2025 in the round

[Chad]

Can anyone tell me which tree fern this is. It really struggled so I plunged it into a big pot and it has sprung back to life?

From the scaley stipes it looks like a Sphaeropteris.

Unless it has an interesting provenance, that makes it Sphaeropteris cooperi.

Chad

[MartinNicklin]

Charlie the Heavenly Blue is sown at the same time as Grandpa Otts and Star of Yalta, with the same treatment and same compost and are kept in the house until June and they do just fine. This has been the same issue every year for the past few years despite differing seed merchants hence I’m wondering if there is an issue with the quality of Heavenly Blue “on the circuit”.

Thanks for the advice on Cantua. I’ll give it a little longer, though my patience is waning.

I’m growing Ferdinand as a standard and it seems to be responding well to that treatment.

Chad thanks for the ID. With me it certainly would not have an interesting provenance. It came from, I think, Nobridge Nurseries where loads of your bog standard tropical effect stuff is sold, so I doubt it would be anything out of the ordinary.

[Chad]

Question: In the greenhouse is a large Cantua buxifolia about 6 years old. It’s strong and healthy but when will it flower?

It might not.

I had one in the tunnel for years and never got a flower.

I haven't worked out what it wanted, and I finally dug it out.

What’s going on with Heavenly Blue.

It is a difficult variety. The large and delicate blooms suggest it may be hybrid in origin.

When first offered commercially in the 1930's it was called  'Clarke's Early Heavenly Blue' and was supposed to bloom earlier than other strains, which were reputed to be day length dependent.  I haven't noticed that.

It is said to have arisen in an amateur's garden, and we don't know from what.

A few years ago most seed under the name produced blue with a purple tinge flowers of a much more robust nature.  They seem to have sorted that out, so at least the blooms are back to the right sort.

I suspect the strain is botanically different from the others that we grow, and has always been less robust. It is much less cold tolerant than its rivals, and doesn't seem to like fluctuating temperatures, even if not cold. But when it flowers I would forgive it the extra effort it needs to get it to perform.

I agree with Charlie, there seems to be no benefit in starting them before mid May. Any chill sets them back so much.

Chad

[MartinNicklin]

That’s interesting Chad. I will sow a batch now as they come up very quickly after soaking and see if there is a difference. One thing I will say is that they used to be available as flowing plants in a couple of local nurseries, including Ashwoods. However, I haven’t seen any in the past couple of years which contributed to my thoughts about seed quality.

[Chad]

Martin,

Could you check something for me?

I have a vague recollection that 'Clarke's Early Heavenly Blue' has hairless shoots and the others are distinctly hairy. Is that right?

Have you tried Ipomoea alba? Night blooming with huge scented flowers. It didn't 'do' outside here at all!

Chad

[MartinNicklin]

Chad, I will get out and take some photos of the leaves and stems.

Never tried alba but my grandmama used to speak very fondly of it filling the evening air with scent when she lived and worked abroad.

I’m very fond of this genus. Had good success with tuberosa which were awkward to germinate but grew very quickly. Unfortunately even greenhouse cultivation was too cold for them over winter up here.

I’ll try and find a picture (think it might be on my old laptop if I can fire it up!!!) of Heavenly Blue I had clambering over an arch in the garden a couple of years ago. It was magnificent and literally loaded with flower. That’s what I wanted to recreate recently with very disappointing results.



This was it in early August 2021. Can't find a pic of it in full flower and glory but it was amazing and flowered until first frosts. Very healthy and vigorous, grown from seed but since then nothing but failure!

[MartinNicklin]

Chad, just checked. No hairs on any of the leaves, nor stems of any of the Ipomoeas, including Heavenly Blue.

[Chad]

Thanks Martin.

[charlie]

Quick romp around the garden before it gets too hot again!

Lovely scents from several of the big tender Jasminum at the moment

Jasminum sambac by charliepridham, on Flickr

Ipomoea indica by charliepridham, on Flickr

Dregea sinensis by charliepridham, on Flickr

Alstroemaria 'margaret' by charliepridham, on Flickr

Abutilon 'Marion' by charliepridham, on Flickr

Weigelia coraeensis by charliepridham, on Flickr

Schizaphragma hydronoides 'Rosea' by charliepridham, on Flickr

Passiflora tarmaniana by charliepridham, on Flickr

Mitraria coccinea by charliepridham, on Flickr

Lonicera etrusca 'Elliot' by charliepridham, on Flickr

[MartinNicklin]

Charlie I wish I could get Ipomoea indica to grow here. It’s my favourite of all the Ipomoea. I’ve tried a couple from you and three or four from others including Cross Common. Just cannot get them through a winter up here even under glass.

Is the Wigandia outside?

Here’s one possibly for you Charlie! I’ve just been to my in-law’s and I love the colour of this climber/rambler and would like to get one. They don’t know what it is other than “it was a cheap one”!! Any ideas?