Not unlike its cousin Verbascum Banana Custard this plant of Verbascum austriacum is popular in Central Europe.

I liked the  red centre to the flower and the branching habit.

Verbascums can grow over 6′ tall and I like the spires in the back of my garden border.

These Verbascum seed quite freely and you will be able to scrounge a plant from any friend who grows them.

Verbascum letitia

Phlomis are small shrubs for a warm sunny border. The unusual flower stems and Mediterranean style silver leaves make this a feature plant.

Varieties of Phlomis with Growing Tips

• Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ is one of the readily available shrubby varieties. The square stems and whorls of yellow flowers are quite striking. It  probably originated from a seed from Phlomis russeliana.
• Jerusalem Sage or Phlomis fruticosa may be damaged by late frosts but wait until the end of May to trim off affected shoots. Trim annually to avoid a leggy base.
• Phlomis tuberosa flowers from May with pink too purple flowers in whorls.
• Grow from cuttings taken between June and August. Remove flower buds and trim below a node.
• Other Phlomis that may survive our winters include, Phlomis samia, Phlomis orientalis, Phlomis longifolium and Phlomis italica,

Other pictures from Phlomis flower gallery

I grew my Phlomis from seed collected from a public garden in Shrewsbury but you can buy from Thompson Morgan

Top Gardening Links
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
Alpine Garden Society (AGS)
BBC Gardening

Stanhopea Orchids

• There are at least 65 species of Stanhopea plus various hybrids of these fantastic orchids.
• They originate from South and Central America notably Guatamala and Panama.
• Stanhopea are amongst the most showy yet spectacularly orchids.
• The flowers are large, fragrant and develop out the bottom of the basket they are grown in.

Stranhopea occulata shown above has a wild appearance and a powerful fragrance.
Dark spots that look like eyes give it the name oculata.
Spikes bloom downward, so they are best grown in open baskets lined with moss.
Flowers last just a few days, but they can grow into large specimens with multiple spikes, then blooming in succession.

Stanhopea wardii has unusual large, waxy, golden-yellow pendant blooms with a spicy fragrance.
Best for hanging in open-weave baskets to allow the spike to emerge below the plant.
The Orchid should bloom several times during summer.
Their native habitat ranges from Mexico to Panama.

‘Stanhopea, Stanhopea Embreei, Stanhopea Oculata, Stanhopea Tricornis, Stanhopea Martiana, Stanhopea Hernandezii, Stanh’ by Book Llc is one of several specialist books about these interesting plants.

Many plants have dangerous components, leaves, seeds and roots. Some of the most dangerous must be grown under government license.
Below are notes on just a few plants to avoid eating.

Mandrake is one of the most poisonous plants that is known. The specimen above is grown under strict control with a fence around it. A member of the nightshade family, Mandrake also contains atropine, scopolamine, apoatropine and hyoscyamine that affect brain functions.

Strychnine, the deadly poison, is produced from the beans of Strychnos ignatii. It is also found in the orange fruit and nuts of Strychnos nux vomica.

Ricin is a poison found naturally in the seeds of the Castor oil plant that also produces the oil that is fed to babies. Ricinus communis ‘Gibsonii’ has red-tinged leaves with reddish veins and pinkish-green seed pods but there are other Castol oil plant varieties.
If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released Ricin can cause injury.
Ricin can be made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans into castor oil.

Mescaline is a hallucinogen compound made from the small, spineless cactus Lophophora williamsii or Peyote. It is also present in other cacti including Echinopsis peruviana.
Mescaline is also found in certain members of the Fabaceae bean family.

Read the rest of this entry »

Carnivorous plants are not as hard to grow as you might imagine. There are several ways you can grow interesting displays of these consuming plants. If you want to grow Pitcher plants similar to those above read Easy Carnivorous Pitcher Plants.

Tips for Growing and Displaying

• The top Gardeners tip for these plants is to supply plenty of rainwater. Tap water contains too many chemicals.
• The cold greenhouse display below incorporates a stream supplied by a small garden pump and recycling filter.
• The water helps the insects, that the plant will consume, to breed.
• You can grow your plants in a half barrel, large terracotta pot or an old rubber trug.
• Buy hardy varieties from a specialist nursery. Badly treated plants seldom recover.
• Discourage flowering for a couple of season to build up the plants strength.

