Seeds galore!

A friend of mine recently listed all the seeds he intends to grow, he inspired me to take a look at all the seeds I have and hope to get growing this year. Here goes:

Aeonium aureum 

Aeonium glandulosum

Aeonium subplanum

Agave parryi 

Agave victoria reginae 

Amaranthus ‘Pointy Fingers’

Amaranthus ‘Red Plume’

Amaranthus ‘Velvet Curtains’

Atriplex hortensis ‘Red Plume’

Broussonetia papyrifera 

Canna jaegeriana 

Canna paniculata

Cardiospermum halicacabum 

Eccremocarpus scaber orange 

Eccremocarpus scaber pink

Eccremocarpus scaber ‘Tresco Mix’

Fuchsia procumbens

Globba bulbifera

Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’

Hellenia costus 

Impatiens capensis

Impatiens scabrida

Isoplexis canariensis

Mirabilis jalapa

Mirabilis longiflora

Nelumbo nucifera 

Nicotiana sylvestris 

Oreopanax niger

Rhipsalis baccifera ssp baccifera

Sonchus congestus 

Sonchus fruticosus

Sonchus palmensis

Solanum atropurpureum

Spilanthes achmella 

Vasconcellea pubescens

Zingiber chrysanthemum 

It appears that it may be a busy spring, keep your fingers crossed that I have some success.

What are you going to be growing by seed this year? If anything? Perhaps you prefer to take cuttings or root division?

As this is my first post this year, I would also like to wish you all the very best for 2021, Happy New Year! Let it be filled with plants and green spaces!

Plants and snow

Many of you may not be thinking of gardening or plants at the moment, unless you’re as plant mad as I am.

I’m pleased to show that these Dahlia imperialis cuttings are now growing, you can see the shoots now growing.

Looking outside in the yarden, the snow has nearly all cleared but has settled on the jasmine.

There was also some still hanging on to the bamboo.

We went for a walk this afternoon, I thought I’d share a picture of this lovely Tudor building – Bramhall Hall.

Stay warm with the thought of spring in your minds.

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!

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.

Man go ing mad!

I’ve had a full day and not really had much time to do anything other than water some of my plants.

After making dinner I have saved the mango husk to attempt to grow it.

I have grown a fair few avocados and a couple of pineapples after some refining of the technique and am hoping I will be able to grow a mango too.

Have you grown anything from kitchen waste?

Keep planting!

All weather gardener

I’ve been pottering about the yarden today.

It hasn’t been the best weather, I don’t let it stop me.

I’m happy to see these seeds grow as I’d more or less given up. However I have no idea what they are!! I’ve clearly lost the label. I know they are an exotic and am so chuffed that they have sprouted.

I am sure you recall me chopping g and preparing the comfrey tea. Today I bottled up the smelly stuff!! Six litres in fact. Just hope that the rain clears the smell!

I’ve potted up the Cyperus longus that I bought the other week.

I was soaked to the bone and needed a shower to not only have a good clean and rid the smell of the comfrey but to warm myself up!

Enjoy your green space!

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.

Potty about plants

I’m pleased to see that the Alocasia ‘Polly’ is growing back after it slowly died away.

I also planted up some of the growing avocado stones.

Also potted on the Crassula ovata, aka money plant.

I potted on one of my fig plants. Ficus carica ‘Ice Crystal’.

I bought some thyme and decided to plant it in this terracotta pot and repot this over growing Oca.

Here is the Thyme potted up.

And on my edible shelf.

I’m pleased to see my recently bought Bomarea is flowering.

I also bought some chives. The key to any supermarket bought herbs is to split them and repot them as soon as you get them. This will give them the energy and nutrition they need.

I’m hoping to catch up with more things tomorrow.

Going bananas

Went to a Facebook seller in Stretford, bought a Chinese Banana – Musa lasiocarpa.

Their garden was lovely, full of Hedychiums, Cautleya, and all sorts of cool plants.

We also visited David, he gave me some Hoya carnosa cuttings. I have looked up how to propagate from cuttings and there seems to be a few ways. I have tried potting one up in a gritting compost mix and the other in water.

He also gave me some more Solanum seedlings. I potted these up as soon as I got home. Even my David likes the dark stems and flowers.

It’s always lovely to see the flowers return on my Hibiscus syriacus ‘Oiseau Bleu’.

I finally got round to potting the Lithops in the lovely pot I bought from Village Plants in Hazel Grove.

I added some crocks and gravel to give plenty of drainage.

Here is the finished result. What do you think?

I don’t want to keep the labels in the finished result so I’ve made a note.

Still not managed to the bits that I’d like to do in my yarden. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to update you with these jobs!

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