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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.

Lewisias Updated Information

Lewisias Updated Information

Lewisia

I have talked before of Lewisia becoming trendy and offered some growing tips.
I have had more years of experience and like the way my plants are performing.
The above plant is flowering amongst the old leaves of the primula that cropped up in the sandy soil of my rockery.

Description of Lewisia

  • From the Portulacaceae family most Lewisias could almost be mistaken for succulents.
  • They produce thick or fleshy, green, shiny waxy leaves in rosettes
  • Lewisia grow 6-10″ high and flower on straight stems that are prone to lean over.
  • Flowers are profuse, round-shaped and occasionally doubles or semis.
  • Lewisia blooms come in bright pink,  apricot, white, or plum red.
  • Most varieties are evergreen but resent damp on the leaves.

lewisia-cotylodion

Tips for Growing Lewisia From post ‘Lewisia Trendy, Bright and Breezy’ Aug 2013

  • Whilst Lewisia are perennial plants are very susceptible to winter wet rot. Over winter under glass if needs be.
  • As Lewisia are very low growing it is common to grow in pots or containers so the flowers can be seen.
  • The clump forming Ashwood Strain is recommended as a particularly good mix producing large semi-double flowers in a wide range of colours.
  • With judicious deadheading Lewisia will bloom from April to the end of September, particularly if kept in an alpine house or cold greenhouse.
  • In an Alpine garden surround the base of the plant with rock chips to prevent rot. Lewisias prefer sites with abundant spring moisture followed by a dry, cool summer.
  • Other species to try include Lewisia; Pygmea, Rediviva, Brachycalyx, or hybrids Heckneri or Phyllellia Obtain plants from Pottertons and various nurseries or your local garden centre.

Varieties of Lewisia

  • Lewisia rediviva, also called bitter root lewisia has thick, fleshy, deciduous leaves and pink to white flowers. Detailed growing information is available here.
  • Lewisia cotyledon has persistent leaves and grows in the form of mat like rosettes. ‘Little Plum’ has deeply veined flowers in white with pink or red stripes.
  • Hybrid lewisias are available as inexpensive seed mixtures.
  • The Alpine garden society lists 100 cultivars and species and in the Alpine Gardener vol 82 No 3. there is a wealth of knowhow about Lewisia cotyledon one of the colourful and popular species.
  • Lewisia tweedyi is shorter at 6″ tall but has 3″ wide blooms in white and cream. Great for a rockery or alpine house.
  • Groups include cotyledon, pygmaea and rediviva.

Bibliography and Sources

Book Cover

Lewisia Roy Elliot AGS

Kew Lewisia monograph series.  The main concern in this work is with the nineteen species of the genus Lewisia, a

More Photographs of Lewisia

National collection of Lewisia can be seen at Ashwood Nurseries

Growing Alstroemeria – Quick Tips

Growing Alstroemeria – Quick Tips

Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria or Peruvian Lilies make great flowers for picking and are long lasting in a vase. When established they are easy to grow.

Get your plants from Thompson & Morgan who supply plants and seeds. The seeds need patience and some skill.

Culture of Alstroemeria

  • Plenty of organic matter and regular watering  helps Alstroemeria thrive.
  • Alstromeria like a sheltered site in sun or partial shade. They can form good solid clumps and some varieties self seed.
  • Taller 3 feet plus Alstroemeria need staking or they may be knocked down by rain or wind. Ligtu hybrids should be self supporting.
  • Apollo varieties cope well with frost and flower in three or four separate flushes.
  • Deadhead regularly by pulling out the flowering stem.

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Growing Calceolaria (Lady’s Purse)

Growing Calceolaria (Lady’s Purse)

I have done OK growing Calceolaria from seed but have then killed them off after flowering. Must try harder as my teachers used to say.

Calceolaria Walter Shrimpton

This Calceolaria is growing in a plunge bed of gravel inside a large  alpine house. The variety is called Walter Shrimpton and as you can see it is very floriferous given the right conditions.

Our local nursery has just started to sell plants of Calceolaria Sunset Red and Sunset Orange and I have bought a plant to try. It is not yet in flower so I hope it lives upto the Orange tag. Previously I have tried growing these plants from seed but I have been careless with the very fine seed and had only the success I deserve i.e. nil!.

