JEARRARD'S HERBAL
Thats enough introduction - on with the plants!
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... out in the garden.
20th June 2010
Polystachya pubescens .
A tiny little orchid that I aquired almost by accident. I knew nothing about it and was amazed when a flower spike started to grow.
It has been developing for months and finally opened yesterday. Now I am inspired to find out that it is from South Africa
and a member of a genus of 200 species. Given the location I was at first encouraged to think that it might be cold tolerant
but without exception online sources are saying that it does not tolerate low temperatures, and I will take heed.
It spent the winter in a growing case, and it looks like it will be spending the summer there as well! (Growing in a 2inch pot
if you were wondering about the scale).
20th June 2010
Hippeastrum 'Unique'.
It has been a week of stifling temperatures that have slowed up everything I have tried to do. The spring season in the garden is well and truly over,
and a bought myself a new slasher to cut the seed heads off the bluebells. I could have taken the mower over them, but I couldn't be bothered to start it.
Shimmering in the heat is my new tropical house, which is a grand phrase for a plastic shed with no ventilation. The intention was to build somewhere
for the summer heat to build up quickly for those things that are slow to get started. All of the Hippeastrum survived the winter without damage
in the greenhouse, and I moved them into the tropical house (sorry, but 'suffocation shed' just doesn't work for me) to give them some heat. As a result
I have flowers shooting up. Sadly I have a few that are clearly affected by virus, and this is one of them (though it is supposed to be a double).
The leaves and stems are mottled and steaked. I think it will be burnt once the flowers fade, or I might plant it out in the garden
(which is my inadequate response to virus in Nerine).
20th June 2010
Aristolochia x kewensis .
Another plant that is summering in the tropical house, and looking really happy about the heat. A hybrid Aristolochia that I was much taken with when I saw it.
The main plant spent the winter in the conservatory, where I think it probably had a whiff of frost, but was not damaged. Out in the greenhouse I had a pot
of cuttings that certainly got frosted, and I am pleased to say that one of them at least has survived (though it will be a while before it flowers).
The main plant was full of buds last week, but they are all opening now, trailing all over the bench because I haven't got around to tying it up yet.
20th June 2010
Disa Kewensis 'Ann'.
Another South African orchid, though this one is surprisingly hardy. Like the Aristolochia , it is also a hybrid originating at Kew.
There have been a number of different colour forms around, and last year a few of them were named. I think this may well be the same thing as my
'Orange/Yellow' form, but I am waiting for them to flower together to confirm it. This is one of the very vigorous forms, and I
was given it as a very common and weedy thing, but in a world dominated by pink (sometimes slightly pink, sometimes very pink) forms, this bright orange is outstanding.
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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