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Author: hortoris

Growing Strelitzia – Bird of Paradise Flower

Growing Strelitzia – Bird of Paradise Flower

Strelitzia

Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. The common name is the bird of paradise or crane flower, because of a supposed resemblance of its flowers to the bird of paradise.

Strelitzia

The leaves are similar to a banana leaf in appearance and can be upto 5 feet long.

To show the wonders of nature ‘The flowers are produced in a horizontal inflorescence emerging from a stout spathe. They are pollinated by Sunbirds, which use the spathe as a perch when visiting the flowers; the weight of the bird on the spathe opens it to release the pollen onto the bird’s feet, which is then deposited on the next flower it visits.’

Strelitzia

Resources

Growing Conservatory Flowers

Seeds available from Thompson & Morgan
Moonbells Allotment blog contains a diary of Strelitzia growing and provided these further links

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/strelitregmandelagold.htmThe Mandela´s Gold form, yellow petals not orange. Previously known as Kirstenbosch Gold. Also tells you how to hand-pollinate.
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/strelitziareginae.htm The main page for Strelitzia on PlantzAfrica
http://finebushpeople.co.za/farmstore/catalog/accessorystore.htmSmoke primer disks – which I´ve got two of, but have yet to try out! See next entry for seeds.
http://finebushpeople.co.za/cgi-bin/farmshop.pl?TP=Mandelas_Gold.html&ID=!ID!SEEDS!!!! Cheapest I´ve found so far… and legal to export to the EU.

 

Wikipedia
* Strelitzia alba (syn. S. augusta) – White bird of paradise;
* Strelitzia caudata – Mountain Strelitzia;
* Strelitzia nicolai – White or Giant bird of paradise; Wild banana; Blue-and-white Strelitzia[2]
* Strelitzia reginae (syn. S. parvifolia) – Strelitzia, Bird of paradise, or Crane lily;
* Strelitzia juncea (Ker Gawl.) – African desert banana. Cite.
* S. × kewensis (hybrid between S. reginae and S. augusta)

Varieties of Tulips for Cut Flowers

Varieties of Tulips for Cut Flowers

Floral bunch

Certain Tulips last longer in a vase than others. Viridiflora, Fringed and Parrot tulips are especially long lasting often exceeding 10 days. Pick Tulips that are just turning from green for longest life.

Selection of Cut Flower Varieties

Estella Rijnveld with candy striped red and white flowers
Groenland a green stripped viridiflora with pink petals.
Union Jack with a large white cup touched with red.
Shirley appears cream but turns to white and matures with a hint of purple.
Queen of the Night is a late flowering dark flower almost like the infamous black tulip.
Arabian Mystery is a burgandy colour with white edged petals
There is a longer list on wholesalers web sites. …

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Ten Summer Bulbs to Try

Ten Summer Bulbs to Try

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  1. Eucomis – The pineapple flower last for months and are very decorative.
  2. Dahlia – A perennial favourite that is returning to fashionable gardens in need of late summer colour.
  3. Allium – Globemaster looks like it says in the name.
  4. Arum or Calla Lilies have distinctive spadix spikes of yellow through white petals.
  5. Canna – I like the dark leaved varieties with vibrant red flowers
  6. Stargazer Lilies – are very showy and fragrant.
  7. Galtionia – The summer Hyacinth worked very well in my garden last year and produced plenty of bloom.
  8. Gladioli – Always make a fine show plant, cut flower and vertical statement in your garden
  9. Agapanthus – The bulb of the last decade for my taste but still very popular in clumps or pots.
  10. Regal Lily – saved to the last on this list but one of my first choices. Can be planted through till June for flowering in 3 months.

Let us know in the comments which varieties and colours catch your attention. If you have another summer bulb you prefer let us know that as well and we will publish your views.

Read Growing Habranthus

Collecting Californian Poppy Seeds

Collecting Californian Poppy Seeds

I love the vibrant colours of Californian Poppies. I am sowing these annuals from seed I collected in my own garden last autumn. However Garden News this week was giving away a packet of ‘Fruit Crush’ a blend of citrus and berry shades so I have extra to sow and still have some left for a September sowing.

Seedpods

I picked some long thin pods from my Californian Poppy ‘Eschscholzia’ plants and left them in a dish on a sunny windowsill.
Within 24 hours the mature pods had dried and started to open.
The dried pods had curled and expelled the seeds naturally.
After 48 hours I had plenty of seed to collect for subsequent sowing.

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Tips for Growing Buddleia Butterfly Bushes

Tips for Growing Buddleia Butterfly Bushes

It is a good time to prune your buddleia down to about 12-30 inches. This will encourage a good shape and more flowers.
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One of the most popular and easy to grow flowering shrubs is the Buddleia. The most common shades of flower are the various blues of Buddleia Davidii but you will often see the white form in hedge rows and embankments.

Growing Habits
Buddleia starts flowering from mid-June and continues through to Autumn
The long sprays of flowers are attractive to both gardeners and insects.
Buddleias are quick growing reaching 6 feet high and wide depending on the variety.

Cultivation Tips
Buddleias are happy in sunny position with well drained soil.
Avoid water logged soil but they can survive very dry conditions.
They can be propagated from semi-ripe cuttings in Mid-summer or hardwood cuttings November to March.
Grow in a large container if you wish. The restriction will make a smaller shrub but flowering will not be impeded.

