[Umbrian]

Last year I bought two Abutilon that I think are Abutilon pictum/ striatumthe vendor did not even know they were Abutilon.! They had obviously been imported from Holland I would think and were in full flower when I bought them. I used them in two large pots and they flowered all summer long - one red and the other a mid orange with paler markings. In the autumn I lifted them and kept them pots on a protected window sill outside. They are already coming into flower and so I feel at can plant them in a (winter) sheltered spot in the garden this year  TThis year the same vendor has some magnificent Abutilon ,megapotamiicumone of which I have bought. Do you think at can safely plant it in the garden - it is rather big at 6ft to put in a pot but I could not resist it!

[Fleur Pavlidis]

I have several Abutilon megapotamicum in the garden which trail about rather than being bushy. They are in sheltered positions but they didn't have any problem with our few nights of below freezing this winter which killed off the tops of things like Malvaviscus and Salvia discolor. I find they are rather short lived, though so I take cuttings every year.

[Umbrian]

Thanks Fleur for the tip about taking cuttings - regardless of winter temperatures that will ensure I can keep it going. Our last two winters have been reasonably mild and it is easy to get complacent but I think I can now safely risk planting it in the garden. I saved seed from my other Abutilons and those from the red one have germinated well and so that is another course I could follow.