Quick update

Thank you for your patience and hope that you have all been enjoying your plants.

Here is an unknown species of Hedychium which is just starting to flower, let’s hope that all the buds have time to flower before the frost.

I have already put these beautiful succulents in to the greenhouse.

I grew this plant from seed and it had been a really slow grower. But it’s really put some growth of late. It is Solanum betaceum.

Other plants that are growing surprisingly well are the Tetrapanex (which you may remember my friend David gave to me), Begonia luxurians, popping in on the left is a Xanthosoma violaceum, which really has spread this summer.

It’s crazy how well some plants have done this summer! This is another perennial that has grown so well, grown much taller than me and has produced lots of flowers and continues to do so. This is Impatiens tinctoria.

I have been lazy taking some tenders in, partly because they seem to be enjoying the moisture and mild climate (also living next door to a laundrette and their dryer tubes helps). Here the Ensete murelii or Abyssinian Banana seems to be growing strong. The Zantedeschia ‘Hercules’ is slowing down for winter, yet the Gynostemma pentaphyllum is showing no sign of slowing down. I love how the plant grows so fast in a season and covers the ropes to give a real jungle feel.

Soon I will collecting these little bulbils that the Begonia grandis ssp sinensis ‘Red Undies’ produce and sow them in the greenhouse to ensure I have some babies in case they do not make it through the winter.

The Abuliton ‘Variegated Salmon’ is still growing well and producing these beautiful flowers. I will soon need to dig it up and put it somewhere safe over winter.

The Mirabilis Jalapa continue to flower along with the Salvia and Zinnia. You can also see the Arundo donax variegata and various Hedyhiums growing in the background along with a smaller growing Cautleya gracilis which is turning yellow.

I am hoping to give this bed a good mulch like I did last year and leave all the tenders barring the Abuliton in the ground.

Other stars of the show have been these Dahlia ‘Sandra’ which I couldn’t resist buying as they share the same name as my mum.

I have grown Dahlia ‘Bishop of Leicester’ over the past few years and always put on a good show. They tall have dark foliage and bright single flowers that the bees adore in the summer.

I hope to be growing and dividing plants over the winter and will keep you up to date as often as possible.

Wrap up warm, enjoy the milder days and most of all love your plants!

Flower time

Such lovely weather today.

This stunning Agapanthus has white flowers with delicate blue nearer the base.

This is a Hedychium and this is the first time it’s got buds so I’m looking forward to this opening.

My dad bought this climbing / rambling rose. I have no idea what species it is but the scent is heavenly and the bees adore it!

I’m so happy to see the Hedychium densiflorum ‘Stephen’ flowering, with many more buds due to open.

This is Abuliton ‘Varigated Salmon’ is slow to start but once it starts… it blooms well throughout the summer.

This year I managed to get hold of these Mirabilis longiflora after trying to grow from seed and failing. Here is it flowering, I’m yet to see these open, my mum sent me this picture. I also want to see if the scent lives up to its reputation

This summer I bought a surprise collection and I received this Salvia, I was excited to see its unusual flower and can’t wait to see how it ends up.

I hope you enjoy these flowers as much as we do.

Enjoy your green space!

Scorcher storm

Another really hot day, and many plants are suffering. I’m finding it hard to keep up with watering. Even after the precautions I made.

I’m happy to see this Cautleya gracilis lutea start flowering. It is much more delicate to its more robust counterpart.

Impatiens never used to have a space in my heart never mind my garden, here are two that I have purchased this year and are doing brilliantly.

Impatiens auricauma x bicaudata.

Impatiens balfourii.

I’m hoping that this sown Solanum quitoense will grow bigger and better. The leaves are stunning and so alien.

These are Canna brasiliensis seeds lay on top of a Musa Basjoo leaf.

The bees love the open flowers of this Dahlia ‘Bishop of Leicester’.

This is a Hedychium, I believe it to be H.densiflorum ‘Stephen’. I look forward to it seeing it in all its glory.

When I bought this Abuliton ‘Varigated Salmon’ my mum really dislikes it. Until that is when the flowers came. Now this is a prize plant in my parents garden.

A spot of bright colour provided by this Zinnia.

Another plant I have grown to love are Begonias. This is B. Josephii

Here I have B.evansiana.

Amongst the begonias is this stunning bulb, known as the pineapple lily, the Eucomis bicolour.

As I finish writing this the lightening spreads through the sky, the breeze returns and now the rain comes.

Anticipation

It’s great to see the amaranth growing with big ‘slinky’ blooms.

The Cautleya gracilis ‘Lutea’ is in bid and bursting to open.

I grew so many seeds and I think this is a Zinnia and am hoping that it will provide the colour my parents love.

The Cautleya spicata robusta that I planted in my parents garden are finally about to bloom.

Am really excited to see this baby and hope there are many more.

I went for a walk today and used my macro lens. Here is a wild potentilla.

Enjoy the weather, stay safe and be green!

All seasons in one day*

So I’ve managed to do a few bits outside today in the sun, rain and wind*.

I’ve finally put the stand together and placed some hostas on it. There needs to be some rearrangement but it’s a good start.

A lovely Dahlia flower. I had to buy these for my parents when I saw them! These are Dahlia Sandra. My mum’s name.

These are Amaranthus.

I love how big these ornamental gingers are growing! I am not sure of the variety of these Hedychium, I believe it could be ‘Stephen’.

These are the planters I prepared for my parents earlier this year.

I’ve spotted a few things of interest, hoping to catch you up on these soon.

Friends and free plants

I’ve not really done much in the green world today.

David and I visited a friend (yet another David), he has grown me a Jasminium beesianum, he also gave us an unknown pepper and some cuttings of Abuliton megapotamicum and an aquatic grass as well as some seeds to a lovely purple flowered Geranium.

I noticed that my Butterwort (Pinguicula) has started to send up a flower spike.

Until tomorrow.