Mandevilla

If you are looking for a low-maintenance, tropical vine with gorgeous flowers and evergreen leaves, Mandevilla (man-duh-veeya) is for you. The prolific stems will curl around anything, and it can be grown in a container. Though it is not hardy in areas that freeze, it can be brought indoors in the winter and kept in a brightly lit room. Fertlize (20-20-20) twice monthly and give it lots of sun. Mine grows in a somewhat shady part of the garden that gets bright light, but sun for only about 1-2 hours a day and does very well. I planted mine in a container, to give the plant some height from the beginning, so I need to be sure the soil is kept moist. This bloom is a new cultivar called "Candy Cane" and most of the flowers tend to be in the red to pink family. I've seen the vines planted everywhere, where they can sprawl over the edges of a pot, or crawl up a trellis. If you plant it and it dies back, don't worry, they are rather prolific at garden centers in the spring, and not that expensive.