hoya carnosa
~The weather was so mild today I found myself doing some clean up in the front garden. Old pots with fried annuals, spent lavender blooms, and acanthus just to name a few. I know it’s only January but I had a moment where it almost felt like spring. It’s tough living up here in the Artic Canada where ice covers the land for 11.5 months of the year, who knew you could grow tomatoes outside the igloo. In all seriousness though, it was 12 degrees Celsius this afternoon, absolutely dreadful out *wink*. ~
Seeing as though it’s a fresh year, and spring is right around the corner (and to the left, right, down some stairs and in the basement). It’s time to recognize the show stopping plants of 2011. I’d love to list them from 1-10 as to say which one was the best, or my favorite, but it’s not as simple as that. One can’t compare a raspberry bush to a patch of broccoli no more then you can compare petunias to miscanthus grass. They’re all my favorite, where one grows fat, one grows tall, another brightly colored, or one finely detailed. Nature is an amazing thing.
The Stupid Garden Plants 2011 Plant Awards.
‘The Eternal Sunset Award’ for longest flowering plant :
Abutilon megapotamicum:
A no brainer year round semi hardy exotic flowering abutilon. I first potted this plant up in early May and it flowered all the way until frost, better then that, it’s still flowering at this moment in the greenhouse. Native to Brazil, and other parts of South America it’s flowers resemble Chinese lanterns and are a prefered treat by local hummingbirds. Placed at a high vantage point or hanging basket trailing abutilon will impress, and intrigue.
Runner up: Hoya Carnosa
A couple years ago I took a cutting of this from a 15 year old specimen at my parent’s house . It was slow to root, but once it got started it grew vigorously and did most of it’s climbing and trellis work by itself. Flowering from April until September, my 3 year old hoya vine bloomed sporadically, sometimes with 10+ bloom clusters at once, all dripping with nectar and leaving a sweet smell in the air. Although not nearly as fool proof as the abutilon with a little technique and luck, these plants will surely impress. Hoyas bloom best in root bound pots, so over-potting them is not recommended. I also allow my vine to travel wherever it would like, and doing so seems to encourage almost continuous growth. Thirdly my hoya is located near a 12hr cycle grow bulb, and I suspect this to be a big part of it’s never ending blooms. Show me the light!
‘The Jurassic Foliage Award’ for plants of excellent leaf structure, grandeur and presence :
Tetrapanax papyrifer
Long before I could identify a Tetrapanax, I was astonished by their leaves and prehistoric look. In the heat of August and September my Tetrapanax really took off and I’d often find myself shocked by how quickly the leaves went from bud to beyond dinner plate size. Endemic to Taiwan Tetrapanx papyrifer is the only species in it’s genus and is commonly known as a rice paper plant. With such amazing tropical foliage you’d almost surely think it to be tender, but Tetrapanax is exceptionally hardy, down to zone 6a (-23.3 °C (-10 °F). If your a fan of Fatsias, Tetrapanax will blow you away. A light fuzz graces it’s branches and leaves, and even though it goes deciduous after a frost, the spent leaves are so foreign and large you’ll want to leave them lying about. A must have for anyone wanting to recreate a tropical paradise in their northern garden.
RUNNER UP: Echium pininana
You guessed it, echium wins the runner up for impressive foliage and presence. If you’re lucky enough to get this echium to it’s second year you’ll be shocked by the speed of it’s growth. Large fuzzy leaves burst forth and add an impressive display of tropical foliage to your garden. If you’re lucky it holds promise of a towering bloom unmatched elsewhere in the botanical world. If only grown for it’s foliage alone, you won’t be disappointed. Among all other plants in my garden the echium stood out, and it’s is beyond photogenic. It’s a showstopper and even your non planty friends will surely notice it listening in on all of your conversations. It’s only drawback is it’s somewhat severe tenderness, hating cold weather and dying from even moderate frosts. Best overwintered in a heated greenhouse, by the third year it would surely win the award for most amazing bloom.
