Garden in mid-winter (photos)

Stephen , that aloe look like an Aloe cosmo , potentially cold hardy but not tested yet , you can be the first then .
Ask for an ID on the cactus section (the new one)

 

Yes it is Aloe cosmo, I remember the label name. I knew it was a new strain, there was a big sign for it at the garden centre as a featured plant.. but it was described as a houseplant.. I don't know what made me buy it for outside though..?

 

Sal, I just came across an article, that states it is most likely an Aloe aristata crossed with gasteria (forming a "Gasteraloe")

 

I`ve just looked at a french website and it say that is a cross between aloe aristata X Gasteria batesiana , maybe cold hardy to -2c , but not really tested yet.....
Stephen once again you have to do the dirty job and then tell us

 

Well it's hardy to -3.9C (-4C) for sure in wet soil.. Lets see how the rest of the winter goes.

 

so far my cactus have been under a -6/7c this year and so far so good , the aloe aristata that should be hardy to -5c are absolutly fine , Pete told me that his one have been under lower temperature and where fine.

 

That's good news.

And more.. was it a Columnea you sent me? the one with red flowers, it's in the greenhouse, under 0C and it's still alive.. unbelievably...?

 

no that was a Aeschynanthus twister , it should have died at 5 celcius , but mine is happy in the green house.

 

It's not that big, approx 8-10 inches tall and with 4 arching main stems, I bought it last year for 50p from a local florists..

 

yes same here, it's actually growing, putting out new leaves.. totally unexpected.

Experimenting is definitely one of my favourite things, and if they survive then you can grow them.. perfect!

(ps not suggesting gardening is just one big experiment, just bits of it)

 

Stephen, can overwinter salvia patens for example outside. Cornwall is a long narrow county and just a couple of miles further westwards makes quite a difference to temperatures. Not quite as mild as the Isles of Scilly here but not far fom it. Four miles eastwards from me can be a couple of degrees colder in winter enough of a difference for same plant to survive with me but die there. Can you grow pittosporums, hebes. Convolvulus where you are?

 

Yes Pittosporum tobira does well here, all matter of Hebes are grown, and there is a nice large Convulvus cneorum down the road from me (I brought one which i will plant out in Spring). We have some large leaved tree form Ceanothus too, that are supposedly quite tender..

 

Ceanothus are grown everywhere here but they grow so quickly. It's the wet that spoils things for us.....it's not the cold that damages our silver greys, etc but the damp from the sea, etc .