Plant of the Day

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Umbrian

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #420 on: May 27, 2020, 07:33:58 AM »
Decided to put this post in Plant of the Day rather than climbers because there is rather a nice story to add. Maurandella antirrhiniflora was given  to me over 20 years ago by a MGS member who loved all climbing plants . Although during hard winters it dies , there are always self seedlings to keep it going and the first photo with the pink flower is an offspring of that original plant. Recently, David Dickinson, the most generous of plant/seed providers, gave me a small plant of a purple flowered one that has proved equally enjoyable. They are delicate climbers that I find most rewarding in pots as they continue to grow and flower from May until late autumn and are reminders of the joys and rewards that MGS membership brings. Thank Anne and David.
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 #421 on: May 27, 2020, 08:13:03 AM »
David, I believe there are somewhere in the region of 140 - 150 endemic plants in Cyprus.
Regarding this one, Dianthus strictus var troodi, our friend, Yiannis Christofides, in his book 'Illustrated Flora of Cyprus' describes it as;
Perrenial herb,to 50cm high, stems slender, flowers solitary at the ends of branches, calyx bracts 6-8, the lower elliptic, upper obovate, cuspidate with a broad membranous margin, petals pink. Alt 0-1960 m, fl May-Aug.
The photo was taken of ours in May last year. It is not very clear and the colour has been washed out, it is much more of a pink than it appears.
It has not yet flowered this year.
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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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #422 on: June 19, 2020, 09:47:21 AM »
Dicliptera suberecta is an excellent plant for drought-tolerant, water-wise gardens. Ours are currently showing why they are called 'Firecracker 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)

David Dickinson

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #423 on: June 19, 2020, 10:07:14 AM »
Re Dicliptera suberecta: one of my favourite plants too. Mine is a little behind yours but is just sending out its first flowers and will be in flower all through the summer and autumn. Mine grows in morning sun, afternoon shade. Quite agree with you, a marvellous plant that should be in everybody's garden.
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 #424 on: June 20, 2020, 05:05:47 AM »
Three plants that are useful ground cover in hot, dry gardens.
Erigeron karvinskianus
Pallenis maritima
Wedelia trilobata or as I believe I'm now supposed to call it Sphagneticola trilobata.
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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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #425 on: June 21, 2020, 06:20:56 AM »
Leucophyllum frutescens is a tough customer for dry, water-wise gardens. It can be used as a bushy shrub, trained as a standard, grown as a low hedge, and so on.
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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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #426 on: June 22, 2020, 04:59:51 AM »
We came across this plant a few years ago and have found that it stands up reasonably well to the hot, dry conditions. It has also taken well from cuttings. Megaskepasma erythrochlamys, mega=large, skepasma=covering, referring to the conspicuous bracts. erythro=red, chlamys=the short cloak worn by males in ancient Greece. Sometimes these plant-namers can be quite inventive.
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 #427 on: June 22, 2020, 07:39:05 AM »
Interesting plant and explanation of the name - you are a fount of knowledge John!
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 #428 on: June 23, 2020, 04:37:46 AM »
Here's a plant for the ladies possibly, Calliandra californica, meaning beautiful male. Kalli=beautiful, andros=man/male, referring to the fact that the 'male' stamens are so prominent and attractive. Our plant took several years to really establish but seems to be getting into its stride at last.
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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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #429 on: June 24, 2020, 04:35:19 AM »
Here's another really tough cookie that will stand up to any amount of hot, dry conditions, Limoniastrum monopetalum.
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 #430 on: June 24, 2020, 07:13:28 AM »
Very pretty and a lovely soft colour - one to look out for😊
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 #431 on: July 06, 2020, 04:42:52 PM »
This should perhaps be entitled "plant of the year". Crocosmia have never taken to life in Rome for me. My last attempt was 3 years ago when I brought some corms with me from my sister's garden in Leeds. I dotted them around my garden and the two under the Cypress tree are the only two which even sent up leaves. This year each corm has a flower head too. Might they be producing more corms for me underground? Of course, we can't have everything. Saturday morning an iron monger came to fix the front gate. He threw his dirty water onto the garden under the tree and so all the plants there have grey muddy splashes on them. Not very photogenic, especially as the crocosmia leaves  look a little unsightly anyway, struggling with the heat as they are.
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 #432 on: July 10, 2020, 06:38:43 AM »
Named after that great ancient Greek hero, Achilles, and performing heroically for us this summer is Achillea millifolium.
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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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #433 on: July 12, 2020, 07:22:45 AM »
The majority of Ipomoea are climbers but this one, Ipomoea carnea ssp fistulosa, is an exception. Known as the Bush Ipomoea, this is the first flower of this year on our plant.
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
« Reply #434 on: July 13, 2020, 10:24:11 AM »
I have confessed several times to having a strong dislike of cypress trees. The one in my garden, at least a hundred years old my neighbour tells me, redeemed itself slightly today. The contrast between its bark and the yellow of a hypericum flower had a nice look, I thought. Strange that this is the only one of 3 hypericum plants I brought back from Leeds to survive. And it is in the same tub as the crocosmia corms which are the only 2 to survive which were similarly brought from Leeds.  The tub is directly under the cypress tree so perhaps I have something, albeit grudgingly, to thank it for.
(Apologies for the out-of-focus second photo. My simple camera can't cope with this kind of depth)
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.