displays are from full sun spots, so feed and water well in warmer months. This relative of Montbretia (Crocosomia) produces lovely, deep-orange flame-like flowers in tall and showy spikes in high summer, developing to seed-pods which add autumn interest. Bring the pot inside over winter to ensure survival for following years. Supplied as a pack of 5 bulbs ready to plant out.
Grow these penstemon in your annual beds as well as your perennial borders! They're much longer flowering than antirrhinums and boast larger blooms. Easy to maintain and offering years of performance, they'll flower and flower almost all summer in a superb range of colours, including many bicolours; just remove spent flower spikes once blooms have faded.