Cerinthe major purpurascens (honeywort): Rich blue bracts and purple flowers from May to October. HA, 50cm, www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk, self-seeds. Peachy Californian poppy Jelly Beans Rebirth of the blues Some Nasturtiums have a spreading, bushy habit. Examples include T. majus ‘Empress of India’ and T. majus ‘Chameleon’. Nasturtium flowers are even more dramatic than the gorgeous foliage – appearing in bright shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and more. The leaves are very much shield-shaped and the flowers are a cheery yellow with brilliant red ‘ladybird’ spots at the proximal end of each petal. They do best in poor soil! The richer the soil, the more foliage they will produce at the expense of flowers.

The long, spindly foliage of the Spider plant is an eye-catching space-filler for your chameleon’s tank.

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As well as helping fight pests, the presence of nasturtiums can help to enhance the taste of neighbouring crops such as radishes and sweet potatoes. As a flavorsome herb in its own right, it also secretes oils into the ground that enhance the tang, vitality and heat of other roots. The leaves are decorative in their own right, being either lobed, often deeply, or rounded and shield-shaped. Lighting: Most Ficus varieties do much better when they get at least some actual sunlight. If you can’t place your vivarium near a window, take your Ficus out and place it in a sunny window once in a while. Lighting: Bromeliads love heat and light. It’s true that people have successfully grown Bromeliads in low-light environments, but that’s certainly not ideal. If you want them to grow nicely – and eventually produce flowers – make sure they’re near a window or under a suitable UV light.

Alaska Tip Top Red: Vivid red flowers give a dramatic contrast to the variegated foliage, making this one of the best nasturtiums to grow – height and spread 30cm, widely available.Soil pH hovering around neutral is ideal though any pH from moderately acidic to slightly alkaline will do fine for most Tropaeolum varieties. Portulaca grandiflora (rose moss): South American native producing a stunning carpet of bright succulent leaves studded with double flowers in orange, pink, purple, yellow, red and white. Thrives in hot, dry areas in poor, sandy or gravelly soil – perennial if conditions are right. Flowers July-September. HHA, 10cm, www.plant-world-seeds.com. Self-seeds. Colour-changing nasturtium Chameleon Drought-tolerant annuals – fragrance and foliage Felicia amelloides (kingfisher daisy): Ovate, rough, hairy leaves and small, sky blue daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centres. Flowers June-September. HA, 30cm, www.suttons.co.uk. Sunflower Ms Mars Drought-tolerant annuals – Look to the sun

Be mindful of heat when caring for the plants in your chameleon habitat. Some plants will die if kept too close to heat lamps, while others love to bake in the hot light. Arrange the plants in your tank accordingly. If you decide to bring one home to call your own, do the right thing and create a habitat your pet will love. Part of this responsibility is populating the tank with vibrant plants to help keep your chameleon happy and healthy. If you have grown a Nasturtium as a perennial in the UK, then, if it is of a type that is dormant in winter and is not frost-hardy (the majority of varieties), soon after the leaves have shed in autumn, you should spread a layer of leaf mulch on the soil above the root system. Cosmos bipinnatus (Mexican aster): Very finely divided, mid-green leaves, topped by large flowers to 8cm across, usually white or pink, including doubles, varieties with tubular rays, and picotees. Flowers July-October, HHA, 60cm-2m, widely available.Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist): Upright, plant with attractive feathery foliage. Pale blue or white flowers 4cm across are followed by decorative, inflated seed capsules. Flowers June-September. HHA, 50cm, widely available. Though Nasturtiums are deciduous perennials, in most regions of the United Kingdom they are half-hardy and are grown as annuals.

Another thing to remember is that many fertilizers can harm your chameleon. They might use harsh chemicals that inadvertently poison your pet. Organic, animal-safe products do exist. Zaluzianskya ovata (night-scented phlox): Pretty, phlox-like 13mm perfumed white and maroon flowers that open in the late evening. Will survive some winters. HHP, 25cm, www.thompson-morgan.com. Choose plants that you can properly care for, and those that will best fit your lifestyle and your lizard’s preferences. Tropaeolum tricolor is my favourite nasturtium, combining an exotic flower first blooming at a time of year you wouldn’t expect to see it,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. Argyranthemum (marguerite): White, yellow or pink daisies, some evergreen, flowering from spring-first frosts. Overwinter under cover or propagate from cuttings. HHP, 1m, www.bethchatto.co.uk. Cosmos Drought-tolerant annuals – Hanging basket savioursNasturtium relishes cooler temperatures (in the 70sºF or 20sºC) and often sulks in extremely dry or humid conditions.