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JEARRARD'S HERBAL


Thats enough introduction - on with the plants!
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... out in the garden.

4th May 2008

Roscoea cautleyoides 'Early Yellow' .
The ground has given a tiny shudder and up has popped the first of the gingers of the season. The Roscoea are a delightful gang of tissue paper hooligans and I lurk expectantly around the pots through April willing them to emerge safely. Through the winter the legion of bare pots have an emptiness about them as frightening as a shopping centre on a sunday evening. There is a little bubble of fear that builds through the cold months that they will all have died, but the cheerful spears of growth puncture it in May without a sound, but with a flood of relief. 'Early Yellow' is a misnomer, 'Earliest Yellow' would be a fairer warning of the extended anticipation to come.


4th May 2008

Rhodohypoxis 'Kiwi Joy' .
Just to emphasise the advanced state of the season, the Rhodohypoxis have started to paint the town red (and pink, and white). In the last few years I have left them standing in water through the summer, and they seem to appreciate it. 'Kiwi Joy' is the most perfectly awkward name for a perfectly awkward shaped flower. The doubles hover between inelegant excess and monsterous distortion, with a strong leaning to Godzilla-ness, but if this potted nightmare died, I would stonk around the garden in a tantrum swearing at the singing birds. Rather like pickle, I don't like it much but I would hate to do without it entirely.


4th May 2008

Iris cristata 'Alba' .
is one of the odd Iris in the Evansia section of the genus. Tight clumps of delicate little growths produce far fewer flowers than might be expected, but every one is a perfect unfolding wonder like opening a letter and finding an origami kiss from a lover. Light shade and some moisture suit it well.


4th May 2008

Urtica dioica 'Good as Gold' .
And while I am stonking I would be glad that I planted this wonderful golden leaved stinging nettle. The herbaceous border is full of weeds and crying out for a good day weeding, but this golden shriek weaves its way through in a delightful fashion. There are masses of precious little poppets in every little corner here but in the garden it is the thugs and the giants that are calming and settling. When I finally get the time to weed the border this little bugger will sting the shit out of me and I have forgiven it already.


Acorus Alocasia Anemone Arisaema Arum Asarum Aspidistra Begonia Bromeliads Camellia
Carnivorous Cautleya Chirita Chlorophytum Clivia Colocasia Crocosmia Dionaea Drosera Epimedium
Eucomis Fuchsia Galanthus Hedychium Helleborus Hemerocallis Hepatica Hosta Impatiens Iris
Liriope Ophiopogon Pinguicula Polygonatum Ranunculus ficaria Rhodohypoxis Rohdea Roscoea Sansevieria Sarracenia
Scilla Sempervivum Tricyrtis Tulbaghia Utricularia Viola odorata Watsonia

To find particular groups of plants I grow, click on the genus name in the table above. Click on the "Index" box at the top of the page for the full list.
I have a lot of good intentions when it comes to updating this site, and I try to keep a note about what is going on, if you are interested.
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