Favourite Plant of the Week - Paulownia tomentosa

Usually the foxglove tree, Paulownia tomentosa gets highlighted in the summer due to its fast growth rate and ability to produce really large leaves after being stooled in the spring. Occasionally it gets a moment of glory too in late winter till early spring when they get a chance to show off their foxglove like blooms (hence the name), which only happens if the buds don't get frosted away first.

Not a tree that is usually featured in the autumn but Loree of Danger Garden who hosts the Favourite Plant of the Week meme has named this as her favourite this week. Rightfully so as her specimen has performed really well and is still looking great at the moment.

Ours however is very much doing its autumn thing already, going deciduous and shedding its leaves all over. After reading Loree's blog though it made me appreciate this plant for the same reasons she has mentioned, especially with regards to the speed of its growth.

And speedy it is for the relatively large tree that we have now towering over our garden was grown from seed and planted out as a small seedling only seven years ago.

Our intention at first was to stool it to get those massive leaves in the summer but left to grow as normal the leaves they produce are reasonably big already so we just let it be. We may not get the gigantic summer leaves but what we have now is a rather handsome tree.

Stool almost to the ground in spring and let one bud get going and it will produce gigantic leaves. This one at Don's garden

Which reminds me we have another type of foxglove tree that we bought from Beeches Nursery earlier in the year, Paulownia kawakamii. It looks very similar, almost indistinguishable from P. tomentosa until you touch the leaves of the former which is sticky. We haven't decided yet where to plant it so for now it lives inside the large vase in the jungle area of the garden.

Paulownia kawakamii can be stooled too

Sticky leaves!

A fabulous tree, it should be grown in more gardens!

Mark :-)

Read More

Favourite Plant of the Week - Magnolia macrophylla subsp. ashei

As I was watering the garden this evening I caught glimpse of the Magnolia macrophylla subsp. ashei growing on the raised in front of the jungle hut and saw that it was flowering...

and then I noticed the gorgeous scent coming from it.

Knowing how short lived Magnolia blooms can be, this one being no exception I immediately grabbed the camera to capture photos of this fleeting beauty before it becomes too late.

This magnolia is a dwarf form of the tall and big leafed species and flowers even at a small size. Ours started flowering at just a foot in height which is quite an exceptional character especially compared to the species and other big leafed magnolias. Since then it has bloomed for us every year.

I'm loving the way it has grown and looks at the moment, looking more like a standard or even a parasol, jutting out of the raised bed, looking very exotic, and commanding attention whenever we pass by this area.

If space is limited and you fancy growing one of the big leafed magnolias then this is the one to go for.

Magnolia macrophylla subsp. ashei - our favourite plant of the week!

We join Loree of Danger Garden in celebrating our favourite plant of the week.

Mark :-)

Read More

Favourite Plant of the Week - Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'

Whew! What a long name but what a cheer to see looking so good even in the depths of winter. Another stalwart of a plant worth highlighting.

Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'

This very exotic looking yet very hardy aroid has large, arrow shaped leaves that are glossy and heavily marbled with cream that in time can cover large areas from late autumn until early spring. Later on the spathes rise up above the foliage and develop into displays of clumps of attractive orange berries, becoming the main attraction of this plant and taking the limelight as the foliage dies down.

But before we even get into the berries later in the year, growing it for the foliage is enough reason to have it especially as it looks so good, pristine, and very exotic at a time of the year when very little else is looking at their prime. A great plant for winter interest.

Despite it potentially taking over large areas, it is slow to do so and unlikely to be a nuisance and doesn't seem to smother other perennials. Also they are in leaf at a time when most plants are dormant and by the time other plants leaf out, the leaves of this aroid starts to fade away and the area is taken over by others.

This plant is easy to establish, doing well in moist and shady areas, perhaps even in a sunny spot as long as the area doesn't dry out. You can introduce it in the garden via plants in leaf bought in the autumn and once you get the berries you can scatter them in other parts of the garden where you want it to be seen. Sometimes blackbirds can do this deed for you however you won't have control where it will come up (unwanted seedlings are easy enough to remove though).

We join Loree of Danger Garden for her Favourite Plant of the Week meme!

Mark :-)

Read More

Favourite Plant of The Week - Agave weberi 'Arizona Star'

Agave weberi 'Arizona Star'

We join Loree from Danger Garden again this week with our Favourite Plant of the Week. This time its the turn of Agave weberi 'Arizona Star'. 

