Plant of the Week: Mandevilla

This gorgeous tropical climber transforms a sunny conservatory or bright windowsill into an exotic jungle of foliage and brilliantly colourful, heavily scented flowers for weeks in late summer, twining up and over supports to frame your view with a hint of South-American rainforest.

Mandevillas are big plants, so give them plenty of room to spread out their roots, planting into a large container or directly into the borders of the greenhouse or conservatory. They’ll need a little shade from direct sunlight to prevent their glossy green leaves from scorching, and a regular prune in early spring, shortening side shoots to encourage plenty of those flamboyant, head-turning flowers.