Pete's place

Thanks for the pointers guys - will check out the Melianthus when I have the planting space organised!

 

Thanks Pete - will have a go at the weekend!!

 

The sarracenias are growing well, this is leucophylla, they catch all sorts of insects from earwigs to wasps, dont work on greenfly though.

 

The caesalpinia, growing around the drainpipe.

 

love your sarracenias pete, they look really happy.

BM

 

Took this one a couple of days ago, trying to be clever, still its not too bad.

 

So beautiful.. how big are the sarracenias? In the second picture it looks as if they are thinking of swallowing you....

 

Pete do you get seed from your Caesalpinias?
I am pollinating all the flowers on the young ones I have. They set seed easily under glass, but I have never grown them outside.

 

Liz, they are about 18ins tall, although I have grown Flava "maxima" in a greenhouse and that reaches 3ft easy.

Strongy, I do get seed occasionally but I dont pollenate, I dont think bees are the normal pollenator, do you? I reckon it could be humming birds judging by those long anthers.

 

Are they hardy? I have a small boggy area, and my grandson is fascinated by insect eating plants, he has venus flytraps and a small pitcher plant, would love one big enough to eat flies and wasps!
My caesalpinias are growing well but not branching very much- shall I pinch them out more, or leave them? And what will they need in winter?
Sorry about the barrage of questions, you have such lovely plants, and grow them so well

 

It needs to be an acid boggy area Liz, like sphagnum moss peat, I dont think mud will do, although I've not tried it. Most sarracenias I find are hardy, mine stay out all year now, though I used to grow them in the greenhouse, that way you get perfect unmarked pitchers and they are bigger.Also earlier, they are slow to start in spring if outside.Venus fly trap is hardyish but I dont think I would attemp that outside.
Strongy would be best to ask about the caesalpinia, as he grows them from seed on a regular basis and grows them on, in pots. Mine was planted about 15yrs ago on the west wall of the house, it was a slow process until it flowered, it loses its leaves in winter, and goes dormant. I think strongy keeps them ticking over through winter.

 

The Feijoa sellowiana is flowering well this year, maybe I'll get some fruit,not had any to speak of yet.

 

The campsis "x indian summer" is doing its usual job on the house wall, its next to a campsis radicans, but it always out flowers it.

 

Fantastic, Pete .... they're out in all their glory here at the moment. Still can't make up my mind whether to have one or not and, if so, where do I put it ???

I also like your Feijoa sellowiana; must read up on that one.

 

Calycanthus occidentalis, California allspice, is reliable and flowers well every year even if its cut fairly hard back the previous winter.