Cultivating The Plants

Colocasia Esculenta Fontanesii

This fantastically tropical plant is quite hardy and sends out runners all over the place. In the spring you think it has rotted away but pieces of root regenerate. (I’ve often thought that if bindweed were tender we’d all be growing it as a wonderful exotic in our greenhouses.) A good many of our most prized plants in this garden are banned in milder countries as weeds. We bring some into the greenhouse in winter as they grow much bigger.

Hedychium Densiflorum

Slight question mark over these. The seedlings were collected between Densiflorum and Forrestii, so could be either or a hybrid of the two. Totally hardy (whichever they are!) and flower in semi shade. If you are a neurotic gardener you might decide to cover with bark in winter. This form does not have a scent.

Sauromatum (Typhonium) Venosum

The ‘voodoo lily’. As we found out this spring, when it flowers the smell is so revolting that I had to stay out of the greenhouse for two days, but beautiful with it. In leaf it is wonderful, though not quite as good as Amorphophallus. When it starts to die down stop watering immediately and when completely withered, (the plant rather than you) remove from soil to keep frost free till spring. Remove the offsets in spring and build a colony. These are hardy (see top middle of Rosemoor fruit/veg garden) but grow much bigger if kept in. They can start to grow and even flower before they get planted in spring.

Alocasia Odora

Another aroid like the Colocasia, may be hardy. Gets big if kept indoors.

Agapanthus

Seedlings from the plants in the gravel bed, which I grew from seed. Should be good robust plants, and hardy.

Ensete Ventricosum Maurelii

Only a few of these as you have to commit a terrible act of violence on the plant to propagate them. They can be quite temperamental, simply stopping growing in winter and not starting again. I have found that giving them more water than is generally recommended over winter overcomes this. Why do you want one of these anyway? Its non identical twin Ensete Ventricosum Montbeliardii is a much more worthwhile plant. Where Maurellii is short and Dumpy, Montbeliardii is tall and slender. Get it from www.kobakoba.co.uk. They are only an hour and a half from here.

Miscanthus Zebrinus

On sale because we moved one from the front garden and it was easier to chop it up and pot than to get rid any other way. An excellent plant and unlike the pampas grasses it’s not too hard to remove if needed.

Passiflora Amethyst

I won’t bore you with the current controversy about the naming of this plant and the one formerly known as Kewensis. This is the only one we have for sale. If you are interested in any others the National Collection of Passionflowers is the place to go. With even my basic knowledge of these plants I have been able to spot that other than Caerulea, other Passionflowers are, more often than not, sold under incorrect names. Which idiot started marketing P. Violacea (previously known as Caerulesracemosa) or often the forms ‘Victoria’ and Eynsford Gem as P. Rubra?