Okra is a very nice veggie , also know as ladys fingers I think. Good in curries and stews as they help to thicken the curry or stew.

They are related to the Hibiscus apparently but dont know what the flowers look like , I would imagine quite showy.

They need a lot of warmth and lots of moisture so have to be grown in a greenhouse in the UK, think about what the weather was like in Sri Lanka and try and reproduce that in a greenhouse.

I would say that it is too late to sow them for growing this year so it maybe worth saving them and sowing them in a propagator or on a windowsill next Feb time.

I don't think they are a hugely high yielding veggie but i think well worth the effort.

Hopefully I haven't put you off too much !

Realised I didnt respond to your second part of the question , was too busy going on about Okra.

Amaranthas, also know as love lies bleeding , not the nicest of names I know, but have long racemes of flowers that hang down usually in red ( hence the name ). Good for the back of a border to give some height as well as in pots.

They are a hardy annual so if you are quick off the mark you can have them in flower pretty quickly.

I think the seeds are quite smallish , bigger than a tobacco plant but smaller than a sunflower seed so maybe sow them in modules or small pots and then plant the seedlings out straight into the garden.

Hope this helps

thanks for the information