Cannas in the ground bloom so much earlier

Last year I had to wait until mid-October for my potted cannas to bloom.

At the end of the season, I tucked the bulbs, leaves still green, into a warm south-facing corner where the wall would shelter them.

They began to flower profusesly in early August. Now they're in full bloom, six weeks earlier than they flowered in the pot last year.

Rooted directly in the ground, they've put on a spectacular display. Clearly, roots matter.