Half Hardy and Summer Patio

While the annual Cleomes are quite well-known, this perennal version is less so. A prickly plant with spidery white to pink flowers from dry areas of Peru and Bolivia

A quick-growing tender climber with large purple cup-shaped flowers with a green calyx (saucer) from mid to late summer. Looks stunning grown up an obelisk or trellis. Usually grown as an annual but is in fact a tender perennial.

This little trailing plant has funnel-shaped, soft blue flowers from mid to summer and is ideal for a sunny, dry location

A striking succulent with characteristic large staghorn-shaped leaves. Ideal for a large shallow bowl or trough where it can spread to make an impressive plant. Outdoors in summer, in for the winter.

(C. macrantha.) A large branching shrubby succulent. Differs from C. orbiculata in having rounder fleshy green leaves tinged red at the edges.

A distinctive hybrid with thick fleshy dusky purple grey pointed leaves. A neat little plant

A vigourous plant forming mounds of neatly arranged leaves which take on a vivid red colouration in summer. Lovely in a shallow pot or planted under Aeoniums. South Africa.

A plant from shady cliff faces in subtropical South Africa, forming a sprawling mats of fleshy green leaves with red undersurfaces. Makes an unusual plant for a partly shady windowsill indoors. Possibly hardy in sheltered gardens, away from hot midday sun.

A compact form of the Money Plant with curly blue-green fleshy leaves. Denser and slower growing.

Name uncertain but bought as this. A vigourous growing succulent with densely packed leaves on long stems. These tend to flop, making it ideal for a wide shallow bowl, or for bedding out in the summer.

A neat little compact spreading succulent with fleshy variegated leaves.

A bushy tender shrubby perennial ideal for bedding out with other tropical plants. Covered from summer to autumn with masses of orange tubular flowers.

A colourful small tender shrub with vivid red tubular flowers over a long period in summer. Ideal for bedding out with other exotic plants, or in containers. Over winter frost free.

From dry areas of South Africa where it makes a large tree, this makes a striking plant in a large pot. Deeply cut glossy leaves emerge red then change to green.

A low-growing relative of the Papyrus, this makes good groundcover for the edges of a pond in mild gardens.

This striking grass related to the Egyptian Papyrus makes a neat plant with a umbrella shaped whorl of bracts.