Cautleyas – a must for any tropical garden.

If you like jungle looking plants, luscious green foliage topped with contrasting colours like red and yellow, these plants should definitely be in your green space.

I bought a Cautleya from an NGS some years ago and it’s not until the last couple of years that’s I have realised how much I am in love with the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).

My very first, Cautleya spicata robusta is an easy to grow exotic looking plant that requires very little care.

Cautleya spicata robusta

Cautleya spicata robusta

They come up from no where and spear year on year. The black plastic pot was my first ever plant. I thought I’d lost it and then boom!

Like I say the last couple of years I have taken to time to find other ginger plants that I simply had to add to my collection and needless to say more Cautleya.

Cautleya cathcartii ‘Tenzing’s Gold’

This is a delicate yellow flower with no where near as much red in the bracts or on the foliage.

This is also much smaller than C. spicata robusta. This is Cautleya cathcartii ‘Tenzing’s Gold’.

Cautleya spicata ‘Crûg’s Compact’

I really love this miniature plant, it’s form is more upright, it still has red bracts and lovely bright yellow flowers.

This is Cautleya spicata ‘Crûg’s Compact’. You can see it’s shape below.

Cautleya spicata ‘Crûg’s Compact’

Another recent addition to my yarden and collection this year is a decent sized plant, a very upright form. Much more of an orange flower. T

This is Cautleya spicata ‘Bleddyn’s Beacon’.

Cautleya spicata ‘Bleddyn’s Beacon’

The following plant isn’t performing as well as the other species, sadly it has been knocked but I will persevere. It has a lovely purple tinge to the underside of the foliage.

I am happy to see that there are new shoots appearing next to the main stem. Watch this space. I don’t think I’ll have any flowers to share this year.

I also grew Cautleya lutea in my parents garden last year. It grew and flowered but didn’t make a reappearance. Needless to say it will be added back to this list.

I leave them in the pots all year and when frosts hit them the stalks just collapse. I chop them up and add them to my compost bin.

I give them a weed and too dress, then await their return the following year.

They are fairly easy to propagate too, I simply divide either in autumn or in spring and pot them up.

I believe you can also propagate from seed, I have never noticed any but will keep an eye out for these in the following month.

What are your thoughts on Cautleya? I find them really east to grow and give me that amazing jungle feel that I am trying to achieve.

Winter’s here!

I hope this finds you well and gardening!!

I have finally cut some leaves off the Ensete murelii and have brought her inside.

I am always so saddened when I cut these stunning leaves from the plant (Ensete murelii), however I’ve learnt that this is a necessary evil to allow the plant to survive for the winter months. Along with not watering it whatsoever. This is a mistake that I have ignored in the past and sadly lost this beauty.

Many of my plants have had to come to their winter home, loving the green jungle which is our stairs!

This is one of my seed sown plants, Aeonium tabuliform, look at the prefect form of the leaves!

As the weather cools, hidden and forgotten friends return. This is Arum italicum pictum, soon we will have an insignificant flower to be followed by bright red berries.

Another stunner at this time of year is the beautiful Cyclamen hederofolium, look at their leaves! They even have beautiful flower … watch this space.

Many of the exotics are now inside, I am lucky enough to have a micro climate due to the high walls and the heat from a neighbouring launderette.

This Colocasia esculenta is still growing and looking quite at home in our tiny tropical yarden.

In other news, a friend on twitter sent me these huge cuttings. They look like bamboo, however they are Dahlia imperialis aka The Tree Dahlia.

It’s been an interesting year in the garden, I’ve grown many plants which I have never grown before. This is an interesting plant, it is a climber with delicate leaves and can flower if looked after properly. It has the added use that it is edible, it is known as Mashua, Latin name is Tropaeolum tuberosum.

It’s also been an interesting year in my parents garden, the bananas have grown well, I’ve also grown Mirabilis species, jalapa and longiflora. Both have also set seed and hopefully will see more of them round the garden next year.

Another plant that has really shown how well it performs is Impatiens tinctoria, a tall growing perennial with large scented white flower. A must have in any jungle garden.

Also pleased to have some seeds mature from my Hedychium, I believe it to be densiflorum ‘Stephen’.

I hope you’re all keeping well, keep gardening!

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!

Exotic curiosities

Impressed with the size of the Taro or Colocasia esculenta.

I’m waiting for the Mirabilis Jalapa to flower.

Another Mirabilis, this time it is M. longiflora, again waiting for its buds to open.

I nearly cut the withering blooms but look how come flowers of this Geranium palmatum are clinging on and the bees are loving them.

These Hedychium are in bud already, standing tall in front of the Musa basjoo.

I hope you are enjoying the weather and green space.

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.