I must say I haven't been taking many photos of the garden recently too preoccupied with indoor pursuits, so when i was thinking about what plant to feature as our favourite plant of week this week then why not feature the only plant that graces our kitchen this year. In previous years we have at times packed out the kitchen with a number of plants being protected from the cold (see this post from 2010), but this year is different.

Agave as a houseplant? This is a bit of an experiment and we will keep an eye on how it will do in the months to come. There is a skylight just above it so it well get some natural light during the day and with it being in the house, hardiness won't be an issue. The only thing I have observed so far is that the variegation of this plant is no longer as distinct as the one that is inside the conservatory which gets more light. However I think that it is still pretty enough to merit a space in the kitchen, to occupy that one spot that is home to a plant. And it has its very own bodyguard to protect it!

Read More

Favourite Plant of the Week - Schefflera aff. chapana

Year in year out, every autumn it rewards us with generous sprays of flowers and consequently loads of seeds. Although the flowers in itself are rather nondescript, much like the blooms you see typical of other araliads and the related hedera (although if flowering en-masse they could look good), the abundance of seeds that follow are very impressive.

Schefflera aff. chapana

Now if only we are good at starting plants from seeds! Not that we are incapable, it's just we've both come to terms that we both actually prefer plants  that are 'ready made' - if you may call it that rather than start small from seeds. We're impatient gardeners perhaps, hence a penchance for instant impact? True to some degree but issues with free time and adequate space also comes to play.

I have no doubt the seeds that it produces are viable. But as we haven't tried ourselves and yet want to encourage others who have this plant already to try growing it from seeds, it's best I quote a 'trust' head gardener that we had a chat with before who's had success with them...

I have yet to see any self seeders around the main plant but sown indoors they can come up like cress. Harvest when it looks ripe but before the first hard frosts arrive. Sow the tiny seeds in a very free draining seed potting mix of choice (pure vermiculite he uses) and leave it in a cold frame/unheated greenhouse/gently heated greenhouse (depending on your location) throughout winter. Lots will damp off but eventually you'll get a few to thrive.

Sounds a fine advice to me but I've heard other variations of this too with similar success. There are more ways to skin a cat as they say and seed growing gardeners are no exception to this saying.

With so many seeds perhaps we ought try this advice ourselves, at least once?? 

I'll think about it. Or perhaps just peruse the new catalogues that will go out early next year and check availability...

We join Loree of Danger Garden for the Favourite Plant of the Week meme!

Mark :-)

Read More

Favourite Plant of the Week - Cycas revoluta

Okay, just this one in particular...

Cycas revoluta

It spent most of the summer under glass after being defoliated when it was left outside last winter. We initially thought it was dead after all of our Cycas revolutas have flushed already when this one haven't yet. But knowing that this cycad can be erratic when it comes to the timing of its flush (ideally it should flush early in the summer so the leaves will have time to harden off before cold weather sets in) we left it where it was and forgot about it.

Well it did eventually flush late in the summer which was a nice little surprise and left it in its position undisturbed until the leaves have hardened off. When cycads start flushing ideally you should avoid moving or changing its position until the leaves have hardened off as they follow the direction of light. Moving them whilst in the middle of this process can potentially distort the shape of the leaves hence best avoided.

Although this particular one was left undisturbed all through it flushing ritual somehow the pinnate leaves on the tips remained fused together as it hardened and now it looks odd. We don't know how it ended up looking like this but...

it's a nice kind of odd though and we like it!

Cool huh?

We join Loree of Danger Garden on her weekly meme Favourite Plant of the Week!

Mark :-)

Read More

Favourite Plant of the Week - Amicia zygomeris

Every time I wander down the garden this week I keep catching a glimpse of this plant and on closer inspection today I thought, wow, it has done really well this year...

Amicia zygomeris

Despite being razed down to nothing by flames last summer.

It has proven itself to be a very resilient, tough, and rewarding plant for us and deserves to be highlighted this week! It is a hardy, herbaceous perennial in our location, dying back down to the ground in the winter and comes back vigorously by late spring and rockets upward all through summer. Had if not it was burnt down a few months ago it would have been much taller than it is now.

But still it has performed well after that. 

Prefers full sun to partial shade, and does even better when sited in a rich, well fertilised area that gets generous moisture in the growing season. It is easily propagated by cuttings and potted specimens can be overwintered evergreen under heated glass.

Hardy in our garden, down to perhaps -10C

We join Loree of Danger Garden in celebrating our favourite plant of the week!

Mark :-)

Read More