Once the Heliotrope or Cherry Pie was a popular sum-mer plant, sharing a place in countless Victorian gardens alongside Fuchsias and Geraniums, but its day is now past. The problem is that each individual blooms is tiny, but the flower-heads are large and the fragrance is very strong. An excellent foil for showy yellow flowers such as Marigolds, but a poor choice for cold and exposed gardens. VARIETIES: Hybrids of H. peruvianun are available in several colours – ‘White Lady’ (white), ‘Lord Roberts’ (dark blue), ‘Vilmorin’s Variety’ (purple) and so on. But the range in today’s seed catalogue is strictly limited – the only common one is ‘Marine’ (1 ½ ft, royal purple, dark foliage). SITE & SOIL: Any well-drained garden soil will do – thrives best in full sun. PLANT DETAILS: Height 1 ½ ft. Spacing 1 ft. Flowering period June – September. PROPAGATION: Cuttings can be taken from greenhouse plants in spring.
