Collection growing!

Dare I say, more and more plants have joined my growing collection today.

When I was heading out I found my expected parcel, earlier than expected which was a nice surprise.

I’ve been looking for this plant for quite some time – Pandanus amaryllifolius. This is a plant that James Wong writes about in one of his books. They are used in Asian cooking to add a vanilla flavour.

I went to collect a Facebook find in a nearby area, to buy a white everlasting pea – Lathyrus latifolius ‘White Pearl’.

The lady was lovely and we chatted about plants and gardening for some time.

We were accompanied by her lovely dog, who seemed to enjoy the attention. I do miss having a dog.

She showed me round her lovely garden and also gave me some seeds for the everlasting peas to see if I could grow them myself.

Or only that she gave me some of these stunning little alpines. These are Rhodohypoxis. I’ve grown these before back when I lived at my parents. Sadly they don’t like being wet in the winter. This tends to kill them. They do form lovely clumps.

After leaving, I collected my friend Stella and we headed to Parker’s to look for some pots. Sadly they were a little expensive and not what we were looking for. I did manage to get a shelf that sits on top of my potting tray.

We headed to one of our favourites – Aqualife. The staff are really friendly.

I came away with an extra Cyperus longus aka Native Sweet Galangale (James Wong book) and a Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘Kiwi Blush’

A Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’ which is another edible in James Wongs book!

I was also given this creeping plant – I believe it to be a Gunnera magellanica.

I was also given a cutting of a rarer form of Gunnera. This has a velvety touch to the leaf. I’m not sure of the variety on this one.

I got home late, ate dinner and started potting up the plants.

Looking forward to more gardening tomorrow.

Thank you

Good morning, apologies for such a gap since my last post.

I hope you have all been enjoying plants and your green space wherever you are in the world.

I have had a busy 2018 and experimented with new exotic plants. It has been a very mixed year for Hostas. Some really didn’t like the dry weather, as much as they were watered they simply didn’t like the dry air. Non the less, I don’t give up hope, adapting, enjoying the love of plants and hostas.

I have decided I am going to try and grow many of the plants on my wish list for a few reasons:

• Cheaper
• The sheer joy of growing
• Quantity
• Experiment

Heated propagators

Here I am trying to grow agaves, colocasia, hedychium, hibiscus, impatiens, musa and sonchus.

I promise to try and share more of my journey in the garden in the new year and many more pictures.

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2019!!