JEARRARD'S HERBAL
Thats enough introduction - on with the plants!
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... out in the garden.
9th August 2009
Hedychium densiflorum 'Stephen' .
It has been a busy week, followed by a manic weekend. I was in Watford yesterday, home of the famous 'parking only' motorway. The M25 is such a joy, isn't it!
I did a half hour 'parking' just to keep my hand in, and then turned off towards Oxford and finally found a road that was both
moving and pointing in the right direction.
Back at home the Hedychium have been doing their thing in a quiet and relaxing manner. The first of the evergreen hybrids have opened
('Raffillii') but the one that has given me most pleasure this week is 'Stephen'. It has a rich, spicy, sweet scent that has no failings.
It isn't cloying, it doesn't make your fillings hurt or give you a headache. It doesn't stun you and leave you unconscious by the potside while
your brain disolves. It just fills you up with good will and then wafts you on your way. The flowers are short lived, which makes them
more precious.
9th August 2009
Begonia sutherlandii - Begonia x tuberhybrida Pendula pink .
And every now and then a moment of pure tastelessness wells up without any encouragement from me and the complete lack of intent makes it the most
refreshing thing in the garden.
Begonia sutherlandii is always wonderful. It is one of a very small number of plants that have pure orange flowers and it produces them with a freedom
that very nearly becomes relentless, but fortunately cold weather brings it to a halt before it becomes tiresome.
The pink tuberous Begonia arrived almost by accident. A few years ago I was determined to do some hybrids between the tuberous hybrids
and Begonia boliviensis but this was the only one I could get at short notice, and it is still with me! I have recently seen some hybrids
made with B.sutherlandii , so perhaps that is what I should try next!
(The B.boliviensis hybrids turned out well but need another generation to get it right!)
9th August 2009
Eucomis 'Leia' .
I staggered back from London and discovered that Trecanna Nursery were holding their South African weekend. Good to see that their Crocosmia
have survived the winter, but they had some excellent new Eucomis .
This one is the first cultivar I have seen that seems to show the influence of E.vandermerwei. It should be a good parent, it is compact
and has good coloured flowers, so I expect we will be seeing more of them. This one has good clumps of green leaves and impressive
pink flowers. It was raised by Golden State Bulb Growers in California and I was delighted to get hold of one.
9th August 2009
Eucomis autumnalis pink flower .
The second surprise of the week was this seedling of E.autumnalis. I grow a number of plants, including one called 'White Dwarf', which just
about describes the whole lot so this pale pink flowered plant is refreshing. I expect it is another case of E.vandermerwei genes creeping in
but it is a good dwarf plant. The flower spike is rather droopy (E.vandermerwei being rather lax) but it might be a it more upright once it
is better established.
Hopefully there will be enough time in the week to enjoy the rest of the Eucomis as they open, to pot up some bulbs of the autumn
flowering Crocus and to pretend that the bulb catalogues haven't started to arrive!
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.
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