Yarden time

Had a bit of time in the yarden today I was gutted that when I moved the papyrus I snapped a few branches.

I always look at this as an opportunity and I have put these in water to grow.

I am growing some seeds which I have no idea what they are. They had a similar shape etc to Hedychiums and Cannas but as you can see they clearly aren’t either right these. They seem to be growing well however something is munching away at them and I think I have found the culprit.

I am really pleased that the recently purchased Bomaria are already in bud. I am looking forward to these growing and flowering all summer long.

My hibiscus are in bud and I love the big blue / purple flowers.

Another recent addition, the Impatiens morsei velvetea is in flower and they almost looks like orchids.

I love growing mints, I have three varieties here that I am using to cook with, each giving something different.

I have moved plants today, some larger hostas have moved to a friends or my parents to make space in the yarden.

I have taken many more cuttings and trimmed back plants so we can make it to our front door easier.

Hoping to make space to sit and enjoy the yarden and be able to have breakfast if the weather permits.

It’s late, speak tomorrow

Another boring post

Today I had planned to do so much.

Sadly my intended trip to Ikea halted my plans. It was so busy I decided to turn round.

I was wondering why my little ‘pond’ was leaking – perhaps the holes of drilled in the pot some time ago were the reason. Hahah.

I have mainly been trying to find plant pots for all my new plants. Why is it so difficult to find decent pots?!

I thought I’d leave you with this picture of my Japanese Ginger – Zingiber myoga.

I hope to have more of an update tomorrow.

Potting hot

Had a busy day in the gardening world.

Started early to try and avoid the heat.

I painted the new wooden plinths I screwed up yesterday.

I potted on my Zantedeschia Aeothopica ‘Green Goddess’. As you can see I position the original pot inside and then slowly tip it into the hole.

Is this plant telling me that it wants to come out of the propagator. Here we have another avocado growing.

I did some more work in my parents today but thought I’d share my banana plants that I grow in my parents garden with cannas and gingers.

My mum had the fright of her life today when she was getting some tomato food ready to water the plants.

There was a frog in her watering can. Sadly the frog was literally frightened to death.

I moved it to a shaded and damp space but sadly the poor thing didn’t make it.

I was so happy to know that there was a frog in their garden too.

I have since put plenty of water pockets in hope that there are more frogs seeking cooler and wetter conditions. I am also going to be adding a log pile.

I’d always encourage people to garden organically and to attract wildlife into their gardens / green space.

It really saddened me to have to move this beautiful creatures little body.

I am sorry for today sad news.

As mentioned previously please add some water to your green spaces however small they can be life lines for many.

Please also remember to take care of yourselves, the weather is so hot at the moment. I have been wearing a hat and trying to keep topped up with fluids.

Watering plants is becoming an issue. I have tried to lay saucers under each pot to retain the water as it is dissolving so quickly.

I have enjoyed potting on plants that appear to be growing more in this heat.

I’ll be doing more tomorrow so watch this green space.

Precious plants

I have spent a bit of time in the yarden today.

If you’ve been following my posts of late, you’ll know I grow the more unusual and where possible rarer type of plants and flowers.

I was really happy that these petunias survived the winter and have started to re flower.

I don’t normally grow petunias, but when I saw these silky black flowers I couldn’t resist and bought a couple of plants.

These pictures do not do these flowers justice.

I have grown black violas before but sadly they were no longer. I found these at weekend, I must try and propagate these to ensure I don’t lose them again. They maybe small but aren’t they stunning?

Viola ‘Molly Sanderson’.

Another plant I’ve grown before but sadly not been able to keep alive are these dark leaved ipomoea. sadly they have never flowered for me but still. How delicate are the leaves?

Another amazing plant that is a must in my yarden is Aeonium Swartzkopf

This year I also have these stunning but highly poisonous Ricinus New Zealand Purple. I’m hoping that those leaves will grow huge!

Another amazing plant that is showing itself is this Arisaema ciliatum var liubaense. I can’t wait until it’s flower comes out more.

Since we moved here I have tried to encourage wildlife by adding plants, water, food and different habitats. I am pleased to say we have regular visitors, bees and birds mainly however today I saw this stunning black and red moth – The Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae).

Whilst pottering about I tidied up some areas and also decided it is about time I made a ‘feature’ out of my lovely piece of art that I bought off eBay some years ago.

Let me know what you think of it.

It reminds me of my travels around Asia and how they have such ornate pieces of art. Also how water is often placed at the front door – I believe that this is meant to ward of evil spirits but I may be wrong.

What do you grow? I’d love the hear back from you.

I have to give special thanks to my friend David who has given me many unusual plants and who is teaching me more about the rarities out there. He actually gifted the aeonium, Arisaema, Hedychium and ricinus in these pictures.