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I went to the Harrogate Flower Show yesterday and enjoyed myself enormously - not least because I came back with a bag full of goodies. This is what I bought:-


Pelargonium 'Mystery'. It is a 'unique', which is a type of shrub like Pelargonium.


Pelargonium rubricinitum x cordifolium. A primary hybrid between two species. I understand that it is a fast grower and I am hoping that it will grow into a good sized bush. I also like it because it is more subtle that so many of the over bred hybrids.

My other plant was Salvia 'Amistad', which looks very exciting. I put a picture on the Salvias thread - http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/super-salvias.41788/page-4

I looked around for unusual plants and found some interesting bulbs.


Top row, left to right. Amorphophallus rivieri, Arismaema tortuosum, Begonia, Pleone formosana, Sandersonia aurantiaca and Gladiolus byzantinus.
Bottom row, left to right. Eremurus bungei, Gloriosa rothschildiana, Sprekelia formosissima and Arisaema speciosum (weighing nearly 1lb).


Amorphophallus rivieri. Photo from Flickriver. This is a member of the Arum family, and is a smaller cousin of the the Corpse flower. It grows to several feet, is said to be hardy (but probably not Yorkshire hardy) and has an unbelievable stench when its in flower. Its on probation.


Arisaema speciosum. Photo www.rvroger.co.uk. Another Arum that produces green, purple or chocolate-maroon spathes (Jun-Jul), above large tropical-looking foliage.


Arismaema tortuosum. Photo Broadleighbulbs. I saw a plant of this with most interesting palm tree like stems and foliage.


Begonia - pink. Photo BBC. I have never grown a Begonia before.


Eremurus bungei. Photo - American Meadows. I had a good chat with the stall holder, who lived in Harrogate and said that there was no way that you could grow Eremurus in Harrogate. He said that it was not hardy enough here, and that it was impossible to lift them at the end of the season, because they hated to be disturbed. He also said that they needed very well drained soil and that wet from the Harrogate clay would kill it overwinter, even with a thick mulch. So I then said that I would grow it in a container. To which he replied there was no way you could grow Eremurus in a container as its roots are very shallow and go out a long way sideways. He said they would just die.

At that point I said that I had bought another, larger, variety last year at the same show. I put it in a pot and overwintered it frost free and now it was sprouting very happily. He was amazed at that. So this one is another experiment. E. bungei was not only cheaper than the other species at £1 - but also smaller, which I thought would give it a better chance in a pot. So its another one on probation.


Gladiolus byzantinus. Photo www.findmeplants.co.UK
I have always hankered after these ever since Christopher Lloyd raved over them. Its a species - ie unimproved variety, which CL felt was natural to have in a border rather than the over developed cultivars. I have tried twice before to grow them from seed without success - so hopefully third time lucky with bulbs. They are not expensive, but you just never see them for sale.


Gloriosa rothschildiana. Photo Anglia bulb company.
I saw this in flower for the first time in my life at the show - it was well named - glorious. Last year I bought some tubers, but they came to naught. So this year I am having another go. The advice that I got was they need full sun and loads of heat - and shouldn't really be let out of the house or full sun greenhouse.


Pleione formosana. Photo Orchidarium.pl
This was on the same stall as some of the others so I couldn't resist, having seen LongK's lovely picture.


Sandersonia aurantiaca . Photo www.jardins-interieurs.com
Now this one was totally new to me - so I had to have a go.


Sprekelia formosissima. Photo www.Thegardengeeks.com
This is one I had heard of but have never seen in flower.

Well I have got some potting up to do, and loads of Googling to learn all about them.

Do tell us what you have been buying.

 

Nice collection there Peter; I have grown Sprekelia in the past, a stunning plant with huge flowers compared to the plants overall growth..

 

lovely haul there Peter

Sadly Carnt up load pics @ mo this week iv bought 6 stone Terracotta window cills out of The Stourbridge Colliage of Art built in 1899 All Compleet NO Damage

i hope to re/work them to build a entrance door way in a Garden Arbour

Im Going to Have a Go @ Building When the Weather Drys up a Bit

 

A nice haul there Peter Just hope you have room for them all ! Your garden pics show it as well stocked already .
My purchases yesterday , from a little nursery just by my works , where not as exotic
Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea'
Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'
Which Naylors Ark recommended for ground cover - thanks Mandy They look really good and are just about to flower



Clematis montana var. grandiflora
To cover a fence , as a C. Armandii I planted last year does not seem to be growing.
Lysimachia numularia
or creeping jenny , the latin name I find impossible to pronounce ! These are for a damp spot by my fountain and will split another couple for hanging baskets. A lovely plant I had forgotten about for a few years .

