Recent purchases

How is 2017 going to look for you?

Whilst idly Googling, I came across the following site.They seem to have some unusual stuff and the prices seem to be quite modest. Buy plants online Flower Bulbs, Alpines, Hardy Tropicals

I have just put an order in for rhizomes of the following. The site says that they are all flowering size :-


Musa velutina. Grows to about 5 feet, and is supposed to produce small pink bananas in its second year. I currently have one that looks as though its on the verge of dying. So I don't want to pay a lot for a replacement. I suspect that it needs quite a bit of heat over winter - more than my 10C.


Cautleya spicata. It's a member of the ginger family and grows to about 3 feet. It is deciduous and grows from a small rhizome. I bought 3 at £1.49 each - not expensive.


Curcuma roscoeana. Another member of the ginger family - totally new to me. It looks really pretty. I have seen it described as an easy plant - but I killed another Curcuma over the winter, so I suspect that its not that easy.


Globba schomburgkii. Who on earth calls a plant Globba ? Another member of the ginger family that grows to about 3 feet. Also said to be easy to grow (possibly). Again at £1.99 it's surprisingly cheap for something so exotic.


Heliconia rostrata. Heliconia is a close relative of Strelitzia, and bananas. It was Googling for a Heliconia that took me to this site. It is certainly one of the most spectacular Heliconia species, but I am not sure that it's the easiest - but you don't get a lot of choice, unless you are visiting Hawaii.


Tacca chanterii. This is a picture of my own plant from two years ago, which died on me. I have to thank @longk for the introduction to this fabulous, weird plant. I have tried three times to grow it from seed without success, so this time I am going to try a rhizome.

Do tell us what you are going to try in 2017.

 

Wow peters I will be looking on there was wanting a velutin and a heliconia myself after seeing them in Kew last year

 

PeterS,
That's a nice selection.

I have had some Aroids and Begonias from that nursery and they didn't do well for me.

 

That's a bit worrying Sirius.

They do say the rhizomes are flowering size - but they don't say how many years to flower. Luckily they are not too expensive - so I am willing to take a chance.

 

Hey peters did your order arrive was it any good so far please

 

No its hasn't arrived yet. They did say on the site that there was a heavy backlog and there would be a 2 to 3 week delay before sending out. So I am not worried ......yet.