‘The Up In The Clouds Award’ for the most impressive tall plants in the garden:
Alcea ‘Peaches and Dreams’
Somewhat of a cottage garden staple, hollyhocks are a great plant for adding verticality to your garden. This cultivar in particular is readily available at garden centers and in my opinion outshines the rest. Double blooms worthy of being sowed onto a clowns costume start late summer and continue into October. Although it’s flowering cycle is a little more temporary then some, at it’s peak, it is truly a thing of beauty. A great Alcea is a stunning addition to one’s garden but might take some patience for it to reach it’s true potential. For the three years it’s been planted, it’s third year was it’s “piese de resistance” and grew a whopping 15ft or more. Yielding multiple branches of strangest fluffy grapefruit puff balls, I’ll end this one with one word. Wow.
A shot of the towering alcea shoot out amongst the scarlet runners.
Runner up: Helianthus tuberosus (jerusalem artichoke)
One must give credit when credit is due, and the jerusalem artichoke is an underestimated mindblower. Grown properly, this large member of the sunflower family will outclimb the rest, mine growing a whopping 18+ ft from a golf ball sized tuber. It’s speed and vigor will amaze and astonish, and even without it’s flowers it’s impressive height adds an additional tropical element to your paradise. In mid October when almost everything else is welcoming winter, helianthus tuberosus blooms a small spray of sunflowers. A welcome touch of color at that time of year. The only drawback is that it grows so tall that you can’t possible get a close look at it’s blooms. In mid November the plant will subside to frost and you can reap the benefits of the treasure below. Large sweetly flavored tubers are created and make an excellent starch for those winter months. They say once you grow Jerusalem artichokes you’ll probably have them for the rest of your life as you almost always miss a piece in the soil. Try them in 2012.
‘The Fleeting Moment Award’ for the most temporarily beautiful :
Puya mirabilis
I was lucky enough to purchase a P. mirabilis the day before it flowered. With seven flower buds ready each flower opened for a single day and worked it’s way up the branch until they were finished. Acquired on a Sunday, the blooms were spent exactly a week later. Due to it’s temporary nature it demanded the attention of it’s grower. It was either pay attention or miss it’s dance, it’s flowers were as unique as they were bizarre. A terrestrial bromeliad, it’s foliage doesn’t hint at it’s hidden beauty, an unlikely surprise, worthy of respect in a northern garden such as this. One of the most magical and ethereal of all the plants in my collection.
RUNNER UP: Passiflora jamesonii
I’ve always been a fan of passion flowers, but this one really takes the cake. As a vine, it was absolutely voracious, sometimes growing a foot or more a week and over 12ft in each direction by the end of the season. With some much vegetative growth, blooms didn’t exactly seem imminent, but on one calm afternoon I noticed a single bud forming. As I’m somewhat new to growing this species, I might surmise that it’s lack of blooms was due to a cultural mistake, but I suspect it just wasn’t hot enough here in Victoria. Regardless I watched the bud develop for what felt like a month and when it finally did open, it was only for a day. A flower that truly shows the impermanence of beauty, I was glad to have made the effort to witness it.
More awards to follow…
A quick garden tour for those curious as to what’s blooming, and generally looking incredible right now.
I have a love hate for Polemonium boreale, of which I acquired my first specimen a couple years ago. The plant starts off looking like a fern in early spring and as thing’s get hotter sends up these spikes of purple flowers. Polemonium self seed rather easily and situate themselves in the strangest places. I wouldn’t worry about them being invasive, they come out easily if you don’t like, but in time you’ll have no shortage of seedlings to pass off to friends and family. This specimen in particular surprised me, looking quite photogenic at the time I took the photograph. I prefer them in spring as foliage plant, but this photo gives a close look into their interesting little flowers.
