WHAT'S LOOKING EXOTIC IN 2015

I like the red one better anyway.

Cactus flowering is getting going, although I must admit mine are a bit neglected these days.

 

Hi Pete, they are stunning. I've tried then so many times but could never get flowers like yours, just the odd one or two every year. What is no 4 please i don't think I've seen that one before ?

 

No4 is, I believe, off the top of my head, Mamallaria Zeilmania, Anthony.
Its a long flower-er, for a cacti, starts in April and goes on into June.

How about Echium, difficult to get a good shot, its at least 16ft high, top 10 ft covered in tiny flowers.


Asimina triloba.

 

I wouldn't know, I ain't got a white one to compare it to

 

Bleedin' heck !

 

Well the white one is kind of, "white", where the red bits are on your one.
So the red is more interesting and most of all, "in yer face", so gets my vote.

 

This is just opening up tonight, not sure if its Selenicereus or Hylocereus, but its big.

@Aesculus sent me a cutting a few years ago, first time its flowered for me.

 

This year old Nicotiana glauca (Tree Nicotiana) seedling is putting its first blooms out............


The mother plant that I collected the seed from has survived its first winter outdoors in a very sheltered spot and is not too far behind.

 

Arisaema speciosum was a recent purchase to replace the ones that I had lost in the ground over the winter (which all emerged as soon as I'd bought this!) but worthy of a photo or two.................

 

Pete - that Echium is brilliant. I haven't cracked how to overwinter them. Inside my house its not humid but there is not enough light. Inside my conservatory there is enough light but its far too humid.

LongK - I love those Arisaema - both the stems and the leaves.


Guzmania surrounding a Vriesea


Euphorbia milii (Crown of Thorns) - This has been on my wanted list for some time as I believe that it flowers for a very long period.


Boronia heterophylla - I found this a couple of days ago in Hampsons in Wakefield being sold amongst the bedding plants. Its a new one on me - but its tender and I suspect not really a bedding plant.


Arisaema tortuosum. Over a couple of years its grown to have quite a large tuber, and it now stands about 6 feet high in its pot. But I believe they can get a bit bigger still. There is a flower at the top - but its the stem that is the real attraction.


A Brugmansia that I grew from seed about 3 years ago. Its fills the conservatory with a fabulous scent.

 

I've just got a huge ceramic pot off of Freegle which I'm going to put all my aroids in. Five Arisaema and two species of Dracunculus

That looks interesting!

 

Love Echiums

I am doing Brugs again this year

 

That's a good idea to grow some aroids as a group. I have always grown them singly - but I think a group would look good.

A few days ago I went to Harewood House, and got chatting to one of the gardeners. He was very much into Aroids, and we swapped a few plants. He gave me an Amorphophallus napalensis - which was a new one to me. He also gave me a good tip. He agreed that Amorphophallus are subject to rotting so he never waters his until he can see that it has started to sprout.

 

I keep all my potted aroids dry until the shoots emerge. It is hard sometimes - nothing is showing and you're so tempted to offer a little water to "help".

 

I have just had a clear out and re-arrangement of my conservatory - left.


Right.


A pink Mandevilla has just started to flower next to Asclepias.


Thunbergia gregorii is a new plant and only had one flower last year. It's grown some and I hope this will be one of plenty this year.


My first Canna flower.


And I was delighted today to see a Thunbergia battiscombei alongside Bougainvillea.

The other great pleasure today was to finally see some tiny signs of life on my Clerodendron thomsonae. It scared me last year when I thought it had died over the winter and it scared me again this year. It looked dead again and is so late to start.