Just so wild!

Yay I’ve had sometime in my little oasis that you may already know I’ve named ‘Tiny Tropical Yarden’.

Here is a Hedychium coronarium, getting in the way of us walking to our door. I decided to move it to allow more space and protect it from damage.

I’m so happy that these night time scented stock have grown in the passage. I’m hoping that they seed and contribute to spread.

I may have also sprinkled so welsh poppies in the passage. I love their nodding heads and their simple yet very apparent presence. I’m happy that they have sprouted.

Our main weeds in the passage since I have been ‘caring’ for the area is Geranium palmatum, and I for one am glad of this … weed.

Another plant that has happened to ‘arrive last in the passage is this fun named plant – Mind your own business, it’s Latin name has changed a few times but I believe it is now known as Soleirolia soleirii.

This plant gives me happiness, it suppresses weeds and looks amazing. Frogs and critters seem to enjoy it. The moisture it retains provides the ideal habitat.

This calcium had a dying leaf, I tugged at the leaf and the whole section, as you can see there were also some roots. I’ve planted it and remain hopeful.

David and I went for a walk along the river Mersey. Look at who’s beautiful butterfly.

We foraged and collected a fair few blackberries.

We popped to my parents, and dropped off a few plants that’s I decided needed a better space that our yarden. Whilst there I was pleased to the progress of the Mirabilis longiflora, sadly they are not quite open but I am excited and anticipate them.

My friend David gave me a cutting of an Aloe striatula, aka Hardy Aloe, i never expected it to flower so soon, here it is in flower.

I’ve had time to sweep the yarden, move plants and pot plants up. I love just having the time potter and enjoy the yarden. My aim is to be able to sit and enjoy.

We always have something to do and it’s our choice to sit and take it in. Is it wrong that I find it easier to sit in another’s garden and contemplate?

Enjoy your green space!!

I’ve had a few days off from blogging and gardening in general.

The aroids I spotted the other day, growing in the the aloe are growing fast.

Enjoy your green space.

Pot up & tidy up!

I’ve managed to spend some time in my parents garden and in our yarden too.

I noticed this iris type seedling growing in a plant that my friend David gave me. I think he has them popping up too!

I’m happy with my little ‘cabinet’ so I can store my compost, grit, sand and bark.

I’ve potted on some plants, tradescantia, Szechuan pepper, impatiens and I’m sure one or two more.

I noticed some aroid looking seedlings popping up from around my Aloe. No idea what they are but can’t wait to find out. Any ideas?

I had a general clean up and a tidy. Hoping to get more space and be able to sit and enjoy a laid back time.

Also finally had some sweet pea flowers. The smell so sweet.

Enjoy your green space.

Pot’ing about

Sometimes a simple plant can be so pleasing. I really like this lady’s mantle aka Alchemilla mollis.

I’m also really happy to see that the hardy aloe given to me by my friend David, has a flower bud on it. Aloe striatula. They are an impressive plant. Grow big and give a really exotic look.

I had an out of the blue call, my friends Chris and Helen were going to a place that sells outdoor plant pots.

He bought me some lovely pots at really cheap prices. And when they dropped them off I was also given a hosta. A lovely surprise as it’s not one that I have in my collection. It’s an unusual one as it bears yellow flowers.

It’s called H. Miracle Lemony.

I forgot to mention yesterday. Whilst I was looking on to our yarden from our kitchen window I counted approximately fifteen sparrows eating from the feeders. The family seems to be growing. I love hearing them and seeing them visit the yarden to feee and drink from my pond.

Plants and flowers

Today I had chance to spend a fair bit of time in our tiny tropical yarden.

Yay. I had more seeds arrive. These are from Mike (Mikes Rare Plants) down in Devon. He always has some really interesting seeds, many of my more unusual plants come from growing from Mike.

Here is a lovely impatiens that I have bought this year from Carl at Turn it Tropicals. Impatiens auricoma x bicaudata.

This stunning plant and flower is Arisaema ciliatum var. liubaense.

This tiny yet beautiful flower belongs to Titantia pringlei.

Here are some home grown radishes. Sadly not as many as I’d have hoped for.

I love these tiny lily pad plants that simply float on the surface of the water. These are frog bit (hydrocharis morsus-ranae) and they multiply easily. Sadly they never flower for me.

I have grown Alyssum ever since I found out it was scented. I dot it about the garden with blue trailing lobelia.

