2024 odds and sods

[Peadarjj]

Same situation here with the thistle!





Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus does really well here



Delphinium “red lark” is really striking



I wasn’t expecting Tigridias to self seed into the driveway!



Schefflera taiwaniana has put on some serious growth this year

[AndyC]

When the new culms are produced by my Borinda papyrifer I can't wait for the culm sheaths to fall away by themselves, I have to strip one or two so that I can feast my eyes on the colour. :)

[MartinNicklin]

I’ve tried this plant four times and never had a flower. The last one grew to 2M but rotted over winter. This one from Burncoose has grown 8ft in one season and, although not festooned, does have flowers on each branch. Hopefully it will get better over the years.



It’s in the greenhouse where I keep my budgies in a cage bought last year to entice this parrot:



Despite taking food, he hung around for weeks but never entered the safety of the cage. Imagine my shock when I entered the greenhouse today to be greeted by this:



My budgies must have been terrified!

Also looking good at the mo:

Hibiscus Walberton’s Lunar Eclipse with massive, very exotic looking flowers



Ampelopsis glandulosa brevipendunculata elegans (I can’t keep up with and hate the way our most recognisable plants have their names changed by the botanists but this is one name I wish they would … if they haven’t already!



My bargain of the year. A £90 Magnolia grandiflora reduced to £15! The flower is so perfect with a delicious scent





With the wet weather the hydrangeas, at least, are looking good





… as are the Agapanthus








And I’ve fallen for it yet again. Probably my fifth purchase. See it in every garden centre every year but never in a garden and never in flower. Always fizzles away for me but couldn’t resist this one as it had flowers emerging



My neighbour has a couple. No flowers but at least looking healthy in pots. I think I might try this method with mine.

I don’t often see Belamcanda for sale. It’s a plant I grew from seed as a kid when T&M used to have their amazing catalogue which was like a treasure trove of delights back then. Anyway, I saw this and it reminded me how pretty it is, so I bought one



My Leycesteria Goldern Lanters is really lovely this year. It’s such an underrated shrub



I’m off to Powys Castle on Saturday to see the magnificent tropical borders followed by a visit to the nearby, usually fabulous, Dingle Nursery. No doubt my wallet will once again suffer!

[Chad]

I can’t keep up with and hate the way our most recognisable plants have their names changed...

I don’t often see Belamcanda for sale.

In 2005 Belamcanda got swallowed by Iris.

Belamcanda chinensis is now Iris domestica.

The Ampelopsis is more complicated.

The 'Elegans' is a cultivar name. Ideally written in a different type face from the botanical component of the name, with a capital letter and inside inverted commas. Life is too short to worry about changing type faces here. I think it would have to be the botanical component in italics.

The RHS have it as Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans', but Kew have the unvariegated form as Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata.

The Missouri Botanical Garden have its as Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. maximowiczii 'Elegans'.

Now this is useful because it means there is uncertainty over its botanical placement, so you could justifiably call it Ampelopsis 'Elegans'. Not 'wrong', and implies its botanical placement is uncertain.

And there I have shrunk the name for you!

Chad

[charlie]

Things a bit hectic here, bit of "Propagating" been happening - sons partner has just had a daughter in our tearoom! as they are living here at present our normal lazy routine has been rather disrupted!

However I have managed to get rid of most of them today so ventured forth with the camera

Lonicera Sweet Sue by charliepridham, on Flickr

Passiflora Betty Myles Young by charliepridham, on Flickr

Collutea by charliepridham, on Flickr

Dregea sinensis by charliepridham, on Flickr

Iris papilio by charliepridham, on Flickr

Jasminum simplicifolium by charliepridham, on Flickr

Lathyrus latifolius by charliepridham, on Flickr

Lobelia tupa has really liked the wetter winter and spring, it has always been a bit rubbish here - seldom flowering. Am think to move it now I know it seems to like wet.

Lobellia tupa by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

Lots of flowers coming on the Passiflora this year, they have loved going in the ground, they are however not flowering where I can get good pictures!

Passiflora x exoniensis by charliepridham, on Flickr

This is the last plant given to me by Rob Senior who will be well known to all the Cornish members. As he handed it over he said " never flowers " so now every year when it flowers I think of him :) - I perhaps should point out he had it outside while mine lives in a pot and comes in for the winter!

Clerodendron Ugandense by charliepridham, on Flickr

All the Hedychium seem to be having a good year

Hedychium wardii by charliepridham, on Flickr

I have called this Stephen but as I grew it from a batch of H. densiflorum seed I suppose 'Stephenson' may be better!?

Hedychium Steven by charliepridham, on Flickr

Hedychium spicatum by charliepridham, on Flickr

Several still to get going, densiflorum and coccinea are nearly there while yunnanensis greenii gardenarianum and maximum are still growing

[MartinNicklin]

I saw a stunning Clerodendron ugandense in the conservatory at Powys Castle a few years back which tempted me to get one. It grew fine and even flowered but perished over winter even on my kitchen windowsill and I put it down to cold. I’m therefore amazed that it has been grown outdoors in Cornwall which even there can’t be warmer in winter than my kitchen windowsill? Or perhaps it died of something else. Either way I was saddened because it’s such a pretty flower.

[Chad]

Nomenclature note: to keep Martin happy!

'Clerodendron ugandense' [more properly Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense'] has been Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense' for some time [1998].

Clerodendron, as well as losing members to Rotheca, was also moved from Verbenaceae to Lamiaceae, where the resurrected genus Rotheca was also placed.

Chad

[MartinNicklin]

The cool wet season has caused some blooms to be bigger and better.

I’ve never seen such big sepals on a hydrangea. Probably twice the size or more of most:



The Agapanthus have done really well this year. The blooms on Regal Beauty are huge and bountiful:



Crystal Drop is my favourite. It was wrongly labelled at Bridgemere in a batch of standard blue plants. I only found this out when it flowered so was pleasantly surprised as it’s a far scarcer plant to come by:



Here, my Hedychiums are only just starting to flower:



Loads of fruit on the Akebia this year:



One plant I’m very fond of is Lophospermum. My original plant came from Charlie and is long gone but I get seedlings popping up every year and they scramble many metres in one season. I often think they make a alternative to the pink Bougainvillea:

[charlie]

Shame its so invasive as I love the scent, just as well as I have tried to get rid of it but it just keeps coming back!

20240916_154949 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Not sure why my copy of Tara seems to be weeks later than everyone else's

20240919_141937 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Calceolaria pavoni just getting going properly now

20240919_142432 by charliepridham, on Flickr

The other thing that seems very late this year is the Cobaea pringlei, it has grown even more rampantly but although covered in buds is not yet out in flower