plant of the moment : KNIPHOFIA Don't be fooled by its garish colour, this plant has appeared in some of the most superior gardens

KNIPHOFIA PLANTS are also known as red-hot pokers because most of them are a deep, glowing, bright orange-red at the tips of their tall tufts of flowers. They are weird-looking things, rather more like feather- dusters in shape than pokers, and most types are hefty; they can grow up to 6ft tall. Gertrude Jekyll grew them at Hestercombe, however, so despite their virulent colours they are definitely upper-class. If global warming continues apace, kniphofias will come into their own, as they are African natives which like sun. But Beth Chatto has also developed some smaller, more elegant varieties with cream, yellow or greenish flowers. Much more British, somehow.

Hester Lacey