The 2020 picture Diary

[AndyC]

My H. wardii is flowering too. My H. gardnerianum is a few days behind yours and H. 'Tara' is probably another week off flowering. Are yours permanently outside Chad?

Zantedeschia 'White Giant' isn't very 'Giant' yet unlike its big daddy at 'Hardy Exotics' where it was almost up to the roof of the polytunnel. IMG_5107 by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr

[Chad]

All my Hedychium are planted permanently out in the garden soil apart from H.longicornutum which is a seedling and yet to flower in a pot in the conservatory.

The Zantedeschia which Clive sells he got from me, and I got from Nick under the name 'White Giant'.

It isn't. It is 'Hercules', as Nick explains here.

That would grow huge in your 'bog' but is happy in 'normal' Cornish soil.

It is hungry too; you can almost see them grow after feeding!

Chad

[charlie]

I like the leaves, used to have one in the pond but it died after a big freeze event, still got Green Goddess but I cant say its as exciting in flower as yours!!

[AndyC]

Thanks for the info Chad. Hercules it is, a good name to impress the neighbours with :)

[AndyC]

Not a cloud in the sky here today. Ricinus 'Impala' by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr
Sparmannia africana and Ricinus NZ purple by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr
Canna altensteinii seed pods by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr
Canna iridiflora by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr
IMG_5124 by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr
On a sunny windowsill giving us the benefit of its scent
Hoya carnosa by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr
Nearly missed this one, it was hiding
Hedychium maximum by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr

[Chad]

I've never worked out what pushes H.maximum into flower.

You seem to be at least two weeks ahead of mine, and mine got labeled 'early clone' by John. I think when he grew mine together with his they flowered at the same time though!

I have hit autumn here. The dahlia have either snapped of and moved next door or been reduced to almost leafless stems.

Chad

[AndyC]

I've never worked out what pushes H.maximum into flower.

Nor me. I've grown this species for about ten years, during the first eight years in my old garden it only flowered once and that was a year I overwintered a pot full in the polytunnel and then planted it out in the spring.
Since being in Cornwall it has flowered, being permanently outside, two years running. In the spring of this year I moved and divided the plant which doesn't appear to have phased it at all.

My Dahlias are still flowering well but the Tithonia have almost exhausted themselves. Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' just beginning to flower.

[Chad]

Autumn has arrived!


Dahlia tamaulipana

Not everything is so destroyed though.



Hedychium maximum is just starting here.




Joined by Hedychium greenii, which is really a foliage plant.




Nerine bowdenii can't be faulted apart from how many years it takes to settle down to flower from bought in bulbs.




Tropaeolum tuberosum 'Ken Aslet' is a wonderful thing, but you have to keep an eye on it and remove any 'late to start to flower shoots'.
It self sows into itself and the 'Ken Aslet' 'day neutral' form is often lost.




My general incompetence shows up as weedkiller footprints across the grass.
It is at least a sign that I did get round to spraying the snowdrop beds this year!

Chad

[AndyC]

I can't find a photograph of the Dahlia tamaulipana flowers online, only a description of the colour on the American Dahlia Society website as being 'light lavender'. Do you have any pictures of the flower?
Your plant looks very similar to the way my Dahlia tenuicaulis looked until I gave it a very severe haircut a few weeks ago. The haircut doesn't seem to have held it back at all.
IMG_5144[2] by Andy Cowlishaw, on Flickr
You can see how much space it took up before the haircut. It doesn't need the prime sheltered position it presently occupies so cutting(s) will go elsewhere in the garden next spring. If you don't already have D. tenuicaulis would you like to do a plant swap in the spring?

One consequence of cutting back the Dahlia was having to also cut down a single stemmed Melianthus which was being heavily supported by the Dahlia. That too has benefitted and has multiple new shoots on the remaining stem (hiding behind the Echium candicans on the left).

[Chad]

Here is Dahlia tamaulipana from December 2018.






Most years it has been blown to bits before it flowers.

I would call it a foliage plant!

Chad