Canna 2012

There were some massive ones in Kevin Scales garden (Norfolk, open under NGS a couple of weeks ago). He said he potted them overwinter to bring them on - but the HTUK boys think that that would be utterly insane (and for them to say that about any form of "faff" that will increase the size of a plant is deffo. saying something!!)

So I'm in two minds ... I am trying to overwinter some Echiums in pots though ....

 

Well will wonders never cease, my Canna Altensteinii that only started growing around late June/early July is doing what I thought it wouldn't do this year and is producing a flower bud - yeah , the plant is almost 5ft tall, small compared to last year when they reached 10ft but it was such a bad start as a whole for cannas this year I'm not complaining

 

Bilbo I just took a photo of my cannas yesterday. The C.Tropical I grew from rhizomes are at their peak now all flowering and just a touch under 6ft tall , they are looking very healthy - just 3 plants with about 16 stems , in the photo.
The C.Altensteinii you kindly sent me , and the C.Marabout , you can see in the left hand background . They have only grown to waist high from seed , and are just starting to flower.

 

Here's the emerging and unexpected flower bud on my C.altensteinii..

 

Looks very similar to C.tenerife that I have in flower at the moment Armandii

 

Same here Armandii , some are big and green and stunning , but then again some are big and green and stunning but with an Unspellable /Unpronounceable name.
Gotta love them though

 

Take care to avoid sources that might be virused ...

... other than that swapping some might be an option. All mine were new this year, so I don't think I have enough rhizome to swap as yet I'm afraid.

 

Just thinking the same armandii. Got my eyes on a few from jungle seeds. When's the best time to start them off? Canna and bananas?
Anyway the canna cleopatra has just show its first flowers!

 

Yes, definitely, I'll be trying to source some seed of more unusual ones or species varieties as well some more common ones......I just love growing from seed

 

Hi Mowgley, I usually start my Canna seed off between late January and late February; always in a heated propergator, but you have to think ahead and be prepared that; depending on variety, you could have some fair sized plants on your hands before its warm enough for them to go out, so you'll need somewhere to grow them on...