WHAT'S LOOKING EXOTIC IN 2015

Lachenalia are a genus of winter flowering South African bulbous plants. My L.nelsonii has flowered too early due to the mild weather and this has resulted in poor colour and a low number of flowers on each stem................

 

Lachenalia are a genus of winter flowering South African bulbous plants. My L.nelsonii has flowered too early due to the mild weather and this has resulted in poor colour and a low number of flowers on each stem................

 

Lachenalia are a genus of winter flowering South African bulbous plants. My L.nelsonii has flowered too early due to the mild weather and this has resulted in poor colour and a low number of flowers on each stem................

 

My orchid is flowering again has flowered every spring for the last three years

 

Pleione once again started too early and had to be flowered indoors.................

 

Strelitzia reginea - Bird of Paradise flower. A couple of new flowers. This has been blooming since mid Jan.


Calamondin has been laden with fruit for months. Behind it I have three Geranium maderense grown from seed about 5 years ago. I can see the first flower buds - though not in this picture.


Pelargonium cordifolium x rubrotinctum (pink) is nearly up to the roof and growing through Jasminum polyanthum (white).


Cistus racemosus has a lovely lemony smell.

 

All very nice @PeterS

Never thought that I would say this but I am rather taken with that Pelargonium. And still jealous of your garden room!

 

Hi folks, Peter have you any tips on getting Strelitzia to flower? Mine is in large pot (about 14"), is about 12 yrs old and has leaves/stems about 36" long. It just keeps growing more and more leaves.

 

I can always try and do you a cutting LongK. Its quite big - which is what I wanted.

Hi Anthony. I have to say that I really don't know. I have not had mine that long and this is only its second flower. The first being in January.

However I had a useful conversation a while ago with someone who sold me some Urginea maritime bulbs. I said that I had never got them to flower and he said that I was probably watering them too much. I also had a couple of quite big Bougainvilleas in my conservatory last year and they too never flowered. I read up about them and found that they too won't flower if you water them too much. I always use a moisture meter at watering time, and remember that the Bougainvillea compost was always fairly damp and really didn't need watering most of the time, as opposed to a number of other climbers which always needed a lot of water. I suspect Strelitzea also likes to be a little bit cramped in the pot - ie treat it a bit rough. My conservatory is only kept at 12C over the winter and knowing that its easy to overwater plants in the winter, I kept my Strelitzea pretty dry all winter.

When the subject is raised, I always like to do a little Googling and found this :-

Giving The Bird Of Paradise Some Love And Care

• Temperature: The Bird of Paradise requires moderate temperatures year-round. They can tolerate temperatures as low as 55 ºF (13 ºC), but prefer to remain in the 70-90 ºF (21-32 ºC) range. Above 70 ºF (21 ºC), care instructions do change slightly.
• Light: This plant demands bright, yet indirect, sunlight year-round. Too much sunlight will injure the flowers. Above 70 ºF (21 ºC), this plant should be relocated to a partial shade environment in order to avoid sunburn on the flowers.
• Watering: During the summer months, the soil should be kept moist through regular watering. Throughout the fall and winter, permit the soil to almost dry out before watering. Never permit water to stand in the saucer underneath the plant.
• Soil: Strelitzia reginae does well in almost any type of soil. A standard potting soil will suffice for this plant's continued health.

Fertilizer: Offer this plant a balanced fertilizer every two weeks throughout the spring and summer. During the fall and winter months fertilization to once every month.

Other sites say plenty of water, but they also say allow the soil to dry out between watering. - It may be nothing to do with water - I am really not sure.

I found this on another site about Bougainvillea:-

If your plant has lush green growth but no, or very few, blooms it is possible that you are over fertilizing or over watering or both. Quit fertilizing for a while and grow your plant a bit on the dryer side until it starts blooming again.

 

I will pass this time but thanks! The only tender plants that I'm adding now are bulbs and tubers.

I remember you saying that your first year with this it did nothing. Likewise here - a couple of small leaves but boy has it produced some roots below the surface!

Ditto.
It will take a frost or two though. Last summer it was infested with RSM outdoors so I left it out until it had taken some frosts. Now RSM free but looking a little sad.................

 

My larger yellow Bougainvillea has burst into flower, sadly they don't last long and turn white after a week or so as you can see on the other plant in the foreground. Now and then a flower will have some red in it. The variegated pink ones are in bud too.
I keep them very damp all the time as they are in a very bright SW facing conservatory.

 

Interesting Strongy, the pinky red parts makes me think that the yellow flowered plant might be a "sport"from possibly a red plant.
My outdoor Bougie appears to be dropping leaves now, after retaining them for most of the winter.

 

That's interesting Strongy - that goes directly opposite to my thought that my Bougies didn't flower because they were too wet. However I will still keep them a bit drier as they were pretty wet all last year.

I am amazed at how early yours have flowered. I will have to look at mine a bit closer but I don't expect to see any signs of buds.

 

Just a thought but could flowering be connected to day length.

Mine only flowers after July, flowering best in Sept.

Similar day length to now, but mine is too cold to grow at this time of the year.

 

Pete - you are spot on - something I never realised.

I found this to be a long and very informative article http://www.askmar.com/Bougainvilleas/Bougainvilleas.pdf unfortunately its in PDF format so I can't copy and paste, but can catch part as a picture. Top right talks about day length.