Last year I saw the new ‘Cannova’ cannas are a trials ground and although they did not have the height and presence of older, tall varieties, they were impressive for their vigour and flowering when grown in ‘ordinary’ outdoor, trial conditions. The huge advantage of these is that, being grown from seed, the plants are free from the viruses that are ever-present in commercial stocks of cannas. The problem with cannas these days is that if you buy dormant rhizomes there is a fair chance they will be virused and this not only means your plants will be infected but that they can infect any clean stocks you have. So these new cannas are a way to get good plants albeit in a restricted range. The plants grow to about 75cm (30in) high and are suitable for borders and pots. Like all cannas they prefer a warm, sunny spot and lots of water and feed. They should be available in garden centres this summer and they are also available by mail order from Thompson & Morgan.

Sunday Puzzler Solution: April 2

tulip

oenothera

embothrium

gerbera

helianthemum

trillium

ipomoea (sweet potato)

Heliotropium

Acalypha

myosotis

monarda

So they give you T O E G H T I H A M M

Rearrange those and you get Ightham Mote near Sevenoaks in Kent