What's looking exotic in August 2013

Salvia discolor is dead at the merest sniff of frost, yet blooms prolifically from late spring through to autum.................


Not the best Salvia confertiflora that you'll see.....................


....................but I love it!


Eucomis bicolor....................


Bessera elegans....................


And saving the best till last - Bomarea hirtella....................

 

Ok not really tropical, but it does grow better with a bit of heat.
The Caesalpinia gillesii is coming up to meet it bottom right.
Campsis is a bit late this year.

Albizzia, only the larger tree has flowers this year, the smaller one, which flowered very well last year appears to be taking a rest.
Not easy to photograph the big one, (excuse).

Also taking a rest is the Strelitzia, only three flower spikes, and very late.

I'm beginning to think that the poor performance this year of some plants in spite of a very warm July might be based on the bad summer last year, so I'm hoping for better next summer.

 

All very nice Pete!

Hadn't thought of that. I had put it down to the late start to spring and a cool early summer that suddenly became a heatwave.

 

I'm basing my comment on the fact that the Albizzia and the Strelitzia both flowered like mad last year when the summer was not as good as this year.
I'm thinking that with some plants, trees, at least, the flowering might be "set" the year before, based on the conditions then.

 

A better pic of the Albizzia.

 

Apart from the warm July has this summer been that good? Certainly very short - at least last year tried starting earlier.

 

My memory of last summer was a good March and April, after that, it rained a lot until August.
This year we had very sunny conditions in April/May but cold winds.
On balance I'd prefer this year to last.
At least its not been a soggy one.

 

@pete - if we get a warm September and October then I'll be happy. The cold April/cool May means everything is so behind this year.

 

Sorry been too busy to take part ...few of mine



looking too good (thank you Pete)









finally 3 years late

 

I always thing that every years a stock of the same plants are shipped to England from some far away country , I`m not surprised if yours comes from the same supplyer and from the same lorry as mine ....overall a really strange year , while my palmas have done absolutly great , my bananas seams that didn`t perform at all .

 

Doesn't look much, but the scent is overpowering at night, it tends to fade during the day.
Might be a bit too strong for some people, one flower fills the whole house as the sun goes down.
Polianthes.

 

I bought this a few weks ago, it was in bud then, so cant claim to have grown it myself, but I do have plans for it.

Podranea ricasoliana

 

This was labeled as Cautleya spicatum but I'm not sure!

 

Managed a few pics this evening It's pretty basic compared to the beautiful plants that you're all growing, though....
I think the Hibiscus is coccineus. It seems hardy here. The pink bulb has sat and done nothing for three years so I can't remember what it is!