I bought dead plants from the supermarket. Will they recover?
I took a risk and bought some of those dead-looking plants off the supermarket reduced trolly, but should I have bothered? Only time will tell but with some good cultivation technique I may be able to...
View ArticleHow to Grow the Tropical Effect Garden 'Must-Have' - 'Kniphofia caulescens'
If you are looking for plants to provide you with both exotic colour and architectural effect then Kniphofia caulescens - (Red Hot Poker) has to be up there for strong consideration. Unlike the...
View ArticleAfrican Cacti 'Orbea variegata' - Carrion Flower or Star Flower
If you are interested in growing African cacti then Orbea variegata is probably the easiest species to begin with. Although not actually a cactus but instead a specialist succulent it is super-easy to...
View ArticleTropical Invasive Plant Monster - Clerodendrum bungei
Back in the day I used to sell this plant in the garden centres and to be fair it was handsome looking specimen with lush bold leaves and usual yet exotic blooms. It was definitely an eye-catcher. Fast...
View ArticleBest Mediterranean Gardens - S'Hort del Rei, Palma, Mallorca (Aka. Majorca)
Join horticulturist Simon and Lorna as they take a walk around the S'Hort del Rei in Palma, Mallorca (Majorca). We wouldn't say that this was a flourishing garden or even one that is particularly...
View ArticleHow to Plant Giant Allium and Giant Ornamental Onion Bulbs
Giant Allium bulbs and their cultivars are a great way to add both colour and architectural effect to the garden. However they need to have a cold period to initiate flowering in the spring so planting...
View ArticleFree Giant Ornamental Onions 'Allium giganteum' from Seed
The giant ornamental onion - Allium giganteum is not only one of my favourite of all the flowering bulbs, it is one of my favourite plants of all! And why wouldn't it be with its strongly held, large...
View ArticleGrow Free Aeonium (Tree Aeonium or Irish Rose or Tree Houseleek) from Cu...
Aeoniums are arguably one of our absolute favourite succulents. I think it is because of how the apical rosette of leathery leaves look like exotic blooms. Admittedly under the super-soft environment...
View ArticleTropical Garden UK - Early Autumn maintenance
Its is now October and autumn is upon us. So this with the cooler night temperatures and lower light temperatures out exotic cold-hardy tropical effect plants are starting to run out of steam. Dahlias...
View ArticleHOW TO GROW STAPELIA SHINZII
Stapelia schinzii is a rarely seen (at least it is in the United Kingdom) clump forming succulent plant grown for its impressively large, ornamental flowers. Native to Namibia, Southwest Africa the...
View ArticleAfrican Cacti 'Stapelia schinzii' - Carrion Flower Cactus
Stapelia schinzii (otherwise known as the Carrion Flower) is a wonderful looking specimen and native to SW. Angola to Namibia. It is a succulent subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry...
View ArticleHow to Grow the Tropical Effect 'Must-Have' Garden Plant - Tetrapanax...
Tetrapanax papyrifer 'Rex' is arguably one of the best exotic, tropical effect, cold-hardy plants around. It has magnificent, architectural leaves and has proven to be hardy to the extreme. Native to...
View ArticleTOP 100 UK GARDENS - Chelsea Physic Garden: October Tree Walk
Established in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the four acre site which makes up the Chelsea Physic garden London, England was originally created simply to grow plants to be used as...
View ArticleTropical Gardens UK - We bought even more exotic, cold hardy, tropical-effect...
After the initial planting of our new exotic cold-hardy effect garden earlier on in the year we thought we would pop out and see if there was anything interesting in the local garden centres and...
View ArticleTropical Garden UK - October Autumn Walk-Round
With the full force of autumn upon us the poor tropical effect garden is suffering the effects of the cooler nights and lower light levels of our rubbish English climate. So plant species such as the...
View ArticlePreparing Greenhouse for overwintering (Winterizing for American viewers)...
With the overnight temperatures starting to drop now that autumn (fall for our American viewers) is upon us we need to make sure that we have all of our cacti and succulents in the right place moving...
View ArticleFuchsia Gall Mite - What is KIlling my Fuchsia?
Fuchsias used to be a mainstay of the garden and why wouldn't it be? Originating predominately from the tropical or subtropical regions of south America. For years Fuchsia used to be bullet proof with...
View ArticleWe Built a Tortoise Prison!
Since Lorna's tortoise came back, she has been worried about him escaping again so I was tasked to build a stronger garden enclosure - which I call the prison. Reluctantly, as I could have been...
View ArticlePreparing Tortoises for UK Winter Hibernation
Autumn is upon us and winter is now just around the corner. However while the overnight temperatures are still mild it won't be long before we will need to look at putting in some preparation for...
View ArticleTropical Gardens UK - Why do Tree Ferns Need So Much Fertiliser?
Tree ferns are becoming ever more expensive to purchase so keeping them in top condition has got to be priority. Unfortunately many of the specimens I come across in the UK are usually pale in colour...
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