Tropical Gardening

We're lucky to have the market here as well as a couple of farm shops, a couple of florists that stock a lot of plants and one of my favourite shops is half a grocery type store and half gardening items with a fantastic array of plants outside which are added to every Tuesday and Thursday, his...

It's supposed to be a well behaved variety, clump forming, not too tall, copes with thinning out and trimming if required and suitable for small gardens. I did a fair bit of research before choosing one because I know some grow and spread like mad!The mature ones in pictures do arch/flop over...

Where is it situated ? It could be not enough or too much light, too dry? they should never dry out even in winter.

Stephen - I bought some small Celosia recently thinking they were annuals - but I love the colour and shape anyway. But I will keep them inside overwinter at a min of 10C and just see if they come back. I think I did read that they are annual/short lived perennials somewhere. Victoria - have...

Excellent stuff Sal, you have the space you need to make use of all the plants.. it'll be interesting to see it when everything is grown up too :D

Take over your neighbour's garden(s)?!!

Looking good aways!

Hi Kristen - will do

I got seeds from mine last year. I'll start them off in the next week as I recall Kristen wanted one too.

Have a look here:I have bought quite a few bamboo from them. Good quality and the owner always gives good advice, and is very helpful.

Taro (or Colocasia esculenta) is said to be the oldest known cultivated crop. Wikipedia quotes it as being cultivated in India earlier than 5000 BC. I bought some of the larger variety from a West Indian stall in Bradford market, and the lady there said that she shredded it and added it to...

Not so much grow as bake the bulbs. Plenty of water from above when you put the pot out too I think is your best chance of success.

Flippin' 'eck BM, long time no see!!

Thanks! We'll talk in a few weeks regarding Salvias (by way of return).

Kristen - very nice to see an objective appraisal from knowledge. My only experience so far is Ensete 'Murelii', which I love - especially its colour. Maurelii doesn't pup - but last autumn I cut one into 4 quarters. It now has lots of growing points and potential new plants.

Thanks Sirius , I'll just keep tidying it up like last year.

mine have kept all the fronds on this year so far, but getting a bit fed up of wrapping them up when I think frost is on the way , but doesn't take long to do.

... and several years' wait !!

Thanks guys!The attraction of this unknown Beschorneria species are twofold;1] It is genuinely dwarf in the foliage (but the flower spike is not a lot smaller) so it is easy to overwinter under cover. 2] It can go from seed to flower in a year apparently.

It would be handy if I could apply that regime to a few of my tender plants!