Chinese hibiscus

The Chinese hibiscus is a tropical shrub that needs to be kept in a conservatory pot or bed, and grown in bright, filtered light. The flowers range from crimson to yellow, orange or white, but the fact that they are short-lived isn't a problem. New ones keep appearing, giving a long flowering season, and they are nicely set off by the shiny, dark green leaves. If the buds fall, the roots are too dry, or the plant needs a regular, weak feed or the temperature has suddenly dropped. If kept at 13C, it should keep flowering all year.