Tiger flower

This exotic Mexican bulb is sometimes called peacock flower, an appropriate name in view of its quite startling colour combinations- all the shades of scarlet, orange, pink, yellow, mauve and white, usually with contrasting markings. It is barely hardy, and normally grown as a tender summer annual, planted in spring and dug up again in autumn for storing in a dry frost-free place. It needs all the sun available, as this not only encourages flowering but also ripens the bulb to ensure a similar display the following year.