You may well wonder why I am singing its praises. But let me tell you about the performance of this plant, and then you can decide for yourself. First of all it is evergreen. (Well, with me it is.) It flowers from May until the first frost, and that could be December. It never outgrows its allotted space, about 30 centimetres high and 60 centimetres across. Does not suffer from any known pests or diseases. Roots from cuttings in about three weeks. Will grow anywhere that gets some sunshine. Can be moved when in full bloom without knowing that anything has happened. Recovers from heavy rain within 24 hours. Is completely hardy in this country and is beautifully perfumed. The only attention required is the removal of the dead flower stocks occasionally.
There are not many plants that meet that criteria and survive, but survive it does, although there is a certain amount of snobbery directed against such plants. Most people assume that if a plant is easy to grow and propagate then it does not present a challenge and is not worth bothering about. But it is plants such as this that are the backbone of all good gardens.
I had occasion to call on Confetti to rescue me from a difficult situation after the August bank holiday when the rain washed out all the petunias and geraniums. The half barrels were quickly filled with Confetti that I had growing in pots. The situation was resolved in 20 minutes. These plants are still in full bloom despite having been removed in the middle of October and potted up, to make way for winter-flowering pansies and polyanthus.
Another groups of plants that I couldn't do without are the Diascias, excellent plants to fill a gap if something fails in the summertime. They like a moist but well-drained soil in a sunny spot for best performance. One that I am particularly fond of is called Diascia ridgescens, a strong grower that never fails to give a good account of itself. This can be planted with confidence in patio planters and window-boxes, and this year I tried it in a hanging basket and have been delighted with the results. The long evergreen stems are always clothed with a few flowers even at this time, the end of October. One word of warning though: never let it dry out or the leaves will turn brown and unsightly and will have to be removed, because they do not recover. Other Diascias that I grow include Salmon supreme, lilac belle, a compact variety just labelled orange, a cerise-pink, called Twinkle, and, of course, the old favourite, Rubyfield. All are easy to root in peat and sand at end of August or early September.
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