Calceolaria Facts and Cultivation

  • Calceolaria originate from South America and are generally bushy perennial plant that grows 12″ tall.
  • The distinguishing and most attractive feature is the slipper like flowers blooming on short stems.
  • The leaves are soft, fleshy and often grey-green.

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Growing Tuberous Begonias in the UK

Growing Tuberous Begonias in the UK

The second raving post about Begonias.
Beggars Begonias

Begonias are native to all parts of the world except Australia and Europe. The South American species have been bred in England since the 1860’s and we can now enjoy many colourful varieties. Grow as houseplants or for borders.

Growing Begonias from Tubers

  • Growing begonias couldn’t be easier. Buy good stock, firm to the touch.
  • Plant the rounded tuber with the indented surface upwards and the roots downwards.
  • Start tubers off between February – April in frost free conditions. You can put several in a tray until new roots are formed.
  • Cover with damp peaty compost until only the top of the tuber is visible level with the compost.
  • When the tops are 2-4″ tall roots should be good enough to pot-on. That is plant in the begonia in it’s final home be it indoor pot, outdoor container or border.
  • Water in then leave until compost is on the dry-side to encourage new roots to search out more moisture.
  • Thereafter water and feed your pot begonias as they are thirsty plants.

Begonia Buds

  • Begonias are very free flowering and may try to flower before enough energy has been built up.
  • When the first small bud cluster is as large as a 10 pence piece lift it upwards and backwards and snap it off.
  • Future flowers will reward you for this effort.
  • Begonias bud in 3’s and the central bud is the dominant male which will be double. The single female side buds can be taken off to channel the energy into the main flowers.
  • Bedding begonias do not need to have the side buds taken off but do nip out the first buds to get a strong plant.

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Growing Monkey Flowers Mimulus & Musk

Growing Monkey Flowers Mimulus & Musk

Not a relative of Monkey nuts nor peanuts when it comes to colour.

Musk

You can learn strange facts about nature from Gardener’s names for the different plants. Monkey-flowers are so named because some  flowers are shaped like a monkeys face and others have painted monkey faces.  Some species of Monkey flower (Latin name Mimulus) have a wet aromatic smell hence another gardeners name ‘Musk’.
However the item that caught my attention was Monkey flowers provide for for the Mouse Moth.

Growing Monkey Flowers

You can easily grow annual Mimulus from seed and they flower in 7-8 weeks.
You can also grow perennial Mimulus cupreus or M. luteus and in mild areas another Mimulus, the Scarlet Faced Monkey flowers may be hardy.
Most Monkey flowers grow in moist or wet soils with some growing in bogs or shallow water.
You can grow from plug plants called Magic rainbow
Monkey flowers grow well and bloom in partial shade.
Mimulus genome is being studied in depth and you can find out more at the Mimulus Community.

In the meantime I wait for the newspaper headline ‘Mouse eats Musky Monkey’

Musk

Grow Eranthis or Winter Aconites

Grow Eranthis or Winter Aconites

An early yellow flower grown under deciduous trees.

Aconites

Grow Winter Aconites

  • The tuberous Winter Aconite or Eranthis likes a loose, well-drained chalky soil but will naturalise in a lawn or under a deciduous tree.
  • In the wild these do exactly what bulbs are supposed to do – grow, flower and seed while light penetrates the bare branches of the trees above them.
  • The knobbly tubers need to be planted 2” deep. The tubers can be divided after flowering every few  years and transplanted ‘in the green’ . They dry out very easily, generally   dislike being moved and are best left to their own devices.
  • Winter aconite does well in containers as long as they get water and winter sunshine.
  • Winter aconites grow to 3-4 inches high and have upturned yellow cup shaped flowers around 1 inch across. The flowers sit stalkless on a ruff of bright green leaves and they can flower for up to six weeks.
  • They do particularly well in chalky soil. Good drainage is essential.
  • Some gardeners dislike aconites for the messy mass of foliage but allow the leaves die down and the plant will be dormant and hidden until next winter.

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    Grow Green Tulips

    Grow Green Tulips

    It is almost too late to plant your tulips for this year but if you have some unplanted bulbs get them into the ground before the worst frosts.

