[John J]

In the last edition of the Journal I wrote about the problem we were having with getting our T divaricata to hold its flowers. Well, over the winter my wife dug some well rotted sheep manure into the ground around it and we began to add a little of the liquid that leaches out of the bottom of our worm farm to its drinking water occasionally. The result can be seen below.

[Alisdair]

I wonder whether it's the humus helping to hold moisture, or the nitrogen?

[John J]

I don't know, Alisdair, but whatever it is something appears to be working at last.

[Marilyn]

I have been curious about Tabernaemontana ever since reading a very glamorous description of them on the Chiltern seeds website. My question to you is, how much water do they need?

[John J]

Marilyn, in my, admittedly limited, experience of T divaricata I wouldn't exactly class it as drought-tolerant. My own plant is in semi-shade for most of the time and yet still seems to need water at least twice a week. Most of the other plants I have come across are grown in large containers and seem to be watered either daily or every other day.