The 2020 picture Diary

[charlie]

What a lovely looking thing Dermatobotrys saundersii is :)

Re frost, weather is having a laugh, got everything back in only in time for the temperature to be back in double figures! But we had two nights of white grass and the upper stems (and all the flowers!) of Tibouchina grandifolia have been got, happily the only casualty

[Chad]

What a lovely looking thing Dermatobotrys saundersii is :)

I got it from Rob Senior and it is an odd thing. A sort of epiphytic 'sub shrub' with leathery leaves that it is dropping now to reveal straggly, rubbery stems.

But I have got full umbels of flowers for the first time, and I see from John's site that I am not alone in usually having a rather thin display!

Chad

[Paul S]

What a lovely looking thing Dermatobotrys saundersii is :)

I got it from Rob Senior

Any news on how Rob is getting on, do you know? I last saw him in spring 2019 and he was very poorly then.

[charlie]

Yes Robs decline is very sad to witness, I think most of us down here have benefited from his generosity and enthusiasm, I also haven't seen him since spring 2019. I also used to see him fairly regularly at the West Cornwall garden club (now sadly closed) which he and Dawn would come along to .

[Chad]

Neither John nor I have seen him since last spring. We know Dawn is long term failing.

John is fairly well connected and thinks he would have heard if 'something had happened'.

Chad

[Paul S]

Indeed, yes. And, of course, Neil is his GP so I would have heard 'the worst' if it had happened. Dawn was actually fairly robust when I last saw her. Her dementia had made her regress into a sort of child like state, she was singing nursery rhymes, but still fairly robust. All the more worry for Rob now he can't keep her safe. I used to make a point of visiting whenever I went down to Cornwall but this year he put me off :(

[charlie]

Mostly hiding inside at present, this first I have had for a good while now but as it flowers in winter I had rather lost interest in it but now we have an actual bed in the conservatory its one of the plants I thought we could try, its loving it, delightful perfume as well.

Reinwardtia indica 002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

So near to being hardy but the tuberous roots seem to rot in the spring if you leave it out

mandevilla 004 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Another plant that is now in the ground rather than a pot, it was always a bit of a mess in a pot (probably needed re potting more often!) still waiting to see how well it does now, again the smell is lovely

Jasminum sambac 001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

The conservatory traps the smell of the Brugmansia, and its doubtful we would go out to smell it at this time of year anyway! it is a lot paler under glass though

Brugmansia 005 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Aeschynanthus buxifolius 007 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Another plant that is enjoying being brought in for the winter

Tibouchina urvilleana 006 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[Chad]

Reinwardtia indica is new to me. Hardy to -4C according to the web.

How big does it get and can you expand on the scent please?

I don't have much in flower in the tunnel through the winter, and certainly nothing scented.

Chad

[Chad]

Is your Tibouchina urvilleana really 'blue'?

Mine is still in flower and is still purple.

Chad

[charlie]

Reinwardtia indica is new to me. Hardy to -4C according to the web.

How big does it get and can you expand on the scent please?

I don't have much in flower in the tunnel through the winter, and certainly nothing scented.

Chad

I think -4c is unduly optimistic, especially given the flowering period, I would say 0c below that and you are not like to see much in the way of flowers. Difficult to describe scent, its sort of powdery rather than chemical like a ladies Talc. Size wise it gets tall and leggy but can be hard pruned as late as August and then side shoots all over the place with each shoot being covered in flower buds.

Reinwardtia indica 001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

I intend keeping it to around 3-4'

Edit, if things ever get better you can come and have a sniff!