What's looking exotic in August 2012

PeterS - the Duranta is lovely! How do you care for it?

 

I'll try and get a few photos this afternoon Sal; most of my 'tropical' stuff is young at the moment, but is growing well. It has been a disappointing year for me with the Cannas although one or two are now growing well....

 

Peters, really like that Alygoyne, might have to get me some seed for that for next year

 

Pete - that Passiflora is lovely - its something I have never tried.
Any suggestions on getting Plumbago into flower? Mine are quite big now but not even trying to flower. Does it flower all over? I have had to cut the ends off as it gets very straggly, and I would hate to think I was cutting off all the flowering tips.

LongK - I bought the Duranta earlier this year from Hill House Nursery, and I have done nothing special other than keep it inside the greenhouse. I had a chat with Dave poole on another forum. He is an ex nursery man who lives in Torquay. He has one growing and flowering outside, but he suggested that it might not flower for me outside. The buds are miniscule - no more than about 2 mm long, but I has loads and loads of them. The flowers are not big but much larger than you would think could come from a bud that small.

Bilbo - The Alygoyne was part of my Hibiscus campaign, when I grew 5 different sorts from seed earlier this year. Its the only one that has flowered yet. But at Hill House Nursery, where I got the Duranta, they had a bit 5' by 5' bush inside their glasshouse.

 

Err...........you have! If it's any consolation, mine has not (nor looks like it may) bloomed this year either.

So tempted to get some more seeds..............

 

Bilbo - I meant to say earlier that you would be very welcome to seed from my Alygoyne - if I get any. However I suspect that it may not produce any. These tender plants often need more heat to produce seed than just to produce flowers, and there is an additional problem that being inside there are no insects to pollinate them.

LongK - same goes for the Duranta. But I will keep a look out.

Edit. I think swapping seed of unusual plants is really helpful. Its not just a matter of saving a bit of money - there are many plants where the seed is just not available anywhere at any price.

I had never seen Duranta seed offered, so I had a Google and found this http://www.fleur-des-tropiques.com/PBSCCatalog.asp?ActionID=67174912&PBCATID=567444&PBCATName=COLD

But I will still look out for seed. And I have bookmarked this site for future reference.

In my travels I came across this list of exotic plant and seed suppliers, at the bottom - but haven't had a close look yet. With thanks to http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=158.0

Sorry - I can't upload the file as the forum says its too big - but but you can pick it up from the reference above. Its at the bottom of the first post -"draft supplier list.doc"

 

I have several of the Plumbago in both blue and white, and it flowers on new wood. Mine like to be pruned every year. Moving one is a major job. The roots really dig in and it sends out short runners underground to come up as new stems.
So PeterS, prune yours back further so the tips - where the flowers - are won't get cut off.

 

Thanks Wylie - thats very helpful - I hadn't thought about flowering on old or new wood. I grew it from seed last year, so its nearly all new wood this year. But your advice is clearly important for next year.

 

I was told to prune it back in the autumn - is that correct?

 

I cann't help you there since my climate is different (it rarely gets below 10*C/50 F), but I prune mine in January, just as new growth starts so I can make sure there will be growth.

 

Thanks Peter, fingers crossed for a sustained hot spell and an Indian summer then

 

Sorry should have named them.
Top red one is P. "anastasia"
Next one down is P. "victoria"

 

Peter, dont cut it back, the flowers are terminal on the new shoots, it then grows side shoots that also terminate in flowers.

PS, I cut mine hard back after drying it out in autumn, it then survives quite low temperatures, but not probably below zero.

 

Thanks Pete.

I wondered about that as I can see some terminal buds on one plant. As I have two plants, both of which are getting untidy and straggly, I have cut one back and not the other - so may well be seeing the difference.

 

Took a few pics today of some of the older residents

Yucca aloifolia.


T. fortunei on the allotment,


T. wagnerianus in back garden,with chamaerops


last remaining large cordyline,


Campsis, just starting to flower, very late this year, this is radicans.