Plant of the Day

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Fermi

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Re: Plant of the Day - Texas Sage - Leucophyllum frutescens
« Reply #315 on: November 20, 2016, 12:29:40 AM »
John,
that's a new one on me! I'll have to search it out (initial searches find it available in WA and Qld!)
cheers
fermi
The plot thickens! No one I've contacted has grown it here in Victoria!
Seeing your splendid plant makes it even more desirable!
The search goes on,
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day Tagetes lemmonii
« Reply #316 on: December 16, 2016, 03:58:30 AM »
After Pauline kindly identified this plant for me last year I found one for sale this summer. It flowered for me during the early part of autumn and is now flowering for me again even though the evenings are cold - around 4°C. The bright flowers are a welcome sight at this time of year. By the way, my previous references to the plant contain the misspelling "lemonii" and do not come up in search if the correct spelling is used
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day Tagetes lemmonii
« Reply #317 on: December 16, 2016, 04:02:00 AM »
I forgot to add that I will shortly be sending seeds of this plant to the MSG seed bank :-)
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

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Alisdair

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Re: Plant of the Day - Tagetes lemmonii
« Reply #318 on: December 16, 2016, 08:45:43 AM »
(David, I think those earlier spellings are now corrected....)  :)
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day - Osteospermum
« Reply #319 on: February 25, 2017, 02:28:41 PM »
One of the many varieties of Osteospermum reflecting the late afternoon winter sun.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day - Senecio hybrid
« Reply #320 on: February 26, 2017, 12:49:14 AM »
How lucky you are to have the Osteospermum flowers. After the very cold snap here I only have one or two plants flowering. I bought this one as a "Senecio hybrid" but looks like Senecio fulgens. The main plant, which was growing into a really nice big clump, was reduced to a slimy mass by the sub-zero temperatures. But only 15 meters away in the courtyard a cutting that I had taken (and completely forgotten about) shows no sign of the bad weather and is flowering at the moment.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day - Gerbera jamesonii
« Reply #321 on: March 10, 2017, 01:50:23 PM »
This beautiful flower is the first of the year on our small patch of these plants.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Fermi

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Re: Plant of the Day - Crossyne flava
« Reply #322 on: March 13, 2017, 05:12:35 AM »
Crossyne flava is a South African geophyte which forms large bulbs with a pair of large green leaves which grow through winter and spring and wither away in summer.
When autumn arrives the flower spathe emerges from the bare ground to quickly split to allow the flower-head to expand to the size of a football (or a soccer-ball to those in non-European countries!) as the seedpods develop. When the seeds are ripe the flower-stalk dries out and breaks off allowing the seed-head to become a "tumble-weed" spreading the seeds far and wide!
In our garden I try to catch the seeds before they scatter - hopefully I'll have some to bring to the Czech Rock Garden Conference in May in Prague http://czrgs.cz/conference-registration.html
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

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Alisdair

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #323 on: March 13, 2017, 10:09:36 AM »
Fascinating starburst flowers!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day - Dicliptera suberecta
« Reply #324 on: June 04, 2017, 04:59:58 PM »
I know I have posted about this plant before but I find it such an easy one to grow that I feel it deserves another mention. We acquired our original plant from the garden of Fleur, one of the Forum Moderators, in Greece and have since increased it and planted others around the garden. Wherever we put them, whatever the conditions they never complain, either about the soil, the lack of water, too much sun, too little sun, they grow away merrily and produce their bright red 'firecracker' flowers. Thanks Fleur for introducing us to this little marvel.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day Ruellia brittoniana
« Reply #325 on: June 05, 2017, 05:00:08 AM »
Agree totally with what JohnJ has to say about Dicliptera suberecta. Marvellous plant. Survived a few days at -6°C without a flinch. Just coming into bloom for me today.

Ruellia brittoniana didn't like the cold of this winter one little bit and was cut down to soil level. But around February there were signs of life and the first flowers were out this week.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

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Fleur Pavlidis

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #326 on: June 05, 2017, 07:35:09 AM »
Is the colour, i.e. Pink, correct, David, or is it a quirk of posting? I ask because I was very excited to find a pink version in a nursery last year which has also just flowered whereas my usual purple-flowered plants are still thinking about it.
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #327 on: June 05, 2017, 09:41:05 AM »
I'm afraid it is down to using a cheap camera. It is the usual purple.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day Salvia clevelandii
« Reply #328 on: June 10, 2017, 11:58:32 AM »
Okay, I confess, I am becoming a bit of a Salviaholic. But please don't try to cure me. I bought Salvia clevelandii last year and was completely taken with the aromatic leaves. Hard to describe. Aromatic yes but fresh too. The freshness meets you as you walk into the garden but it is in no way overpowering. Very close by is Tagetes lemmonii which produces scent in abundance when brushed against but the Salvia c. aroma is constant and wins through. Survived an extremely cold winter without losing a single leaf and is now producing beautiful flowers on long stems which dance around in the breeze. Highly recommended. Let's see if I get seeds to send to Chantal.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day Convolvulus cneorum
« Reply #329 on: June 15, 2017, 01:28:35 AM »
A strange entry for June but for some reason, some 6 weeks after the plant finished flowering, it sent out a lone flower today. A white Gaura was flowering nearby too.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.