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Tips on growing indoor plants, conservator, windowsill and greenhouse cultivation
My top 10 Orchid species with growing tips for great Dendrobium
Orchids are the largest known family of plants and it is invidious to select a top ten. Each genus below has several or even thousands of species and numerous hybrids so treat this list as a taster to the world of top Orchids.
New Poinsettia bought from shops or garden centres should not be allowed to get cold carrying them to the car. Even a small cold wind can make them drop their leaves. Wrap in a good polythene bag even for the short trip to your home.
Variegated Poinsettia are interesting pot plants on sale around Christmas. After Christmas the price is much lower and a good specimen can last many weeks or months before fading away.
Interesting Cyclamen leaves compliment the flowers at this time of year.
There are now 22 recognised species of Cyclamen. It is said that at least one variety is in bloom for every month of the year.
Cyclamen grow in a range of areas and environments from beech woodland, alpine meadows and windowsills through scrub and rocky areas. This tuberous family of plants are predominantly from North Africa, Turkey and Mediterranean areas.
C. balearicum
C. colchicum
C. graecum
C. africanum
…
‘Eat up your flies’ a mother would tell her baby pitcher plants.
Sarracenia or Pitcher Plants are ideal for an unheated greenhouse, cool windowsills or a conservatory if grown in sphagnum moss with a little sand and peat. They are some of the easiest carnivorous plants to grow.
These carnivorous plants attract insects with nectar on the edge of the pitcher then the trap features a deep cavity filled with digestive juice. This provides Pitcher plants with sustenance from dissolved insects that are digested in a liquid known as a pitfall trap.
North American Pitcher plants belong to the genus Sarracenia and form upright, tubular leaves. The species in the genus Sarracenia readily hybridise, making a wide range of cultivars available.
Yellow Trumpet Sarracenia flava
Hooded Pitcher Plant Sarracenia minor
Sweet Trumpet Sarracenia rubra
Purple Pitcher Plant Sarracenia purpurea
Pale Trumpet Sarracenia alata rubra below
Alabama Pitcher Sarracenia exornata above
High five these palmate leaves of Fastia japonica
This Fastia was grown indoors as a houseplant then planted in the garden where it thrives to the point where it is now flowering at the end of summer.
It is several years old, 4 feet tall & wide and is very happy in a shaded north facing position.
When you have finished with some old house plants you can try to give them a new life outdoors. If they fail you have lost nothing. I have several former foliage house plants in a low maintenance area of the garden where I let plants get on with it for themselves.
The evergreen finger shaped leaves are larger than a hand and create a sculptural plant. I haven’t studied the flowers before but they are neat and simple spheres.
Sorry this photograph has a blue cast from a near by wall.
Good things come in small packages and that applies to Daffodils for house and rockery.
Miniature daffodils grow from 4 inches to just short of a foot. Varieties Minnow, Toto and Canaliculatus have several flowers on the one stem and are particular favourites of mine. Try growing some in pots in the cold greenhouse as welcome additions to your alpine plants.
Get with the Coleus plan for colour and texture. Keep frost free this winter and enjoy vibrantly coloured leaves.
An astonishing range of brilliant foliage colours and forms are available from Coleus plants. The red leaved ‘Scarlet Poncho’ has a thin green outer edge or there is the Fiery Red of ‘Molten Lava’. Textured leaves are an added attraction.
What is not to like about Lewisia? Not a lot in my view but I like brash colours.
Lewisia are very showy plants that are currently popular as availability and resiliance increases. This is a Lewisia cotyledon which makes a rosette of flat fleshy leaves and sprays of flowers from white through to reds and mauves.
read also G T’s growing tips
Peace is not just an absence of war – Peace Lilies are superb houseplants with dark green glossy leaves and distinctive white flowers.
As well as being named Peace Lily or Spathiphyllum they are also known as Spathe flower, White Flag, White Anthurium or White Sails for obvious reasons.
Lily the pink and many other colours amongst the Zantedeschias
Arum lily or Calla Lily called Zantedeschia are available in an increasing number of shades and varieties. This Zantedeschia rehmannii can be grown to advantage in a terracotta pot that will show off the perfect spathes or funnel shaped petals.