Persicaria Orientalis

Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate is a spectacular annual with towering branching stems, broad heart-shaped leaves and long drooping tassels of rosy pink flowers. The chains of bloom sway above the border from midsummer into autumn and create an old-fashioned, almost theatrical effect, especially when viewed against a fence or dark hedge. Native to Asia but cultivated in Western gardens for centuries, Persicaria orientalis can reach well over two metres in rich soil. It thrives in warmth and moisture, attracts insects and often self-seeds into dramatic volunteer plants.