I had a bit of a 'ferret-about' yesterday and a small patch of
large-flowered, pink Freesia laxa (Anomatheca cruenta in 'old money')
were cheerily waving 12" high wands of flower in the light breeze.
They must be late flowerers from this year's germinated seedlings, for
they certainly weren't there last year. I'm quite pleased about them,
because I only had a single pink flowered hybrid originally and it has
obviously interbred with the large scarlets which have spread
themselves about with almost embarrassing abandon. 2 years ago a few
nice whites popped up and I suspect that these new ones may be progeny
from them. Still some Fuchsias doing their stuff - especially
seedling F. boliviensis and arborea, which happily send up sturdy
youngsters from previous year's berries.

Not out of season, but exciting (for me at least) is a hybrid
Plectranthus that I shoved into a vacant spot near to the back door a
few years ago. It is the almost black leaved 'Blue Angel' which has
ultra deep green leaves, intense magenta purple on the reverse and
glorious spikes of large, sky blue flowers in winter. Supposedly very
tender and only sporadically introduced as a pot plant about 3 or 4
years ago, the plant has now formed a waist high clump against the
wall and looks set to create a very fetching display for Christmas.
This will be its first flowering out of doors for me.

Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November