Oxalis purpurea makes a magnificent garden plant in winter and spring. It creates a spectacular splash of bright colour at an otherwise dull time of the year. Although this plant often occurs commonly in lawns (not to be confused with clover weed Trifolium pretense) it can be planted in open beds or in rockeries or even in between paving stones in a driveway or path. They are tough and will survive quite happily without any additional water in a winter rainfall area. A regular lawn can be transformed into a dazzling carpet of pink and mauve with minimal effort.

Sadly, these gorgeous little plants are often thought of as weeds and some people actively weed them out of their garden or tragically spray them with herbicides! Yes, there are a few exotic species (creeping sorrel O. corniculata from North America and O. latifolia, red garden sorrel from Mexico) which have become weedy in South Africa, but our own Oxalis species should be encouraged and can make superb low-maintenance garden plants. Amongst the various species suitable for cultivation, there is almost no end to the kaleidoscope of colours available, ranging from red, bright shocking pink, purple, orange, lavender, mauve, pale pink, cream, salmon, peach and pure white.

Plants are most easily propagated by bulbs and bulbils which can be harvested from the ground as the plants go dormant (as the leaves turn yellow) in early summer. Keep the bulbs in a dry cool place over summer and plant them in a pot or in the ground in early autumn. They make excellent pot plants where the bulbs will proliferate on their own over the years. They have no special soil requirements and will grow in sandy soils or in clay soils. The higher the humic content of the soil the more lush and prolifically the plants will grow. They flower optimally in a full sun position but can take some shade. Remember, the flowers only open in the sunshine. Fertiliser is not required but plants will flourish should it be applied.

Oxalis species being dicotyledonous plants do readily grow from cuttings, so don't be disheartened if you can't locate the bulbs which are often deep down in the soil; every little piece of stem will root, provided they are kept moist and cool for the first 2-3 weeks. Thereafter each cutting will start to form its own adventitious roots and bulb.

Seed is tricky to harvest when it is ripe as the capsules explode and expel their seed in all directions. They germinate readily in a sandy soil mix sown in autumn but plants will take a few years to mature to flowering stage. This option is therefore not recommended.

Apart from predation by the occasional mole, they rarely succumb to any damage from garden pests.