Canna Lily 'Mrs Oklahoma' - 5 pieces

Pink canna lilies are rarer than red or yellow ones, and 'Mrs Oklahoma' shows how well this shade suits the tropical foliage. The flowers stand in loose spikes on strong stems. The large leaves form a fresh green background against which the pink glows.

At about 140–160 cm tall, the variety suits the middle or back of a border. In a large container it becomes a specimen on the terrace. Suitable partners are violet verbena, white dahlias, lavender in the foreground or silvery foliage. Five rhizomes make a group of a good square metre.

You can cut individual stems for the vase. In the garden 'Mrs Oklahoma' flowers into September and gives the border lush structure until autumn. Its habit is upright and dense, and the plant rarely flops. If you start the rhizomes off in March, you will see the first flowers in July. Lifting them in autumn is worthwhile, as well-overwintered rhizomes divide and produce even more shoots the following year. That way the group grows every year.

From March you can start the rhizomes off in pots of loose compost in a light, warm place indoors. Only move them outdoors after the Ice Saints (mid-May). Lay the rhizomes 5–8 cm deep with the shoot tips facing up, spacing them 40–60 cm apart. A warm, sheltered spot in full sun with fertile soil is ideal.

Water generously in summer and feed every two weeks, as canna lilies are hungry plants. Cut off faded flower spikes so new ones follow. The plant is not hardy: after the first light frost, cut the foliage back to about 15 cm, lift the rhizomes and overwinter them dry and frost-free at 5–10 °C.