Plants Catching the eye in 2017

[Chad]

Dendrobium thyrsiflorum. The only tender orchid surviving under my care!

Chad

[charlie]

That's pretty special, does it stay out in the poly tunnel or do you overwinter it in the house?

[charlie]

First flowering for this here, not going to set the world alight but at least its clean of any problems!

lonicera prolifera 002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Also a happy plant, I love this Lonicera, Got mine from Mark Fillan but I think Nick Macer does it as well (it will be next year at the earliest before I have any)

lonicera pilosa 003 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Things in the pond looking good this year (apart from the blanket weed - but I am winning!)

iris psudecorous 007 by charliepridham, on Flickr

iris laeviagata 008 by charliepridham, on Flickr

We dont usually get as many flower spikes!

iris blue rythum 001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

indigofera pendula 005 by charliepridham, on Flickr

euryops pectinatus 013 by charliepridham, on Flickr

I think this Buddleja looks better in bud than flower

buddleja loricata 004 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Perhaps not as magnificent as those on Tenerife but all our own work

asphodelus ramosus 011 by charliepridham, on Flickr

asphodelus ramosus 012 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

Not sure that this really deserves the "coccinea" part of its name!, Nice evergreen wall shrub though

Mitraria coccinea 011 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Mitraria coccinea 014 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Very happy to have got my hands on this Desfontainia, still a baby. hope it likes it here!
Desfontainia spinosa 017 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Desfontainia spinosa 015 by charliepridham, on Flickr

cytisus battenderii 002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

clerodendrum ugandense 010 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Asarina scandens 008 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

Couple of peas doing their thing

lathyrus tuberosus 011 by charliepridham, on Flickr

I know this has the reputation of becoming invasive but I dont really mind

lathyrus grandiflora 014 by charliepridham, on Flickr

First of this years Lapageria flowers

lapageria Hugletts Blush 017 by charliepridham, on Flickr

I prefer this Buddleja before the flowers open, and it gets worse as they go over, normally end up hacking it all off

buddleja loricata 018 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Bloody weeds!

Anomatheca laxa 020 by charliepridham, on Flickr
anomatheca lax Joan Evans 021 by charliepridham, on Flickr

This came back from Tenerife in 2013 and is flowering for the first time, I am rather impressed, great scent leathery evergreen leaves that nothing bothers and goes down to at least -2c without complaint

Acokanthera oblongifolia 022 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Flowers at last (and the confirmation this is the right plant) wonderfully scented

schisandra grandiflora 019 by charliepridham, on Flickr

philesia magellanica rosea 015 by charliepridham, on Flickr

philesia magellanica 016 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[LONGK]

I've not been on the forum for a while for various reasons so I have a bit of catching up to do so my first post will be rather general so please don't feel left out when I say that Chads Bomarea patacocensis is a standout among the many gems so far.

Charlie - your Desfontiania appears to be a rather different form to mine (and the one in The Jungle at Heligan). The tubes are longer and it appears a deeper red with the colour becoming apparent earlier in the buds development.

Nothing massively exciting here but I've been pushing hardiness a little over the last winter where the winter low was -7°c, a few nights at -6°c and too many frosts overall to improve my mood;

Hippeastrum bench? Stuff that, just shove them somewhere dry outdoors (under the doorless side porch in my case) for the winter and let nature take its course. What you end up with is the same huge blooms without the overly long stems.............
Hippeastrum by longk48, on Flickr

A couple of Echeveria went on some staging outdoors to provide protection from winter wet;
E.pulidonis has never bloomed this well although the foliage took a bit of a beating ..............
Echeveria pulidonis by longk48, on Flickr

The foliage of E.agavoides fared much better ................
Echeveria agavoides by longk48, on Flickr

Echeveria agavoides by longk48, on Flickr

Saxifraga stolonifera............
Saxifraga stolonifera by longk48, on Flickr

Saxifraga stolonifera by longk48, on Flickr

Bargain bucket Cypripedium from last year bloomed nicely after a winter in the unheated greenhouse and bulked up well too.............
Cypripedium by longk48, on Flickr

The Pleione had to make do with the staging for winter protection............
Pleione by longk48, on Flickr

It does however appear to be rewarding me with some seed though............
Pleione seedpods by longk48, on Flickr

The various Lewisia sailed through with super sharp drainage.............
Lewisia by longk48, on Flickr

Lewisia by longk48, on Flickr

[charlie]

Charlie - your Desfontiania appears to be a rather different form to mine (and the one in The Jungle at Heligan). The tubes are longer and it appears a deeper red with the colour becoming apparent earlier in the buds development.

Its a selected seedling, I got hold of it this May at our Hardy Plant sale in Truro from James Treseder http://www.treseders.co.uk/

[JohnJearrard]

I think this is Paeonia 'Cora Louise' but I would welcome other opinions? Whatever it is, it's fantastic.

[LONGK]

I've just noticed the Phillesia which is a plant that I've been wavering on for a while. Is it realistically hardy?

Here's one for Charlies wife - Solanum pyracanthos..............
Solanum pyracanthos by longk48, on Flickr

First blooms on Petunia exserta............
Petunia exserta by longk48, on Flickr

It's starting to bush out quite nicely and looks as if it has real potential.

[Jungle Jas]

I grew a Mitraria Coccinea from a cutting last year can some one tell me how they grow if not tied to some sort of support? Would they grow into a mound forming bush or sprawl along the floor. Thanks Jas.