What's looking exotic in 2016

here it is.. taken 3 days ago.

 

We were there last Monday afternoon Stephen! pushing Mrs Strongy's 94 year old aunt around in a wheelchair. She has been a 'Friend of Ness' for decades so we often take her there.

Snowdrops were stunning and there was one large pink Rhododendron in flower.

 

It was such a lovely day today that I started to clean out my sun room. You never know what to expect after winter and I found a few plants had died - including my Tacca, which is sad. My edible banana Musa accuminata didn't make it either, though all the other bananas were OK. But I had a lovely surprise when I found this Iochroma coccinea in flower.


Jasminum polyanthum is still flowering well and the scent , being in an enclosed area, is very strong. I have seen it described as sweet, but to me it more like the smoky smell of a bonfire.


Pelargonium cordifolium x rubrotinctum is quite a big plant - nearly 6 feet tall, and quite unlike its blousey Geranium cousins.


Polygala myrtifolia - I recently bought this, having tried for three years to grow it from seed without success. I had only ever seen one plant before for sale several years ago, but it seems to be more common now. Wye Vale are selling it but describe it as fully hardy. However Charlie Pridham and another nurseryman say that to survive outside is touch and go even in Cornwall.

That's Impatiens niamniamensis (Congo cockatoo) in the background. Its been a wonderful sight for months.

 

Hi Peter,

I love that Iochroma, I had to look at it twice as I first thought it was a Fuchsia species.

 

I agree Anthony. It seems to be the most unusual, and I think the nicest of the Iochromas.

 

What did it die of. They're quite cool hardy so I would have thought that it would be ok in there.

I've got a seedling coming along but it seems rather slower than other Iochroma I've grown.

I like that!

Not hardy here either - I tried!

 

I did ask it but for some reason it didn't reply. I suspect it was from over
watering if, as you say, it wouldn't mind the cool temperature.

 

The orange Bougainvillea is flowering well.




The first flowers on the variegated Oleander, not open fully but it may be a double.


The Plumeria is waking up with three branches coming. It's already 4ft high and grows a 1ft a year!!

 

Hi , Strongy, did the Plumeria flower last year.
I've had them do similar branching, but get the feeling they mostly do that after flowering.
Still struggling to get one that flowers reliably.

 

No it hasn't flowered before @pete , I have only had them for three years (there is a smaller one), it slowed down last autumn just when I thought it was going to produce a flower bud and then went dormant until now.

I forgot to add my Billbergia pyramidalis variegata, as with the others the flower is very short lived but unlike the others this plant has all year round appeal.

 

In the porch is the only cutting of Stephanotis floribunda that took. About eight months old it is in bloom!

 

Our Austrailian Wollemi Pine doing great, left it out through winter

 

Cor Ian, I love that

 

some photo from the botanical gardens (I work there too) which is good because I no longer have a garden since I moved out last year :-(

Some good scenes despite the cold weather

1st. Musa basjoo starting into growth



Melianthus major still growing and flowering (going to seed now)



Iris confusa releases its first flower of the season



Jovellana violacea with its first flower too

 

Great place to work @stephenprudence !

My I.confusa is just about to bloom but J.violaceae has copped it this winter.