    Take a note book when you visit a spring garden and record the plants you want to grow for next year. When the Tulips are in flower look for those with a green band particularly on the outer petals as this adds a new dimension to your traditional tulip.

    Types of Green Tulips

    • Viridiflora Tulips can have a lot of green on the outer petals. ‘Florosa’ is a pink and white with a slim and elegant lily shaped flower. ‘Spring  Green’ is cream and ‘Greenland’ is rose but my favourite is the terracotta coloured ‘Artist’
    • Amongst Parrot tulips ‘Super Parrot’ has ivory and green petals that look a bit like a leaf and make a good cut flower.
    • Some of the new multi-flowered tulips have green tinges like ‘Ester Rynveld’ and ‘Greenwave’
    • Traditional cottage tulip ‘Palestrina’ combines Salmon pink with  a green vertical band.
    • Fosteriana are very early flowering and ‘Exotic Emperor’ is one of the best. See pictures on Tulips in the Wood
    • ‘Doll Minuet’ is a deep pink flower with a rich green at the base of each petal.

    Tulip viridiflora

     

    More Sources

    Cut Flower Tulip varieties

    More Scented Tulip varieties

    Reasons to Order Tulips

    Growing Scilla mischtschenkoana or Squills

    Growing Scilla mischtschenkoana or Squills

    More spring bulbs to try on for size.

    Scilla mischtschenkoana
    Scilla commonly know as Squills are a group of bulbs for outdoor and Alpine house growing. The ice-blue flowers of Scilla mischtschenkoana open out almost flat, first appear in February and continue well into March. Sunshine and a well-drained soil will make them at home in a bed or in thin grass.

    Other members of the family include

    • Scilla bifolia -one of the earliest bulbs to flower, often with the snowdrops. It has a raceme of small, intense blue starry flowers.
    • Scilla sibirica ‘Spring Beauty’ is taller and has nodding flowers of intense royal blue during March or April.
    • Scilla peruviana has large heads of deep violet-blue flowers with strap like leaves.
    • Scilla lilio-hyacinthus. prefers woodland habitats with broad, fleshy leaves and pyramidal heads of sky-blue excelling in a cool, humus rich soil.

      • Scillia bifolia

      Scilla bifolia above and Scilla mischtschenkoana growing outdoors in a gravel bed below

    Scilla mischtschenkoana

    See ‘Why don’t my Scilla look like this?’

    Tips Growing Decorative Alliums

    Tips Growing Decorative Alliums

    There was a sparkling show of long stemmed Alliums at our church flower festival this weekend.
    Allium
    This Allium christophii must be one of the most attractive flowers for garden or cutting. the leaves are a disappointment and I recommend growing some annuals as cover as they die back in an unsightly manner.

    allium

    Lolly pop like Alliums  look exceptional when in flower in May until you look at the leaves which tend towards the scruffy. The seedheads are also eye catching and worth leaving although seed production may drain strength. The leaves are the way a plant builds up strength for next year as they help sunlight convert nutrients into food. Fortunately they do not cause any problem and can be taken over by other plant leaves soon after flowering. Mulch to provide food and encourage leaf growth or your Alliums will be shorter lived.

    Gardeners Tips for Alliums

    • Generally Alliums need a sunny position and good drainage. Given both they will reappear year after year but may deteriorate if the leaves do not get a chance to do there job.
    • Plant bulbs in the autumn at twice the depth of the bulb and top up your stock of Alliums for those lost or not performing well.
    • Congested clumps can be lifted and divided  straight after flowering.
    • Dead-head before the seeds disperse to preserve strength or if you want to avoid unwanted seedlings.

    allium-4

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    Help Growing Euonymus

    Help Growing Euonymus

    Euonymus need little help from gardeners to produce a fine show of leaves. The green, white and yellow combinations are great but dwarfed by the leaves that turn brilliant red in autumn on some varieties.
    There are over a 100 species so there is a Euonymus for your garden.

    Leaves

    Growing Euonymus in the United Kingdom

    • The RHS have awarded an AGM to Euonymus Fortunei Emerald ‘n’ Gold’, ‘a dwarf evergreen shrub of spreading habit, with broadly yellow-margined leaves, tinged pink in winter; occasionally produces a few small, inconspicuous greenish flowers’. AGM is a recoginition that a plant will grow successfully in the UK.

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