WHAT'S LOOKING EXOTIC IN 2015

Never tried H, rafilii strongy, so cant say, but on the net it appears to be reasonably hardy.
I very rarely leave anything like that out all winter until I've propagated it, so some of it can stay under cover.

My thoughts are, it should be OK down where you are, especially if you can find a warm spot for it.

 

Possibly, but she tossed the label!

 

Pete, I really like those pictures.

I think that E. Maurelii is one of the most spectacular of all tropical plants. Presumably you overwinter it as a dry corm. And can you always get them to come back.

I have cracked the going to sleep bit - but am not so good at waking up.

 

Not cracked the Ensete, winter dormancy @PeterS .
That one overwintered in a pot and due to the dry has been slow to get going planted out this year.
I was thinking of lifting it very soon and trying to pot it up for the winter.

I was wondering if we tend to leave it far too late before lifting, thereby having no real chance of drying them off properly in the UK, before the cold damp weather starts.

 

At 10C over the winter I can keep mine just growing. But I can only do that if they are fairly small. A big one that I cut back and left in a pot died. I think it was exactly what you said. The pot was too wet and had no way of drying out once the plant had been cut back.

Ones that I lifted and cut back had no problem in drying out in the house as bare corms. But, as I see it, the problem is in the spring getting the compost damp enough to get them back into growth but not so damp it they rot. I suppose its a similar problem with many other plants - Amorphophallus, Gloriosa etc.

I have so many Maureliis now that I think I will try to propagate them again - if that makes sense. It was a great success last time, but they take a while to grow from an offshoot. I really want to overwinter the largest ones to get even bigger ones next year. On the internet they talk about overwintering ones that are so big it needs two people to lift them.

 

I have grown several Salvia leucantha plants for a number of years. And they always have long thin leaves. Suddenly I have some round leaves occurring in several places on a plant. Very strange.


Isoplexis - I can't remember which. I had two, sceptrum and canariensis but one died.


I was worried about my Cycad leaves going yellow. But perhaps its because I have a new flush growing.


The conservatory is slowly becoming more jungly. A star this year has been Asarina erubescens, the trailing bits with red blooms. Most sites say it grows 7 to 12 feet, but mine is closer to 20 feet, growing up to, and across the roof, and then hanging down again close to the floor.

 

It all looks lovely and tropical Peter. I just planted Asarina scandens outside to go up a trellis around our hot tub ... must go look to see if anything is showing yet. Also planted Ipomoea quamoclit and a few Clematis ... or is that Clematii?

Also got Datura Purple Queen double and Gold Queen double frilled but I will wait to plant them in the Spring.

 

Thanks Victoria. I think Asarina scandens is a very beautiful plant. When I bought a packet of A. erubescens seed I thought that I was going to get something very similar, but it has turned out to be a lot larger. I must try A. scandens again.

Do show us a picture of your Ipomea quamoclit when its grown up. I am still not sure if its an annual or a perennial. Though I haven't managed to overwinter it.

 

Hibiscus

 

Variegated Musa Basjoo

 

Variegated Musa Basjoo

 

I know it is too small to go out now but do you think the white parts of the leaves will scorch in the sun as Canna Stutgart can?

 

I would say almost certainly, we have it under glass at the minute and its scorched some of them already. I think full shade for this beauty.

 

Caesalpinia gilliesii has been very slow to flower this year, not sure why.
Its finally putting out a few flowers, but its getting a bit late now.