Here are my six....
1. For Succulents you need good drainage, and this container must be about the most appropriate I have. I'm not sure what type of stone it is made of. It looks like a piece of volcanic rock full of holes, but non the less heavy. At present Echeveria Elegans is growing in a little gritty soil, and has been in there for two or three years. Did I ever deny that I liked succulents? But I do not like cactii to work with, though admire them elsewhere..its the thorns!
2. I've been dithering over a little mini succulent at the market over the past two weeks and this time I succumbed and brought home this Portulacaria Afra Variegata, also known as the Elephant bush. Some people buy cakes, I buy plants...
When we were on holiday in Crete a couple of years ago, I found huge specimens in flower! However it was not the variegata form, but in full flower.
Other succulents have been sheltering from excess rain outside the front door.
3. We had our first Gardening Club Zoom meeting this week, where a friend and fellow member of the club: writer, garden designer, lecturer etc Sally Gregson gave us a talk: The Naked Garden, which was about the pleasures of a winter garden. Outside the colour is starting to come in the corner Acer. Later I am joining in our first HPS Zoom meeting. Bob Brown will be speaking, therefore I shall be coming back after that to read more posts.
4. This is the earliest I have seen the tips of crocus coming up....
5. Yellow shines through the gloom: Jasmine nudiflorum: Yingchun 'The Flower that welcomes Spring' in China is cheering up the Winter in Somerset.
6. I need to read up on how to increase this lovely plant growing in the gravel garden. It has been flowering non stop! I just keep on dead heading it: Erodium Fran's Delight. Will it be best to wait till spring, or would cuttings taken now be OK?
Chin up everyone...keep sane, and garden. See you all next week again for another six? Hope so.
Well done on your new plant acquisition. I buy plants and cakes! Your Jasmine nudiflorum is looking good; I struggled to grow it for some reason.
ReplyDeleteYou probably don't really like the Jasmine or else you would sort out a good planting regime.
DeleteOh those crocuses are certainly in a hurry Noelle 😄 Funnily enough I attended a Zoom talk by Bob Brown courtesy of Monmouthshire HPS last Saturday. It was a good way to spend a very wet and grim November afternoon. He spoke on the subject of plants that had grabbed his attention. I wonder if your talk will be on the same subject. I hope that you enjoy it. Last night I attended another Zoom talk by Jimi Blake from Hunting Brook Gardens which was really inspirational. I have a long list of plants to investigate 😂
ReplyDeleteI am taking to these meetings. Just imagine, all those cars not travelling. I think the speakers ought to offer 'mates' rates for a couple of weeks and a little to the HPS clubs, and it would be as if they had sold plants at the talks. I picked up a few tips on cultivation and a few new interesting plants from his top 30 plants.
DeleteI did the first Zoom gardening talk last week with my local Alpine Garden Society Group. It made me feel guilty as I'm the chair of my local general gardening group and we decided not to do zoom talks. Now I'm wondering if we should...
ReplyDeleteI would join an Alpine Group if they zoomed! I find driving far to attend meetings a bit of a drag. A virtual walk round a specialist's garden with them talking about cultivation etc, and then maybe an opportunity to buy plants mentioned and have them sent by post would be splendid.
DeleteCrocuses already ? They are daffs and tulips here....
ReplyDeletePS : I buy plant o( rather seeds) and bake cakes...😂😉
Oh Fred, do you write about your cakes, or just gardening?
DeleteI'd rather have plants than cakes. I'll bake my own cake! I haven't been plant shopping in so long! Seeds are another story, I can do that from home!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing quite like plant shopping. I used to go to Bob Browns in January or February to wash away my winter blues! We are a little too far away now. I too bake all our cakes and bread, another 'pass time' of mine.
DeleteI do like the title of that talk, The Naked Garden. So much more pleasant to visualize than The Naked Gardener, ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have visited the gardens you allude to and the Naked Gardener was there! I was far more interested in the tulips. We used to live not far from Malmesbury and I loved going to the market there when I went to pick up my flour from Shipton Mill.
DeleteYour tiny Elephant plant has a long way to go before it catches up to the one in Crete! I found your link to contain some very interesting information. I wonder if British birds will enjoy the flavour of the leaves?
ReplyDeleteI have read recipes using the leaves in salads, and as I am game for trying anything, a leaf or two may be consumed, once the plant has grown a little. As the for the birds nibbling at them, I won't give them a chance.
DeleteWinter jasmine is so cheering, it is lovely to see. I am enjoying Zoom gardening talks too, so much more accessible than normal. Last week I attended the annual NGS lecture, by the Stuart-Smiths on 'Gardens are for People'. Re. your erodium: Does it not set seed? Mine was in the greenhouse last year and now has spread to half the pots there!!
ReplyDeleteIt probably would do, but I dead head it. Is your erodium Fran's Delight?
DeleteGood to read about your goings-on. I haven't 'attended' any Zoom gardening talks but would certainly do so if Staffs HPS held them that way - it's certainly very convenenient doing my exercise classes via Zoom! Can anybody attend these out of area HPS meetings? Are they listed on the HPS website?
ReplyDeleteAs I am a member of the Somerset group as well as the National I get an email with code etc. Here is the webpage with more information, and links to talks at other groups. I'm uncertain about the protocols for others joining in, but I am sure you could contact the secretaries.
Deletehttps://somersethps.com/2020/11/15/hampshire-plant-heritage-group-invite-you-to-a-zoom-talk-by-jimi-blake/ details for free talk to HPS members fro tomorrow's talk.
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