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!

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.

Flurry of flowers

It was great to see that the Mesembryanthemums I grew for my parents have finally started to flower. This is the first one, hoping that we’ll get lots of different coloured flowers.

This plant has not had much luck, the slugs seem to love it more than hostas! Finally there’s a bigger leaf that had a finally got some growth. Keep your fingers crossed.

It is Dendroseris litoralis also known as the Cabbage Tree.

One of my friends gave me a cucumber plant and now there are baby cucumbers!! Yay!

My parents are also really happy with the planters I did for them earlier in the year.

I’m really surprised at the growth on these Impatiens tinctoria this year! It has a beautiful scent.

Enjoy your green space!

A tidy garden …

I found myself gardening at my parents today. Not sure if I had subconsciously decided this or not.

Pottered about and tidied up.

The Canna brasiliensis has flowered well and has set seed. Lots of swollen buds!

I have also potted on the Japanese Bitter Orange (Citrus trifoliata).

I bought this Begonia a few years ago as a present for my dad. I haven’t really done much with it over the winters other than kept it frost free. I’m surprised at how well it still grows!

I also moved the second half of the flower stand and displayed more hostas. This has made the whole are so much tidier.

My parents are happy how their garden is changing and feeling more like they can sit and relax.

It is important that we sit and relax (or even sit and contemplate) in your green space.

Enjoy your green space!

Wordless Wednesday

Houseplants and a gift!

Had a day off from ‘gardening’ as such. Placed a few orders …

This is a gynura.

This is my dieffenbachia ‘Reflector’.

My syngonium, begonia and monstera in the background.

Handing small spider plants and aloe in hangers I have made.

My neighbour knocked this up for me literally an hour or so after me telling him what I wanted to make.

Until tomorrow.

Flowers and shoots

Look at one of my stunning irises. Not sure if the variety.

These roses have a lovely scent. My dad planted it some time ago. I think it is a rambler. Here is a bee enjoying it as much as I.

Pleased to see the rerun of this hardy begonia – begonia grandis.

Keeping it short and sweet today as it’s midnight.

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.