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Category: Tips for Growing Series

Help with growing popular and interesting flowers and plants. Simple, easy guidelines for growing good plants.

More Phalaenopsis Moth Orchids

More Phalaenopsis Moth Orchids

It is easier to call a Phalaenopsis by its common name of Moth Orchid

This moth orchid (called Phalaenopsis) is blooming for a second time this year and the last blossom lasted over 5 months. On one arching stem there are 12 flowerheads and one unopened bud but there is also 4 other stems at different stages of flower production and at least 25  2½” diameter flowers are currently on display. This floriferousness may be due to a happy accident after the first (and only) stem flowered I followed received wisdom. I trimmed off the spike to around 1 inch above the first node on the spike stem, somewhere below where the first flower had appeared, near a little bump. The stem regrew but horizontally and I wanted to tie it up a cane. Being too vigorous I broke the new flowering stem but all the new ones have turned up at the funeral so to speak.

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Growing and Recognising Arisaema sikokianum

Growing and Recognising Arisaema sikokianum

Arisaema sikokianum

Arisaema sikokianum is a herbaceous perennial plant with vertically patterned  flowers.

Characteristics

  • In an alpine house or garden it flowers in springtime upto 18″ tall.
  • It can be planted with shade-loving hostas and Bleeding hearts.
  • They need neutral to acid soil in a moist, well-draining, protected location in dappled shade to flourish.
  • Seeds have a low rate of germination, and take a very long while to get going. Harvested in December & store at room temperature for one month, then planted in shady situations.

Other names for Arisaema sikokianum include Shikoku cobra lily, Gaudy Jack or Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit.
Arisaema sikokianum is one of 150 species and an unusual woodland plant noted for its unmistakable smoky-purple base, white cup and large hood with purple, green and white stripes.

There is a specialist international society for Aroids or Arum family plants with Arisaema links.

Ideas Growing Hostas

Ideas Growing Hostas

hosta

Facts about Hostas

  • Hostas are attractive foliage plants that prosper in the shade from spring to the first frost.
  • Hosta varieties vary in height from the Blue Angel at 4 feet to  Thumb Nail at 4 inches.
  • Blue green and yellow leaved hosts all like water and the yellow & gold leaved varieties will stand more sunshine like Sun Power .
  • Varied textures are available from smooth, crinkled, puckered and leathery all  to tempt you.
  • Hostas do not seem to die of old age and require minimum maintenance.
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Tips for Growing Giant Vegetables

Tips for Growing Giant Vegetables

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This is one of the many books in my collection but the only one to focus on growing big, bigger and biggest vegetables. If you want to grow giant vegetable for exhibition or to get large crops then there are many pointers in ‘How to Grow Giant Vegetables’ by Bernard Lavery and below.

If you want to see 14 feet long carrots or parsnips, the 28 pound radish or the monster cabbage weighing 120lbs then encouragement to join the monster vegetables growing movement may be our gardeners tip for you in 2011.

Starting with Giant Vegetables

  • A good big one will beat a good small one and that applies to seed so consider what you sow. Good genetic potential will grow good plants.
  • Pumpkins are a good starter vegetable as a heavy weight can be achieved in the first year. It is also fun to see them grow by inches every day.
  • You need to learn by experience so you improve growing conditions, feeding and watering based on your own observations.

Large Crops from a Small Garden

  • Harvested whilst still in peak growing condition, giant vegetables taste every bit as good as smaller varieties.
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Lobelia Russian Princess Perennials

Lobelia Russian Princess Perennials

Growing Tips

  • Plant in deep fertile soil which is reliably moist in summer.(You can tell this is moist by the moss)
  • Lobelia grow well in sun or partial shade.
  • Some varieties are a bit short lived 3-4 years but as they are so spectacular it is worth splitting clumps or taking cuttings to get re-energised plants at least in alternate years.
  • Perennial Lobelia species make good herbaceous border plants

Lobelia to Grow

  • Lobelia Cardinalis has deep burgundy foliage and rich pinky purple or red flowers for hot coloured planting schemes. RHS is currently offering Russian Princess variety at £15 +  p&p (so the colours need to be rich).
  • A three foot high Lobelia x speciosa Vedraniensis flowers with the traditional 5 lobed blue-indigo flowers.
  • Hadspen Purple is a more compact variety that need to be planted in swathes for best effect.
  • Lobelia tupa has beautifully felted leaves and narrow tubular brick-red to orange flowers which are borne from mid summer on long racemes. It is also called the Devil’s Tobacco.

With hundreds of species, varieties and named cultivars the Lobelia family is large and wide ranging – have a look at the family for yourself.