Sedum album (coral carpet sedum) is flowering all over my garden. I originally found this specimen in a crack of pavement down by Dallas Road Beach. From 1 strand of sedum beads I’ve spread this plant all over my garden and Victoria (plant sales). This sedum is vigorous and practically idiot proof. The sedums have been flowering for a couple weeks now and now it’s Sedum album’s turn. What interesting little flower heads it has.
My girlfriend and I dug up this Onopordum acanthium last season and this one is starting to flower. Well over 6 feet tall this potted specimen reaches towards the sky. I like tall fast growing plant species, in a garden where much of the interest is a foot level, it’s nice to have things grow taller then myself. These add great architecture to the garden and are as bizarre as they are practical. Being a biannual this specimen will die, but not before leaving me 1000 seeds to replicate it’s good looks. Great natural deer fences, Onopordum are a tough plant indeed.
This Abutilon pictum Thompsonii (variegated flowering maple) has been flowering since I got it at the UVIC Annual Plant Sale in early May. Although Abutilon are commonly referred to as flowering maples, they aren’t a part of the Acer family at all. Abutilon pictum is native to Brazil.
One of the latest plant hoarding must haves, Desfontainia spinosa is an interesting cusp hardy perennial native to the Andes in South America. I first saw this plant at Abkhazi Garden a couple of years ago and it blew me away. I recently spotted this specimen for sale and I had to have it. While it looks like a relative to a holly tree (Ilex), it’s something much stranger. Desfontainia spinosa is the only species in it’s genus, and holds magical powers beyond it’s spiky demeanor. After a little research it turns out Desfontainia is a mild psychedelic. A tea can be made from it’s leaves that can be drunk to produce wild visions, some medicine men of the Andes say they “go crazy” under it’s influence. Needless to say I won’t be trying it anytime soon, but I’ve always enjoyed the lore and tales magical plants have to offer. If anyone knows anything else about this plant I’d love to learn more. Wild stuff eh?
Another plant hoarding moment, I aquired this Tetrapanax papyriferus last week after many years of admiration in selective gardens throughout Victoria. They all might have come from one grower on the island, and it’s interesting to have finally tracked one down. I will go into further detail on this plant at a later date, for the moment let me just say I love it.
Just another photogenic moment with a Pulmonaria and a Salvia hotlips.
This patch of Digitalis ‘Suttons Apricot’ was planted last season and spent most of it’s time concentrating on leaf growth and root development. This year the real fireworks came out with over 5 stalks of mind blowing pink blooms. This stalk in particular is over 6 feet tall and has lasted more then 3 weeks. Incredible!
I found this tree lupin on a beach in the winter of 2009 and is really making it’s debut this summer. What seems like endless flowers and amazing leaf structure, I grew this 6 foot tall specimen from a seedling no bigger then a can of coke. After a rainstorm the leaves hold water like little diamonds, there are so many reasons this is a great plant to grow.
I found this Dianthus barbatus in my garden well before I knew anything about gardening. At the time, it looks almost weed like, but it had a couple characteristics that made me double think composting it. After 2 years of novice gardening it bloomed, and every since it’s only got bigger and more impressive. A closer look at the flowers reveals almost orchid like markings.
Farfugium crispata is increidbly photogenic, oddly aquired at a Thrifty Foods grocer Store. You never know where you’re going to find the latest plant strangeness. I’ll go further into this another day.
We recently harvested our purple sprouting broccoli and made a delicious chicken stir fry. Funny how it took 3-4 months to create enough broccoli for one meal, vegetable gardening is still not my main fortay. I can make every flower in my garden bloom like clockwork but getting a decent head of broccoli proved a challenge. We will try again in the fall.
Yes my Hoya carnosa is still flower, 2 and a half months later, and still more buds shows up everyday. This plant has outdone itself and has earned my eternal admiration and respect.
The buds of the Hoya drip a sweet syrup nectar to encourage polinators. It has a sweet scent and taste. The hummingbirds would love this plant if it was outside, tis a shame inside it only gets pollinated visited by the odd house fly.
Until next time, thank you for coming for the tour. Happy Canada Day!