Varieties to Grow
Buddleia White Profusion, Royal Red or traditional Buddleia davidii Empire Blue.
Buddleia davidii Black Knight is a deep purple colour
Buddleia davidii Pink Profusion not surprisingly has huge deep pink blooms.
Buddleia globosa is not one of the traditional Butterfly Bush types but has round ball shaped orange blossom.
Buddleia alternifolia a weeping shrub make excellent standards and needing gentler pruning.

Pruning Tips
Drastically cut down your Buddleia in spring to about 12 inches from the ground. (For the back of borders you can prune to 2 foot and get flowers starting higher up the bush)
This treatment encourages a fountain of new growth with arching branches capable of producing many larger flower spikes.
Prune off all the dead and faded flowers to encourage new blossom until late autumn.
Dead heading saves energy that would go into seed production and prevents unwanted self sowing.

Vireya Exotic Rhododendrons

Vireya Exotic Rhododendrons

Just when you have seen enough about Rhododendrons and Azaleas but this is the last Rhodo post for a while
Pink Vireya

Are you interested in scented, colourful, winter flowering exotics? These Rhodoendrons are now seldom grown in the UK but it is easy to acquire the taste for this species that originate in South East Asia.
In Victorian times they were in vogue with over 500 hybrids from half a dozen species. Now there are over 300 recorded species in 7 sections on the wonderful Vireya web site. …

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Grow Bright Azaleas

Grow Bright Azaleas

A lazier shrub with exciting blossom I have yet to find.
Azalea

How do you tell an Azalea from a Rhododendron? Most Azaleas have only 5 or 6 stamen while most rhododendrons have 10 stamen. Azalea leaves tend to be thinner, softer and more pointed than rhododendron leaves.
In a subjective way I think Azaleas produce more flower cover per plant.

Tips for Growing Azaleas

  • Azaleas are relatively pest-free  and easy to grow plants but may need a fungal spray if leaves are attacked in spring.
  • Azaleas like some shade  but deciduous varieties do well in full sun. Sun can produce more compact plants with more blooms but not as long lasting.

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Azaleas for your Home

Azaleas for your Home

A grand house plant that will last and last if you give it soft water.

Azaleas

Rhododendron simsii or indoor azaleas produce large funnel shaped flowers in a range of bright colours almost gaudy.

  • They dislike warm conditions and are more suited to a cool room or porch.
  • Buy in tight bud and they will open progressively indoors.
  • Plants need an acidic, loam compost and will benefit from misting with water on a daily basis until their buds start to show colour.
  • Keep plant roots just moist at all times and water with soft water to keep plants healthy.
  • During summer they can go outside but keep the moist.
  • Flowers are better when the plant is root bound in a pot.

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Capability Brown Landscape Gardener

Capability Brown Landscape Gardener


Lancelot Brown 1716 – 1783

Lancelot Brown is the most famous gardener who popularised English landscape design. Lancelot Brown’s nickname ‘Capability’ came from his saying about an estate he was commissioned to work on ‘It has great capabilities’ .

During his life he was Sheriff of Huntingdon, gardener to King George III, architect and innovator of ‘Landskip’ gardening. At the age of 24 he went to Lord Cobhams garden at Stowe where he learnt from William Kent who had studies Italian and Grecian gardens and John Vanbrugh. In 1764 Lancelot Brown was appointed Master Gardener at Hampton Court.

Lancelot Brown described himself as a ‘place-maker’ not a ‘landscape gardener’. He didn’t want a series of tableaux within a garden, he wanted a piece of countryside. Formality and straight lines had to go and to avoid fences he created the Ha-ha a sunken version. Flowers were cosigned to walled gardens and trees imported to suit his design.

Some of his designs were elaborate and involved changing hills and lakes and some thought them lavish. After his death the strong vision he had carried through in his work fell out of favour and only in the last century was he fully rehabilitated.

Capability Brown is believed to be responsible for over 170 gardens surrounding the finest country houses and estates in Britain. He never worked in Ireland saying ‘he hadn’t finished England yet. His work still endures at Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, Harewood House, Milton Abbey and below is a further edited list of his work. Get out and visit some of these 18th century landscapes:-

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Growing Year Around Pansies

Growing Year Around Pansies

purple pansy

The smiling face of a pansy greets the gardener during most season of the year.
Pansy is a thoughtful flower as thoughtful is what the name Pansee means in French. In the wild form it is tricoloured and often called Heartsease and is a member of the Viola family.
There are many varieties to choose from including 46 on our T&M list below.

Growing Pansy

  • Great and quick results can be achieved from plug plants or seedlings.
  • Treat as annuals or biennials even though they may survive longer.
  • From seed, sow late winter/spring or mid-late summer 1.5mm deep in good seed compost excluding light as darkness helps them germinate.
  • Germination usually takes 14-21 days at 19-24C no warmer or germination suffers.
  • When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant and grow cool.
  • Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting out after all risk of frost.
  • Prefers sun or part shade in borders or containers .
  • The flowers are edible and useful to colour a salad.
  • Summer sowings of winter flowering pansies should be  planted out in autumn or early spring.

Useful Links
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