Other Resources

Royal Horticultural Society RHS ‘Gardening for All’
National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens ‘Conservation through Cultivation.’
Garden Organic National Charity for Organic Gardening.
BBC Gardening

Growing Convolvulus Cneorum

Growing Convolvulus Cneorum

Madiera mch11 220

Convolvulus is synonymous with bindweed that grows in poor soil and is notably hard to eradicate. However there are some species of Convovulus that are worth a space in a Mediterranean style garden.

Convolvulus cneorum is a compact evergreen shrub with narrow, oblong, silvery leaves. The numerous flowers are funnel-shaped white flushed with pink when in bud.
Grow in well-drained soil or gritty compost in a sheltered spot in full sun.
The plants are not frost hardy.

Convolvulus White Ensign (Flash Seeds) is a dwarf Morning Glory with clusters of white, trumpet flowers with yellow centres!

Convolvulus Eneorum will withstand a north facing or east facing wall but also dislikes heavy frost. The grey leaved shrubs can grow to 3 foot high and wide.

Resources

Organic Control of Bindweed

Weedkillers for Bindweed

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Roundup Weedkiller concentrate

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Handy spray gun,

Tips for Growing Ipomea – Morning Glory

Tips for Growing Ipomea – Morning Glory

ipomea

Ipomea indica the blue form of Morning Glory is a cool clear blue, a startling colour in the garden. As you would expect from a member of the Convolvulous clan it is a strong twisting and binding climber.

Uses of Morning Glory

  • The plant was originally used to produce cloth die.
  • The seeds should not be eaten as they produce hallucinations
  • In the garden they are very good for screening walls and ugly sites during summer.
  • They do not last as cut flowers.

Morning glory
Growing Ipomea Morning Glory.

  • Grow from seed and collect your own seed for next year.
  • Pick off dead leaves.
  • Try some of the other colours including rose and red plants.
  • Do not allow white Convolulous to grow as it spreads and throttles other plants

ipomea

  • Thompson & Morgan search for Morning Glory seeds and plants
  • Morning Glory ‘Carnevale di Venezia’ Ipomoea purpurea, Convolvulus purpureus,
  • A half-hardy annual which climbs to 6′ tall and flowers through summer with striped blue and pink blooms with intricate markings.

Credits
Morning glory by Arenamontanus CC BY 2.0

Flowers Grown for Your Vase

Flowers Grown for Your Vase

My perennial Phlox have been a good stalwart flower for cutting and filling a vase this last few weeks. I found the pink colours had more scent but all the Phlox seemed to drink copious amounts of water (I wondered if water and scent were related). The Penstemon in the same vase as the Phlox was not as successful as they had a far shorter life. Another successful long lasting cut flower is the Alstromeria. The Reds performed better than the yellows but both lasted over a week.

Our local garden center has been selling off Gerbera plants at £1 and I bought some just for the flowers that I could cut and put in a small vase. Even one flower in a bud vase looks good. There are now more buds to open and I think I got a good deal even though I will not bother to over winter the supposedly perennial plants. Gerberas come in a wide range of colors from light to dark yellow, orange, pink, brilliant scarlet and deep red ray flower centres.

The variety and colour of the Peruvian Lily or Alstroemeria, makes a colourful and long lasting display. Once established the plants continue to provide a good supply year after year. Pull the stalk up from the plant to encourage more flower stems. I grow my Alstroemeria in large pots.

 

Dahlias tend to flop a bit for me but Chrysanthemums can’t be beaten for longevity and impact.

Tip – Grow flowers that are easy to cultivate and flower in profusion but also last well when cut. Spray Chrysanthemums can give maximum pleasure for minimal outlay.

Growing ‘Just Joey’ Hybrid Tea Roses

Growing ‘Just Joey’ Hybrid Tea Roses

Just Joey

I love the formal Hybrid Tea Roses like ‘Just Joey‘.
Just Joey is a hybrid, bred from Fragrant Cloud and Dr A J Verhage. These parents gave the rose glossy green leaves and very fragrant, orange blooms.
Blooms arrive in flushes throughout the season each having 30 petals so they have an open appearance.

Growing Tips

  • Remove old canes, dead or diseased wood and canes that cross, in spring.
  • Cut back the remaining stems by about one-third or a half.
  • As with all HT  roses give them a good feed in spring then every 6 weeks and mulch to keep in moisture.
  • When buying a bare rooted or container plant look for at least 3 strong stems.
  • Soak in water before planting.
  • Just Joey may  occasional repeat flower later in the season but is a slow starter in very cold spring weather.

Description of Just Joey

Extraordinary Leaves in Pictures

Extraordinary Leaves in Pictures

Book Cover
Extraordinary Leaves by Armytage and Schrader is available from amazon.

The horticultural industry put most of it’s effort into flowers, trees and shrubs. Leaves however appear on all most all these plants and repay close inspection.
As this book Extraordinary Leaves shows there is an amazing world out there for those who look closely and want to find new visual and sensual experiences.

Leaves

Ptilostemon casabonae
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