Planning Seed Varieties for Exotic Border

Starting to assemble a seed list for the Exotic Border for next year:

Amaranthus tricolor 'Joseph's Coat' - 1 packet (100 seeds) Not sure if this is "worthy", or not?
ANGELICA GIGAS
ARISAEMA CILIATUM

ARISAEMA CONSANGUINEUM
ARUM ITALICUM PICTUM
BOMAREA CALDASII
CARDIOCRINUM GIGANTEUM Worth growing from seed for the longer term? If I buy a bulb it will be flowering-ready, and monocarpic (although I think they make bulbils - will they be faster-to-flower than seed?)
Canna altensteinii Haven't got this one, but several people have said they are growing it.

Cyperus papyrus
Dahlia imperialis
DATURA INOXIA (Plant World)
Datura inoxia
Datura inoxia 50sds (Moles)
Datura metel 'Belle Blanche'
EUPHORBIA MELLIFERA
Incarvillea delavayi var. alba
Melianthus major - 1 packet (10 seeds) T&M
Melianthus major Chilterns
MINA (IPOMOEA) LOBATA

NICOTIANA LANGSDORFII 'CREAM-SPLASH'
NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS
RHODOCHITON ATROSANGUINEUM (Plant World)

Rhodochiton atrosanguineum (Chiltern)
Rhodochiton atrosanguineus 50sds (Moles) Managed to grow [just] one from seed this year, I wonder if fresh seed is key and maybe I will be able to keep my own seed, rather than buy-in?
STIPA ARUNDINACEA

Ricinus communis var. gibsonii Haven't seen this one before. I wonder if I will get seed off the ones in my garden, or if I will have to re-buy seed for those too? If so I will need to stock-up on these:

Ricinus carmencita Bright Red 50sds (Moles)
Ricinus zanzibarensis 50sds (Moles)

and a Blue one, which I think is only available from Jungle Seeds

 

got canna altensteinii
blue ricinus
purple ricinus
and papyrus (3 different variety)

 

What's you opinion of the differences between them Sal? I like the Cyperus papyrus the most, but I think it needs overwintering (which is not easy) to get a decent sized plant the following year.

 

You do know what`s the problem with tropical , they all must be overwintered , but at the same time the beauty of it is that if you don`t like the arrangement you can always move plants around.
the hardy papyrus is not really pretty , papyrus is not a rare plant but a big papyrus it`s impressive....you should really go to Cambridge B.G. to understand , they have one at 4/5 meters , really impressive.



and this is the outdoor they have , I suspected they overwinter them outdoor.

 

ps the arum italicum it`s really invasive

 

I grew Arisaema consanguineum from seed a few years back, its flowered for the first time this year, strange flower, but almost missed it, I was not impressed.
Didn't realise it should come up with the red seed spike later.

 

I'll make sure I order enough of that to share John

 

Ive got carmencita red ricinus plus a few canna seed varities,i was looking at daturas but wasnt sure if easy enough to grow for me(not had time to google info) but if your splitting them aswell i will have a bash kristen plz
p.s And thanks,i won the fatsia polycarpa you put me onto

 

Straightforward I reckon. I'll put some by for you.

Excellent! I hope you will be pleased with it (or you'll be crossing me off your Christmas card list!!)

 

To my eyes

All Arisaema are worth it in my opinion............

Seven years from seed, approx three to five from offsets.

I have seed for the regular form (put some in the seed swap as I recall)

At the risk of being boring, I've always found the seed I collect germinates far better than purchased seed does...........

 

Thanks Longk

I saw some at East Ruston with incredible narrow (comparatively) skirts to the flowers. Forgot to take a photo. (Not sure I liked them, but they did appear to be a different variety)

I think I will have a go at Cardiocrinum giganteum as well as getting a bulb or two, flowering should even out over time then ...

If my Rhodochiton atrosanguineum flower I'll definitely keep some seed, but the ones I managed to germinate have been so slow I doubt they will do anything, sadly.

Oh dear! I now need to buy all the varieties I can find

 

I had no success with Incarvillea D. Alba, bought as tubers (they just rotted), I might try again.
Kristen, if you groww them ALL it should be an impressive border!

 

Sounds like mine.................


It is a real doer, and owing to the colour it can be popped into just about any gap without clashing.

That would make a lot of sense.

 

The "skirt" seemed a lot narrower than that, more like Nicotiana glauca - except that I thought the foliage looked "normal" for Nicotiana, and Nicotiana glauca has different foliage. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention to the leaves!