Godetia 'Rembrandt'

Godetia, also known as Satin Flower, is an underused but spectacular hardy annual for the UK garden. The cultivar 'Rembrandt' is particularly striking, producing clusters of large, funnel-shaped flowers that have a bi-colour pattern of satiny-white with a bold, flared blotch of carmine-pink in the centre of each petal. The texture of the petals is notably silken and delicate. Reaching about 30-45cm in height, it has an upright, bushy habit and is best used towards the front of a sunny border. It is a hardy annual (H3) and performs best when sown directly into the soil in early spring. Godetias prefer cooler summer temperatures and can struggle in extreme heat, which makes them well-suited to the British climate. They require well-drained soil and do not need a lot of fertiliser; in fact, soil that is too rich will produce more leaves than flowers. They make excellent, long-lasting cut flowers if harvested when the first few buds on the stem are just beginning to open. Their vibrant, painted-on colours are truly eye-catching.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained, average soil.

Hardiness: H3 — down to −5°C.

Flowering: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.