On Sep 25, 4:18*pm, Sacha wrote:
Taking a deep breath, we're going to try a Hedychium outside this year.

The time to plant this in in spring when the new shoots are starting
to appear. A nice sunny spot and well-manured soil are all it
needs.... plus copious supplies of water when growing strongly. It
does well in Manchester, York, Leicester, Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich,
North Wales, South Wales and Birmingham. There's every reason to
assume it will grow perfectly well near Ashburton. It is a very tough
plant and well tested in areas with winters far more severe than we
see in the South West.