Beautiful moisture loving plants thriving in half sun and half shade. 1-1½ blooms in bright scarlet, orange or yellow, some contrastingly speckled. Sown by mid-March they bloom in their first summer. Useful for bedding in shade, water side margins, pots, etc. A perennial usually treated as a half hardy annual. Flowers summer.

Sow late winter to mid spring at 20-24C (70-75F) on the surface of a good seed compost and gently firm down. Keep soil damp but not wet. Do not exclude light, sealing in a polythene bag after sowing is helpful. Germination usually takes 14-21 days.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant and grow on in cooler conditions. Do not feed as this makes for lush growth and fewer flowers. Acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting out after all risk of frost 20-25cm (8-10in) apart on moist well drained soil. For pot plants, transplant seedlings into 7.5cm (3in) pots, grow cool, well ventilated and give plenty of light but shade from direct sun.

After flowering shear plants lightly to encourage second flush of blooms.