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Canna warm London September days

1. September 2011

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Canna warm London September days

Great to see these beautiful cannas radiating a fabulous glow in Russell Square on this warm 1st September day in London. Cannas grown in the UK are  are normally at their best  at this time of year and can provide a truly exotic look in one season as they grow very fast if fed and watered well.They do need consistent full sun to fully develop […]

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Cape Fuchsia, Cape Figwort

10. April 2008

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Cape Fuchsia, Cape Figwort

Latin name: Phygelius aequalis ‘Yellow Trumpet’ Description: Phygelius are becoming ever more popular because of their long flowering period and the abundance of flowers that they bear. They grow into a fairly compact bush with twiggy branches with oval, pointed deep to pale green leaves. The inflorescences are held above the foliage and drip from […]

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Cast Iron Plant

10. April 2008

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Cast Iron Plant

Latin name: Aspidistra elatior Description: Aspidistras are emblematic of the English Victorian period, as plants for the house and very tough ones at that, withstanding dark areas in hallways and rooms, tacking low light levels and neglect in their stride. The good news is – they are in fact hardy and can be released into […]

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Castor Oil Plant, Castor Bean Plant

10. April 2008

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Castor Oil Plant, Castor Bean Plant

Latin name: Ricinus communis ‘Carmencita’ Description: Very easy and essential exotic annual. Branching shrub that can grow to staggering proportions in one season. Sown in April it will reach 2m by late summer with large Fatsia-like, dark bronze-purple leaves 30cm and more wide. From summer to autumn produces clusters of small flowers followed by spikes […]

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Clocks back ready for brrrr winter

29. October 2011

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We might get an extra hour in bed tonight but it will be getting darker earlier tomorrow and possibly much, much colder. Weather forecasters are warning that the UK may suffer from the coldest Winter in decades. Here are some suggestions from the RHS on how to prepare your garden for the next few dark and frosty months.: […]

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Confused plants and seasons

21. October 2011

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Took this photo in Russell Square in central London today which clearly shows the confused seasons. The summer geraniums are still flowering beautifully whilst the leaves  are turning a lovely Autumn colour . If you want to catch some gorgeous late flowering Exotic plants visit Will Giles garden in Norwich this Sunday 23rd October for his final 2011 open day […]

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Dahlia

10. April 2008

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Dahlia

Latin name: Dahlia Description: Although often considered as old hat, many never-the-lesses make great exotic garden plants because of their exuberance in flower, colour, and shape – but also for the dark almost black leaved forms that are now readily available. These garden delights were much vaunted by the late Christopher Lloyd, especially ‘Ellen Houston’ […]

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Day Lily

10. April 2008

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Day Lily

Latin name: Hemerocallis Description: The ever-popular Day lilies are a must for the flower garden. Hemerocallis are ideal in the herbaceous border; the shorter stemmed varieties which are becoming more popular are also excellent grown around patios or used as edging. Mass planting gives a strong show of colour. They all have green, narrow, strap-like, […]

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Dreaming of an Exotic Summer

26. May 2013

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UK weather warming up at last with blue skies that have certainly lifted gardening spirits. Wonderful sunny days make me dream of  architectural plants and  exotic horticultural delights. Every night I float to  a beautiful exotic garden, the weather is glorious and the plants even more so. A handsome man wearing a colorful shirt guides […]

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Drought Loving plants – Oleander

15. May 2011

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Drought Loving plants – Oleander

If your garden is suffering from a  lack of rain then maybe now is the time to re-think your planting? Oleanders have to be my first drought plant choice as they are also evergreen which means they deliver impact throughout the year.These low maintenance Mediterranean plants have delicate flowers in shades of deep red to […]

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