I noticed them in the Midlands last week. They're Southern Hemisphere trees but there are specimens at RHS Rosemoor so it's not totally unreasonable to expect it would survive in Kent. I'm not sure that I'd want to put an 18" sapling out in the garden, might think about growing it in a conservatory for a year or two and then hardening it off if we got a couple of good summers.

I was advised by Hilliers that they are best grown in a conservatory, but as there are one or two in gardens around here, I bought one and planted it in a sheltered part of the garden. It grew like mad and flowered well for a few years but eventually I had to take it out because the roots spread far and wide quite near the surface and had started to lift the patio! I notice that the ones in other people's gardens seem to have faded away or been removed. The largest one, in a very sheltered garden, after several years of fantastic bloom and wonderful scent that pervaded the whole close, finally succumbed in the last really cold and snowy winter.

Mimosa covers a huge range of plants but I suspect they are selling Acacia dealbeata. It is hardy down to -5C, hardiness increasing with age. There are a few large and flowering Acacia in London and Brighton etc, so I assume in Kent in a sheltered spot it should do OK. They flower in winter, so unless it is a mild winter do not count on flowers every year.

Many thanks to Urbanite, Pennyfarthin and Botanic for all your advice. I am going to take all the advice given when I buy the plant by starting it of undercover for its first eighteen months or so and then find the most sheltered spot in the garden.

Up until a couple of years ago, my local garden centre in Kent, who has a 5 year hardy plant guarantee sold lots of Acacia dealbata. Then they began to get very many returned and decided that they could no longer sell them as completely hardy. Yes, they can be grown in a large pot or a sheltered, sunny spot in the garden. Acacia longifolia (Sydney golden wattle) might be a hardier alternative.

Thanks JTO for your input. I did purchase a acacia dealbata from the garden centre yesterday. I will look out for the acacia longifolia that you mentioned with a view to maybe adding one to the collection at a later date.

I would just add that mine was a dealbata but I don.t know about the others I mentioned. Good luck with yours Phloxie.It should grace and scent your garden for a good few years unless we get a really awful winter! at least you can cover it with fleece while the top is still within reach!