Whats looking exotic in April 2014

Justicia rizzini


Cistus racemosus


Lobelia laxiflora


Citrofortunella microcarpa (Calamondin) holds its fruits for months


Impatiens niamniamensis - a relation of the bussy lizzie


Tibouchina urvilleana - this usually flowers in the autumn. So I am not sure if it is 6 months early or 6 months late.

 

The new garden room is clearly working Peter! Green with envy over your Lobelia!

 

Yes - the heat is doing them the world of good. Its 10C at night and up to 26C during the day. But I have a problem. Its jam packed full of plants that I can't put outside yet. And I pushed loads of rhizomes and bulbs under some shelving, but they are all growing away and now want light - but I have run out of space.

Perhaps the most successful so far are my two Brugmansia arboreas. I have never been that impressed by them in the past as the flowers are smaller and white. But they have been flowering all over the winter and now have almost as many flowers as leaves - but that's not to say they have many leaves yet. And in the evening the fragrance is beautiful. I am just hoping the coloured ones will do as well in a while.

 

Fritillaria imperialis sure looks exotic.....................

 

That lovely Longk - and I would agree that it is one of the most exotic looking plants of all.

 

Love your fritillaria @longk is it a bulb or seed grown?? and where can I get one :P Is it hardy??

 

Can be grown from seed, but far quicker just to buy bulbs. I always buy loose bulbs, the biggest and firmest.
They are fully hardy but I've lost many over the years planted in the ground, but have finally got it right. They suffer from rot so plant deep and on their side. Dig a big hole, min 30 cm diameter and 45 cm deep. A 5cm layer of gravel in the bottom (a sump for any water) and backfill using a gravel/soil mix (free draining) sitting the bulb 20/25 cm deep. keep the top 5cm of the soil just soil (no gravel) which provides some resistance to the rain as it falls.
They can be grown in pots, but are much better in the ground.

 

Love this .. I have Justicia rizzinii planted out, which is just coming into flower now, also Cytisus racemosus (very attractive shape and flowers), flowering at the moment, also here too Tibouchina urvilleana coming into flower.. you're not alone!

 

Hi Stephen - all mine are inside. I can't believe that you have Justicia rizzini outside. I only got my rizzini a year ago - so this is the first time I have seen it flower - its delightful. Surely Tibouchina isn't outside too. Isn't it funny about it flowering now. though I suspect that in the warmth (of Australia) it flowers for a long period.


Brugmansia arborea has been flowering brilliantly for quite a time. And in the evening it gives off a beautiful fragrance.


The first Canna - C. indica is flowering.


And I have just noticed some blooms on Iochroma australe.

 

Yes Justicia rizzinii is in the sheltered area, looks great even after winter, has a few flower buds emerging, but not as many as yours!

Tibouchina is outside in a pot at the moment but spent the winter in an unheated garage annex. I suspect these plants flower pretty much none stop in their native areas?

 

You have an amazing climate there Stephen - I envy you.

Heat (and light) is certainly the key for exotics. I keep reading about plants flowering for 10 or even 12 months of the year in the tropics. Certainly Cannas can.

 

Now - this is a Tibouchina to die for. T. grandiflora.
The only problem is that a) its unobtainable here and b) its short lived, temperamental and doesn't like growing in a pot.

 

Like that Canna Peter.

I got lucky with the two Iochroma that I planted outdoors this winter. It was a good one to spend their first winter planted out and all the Iochroma are back in leaf.

 

I'd just like to add, the biggest problem I have found with these is slugs, oh they eat the foliage, but the ones that live underground seem to eat the bulbs over a couple of days.

 

I found three Lily Beetles on mine this evening. They got squished! Strangely, 40 or 50 minutes later two more were sniffing around the corpses making it so very easy to squish them too - how stupid are they!