 

Thanks for taking the time to post the details PeterS ... although ... you've got me reaching for my wallet again!

I've "planted" my Gloriosa rothschildiana horizontally in a seed tray to find out which is the sprouting-end so I can then plant it vertically, as I read that was preferred to just planting it horizontally. First time for me though ...

I prefer the look of that Amorphophallus rivieri to the normal one (forgotten its name, mine hasn't come back this spring), and I'm also going to have to add Arisaema speciosum and Arismaema tortuosum to my wishlist ...

I see Gladiolus byzantinus come up quite often on eBay ...

 

Lovely purchases everyone
Peter I've had some eremurus in my garden for 4 years now, even survived the really cold winters left in the ground, they're growing happily in my heavy clay soil which as you say they're not supposed to like,didn't think they'd come back after the first year but have surprised me by coming back bigger and better each year.

 

My gloriosa's just sprouting its first leaves, I grew mine from seed several years ago, only got one plant but its done brilliantly, I always plant horizontally around the edges of the pot it grows fine like this, those tubers do increase very quickly, leave in the pot overwinter in my sunroom and let it dry out then repot in fresh compost early spring.

 

Here They Are :WINK1:

 

Simbad, I love your picture. I am amazed that Eremurus is growing for you in clay. I bought two and potted them up today. At only £1 each I should have bought some more and taken a gamble on planting some in the border.

Simbad I am encouraged to hear that Gloriosa bulks up quickly. Kristen I had a good chat with the chap selling these, and he said the growth comes from the thicker end. He said you can break off part of the thin end - he called it the breathing end, and have the rest partly out of the ground. He said to plant at a 45 degree angle with three quarters of the tuber under the soil, including the growing bud, and one quarter exposed above. It sounds a pretty odd way - but I am going to do what he said. He also said give it plenty of heat - ie keep it inside the house for a long time.

I never thought to look on e-bay for Gladiolus byzantinus. I don't totally trust e-bay, though I supose that you can't go far wrong with small priced items. About my only experience was when I tried to bid for a still life painting on e-bay. It was described as 19th centuary and was being sold by the Museum of Wales as surplus stock - priced at about £50. However whilst waiting for the time to expire I found an identical picture being sold from a Chinese site for one penny plus £20 p&p.

 

Yes my eremurus were only cheap from Tesco of all places, they were on quick sale , I'm amazed how well they're doing too each original plant seems to have 3-4 growing points this year, haven't tried dividing them, after you saying they don't like disturbance probably best to leave well alone.
The glory vine seems to grow in one really long tuber, strange looking things, that just breaks up naturally when you tip the pot out, first year I thought I'd broken it, mine grows permanently in my sunroom doesn't go outside.

 

Been over in Belgium for a couple of days, drove back yesterday (filthy weather all the way from the start of France) & popped in the big hypermarket to pick up some beer - came out with Jasmin etolile:

& Trachycarpus fortunei in a 5L pot:

.. some onion sets, cheap ferilizer, a watering can + some beer, which was brewed about 20 miles away from where I was in Belgium, but yet was cheaper in France.

 

went to the local garden centre in the lovely winter weather and picked up these:-

now, with the tree fern, whats the best way of planting? do i leave it in the pot, or plant it in the ground? i know it'll need care in the winter, so whats the best way?

cheers,

Al.

 

Hi AL , nice one , the Chamaerops humilis palm will do best in a sunny dry position , the dryer the most chance will have to grow and survive , the dicksonia will need shadow and wet soil like the ruhbarb .....with the dicksonia is bit tricky as it`s small it more vulnerable then big plants , so even if it`s easy to overwinter is still a delicate plant , plus apparently they only grow 1/2 inches a year .......

 

thanks for the advice Sal, very much appreciated

 

the one in the pictures is mine today , you can notice the rehum and the gunnera behind.......usually by the end of the season you will not be able to see any soil.