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Hey there, fellow green thumbs and budding plant enthusiasts! Today, let's chat about a plant that's stolen my heart over the past couple of years. Say hello to Mirabilis Jalapa, my garden's showstopper! You might be more familiar with its snazzy nickname, the Four o'clock plant, or perhaps you've heard it called Beauty of the Night or even Marvel of Peru. If you wander over to China, they've got some fun names for it too, like the Rice Boiling Plant or Shower Flower. And in Hong Kong? It goes by Purple Jasmine.Now, let's dig a bit into its roots, quite literally! Mirabilis Jalapa is a South American native and has been brightening up European gardens for about 500 years. What makes it so special? Well, for starters, it's a sun worshipper. However, just like some of us on a ski holiday, it can't handle the cold. Typically grown as an annual, this plant is pretty versatile when it comes to surviving the off-season. In autumn, when it starts to retreat, you can lift and store its tubers (kinda like you would with dahlias), or if your winters are more "chilly" than "frosty," you can leave them be.This year, I played a little experiment. I planted some using last year's tubers and others from seed, starting both around the same time. The tubers were like sprinters off the blocks, already showing off their blooms, while the seed-grown plants are still getting their bearings. A hot tip if you're starting from seeds: give them a day-long soak first. They germinate like a dream afterwards!Mirabilis Jalapa is quite the grower, reaching up to 3ft. It's not too fussy about soil, though it seems to favor a slightly alkaline touch. That's probably why it thrives in my garden, with our hard water creating a lime-friendly environment. But here's the catch: it's thirsty! Neglect its water needs, and it'll droop dramatically. Yet, give it a good soak, and voila – it bounces back beautifully.Now, let's talk about the main event – the flowers. They're prolific, with a kaleidoscope of colors and sometimes even variegated patterns. They're perfectly paired with bright green leaves, which are half the reason I adore this plant. These blossoms are evening stars, opening up at dusk (hence the cool names), and sometimes, you'll see different colored flowers on the same plant! They're fleeting beauties, though, lasting just a day, but don't worry – new ones pop up right away.But wait, there's more! After the flower show, you get these large, attractive seeds that turn from greeny-yellow to black, creating a striking contrast with the foliage. If you let them, they'll self-seed in your garden, but collecting seeds is also doable (though a bit of a task with how many there are).A word of caution: while they look charming, Mirabilis Jalapa seeds (and other parts of the plant) are not snack material. They're poisonous, so if you've got curious kiddos around, keep an eye out.Despite its toxicity, it's been a medicinal marvel for ages, boasting antifungal and antiviral properties. In fact, some of its chemical compounds are now used in products to protect crops like corn and potatoes from viruses.And guess what? Pests seem to give it a wide berth too. While other plants in my garden are having a tough time with red spider mites or powdery mildew, my Four o'clocks are living their best life, healthy and vibrant. That resilience alone earns them a VIP spot on my balcony year after year.So, there you have it, the tale of my garden's shining star, Mirabilis Jalapa. If you're looking for a plant that's both a stunner and a survivor, you might just want to give this one a whirl. Happy gardening, everyone!

Written by Andrew Oldham: Some of the easiest seeds to grow throughout the year are annuals (you sow them and they grow for one year). Growing annuals from seed in an open border is your gateway into easy growing. Your garden will become a riot of colour. Your neighbours won’t believe you when you tell them how easy it was to grow flowers from seed.

Written by Andrew Oldham: They often say gardeners are split into two camps: the vegetable grumblers and the floral mafia. Over the years I have discovered that you can’t have one without the other. Flowers play an important role in the vegetable patch or allotment, they bring in pollinators, predators and create scent that will repel pests.

Written by Andrew Oldham: Vegetables can be confusing. You probably think the two most popular supermarket buys, tomatoes and cucumbers are vegetables...

Written by Andrew Oldham: Pumpkin, courgette, patty pan, butternut, spaghetti and marrow are all types of squashes. They range from firm flesh to soft interiors and are diverse in taste and culinary uses.

Written by Andrew Oldham:  When I first started gardening I had a front garden the size of a parking space. Most of the garden was taken up by the path to the front door and like many of you I grew in pots. Those first couple of years gardening were about going to the garden centre, buying bedding plants, filling the pots with bedding plants. Over time I wondered why garden centres produced the same plants year in-year out. I made the step into garden catalogues and suddenly there were hundreds of varieties, thousands of seeds. I was scared witless by the idea of direct sowing. I didn’t know my weeds from my wallflowers but direct sowing is a must for all gardeners. I now confidently mix packets of annual flowers with Russian kale to create a riot of colour and textures in my garden. It also means that each year I can have a new look in beds and pots from the edible garden to the floral swathe or a mix of both! A mixed garden of pots filled with brightly coloured ruby red lettuces punctuated by the ethereal foliage of nigella brings joy to anyone’s heart. Likewise, a floral display can race up the pastel colour range of cosmos and cleome and into the blaze of calendula and poppies making anyone walking up your garden path smile and bringing in every bee and butterfly in your community. Direct sowing, in early May, in pots is easy for the new gardener. Use old containers from the kitchen, punch holes in the bottom for drainage or invest in some terracotta pots; in both cases remember to put crocks in the bottom (broken pieces of pot or gravel) to help with drainage after watering. Fill the pots with a quality peat free compost leaving 2-3 inches of pot rim showing, water and top up with compost if needed. You can choose from hundreds of varieties to sow in pots, just look for annuals. Sprinkle your annual seed, flowers or vegetables, across the surface of the compost and cover with a thin scattering of compost. For those who feel a little braver the same can be done in open ground but here you will compete with weed seeds. The best way to outcompete the weeds is to prepare your bed in March: weed, clear and cover in clear plastic. Weed seeds will germinate and the clear plastic will magnify the early spring sunshine and cook them to death. Then in early May, take away the clear plastic, clear away any dead plants, rake over the soil and lightly sprinkle the annuals over the bed, lightly press the seed into the soil with your hands, water and wait.You can get creative with annuals, creating shapes from concentric circles to regimented lines but there is one thing you will have done, you will have created a unique, vibrant garden that will change from year to year.