PUSHING THE BORDERS

These are great little plants for any rockery. They give quite a splash of colour when they form large clumps. I have strangely always struggled with these and never managed to get through winter, despite getting plants from people who have no problems.

I thought I would give it one more go, with this very luminous one.


delosperma

Does anyone else grow them

D. cooperi and D. nubigena have survived long-term on my green roof, but they don't flower well, despite being in full sun. I don't really know why. D. cooperi produces a few flowers most years, but never spreads - and cuttings rooted in situ always take, but then never grow and never flower. D. nubigena flowered profusely in its first and second year, about 9-10 years ago, but then died out and reappeared as a self-sown seedling that has hung on for quite a few years, but again without really getting established or flowering.

I'm pleased it is not just me that struggles with them. this will be the last time I try them.

Chrisg wrote:I'm pleased it is not just me that struggles with them. this will be the last time I try them.

Never taken too much notice of them before but I may just be trying them for the first time soon................

DSCF5027 by John Jearrard, on Flickr

By chance, Delosperma nubigena photographed at Savill Gardens yesterday.

JohnJearrard wrote: By chance, Delosperma nubigena photographed at Savill Gardens yesterday.

My plant in the first photo came from Savill gardens plant fair. The plants in th egardens were not flowering at all when we were there, don't think I even noticed them. They do make an impact.

I have a few in a window box that come back every year, I guess it's the added heat that the wall provides. I bought the very same one at Saville too. ;)

I still like to use the vivid colours of Portaluca's, and the Livingston Daisey provided they behave themselves. Have them fighting their way through my Succulent bed in the front garden.

Wayne

I thought I had been growing them all too easily but this last winter my main clump of D.Cooperi largely died back. It is now recovering but with nothing like the vigour.

Here it is in the first summer of planting.



.....and here it is two years later in early summer last year. By the end of the summer it was an absolute riot of colour and if anything too vigorous. It flowered right through to November.



Whilst hardy it would seem that it is a fussy plant and I'm not convinced that it is just heat that makes them grow and flower well. As noted mine went mad in last years dank summer. Maybe it was exhibiting some sort of monocarpic or triennial tendency?

They are so cheap and cheerful that I've planted more D.Cooperi and D.Nubigena this year. I'll let you know how they fair.

Steve

Steve you could be right, there must be some reason that so many people struggle. Or at least that is what I am going to tell myself form now on.