Plant of the Day

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Umbrian

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #405 on: March 28, 2019, 08:48:59 AM »
Was looking through some old photos the other day and saw one of this plant in flower making me regret not pampering it a bit more - such a beautiful form and startlingly white. Well done John. Must try again if ever I find it.
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 Melasphaerulea ramosa
« Reply #406 on: April 04, 2019, 11:26:25 AM »
Not a spectacular 'Plant of the Day' but if, like me, you enjoy poking around in the garden and getting down onto your hands and knees to appreciate things, this might be for you. I grew a lot of them from seed very easily and then promptly lost them somewhere! They flowered and seeded in their first year and I am just about to sow that seed. In the meantime, what I presumed was going to be Freesia laxa turned out to be this. Either a self seeded plant or one of the lost seedlings from last year.
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 #407 on: April 04, 2019, 01:22:45 PM »
Thank you David for all the lovely rose postings and information and for today's plant of the day.  Very interesting.
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 #408 on: April 08, 2019, 09:53:45 AM »
Rhaphiolepis umbellata and R. indica are excellent plants for water-wise gardens, and are beautiful when in full flower in spring.
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 - Polianthes tuberosa 'Sensation'
« Reply #409 on: October 29, 2019, 10:54:42 AM »
I have tried several times with Polianthes but with little success. This year I bought some of the usual bulbs a couple of  the pink form 'Sensation'. The standard white ones have produced copious leaves but no flowers. I had given up hope on the 'Sensation' but they have both started to flower recently. Is it normal for Polianthes to flower this late? I must find out if they need winter protection from cold and/or wet.
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: Polyanthes
« Reply #410 on: October 30, 2019, 05:22:48 AM »
Lovely, David. They come from a part of Mexico that apparently has dry early winters and wet spring/summer, so have probably been deluded by your warmish (and ? a bit of rain) autumn into thinking it's spring - normally they should flower in spring and early summer, and that's when they need water. Keep free from frost.
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

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #411 on: October 30, 2019, 11:05:20 PM »
Thanks Aisdair- very useful information :-)
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 Plectranthus verticillatus
« Reply #412 on: November 12, 2019, 12:50:45 AM »
I am posting this as plant of the day but if truth be known it has got a bit out of hand. Gives me carpets of foliage in shaded areas and doesn't mind drought. When the rains come, it springs into action. Very delicate little flowers. I always keep a couple of cuttings in my small greenhouse over the winter as they say it doesn't like too much cold.
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
« Reply #413 on: November 13, 2019, 08:25:17 AM »
The Leucophyllum frutescens are beginning to come into their own and the local bee population seem to appreciate the fact.
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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Alisdair

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #414 on: November 13, 2019, 12:10:47 PM »
A lovely photo, John, with those subtle colours
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
« Reply #415 on: November 16, 2019, 08:49:45 AM »
We have 2 bushes of Murraya paniculata and they are both beginning to burst into bloom with their strongly scented flowers.
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 2 Dianthus
« Reply #416 on: May 24, 2020, 10:53:16 AM »
The Dianthus deltoides I wrote about earlier in this thread lasted a couple of years and then disappeared. As I said then, I wanted some smaller-flowered dianthus and so decided to try D giganteus from seed (1st photo). It does well for me and self-seeds. It is a biennial.

Then I saw D carthusianorum sanguineus (2nd & 3rd photo) at a plant fair and bought one. It is a perennial and now in its second year. Of the two, I prefer this as the stems are longer and lighter in effect. I am growing one or two seedlings from it.

Both are flowering now.
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 #417 on: May 24, 2020, 01:54:35 PM »
Very delicate and attractive looking flowers.  our Dianthus strictus subsps Troodii are ready to flower. They have settled down to our hot garden.
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

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Charithea

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #418 on: May 26, 2020, 12:13:18 PM »
David, I have only noticed this morning that our Dianthus Carthusianum sanguines are among the  surviving  seedlings. Thank you for the seeds. They are finding it hard but hope they will come through and then can be transferred near the other dianthus. The Freesia laxa are much stronger.
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 #419 on: May 27, 2020, 01:10:51 AM »
Hi Charithea

Hope you won't be disappointed with the Dianthus carthusianorum sanguineus  - they have very small flowers. When I tried to look up specifically subsps Troodi of  Dianthus strictus this came up http://www.scientificlib.com/en/Biology/Plants/PlantsOfCyprus.html.
I felt certain that you would be involved in it somehow but when I clicked on the relevant alphabetical list, nothing came up. There was no information nor a photo.  Perhaps you could supply one?

Nice list of your endemics here http://www.naturemuseum.org.cy/lang1/endemic_plants.html What a list!
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.