Read the rest of this entry »

The mushroom we see is the fruiting part of a fungus that distributes the spores of the fungus for its own reproduction.

Fungus Facts

• Most fungi are small microorganisms that live in soil, on dead matter, or as a symbiont of plants or animals.
• Fungi perform an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in recycling nutrients.
• The study of fungi is known as mycology, which is often regarded as a branch of botany
• Yeasts and moulds are forms of fungi but slimes are not.
• The Kingdom Fungi has been estimated to include approximately 1.5 million species, most of which have not been classified.

Read the rest of this entry »

Double flowers are generally ‘Gardener bred’ and not naturally available in the wild.

Doubles are harder for insects to pollinate and therefore single flowers have survived and evolved more readily.

Double flowers were the aim of many Victorian breeders and plantsmen as they sought the awe factor.

These blousy double Peonies have this Awe factor with both colour, double petal form and a tremendous scent.

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If you like daisy flowers then you will love Anthemis. A couple of varieties, to grow, are shown above and detailed below.

Anthemis arvensis is a clump-forming plant with green, ferny foliage, that produces numerous daisy-like flowers with white petals and a bright golden centre.

• It is a good plant in a naturalised planting or wild flower meadows.

• Anthemis are short-lived perennials easily grown from seed.

Anthemis tinctoria has several common names including Golden Marguerite, Marguerite Daisy, Dyer’s Chamomile, Ox-eye Chamomile, Boston Daisies and Paris Daisies.

• E.C. Buxton is a variety of Golden Marguerite that flowers from June to September
• Also clump-forming this free-flowering perennial features branching stems bearing masses of 1 inch lemon-yellow daisy blooms which smother the compact plants all summer.
• Anthemis is good for cutting for indoor flower arrangements.
• It is ideal for borders growing 30 inches high and wide. It prefers sun and sandy or free draining soil.

Seeds available from Thompson Morgan

Tigridia is also called the Mexican shell flower or the Tiger Flower due to its shape and spotted petals.

Facts about Tigridia

• This exotic Mexican bulb is also sometimes called the Peacock flower, an appropriate name in view of its quite startling colour combinations.
• Tigridia Pavonia flowers are short lived but often several flowers will bloom from the same stalk.
• Many colour combinations are available including scarlet, orange, pink, yellow, mauve and white, usually with contrasting markings.
• Tigridia is not very hardy and is grown as a tender summer bulb planted in spring and dug up again in autumn for storing in a dry frost-free place.
• Tigridia needs all the sun it can get to encourage flowering and ripen the bulb to ensure a similar display the following year.
• Tigridia makes a good greenhouse potted bulb.

More coloured Tigridia photographs

Read more on the Pacific Bulb Society site

Witch Hazel or Hamamelis is a scented winter-flowering shrub. The spicy fragrance and spidery flowers in yellow, orange or red  make it a must for the winter garden.

Where to Plant Witch Hazel

• Do not plant young shrubs in a frost pocket even though plants are hardy.
• Witch Hazel like an open sunny position and need space to develop all be it slowly.
• Avoid exposed and windy positions.
• Clay soil needs improving with added humus and drainage.
• Acid or neutral soils are best but chlorotic yellow leaves can be treated and fed with chelated iron.

On Going Cultivation

• Water young plants during dry spells.
• Propagation is from budding to root stock. It is difficult to grow from cuttings.
• Witch Hazel needs little pruning provided there is room to let them grow freely to their full size.
• Prune out any dead or damaged wood and any congested, crossing or weak shoots.
• Remove suckers in autumn  as these will probably be from the rootstock plant.

RHS Recommended Varieties

H. x intermedia ‘Diane’ AGM: The finest red flowered witch hazel. It has a long flowering period throughout midwinter and is lightly scented. Height 2.5m (8ft). Spread 3m (10ft). Read the rest of this entry »