Mimosa

There is a very fine line between Albizias, Acacias and Mimosas. Albizias were once classified as Acacias and Mimoses are Acacias. We had two beautifull fully-grown Albizias (rosa) in Alabama and they are called Mimosas there! Here they are called both Ablizia and Mimosa and the old Moorish capital, Silves, has many of them lining the main road in between Jacarandas. They are in full bloom at the moment. I saw one at an exotic garden center the other day, about 1,5 metres tall with lots of blooms but he wanted 30 Euros (�£20) and I thought that way over the top so I shall check one of the nurseries instead.

 

Hi all. these are the pictures of mine( a bit leggy but i love it)!!! no idea at all what kind it is though...its about 4 years old from seed

 

Lovely pictures! Please send that greenhouse by first-class mail to Wiltshire, and I wouldn't mind the mimosa either! :D

 

Steve.Is that a "Hottentot Fig" with the pink flowers?
Do you leave yours out all through the winter?I have tried growing it from cuttings,in water, but even though I get a good root system going,and manage to pot them on, after a few months,they seem to die off,and yet at the Lizard in Cornwall, they grow in big carpets, down the front of the cliffs.

Very nice plants and greenhouse.I agree with Liz.

Kandy

 

hi kandy. The Lizard is where i saw them first too......and in fact all mine are from just over the bay at Mosehole!!!!! I cannot believe how easily they take. I go to cornwall most years and take cuttings from off the cliffs... All i do then is stick it in a pot of moist compost and wait.....Not failed yet. Also as they grow you can simply use the layering method....just getting a "branch" and pinning it in a pot of compost...then after a month or so cutting it off the mother plant...the cuttings i take are approx 15 cm's long...ill add a couple of photos when i can in this thread...
( the greenhouse cost me �£800) ouch !!!!

 

.... was just admiring your greenhouse. Mr HB has promised me a new greenhouse, and suggested a wooden one- - but hasn't realised the cost, yet.... hmmmmm....I'l show him your picture and after he's said how nice it is, maybe I'll tell him how much it cost... or not!!! Mind you, its a lot cheaper than the �£4500 one I did show him!!!! :D :D

 

Your greenhouse may have cost �£800 but it will last a life time.

It is amazing how many greenhouses are bought and never used,only for rubbish,but if they are used for growing plants and vegetables, then money paid out will soon be recouped.

I have one tiny cutting left of my Hottentot Fig, so if it is going to survive, I shall have to keep the water topped up until I get back from my hols, then I can put it in compost instead of water.

KANDY

 

Are wooden greenhouses better insulated. I would have thought heat is lost more readily through aluminium frames than wooden frames ?

 

Yes they are BM, did some research into that before I bought a g/h and found a website (can't remember sorry!) where trials had been carried out in a supposedly unbiased way where they grew the same plants in the same conditions by the same gardeners with both wood and alum. greenhouses.

Results were that the wooden ones were more efficient by about 5 to 10 percent I think.

Unfortunately they normally cost 50 to 100 percent more! So I bought an alumin. one! :D

Sorry I can't be more precise, memory getting worse!

P.S. this was 3 years ago, don't know how prices are today.

If you can afford it, go for it!!!!!!!

 

Steve looks like my Albizia julibrissin rosea




BM

 

V. nice shape to it BM. I agree it does look like mine. Did you train/prune it to get the good shape?. mine's just done what it wanted

 

I have had it about 3 years and it has grown slowly until this year when it has grown a 3rd again already. I chose one with a good habit to start with and the slow growth I put down to too larger pot to begin with. I think all the effort went into roots. I intend putting it in the ground maybe next year as I can see it running out of steam, as the stem always looks thrsty. You are a bit of a geezer if you grew that specimen from seed 4 years ago! I have seen them in various garden centres and unless you choose one that has been shaped they do grow with a relaxed habit! Mine has responded well to being pruned very lightly to increase bushiness.

BM

 

Hi Kandyfloss. here are the pics i promised you....i (so far) have over wintered them in an unheated greenhouse, but i have a few planted out which i am going to leave next winter. I think the flowers are great. all the u.s. sites call it an aggressive/intrusive weed !!






Can i please ask you all to look at my question in the beginners section " advice on grass"
Thankyou ppl

 

BM. the shape of mine has been made better by a few branches drying up and dying in the past a bit worrying but it seems to pull through each year!!!