This Canary Island flower makes a bristly parasol of leaves 3ft across in its first year, then a skyrocket of blue flowers in its second. It's tender so the trickiest part of getting it into flower is keeping it frost-free over winter, something you can assist by planting in well-drained soil, out of frosts and cold winds. Here in Devon our outdoor echiums haven't survived the last winters, though they do come through in mild winters with the assistance of fleece on the few cold nights.

Our plants are already 2ft high and in 10litre pots, ready to flower next May so if you buy during winter, we recommend keeping it frost-free and waiting to plant it out in spring. The plant dies after flowering but not before its scattered seed generously which in mild areas can be overwintered outside, or dug up, potted and overwintered in a conservatory or frost-free greenhouse.

• HxS 3m-plus
• Blue
• Sun and well-drained soil
• Tender
• Biennial but self-sows
• Bristly foliage and stems