Plants and news 2026

[charlie]

This is a "feel free to add pictures and comments thread" when ever you dont want to start a new thread, just tack it onto this one.

First off happy new year to everyone, traditionally some of us would brave the garden to take pictures of whats looking good, this year I started but got cold then wet so you will have to make do with these meagre offerings

Although this Jasmine survives ok out in the garden it is winter flowering and never flowered well outside so it lives down the shady end of the conservatory where in todays occasional weak sunshine it fills the space with scent

Jasminum dispermum 002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Also scented is this shrub, its a shame its a martyr to Red Spider Mite

Reinwardtia indica 001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Gave all the Bamboo a good tidy in the Autumn this one had been especially naughty, I find having a go with the trusty Mattock keeps things in check!

Phyllostachys vivax aureocaulis 003 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Eucalyptus gregsoniana 004 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

Nice surprise this morning I noticed this Tropaeolum tricolor on the yew where it had done well until last year which was a no show, I thought it had died although I couldn't see why as last winter wasn't particularly extreme , I presume the big tubers that had done the flowering rotted leaving me with very small tubers that have taken a while to bulk up?

Anyway what ever the reason its great to see it again!

20260114_140335 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Also noticed its seedlings coming up in other plants where I had a pot full of the Tropaeolum stood 3 years ago - do they normally take that long to get going?

[charlie]

Called in at Wisley on our way up to Gatwick and were stopped in our tracks by the scent coming off the chimonanthus, made me wonder why I don't grow it? Is it at all fusssy?

Wisley by charliepridham, on Flickr

[Chad]

It is shy to flower in Cornwall, needing summer heat to ripen the wood and initiate flowers. Even in England it is usually, as at Wisley, grown against a wall for the extra heat.

That said, I know of one in Gloucestershire that is grown against a north facing wall in partial shade that flowers, if not in profusion.

Trees and Shrubs online write;

Although hardy enough in the open ground, this species flowers more freely when given the additional summer heat provided by a wall.

I have one in a pot waiting to plant out. It will be free standing, in five years I'll tell you if it works.

Chad

[charlie]

I will have to let it have a bit of south wall, the scent was amazing, meanwhile we have arrived on la palma and dropped in to the small park in Los llanos beautifully looked after

20260130_115739 by charliepridham, on Flickr

20260130_114631 by charliepridham, on Flickr

20260130_114410 by charliepridham, on Flickr

20260130_113751 by charliepridham, on Flickr

20260130_115452 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[Paul S]

Have you done that walk up the barranco on the west side of Los Llanos? It is spectacular.

[charlie]

Have you done that walk up the barranco on the west side of Los Llanos? It is spectacular.

Only got here yesterday!

[Paul S]

Sorry, I thought you'd been to La Palma before.

[charlie]

We have :) thought you meant this time, we have done that walk in the past, was about 10 years ago, may be pushing our luck to try it again!

[charlie]

Nice walk today in the pine woodlands, several abandoned almond orchards, don't see them often in the uk these days, seem to remember them being a quite popular front garden tree in the 60,s

20260202_120447 by charliepridham, on Flickr