Clik here to view.
UK common spotted orchid
The new garden is going to have to contain more than just succulents. It's likely there will be a fair amount of shade planting along one side and with that in mind I have been slowly adding...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The secret life of snails
I should probably start this with the type of warning you see on programs now. This post contains images of a sexual nature. It may not be suitable for everyone. This year I have been following a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Update: The work garden
It has been a while since the work garden was featured, so it was time for an update. The shade or fern bed has matured. As the courtyard is in central London it doesn't get cold enough to kill the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sempervivum Sunday: S. Virgil
Todays selection has to be one of the best varieties in my collection, S. Virgil There are a lot of things going for this plant. Starting with the colour which in summer is a dark grey/purple and in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The annual flush
Over the years 3 cycad revolutas have made their way into the garden, a small:Medium& large.They seem to be borderline hardy in London, the fronds deteriorate over a two year period, so it is lucky...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sempervivum Sunday: S. 'Lion King'
Let's get the tacky jokes about this being the king of the semps out of the way form the start. A very aptly named cultivar from the UK, which really is one of the best of all varieties out there (of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We're melting
A fair amount of the UK is having quite a heat wave and it is causing havoc. We are literally melting, part of the biggest motorway had to be closed as the tarmac melted. Yesterday one of the London's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sempervivum Sunday: S. 'Lively Bug'
First of the properly hairy varieties, S. 'Lively Bug' is a cultivar from the US. This photo shows why it is worth a spot in any collectionThis is a young plant with its summer colour; a brilliant...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Clik here to view.
This is why I love growing succulents
I tend to grow my plants in three setting, (or I did/will when I have a dry bred): planted in a rockery, in pots in the garden, and finally as a collection of more tender/ special plants. Out in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Echeveria planter update
It is strange to think that this time last year it was the last couple of days in the old house, where did that go! A big part of the move was digging up the dry bed, deciding which plants to bring and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sempervivum Sunday: S. 'Jet Stream'
Todays subject is one of the slightly frustrating varieties. Sempervivum 'Jet Stream' is another US cultivar. Symmetrical rosettes with very dark red leaves with small hairs around the edge. A really...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Will there be seeds
It's not only in the greenhouse that the aloes have been busy, the two flowering garden aloes also have seed pods ripening. Strangely both the aloe aristratas have one seed pod each, from the last...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sempervivum Sunday: S. 'Oddity'
Another of the aptly named varieties today, sempervivum 'Oddity' is a US cultivar of S. tectorum and is one of the most distinctive plants around.It is is very slightly hairy around the edge of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My favourite offset of the week
At this time of year in the succulent garden it's all about offsets. What's better than looking amoung the plants each evening, wondering what you will find peaking out from the edge of a pot, or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sempervivum Sunday: S. 'Titania'
Todays pick is a bit of an illusionist; for it seems bigger than it is. S. 'Titania' is a cultivar from the US, apparently created by Ed Skrocki in 1980. It is a very regal looking plant, with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Keep single or allow to clump
With all the offsets appearing on plants, come spring as they get repotted there is the choice of removing the pups or allowing them to grow as a clump. Why do I prefer some to stay as single plants...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Most exciting offset of the week
Another week, another surprise, this time haworthia limifolia variegata. Without doubt one of my favourite plants, and also one of my slowest plants. So it is a doubly nice surprise to look at the pot...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Most unusal offset of the week.
Not all offsets turn out as you would expect.Can you see the offset just below the label in this pot containing agave blue glow? Maybe a close up will help.I think it is fair to say that's not an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sempervivum Sunday: S. 'Packardian'
To be honest this Sundays selection alternates between being a great plant and not living up to expectations. Sempervivum 'Packardian' is another hybrid, with red leaves that are described as velvet...
View Article