Blog - Plant of the Month and Updates
August
Allium senescens subsp. glaucum follows on from A. lusitanicum, bringing more light purple flower heads full of bees. The leaves are blue grey and twist in a fascinating way.
July
Allium lusitanicum is in full flower and attracting lots of bees and hoverflies. The deep lilac heads of flowers make an attractive feature in an alpine garden.
June
Rhodohypoxis baurii 'Mars' has been flowering well. The bright pink flowers contrast well with the narrow green foliage. They make great container plants, but don't let them dry out in hot summers.
May
The Sempervivums are looking great at the moment. Sempervivum arachnoideum has some lovely pink/red tinges on the outside of the rosettes. The bright colours show off the intricate patterns of the webbing beautifully.
April
Hereoa glenensis has just come into flower with a most cheerful bright yellow! You have to wait until the afternoon to see the flowers as they evolved to open later in the day to avoid the mid-day heat. The buds are still attractive when they are closed though, with a pretty pinkish red tinge.
March
Ipheion uniflorum are in full flower now and a lovely sight! Their star shaped flowers are white, tinged with blue, with prominent yellow stamens.
They naturalise well in a protected site or are great for container growing.
February
It's a welcome sight to see the Ipheions coming into flower now. Ipheion uniflorum 'Charlotte Bishop' has been the first to flower for us, joined by I. uniflorum 'Wisley Blue'. We often have these flowering as early as December in mild winters, but this year they are a bit later!
Their star shaped flowers with the deeper coloured stripes are a delight.
January
It makes a lovely change to see a fresh green colour this time of year. The rosettes of Rosularia aizoon provide a welcome reminder of spring colours to come. We keep this undercover over winter to give protection from very wet and cold weather, and also to enjoy the plant close up!
December
The rosettes of Sempervivum 'Lively Bug' have a very wintry appearance. The fine leaf hairs give an effect of snow and ice, whatever the weather!
November
The flowers of sempervivums are lovely, but this time of year you can appreciate the sheer beauty of the rosettes. Sempervivum 'Kappa' looks quite different from the summer photo, with deeper green rosettes. The fine webbing shows up distinctly topping the spirals of succulent leaves.
October
One for halloween - the cobweb houseleek, Sempervivum arachnoideum. The fine white hairs produced at the leaf tips make fascinating star shapes as they cross over each other. They are a defence mechanism for the plant, protecting against extreme environmental conditions, such as dehydration and intense sunlight.
September
The rosettes of Echeveria secunda var. glauca are looking particularly attractive at the moment and some are surprising us with a late show of flowers. The urn shaped yellow and pink flowers have beautifully coloured flower stalks and complement the glaucous foliage.
August
The succulents are really proving their worth in the heat waves this summer. Sedum selskianum 'Spirit' has remained a lovely refreshing bright green. They make interesting, easy container plants, on their own or with a contrasting plant form.
July
It's good to have some plants that don't need too much watering in this hot dry weather we are having. Succulents have their own water storage system with their thick, waxy coated leaves. Sempervivum 'Reinhard' is looking good at the moment with bright green foliage and contrasting leaf tips.
June
Some of the sempervivums are producing their amazing star shaped flowers now. These are in shades of pink and red, or sometimes a yellow/green. The individual rosette turns into a chunky flowering stem and once flowering has finished the rosette dies back. New offsets then take over. This example is Sempervivum 'Kappa' which always produces a lot of new offsets.
May
This is a great time of the year with the colourful Rhodohypoxis starting to flower now. Rhodohypoxis baurii 'Mars' is one of the first to start flowering with cheerful bright pink flowers.
April
The sempervivums are really starting into growth now. Sempervivum 'Kappa' is sending out offsets covered with fine webbing. The colours are all becoming more pronounced with contrasting colours on the foliage.
The Ipheions and Romulea have started to die back now, but the Rhodohypoxis are starting into growth with new shoots appearing.
March
One of our favourite spring flowering bulbs is Romulea bulbocodium with its crocus like flowers of purple/lilac and contrasting yellow centres.
February
Ipheion uniflorum 'Wisley Blue is in full flower now. A lovely pale blue with darker stripes down the centre of the tepals. The flowers are sweetly scented and the foliage is slightly onion scented.
January
The first Ipheion to flower for us is often Ipheion uniforum 'Charlotte Bishop'. These pale pink flowers are a welcome sight in winter.
December
Sempervivums provide all year interest with their fascinating evergreen rosettes. Sempervivum calcareum has lovely bright green rosettes with dark red tips.
November
We have moved the Echeverias under cover now. Echeveria secunda var. glauca has fascinating rosettes of a pale blue/green. They are even better appreciated at the height of the greenhouse staging.
October
The evergreen plants start to really come into their own now, as some of the other plants start to lose their foliage. Sempervivum calcareum 'Greenii' is a lovely cultivar, with pale green leaves tipped with dark red. Although the flowers of sempervivums are fun, we prefer them with just these spiralling rosettes!
September
Sedum pulchellum has a common name of sea star and this can be seen in the shape of the flowers and then seed heads. A summer flowering plant, this is flowering well into September this year. It does tend to be rather short lived and is often treated best as a bedding plant, so we grow a few from seed each year.
August
Lewisia cotyledon ELISE MIXED are still flowering well with the most gorgeous bright colours. It is always exciting to see the different colours and markings as each new plant comes into flower. Some have darker edges to the petals, others have darker stripes to the centre, and others have an intriguing translucent appearance.
July
The lovely spherical heads of Allium lusitanicum are attracting lots of bees and hoverflies. The bees are well known for their importance as pollinators. Hoverflies play an important role in pollination as well, and are also great for pest control in the garden as they prey on aphids.
June
This herbaceous potentilla - Potentilla x tonguei, has a lovely contrast in its flowers. The lovely apricot orange petals are deep red in the centres. The strawberry like foliage is a bright emerald green.
May
One of the brightest of flowers, Hereroa glenensis, is putting on a lovely display in the glasshouse. Although it is not meant to be fully hardy outdoors we find it survives Somerset winters alright and grow it both in and outdoors. An advantage in a greenhouse is that the flowers are brought up to a height to appreciate them even more.
