Exotic Gardening with Rare and Strange Plants

Haemanthus albiflos

Hello to my friends out there in plant land, how have your travels been? Grown anything cool as of late?

A friend of mine stopped by the other day and said.

“Your blog is dead hey? Not writing anymore?”

Hmmm wow, I guess it has been a little while since I mused on here about the strange plants I’m growing. Time tends to escape you when your having a good time. With that being said I thought tonight would be as good a time as any to give you a quick update as to what’s become of this Vancouver Island Plant Nerd.

IMG_4997
Anemone nemorosa, Trillium, mimulus,  Scopolia carniolica

As you may have guessed having a son has really changed my life. Without being a parent I thought I was short on time, guess again, children demand most and/or all of one’s free time available. Shortly after turning thirty I officially joined the adult club and my schedule changed significantly. Busier than I’ve ever been in my life but with the busy has also come a whole new sense of purpose and accomplishment. I love being a dad. Growing seedlings of all species has always interested me and watching my son morph into a walking and talking little creature is truly fantastic and probably the best thing I’ve ever been a part of.

my son at the greenhouse

Some have sent messages worried that I have moved on from the world of plants. To that I say not a chance. In fact perhaps I’m just reaching a new plateau with the interest.

Sort of like the change from dating to being married. My love of plants has somewhat matured. In the past 14 days I’ve spent 12 at the greenhouse, long hours of sowing seeds, planting planters and shipping plants to all over the island. I work for two incredible gentlemen that give me a lot of space to be creative with my work. We grow fields of plants and it’s just so satisfying. As we’ve finally arrived at springtime once again, working at a greenhouse is the place to be.

Greenhouse long shot

Coolwave pansy basket
Daffodils flowering at the greenhouse
Still dabbling in rare and strange plants. Keeping an arms distance from impossible to grow species that just don’t make sense up here in the north (a small amorphophallus titanium just came in the mail, I know I never learn). Opting more to grow exotics that have a chance, or at least respond well to a slightly above freezing greenhouse in the winter. Surprisingly there are quite a lot of them and with a little foresight the growing opportunities will keep me busy for many more decades to come. Our winter here was respectful and warm, I have an Aloe krapohliana, an echinopsis and trichocereus growing in my front garden as if we were living near the equator.

IMG_1957
The latest crop of agave americana variegate

IMG_1959
Seed raised aloe polyphylla in progress.

IMG_1652
Begonia luxurians.

Still echium crazy, mostly pininana and there are many self sowed seedlings popping up in and around the garden. Looks like this one I gave to a friend of mine is about to flower.

IMG_4941

echium

IMG_4949

More great plants doing what they do best.

haemanthus albiflos
Haemanthus albiflos, Aeonium tabuliforme

Podophyllum Spotty Dotty
Podophyllum Spotty Dotty

agave victoriae-reginae
Agave victoriae-reginae

So yes, I’m alive and well. Plants and gardens still play a major role in my life with many more strange plant adventures to come for sure. I’ve been playing with a time-lapse camera in the greenhouse and also have been toying with the idea of a gopro-esk plants show via youtube. Not enough time in the day.

Should you have a question about plants or are searching for anyting strange in particular do not hesitate to get in touch. I love meeting fellow crazy plant people as well as giving my two cents to budding botanists.

Until we meet next. Enjoy your springtime, it’s going to be a great one!

A quick stumble around my favorite garden blogs reveals a slight undertone of the winter blues. As we hit January the days are slowly but surely getting brighter but like it or not, we still have a little more winter to go. Stuck in gardener’s purgatory, it’s a tough month to get inspired. Defying rationality I chose to grow exotic plants in Canada; a hobby that is a bit defeating at this time of year.

I visit the greenhouse a couple times a week and no matter how much time I put in, there is always more work to do. Rot and mildew seem to be persistent and a new generation of baby slugs have been eating the tips off many of my precious plants. The work of a plant geek is never done. Grim as things may be, there is definitely more success than failure. Only a couple more months until things start to thrive again.

A quick greenhouse tour.


A full field of Sonchus canariensis I grew from seed last spring. With such a high germination rate I didn’t have the heart to kill my seedlings. So now I have about 50 of them in 2 gallon pots. Not without their challenges, they’re holding in there and should be quite amazing come spring.


Another Canary Island oddity these Sonchus are also known as dandelion trees because their blooms resemble the famous weed. Still I think they’re quite charming and I just love their fern-like foliage. These are some vigorous plants; they keep growing even in the depths of winter.


Some of my most favorite plants. Urginea maritima, Agave victoriae-reginae, Ornithogalum longibracteatum (Pregnant Onion), Haemanthus albiflos, Begonia luxurian &  Aechmea fasciata.


I can’t help but to love Agave victoriae-reginae. What incredible natural symmatry!


Begonia luxurians is holding in there and so far doesn’t seem to mind the less than tropical temperatures.


Mangave bloodspot continues to thrive and expand.




A small field of echium wildpretii. I don’t know why echiums fascinate me so much, but they’re surely on my top 10.


One thing we can grow well at the greenhouse is echeverias! They look best when they reach dinner plate size, gorgeous!

With all this talk of winter anxiousness I’ve booked myself a flight south. On Friday I take off for two weeks in Cabo San Lucas, in search of beaches, tequila and cacti! Stay warm my friends, wishing you the best!

-N

Mr Nat. Gardener, Plant Nerd
Tips and tales about gardening in one of the most mild climates in Canada. Specializing in rare and strange plants from far out destinations, this is the story of an obsessed young gardener in Victoria B.C. Let's create more tropical gardens in the garden city on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.