I love how tropical the yarden looks.

I potted on some succulents today.

Here are two agaves. They were from an agave mix seed packet. I’m hoping my friend David may be able to recognise them, though I have a feeling they may be still too young to identify.

Here is my Aloe ‘Cleopatra’ (again from Turn it Tropical) repotted and finished with a black gravel.

I hadn’t noticed the flower on this Billbergia nutans, it’s colourful yet delicate all in one!

Another picture of the stunning little blue sweet pea – Lathyrus azeurus.

I have moved other bits about and trying to tidy and make space so we can actually sit and enjoy our green space.

I’ll update you with more tomorrow.

Plant parcels

I am always excited to receive plants, here is an order from Turn it Tropical.

Here I have Aloe ‘Cleopatra’, Cordyline fruticosa ‘Mambo’, Impatiens arguta ‘Blue Dream’ and auricoma x bicaudata, finally Rhipsalis ramulosa.

I couldn’t help getting this little badge too!

Do you have a plant on your wish list? I have been searching for these for a while now. I have even tried to grow them from seed.

These are Mirabilis longiflora, they are not as commonly grown as their relatives Mirabilis Jalapa. These have white long highly scented flowers.

How beautiful are these white lilies?! I bought these in autumn 2008 from Peter Nyssen and they are great performers! These are Lilium martagon ‘Snowy morning’.

Here is the first ever flower on my Iris Chrysographes ‘Just around midnight’.

Truthfully I was hoping that they would have been blacker, still they are a very beautiful flower.

A much blacker flower are these Petunias I bought last year. They didn’t wither this winter, they did get a little straggly but I tidied them up and here they about to open up.

I have hung my new rhipsalis in a pot that I had made a homemade ‘macrame’ for. Here’s to hoping it is happy here.

I am pleased to see we have had more rain, hoping to fill the water butts and giving the plants a good drink!

Green, boring? NEVER!

The jasmine is not only looking amazing it smells better than you can imagine!

I pruned the fig tree, I decided to take many cuttings of varying types. We will soon see it they grow!

Look at the yucca about to flower.

This is my aloe shelf. Aloe vera, variegata and aristata.

This is a cool plant! Oxalis triangularis, they open and close. So cool!!

I have some borage in the yarden, love the colour of the flowers. However the bees love them!!!

This beauty is Aoenium zwartkop.

This is a montage of the various greens and foliage in our yarden. Hostas, ferns, grasses, bamboo, Zantedeschia, monkey puzzle, solanum.

Enjoy your green space and see you tomorrow.

Started the morning my labelling all the dahlias I’d split, using the recycled bottles I mentioned in a previous post. As you can see there are a lot of them!

I’ve been potting on cannas and hedychiums that I grew from seed in 2018.

Do you ever remember piggy back plants growing up? Everyone had them as houseplants and I was mesmerised by how they grew from a leaf. Well I grow these as a hardy garden plants at my parents, decided to make some more plants from cuttings.

Sorry for the bad picture, I am so pleased that my setaria palmifolia has finally got some growth!! It took me three years to find this plant and thought I’d lost it.

Some people think these are weeds, I love these plants and have been trying to sow the orange ones for a while! To no success. Look how beautiful they are!

During lockdown I have been gardening lots, both in my Tiny Tropical Yarden and my parents. Today I got my dad helping me sow some seeds.

I am not really a bedding plant type of guy but I am growing lots so that my parents can have a colourful garden that they like. Dad is sowing some tagetes.

People think that ferns are all the same, they’re all just green and meh. Well I can tell you they are not. This is a harts tongue fern uncurling.

Back in our yarden, this is our hanging shelf. Added Mediterranean themes plants. Pelargoniums and some cacti and succulents.

This plant has also been on my wish list for some time. This is Begonia Luxurians, with its palm like leaves and great upright growth along with scented flowers it is a must for our yarden!!

Thanks to Dibleys for finally allowing it to be at home in our Tiny Tropical Yarden.

To believe when we moved in, it was just concrete and lifeless. Now there are all sorts of life …

These are hardy aloe, they have been outside for two and a half years and still looking good.

This is going to be my aloe shelf. A mix of aloes – aristata, variegata and vera. Only the first being hardy but I may give them all a go once may is out.

Bit of a long one today. Hope you got some fresh air and your plants are all keeping you happy. Until tomorrow.