Plant of the Day

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David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #465 on: July 21, 2021, 11:22:28 AM »
Congratulations on getting your Hypericum to grow and flower. I am saying this because we had a few low growing Hypericums for several years and refuse to give us one single flower so one day I took them all out. I think you need to plant a lilac coloured Agapanthus next to it and then you will have a lovely contrast.

I did buy a purple agapanthus but I can't put it with the hypericum as the latter is in mostly shade. I have problems in getting agapanthus to flower, mine are very hit and miss. My large blue has only given me one flower this year and the white hasn't flowered at all.

However, Agapanthus 'Fireworks', taken from a small cutting, has now flowered for 2 successive summers.  The flowers do remind you of the blue and white fireworks  you see in big municipal displays - with a little bit of imagination.

I bought Agapanthus 'Poppin Purple' this year in a small pot. One of its selling points is that it repeat flowers and it seems this will be the case. There are already 2 or 3 small buds just starting to come through for the next performance. This is low-growing. Leaves 7 or 8 inches high and flower stalks less that 2ft.
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.

Umbrian

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #466 on: July 22, 2021, 07:22:02 AM »
Two lovely ones David - did "Fireworks" come from Lucca? I seem to remember them featuring there and was quite tempted - however like you I find Agapanthus quite hit and miss regarding flowering although this year all of mine have performed well - perhaps all that early heat?
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #467 on: July 22, 2021, 11:32:35 AM »
Hi Umbrian

There were certainly white/blue agapanthus there but I got 3 small plants sent through the post to my sister in the UK. Very good deal even though the plants were much smaller. The 2 that remained in the UK are flowering well too. I brought mine back to Italy in my baggage. Brexit will have put an end to such things, no doubt :-(
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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Charithea

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #468 on: July 23, 2021, 01:58:06 PM »
Agapanthus  are beautiful but it seems also unreliable.  None of ours have flowered yet.  I love the Agapanthus 'fireworks' David.   I had not realized that I could have smaller varieties as I had not seen any in the Nurseries here,  I had some photos send to me of them by my Sardinian  Agicoltori per caso  friends.  My Sarda friend decided I needed to practise my Italian so she put me in their family group.  In this way I know what grows in their country.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2021, 02:39:28 PM by Charithea »
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #469 on: July 24, 2021, 02:18:40 PM »
Patience is a virtue they say. For years Cassia fistula was high on my wife's Want One list, then around 10/11 years ago we found one. It has rather struggled to progress much and only produced one flower spike 2 years ago. This year, although still looking a bit sorry for itself, it has attempted to put on a display.
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 - Ipomoea alba
« Reply #470 on: September 09, 2021, 08:10:50 AM »
After great success with annuals in the summer of 2020 I decided to grow them again this year. A massive hailstorm in June wiped out nearly everything within an hour. But one sole plant of Ipomoea alba made it through and flowered for the first time yesterday. Thanks Umbrian for introducing me to this plant :-)
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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Charithea

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #471 on: September 09, 2021, 04:13:50 PM »
Wow ! David.  What a beauty.  Ours is still growing.  I expect it will start to flower as soon as the temperature drops a bit.
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

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Fermi

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #472 on: September 09, 2021, 05:11:31 PM »
I've just received seeds of the Moonflower, Ipomoaea alba, from a company in Sydney.
Any hints on germinating them?
I once got seeds from a gardening contact in Louisiana before I came back to Australia, She stored the seed in the freezer! I did get one to germinate but I don't think I ever saw a flower (pre-digital days so I'd have to go back through my old gardening diaries or boxes of photos to check! ;D )
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
« Reply #473 on: September 09, 2021, 08:40:38 PM »
Hi Fermi. I am sure when Umbrian sees your post there will be more help with germinating as it was Umbrian who grew this plant first. For me it is an annual so I collect seed. I sow it in April, when there is no danger of frost and when daytime temperatures are in the low twenties. By April time the seeds are rock hard so I chip them and soak them overnight in water before sowing in small pot.

Remember, it is a night-flowerer, opening up late evening as the light fades. But the bright green flower buds are attractive 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.

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day Euphorbia hypericifolia
« Reply #474 on: September 12, 2021, 09:15:36 PM »
I am not sure whether this plant merits "Plant of the Day" as it remains to be seen whether it will survive mediterranean weather extremes. I bought it about a month ago. The night before, I had seen a euphorbia shown on BBC Gardener's world. Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' and thought that it could be a good substitute for gypsophila, with which I have had little success. Imagine my surprise when the following day I saw one sad looking specimen which may not be 'Diamond Frost' but is certainly one of the clan. I bought it immediately and it has responded very well. So far.

It seems to like water and I discovered that cuttings will root just placed in a glass of water. I would have imagined any euphorbia would have rotted in water before roots could form. One drawback - it is tender, so it will be in my little green house over the coldest months.
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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Charithea

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #475 on: September 13, 2021, 03:49:17 PM »
David,  I first saw the Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'  while attending an AGM meeting in Spain. It was so attractive. It was in an earthen ware pot sparkling in the sun. I was told  by a MGS member,  Frenchman,  that they love the sun. A few years later I came across on of them in town and bought it. It was Spring time and it looked heavenly. It did not last long. It became dishevelled and then died. There are hanging baskets of them in the Nurseries every Spring but I have not bought another. Hopefully yours will flourish and give you pleasure.
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #476 on: September 14, 2021, 01:04:36 AM »
Mine is on the shaded side of a large pot. The stems you can see behind it - really, in front of it, as the sun comes from behind them - are of a tall Salvia 'Amistad'. The euphorbia is helping to cover the bare lower parts of the stem. The leaves, which are not visible in the photo, provide dappled shade. So far, so good and the days are becoming a little cooler now. We have had a consistently hot summer this year.

If my cuttings survive the winter, I will experiment with them in various points around the garden. I suspect they need a lot of water in full sun. Mine wasn't looking too healthy when I bought it. It was in quite heavy shade under a sunscreen. More light and regular watering seem to have improved it. But no full sun at all yet. The rising sun will hit it sideways but will soon swing round a leave my plant alone.
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.

Umbrian

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #477 on: September 20, 2021, 12:28:17 PM »
Catching up on posts as my IPad has been out of action......
Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' is best treated an annual with me, cheap to buy and makes a big plant during the summer with copious flowers if not in full sun. II mainly use it in pots where it's bright leaves and dainty branching habit enliven other planting that can get bare at the base.
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MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #478 on: October 10, 2021, 05:56:37 AM »
This plant featured in a number of earlier posts mostly from the people we obtained the seeds of our plant from. This morning my wife called me outside, very excitedly, to see its first ever flower. Ipomoea alba.
Many thanks Carole and David, it's spectacular.
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)

Umbrian

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #479 on: October 10, 2021, 08:11:58 AM »
Always good to share things and seeds are perhaps the easiest. Early buds on my Ipomea alba shrivelled in the heat we experienced this summer but some later buds are developing well and I am hopeful of a few flowers ..... perhaps this week 🤞🤞
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.