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.

Another rainy day

Here is the amazing reusable bag of peat free compost. I buy this from Bud Garden Centre – it’s Sylvagrow ‘Bag for life’.

These are the promised photos of the Thalia dealbata from yesterday.

The leaves collect the raindrops like jewels.

With the downpour I really haven’t spent much time gardening at all.

Cool plants!

Yesterday was a busy day. I visited Bud Garden Centre in Burnage.

I bought the lovely little cacti that I posted yesterday and my favourite compost – Sylvagrow. It’s a peat free compost but it’s the best I’ve found that you can buy!

What’s even better I buy it in a bag for life so in effect I am not using plastic.

After here we had a quick stop to Wicks for some top soil.

Have you ever been to Aqualife in Poynton? They are an amazing plant nursery that stock everything to do with aquatic plants from water lilies to day lilies and hostas. As long as the plants thrive in water, bogs and marshes they will have them!

Not only that, the service is amazing and David, the guy that helped us, really knows his stuff and is passionate about what he does!

I picked up this beauty that I have been after for a while – Thalia dealbata. A tropical aquatic plant with stunning leaves and a small (in comparison to the leaves) dark purple / maroon flower.

I love how the rain sits on the leaves. Sadly I knocked them off when taking pictures so watch this space and wait for better pics.

I also picked up some oxygenating plants. Here are water violet – Hottonia palustris and ivy leaved crowfoot – ranunculus hederacious.

I’m also really happy about this impatiens cutting it took. I put it water about a week ago!! Look at those roots!

Whilst shopping in Aldi today I was surprised to see the following plants …

The rain has been non stop all day and I have had a day in catching up with housework.

I hope I get chance to do a bit outside tomorrow as I have lots to do!