A to Z of plants continuation

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John J

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Re: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #120 on: August 14, 2019, 06:06:51 AM »
Paulownia tomentosa, known to the Chinese as Empress tree or Princess tree and to the western world by the less romantic name of Foxglove tree. No flowers at this time of year but plenty of buds already formed and waiting to burst out next spring. Easily grown from seed and very fast to mature.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #121 on: August 15, 2019, 05:44:07 AM »
Persea americana fruit are swelling nicely and should be ripening in a month or so.
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: A to Z of plants continuation - Persea americana
« Reply #122 on: August 15, 2019, 09:20:23 AM »
Do you know which avocado cultivar that is, John?
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #123 on: August 15, 2019, 10:23:11 AM »
Not absolutely certain but we believe it to be a 'Hass'.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #124 on: August 16, 2019, 06:14:39 AM »
Plumbago auriculata covers itself in flowers that reflect the pale blue of the summer sky. It needs to be kept an eye on, however, as it can quickly outgrow its allotted space.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #125 on: August 17, 2019, 12:09:59 PM »
Podranea ricasoliana only has a few flowers at this time. We also have Pandorea jasminoides but that has no flowers at present.
Both these plants used to be included in the genus Bignonia along with Campsis, Tecoma but all were moved out and given new names. Pandorea was named after the character from Greek mythology, Pandora (she of the famed box), as the type-species was associated with an insect plague on its native Norfolk Island. When it came to naming Podranea the taxonomists seem to have suffered an imagination failure as the best they could come up with was an anagram of Pandorea:-\
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #126 on: August 18, 2019, 06:57:44 AM »
Today we have the tongue-twisting Pseudogynoxis chenopodioides??? Much easier when it was called Senecio confusus, although now when my wife says she has a 'confused old man' in the garden there's no mistaking which one she's referring to!  :-[
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #127 on: August 19, 2019, 04:36:21 AM »
As well as the usual guava Psidium guajava we also have Psidium cattleianum, Strawberry guava, and an unknown variety grown from seed collected from an unlabeled tree that we came across on our travels.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #128 on: August 20, 2019, 06:00:06 AM »
Still on fruit, we have a variety of Pomegranate bushes. Our latest acquisitions produce large, tasty fruit, but on the downside they don't appear to keep well.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #129 on: August 21, 2019, 08:36:22 AM »
I'm cheating today as our Retama raetam is way past its flowering stage for this year, so I have a photo of a bush on a hillside in Morocco taken on the MGS Excursion to that country in 2014, led by Chris and Basak Gardner.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #130 on: August 22, 2019, 11:58:19 AM »
Ruellia simplex with a visitor. These plants seed themselves around our property, popping up all over the place.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #131 on: August 23, 2019, 09:44:15 AM »
Several years ago someone had the bright idea that the entrance to our village would benefit from the introduction of a fountain, complete with lion. It was not connected to a water source and so has never functioned in the manner for which it was intended.
Years later the current village council asked my wife and myself if we could help to improve certain designated areas of the village. One of the things I did was to plant the fountain with Ruschia pulvinaius in an attempt to simulate the effect of water spilling over the rim of the bowl.
I'll leave it up to individuals to decide whether or not it was successful.
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #132 on: August 24, 2019, 05:55:29 AM »
Russelia equisetiformis can be useful for growing in containers or raised beds with its hanging 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)

Umbrian

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Re: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #133 on: August 24, 2019, 06:33:46 AM »
The fountain is an unqualified success John and Charithea - beautiful.
Russelia has long been a favourite of mine after first encountering it in Sicily during an MGS trip. I normally give it winter protection but this year was pleased to overwinter one in situ after successfully taking cuttings as insurance.
A friend gave me a  cream flowered one but the red is still my favourite with the numerous bright flowers hanging like little jewels at the ends of gracefully arching stems. It never ceases to draw admiring comments.
Now an admiring comment for you and your contributions to the Forum that brighten my early morning coffee after a quick scan of the increasingly gloomy daily news. Much appreciated😊
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: A to Z of plants continuation
« Reply #134 on: August 24, 2019, 08:33:13 AM »
Carole, I have no wish to introduce politics to this Forum, but I too find the act of choosing a plant to photograph and thinking up something to write about it very therapeutic after having been woken by the doom and gloom of the news bulletins issuing from our radio alarm.
Your positive comments are much appreciated from this end too.
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)