Plant of the Day

Saturday 28 October 2017

The purple foliage of Perilla frutescens var. purpurascens (purple shiso, purple-leaved beefsteak plant, Chinese basil, purple mint) contrasting with the zany flowers of Tagetes patula 'Harlequin' (French marigold) in this productive and decorative garden. The two plants are both grown as half hardy annuals. An interesting challenge for cultivating Perilla is the limited viability of the seed in storage, so store them at lower temperatures and humidity planting them before they are a year old. The plants are able to self pollinate.