STAPELIA GRANDIFLORA

MY STAPELIA GRANDIFLORA JUST BLOOMED.....IT'S 12' WIDE......DROOL OVER IT WITH ME.....

LINKS TO BOTANICAL SUPPLIERS- COMING SOON

I AM GETTING SO MANY REQUESTS TO PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH WHERE THEY CAN GET THESE BOTANICAL BEAUTIES......I WILL HAVE TO INCLUDE SOME VENDOR LINKS.... SO I DONT HAVE TO ANSWER SO MANY REQUESTS...OF WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET THE AMAZING SPECIES I SHOWCASE...

new plant species i just ordered for my lectures

Amaranthus aurora
Yellow Fountain Plant

Amaranthus illumination
Illumination Amaranth

Amaranthus tricolor
Joseph's Coat

 Desmodium gyrans
Telegraph Plant


Leonotis leonurus
Lion's Tail

Rudbeckia occidentalis
Green Wizard Rudbeckia

Solanum mammosum
Nipple Fruit

Spilanthes oleracea
Toothache Plant

detailed info on cultivation as soon as i discover it

3 NEW VARIETIES OF AN OLD GARDEN FAVORITE

Hello everybody
I am sorry it has taken this long to start in updating my blog. I'll start off with three species from a family that is relatively common but absolutely breathtaking . These Three varieties of amaranth will be difficult to find but well worth the search.  and when you see them en masse….in a flowerbed….well….they are …well…they will leave you breathless


.Amaranthus aurora

Yellow Fountain Plant

Amaranthus illumination

Illumination Amaranth

                                                 Amaranthus tricolor

 

Joseph's Coat

IN ADDITION

GONNA be in a heavy duty research mode for a while.....choosing the plants for my next series of lectures.

Expect a lot of new blogs...as i do the research and find where i (and you my loyal followers) can get these botanical oddities....

wellington garden club

wellington garden club has dubbed me "the rock star of exotics" apriil 4 lecture link http://www.wellingtongardenclub.org/meetings.htm

does anyone think i should take that seriously?? or just laugh and accept it? let me know....i kinda like it

YES HOW FITTING...ME AS THE MAD HATTER

uhh and the decor for the flower show...got a 98 out of 100 from the NGC thanks to our team at the stuart garden club...thanks periwinkle circle

CHOCONIA the deconstructed Pointsettia

The National Flower of Trinidad and Tobago

Warszewicia coccinea

 The national flower of Trinidad and Tobago  is  a wild, forest flower called the Chaconia, also known as the "Pride of Trinidad and Tobago" and "Wild Poinsettia." The Chaconia is an indigenous flower known by its long sprays of magnificent vermillion.  

    The Chaconia flower is the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago. It is abundant throughout richly forested areas at most elevations in Trinidad and Tobago. The double Chaconia was discovered as a single mutant plant. Several plants have since been propagated artificially for the flower trade. 

EPIPHYLLUM THE ORCHID CACTUS

Epiphlllum a climbing succulent
Current mood:  artistic
Category: Blogging

EPIPHYLLUM (Epiphyl'lum)
DESCRIPTION: This popular group consists of epiphytic cacti, which are
found in jungles from Mexico to northern South America. Commonly known
as Orchid Cacti and Strap Cacti, these succulents bear gorgeous blossoms
along their flat, scalloped-edged, leaf-like stems. These plants are
excellent for hanging baskets because their long, pendulous stems grow
over the edges of the container. In their native habitats, these
epiphytes hang from the trees and can reach a length of up to 200 feet!

MY WHITE EPI HAS A FLOWER THAT IS BOTH 12" WIDE AND 12" LONG

YOU CAN GROW PROTEAS IN FLORIDA

PROTEA IN FLORIDA

Kew…Brooklyn botanical gardens…Fairchild tropical gardens and Marie Selby all told me you cannot grow Protea species in Florida…don't challenge me…I will win.

Banksia serrata - Saw Banksia this is one protea growing…and its 15 feet tall.

The rugged bark, serrated leaves and large flowers of this banksia give it a distinctive appearance of great value in landscaping. Plants may grow from 2 to 12 m. It is adaptable to most soils, but requires good drainage, and is frost tolerant. The flower heads are greenish yellow and open from summer to winter. A low-growing cultivar B. serrata 'Austraflora Pygmy Possum' is available. 

GLORIOSA LILY.... AN OVERLOOKED TREASURE

The Glory Lily - otherwise known as the Gloriosa Lily or Gloriosa rothschildiana - is perhaps one the most delicate and beautifully flowering climbing plants you will ever come across. A native of North Africa, this exceptional plant was named after Baron Z.W. Rothschild, a renowned ornithologist who brought it back to enter it in to the English Horticultural Society’s exhibition of 1901.

CATASETUM...THE ORCHID THAT BITES

Pronounced (kat-uh-SEE-tum) comes from a Greek preposition cata, meaning downward direction and from the Latin seta meaning bristles.

Catasetum's inflorescence is borne on the basis of sex of the flowers. Inflorescence of catasetums has fleshy unisexual flowers, which is exceptional for orchids. The colorful male and female flowers are seen on different plants. In rare cases there are few hermaphrodite plants also.... but that is extremely rare.

A characteristic feature of catasetum male flowers is the remarkable technique for the ejection of the pollinia. Trigger mechanism is one of the most unique feature among species of this highly evolved Orchids' family. . When anyone (or insect) touches the flower, the flower triggers and sends out a sticky pollinia, which is a characteristic feature of male catasetum..it actually closes on your finger…like jaws and sticks the dot of pollen onto your fingernail.

 I GIVE IT AN AWESOME RATING OF ABOUT 9.

MUCUNA BENNETII RED JADE VINE

Amazing long cascading clusters of brilliant red flowers chained together to form a 3' to 4' long raceme of splendour. It's much rarer than it's distant cousin (blue jade vine) but is very popular in gardens that accommodate this vine. Origin is New Guinea but flourishes in tropical to semi tropical regions as well. A must for the serious collector

    From what I have heard , the M.bennettii is more tropical then the Jade Vine , and has to get bigger than strongylodon . The lianas hanging down are enormous , and I have heard of massive trees brought down by the sheer weight of this climber. It also requires lots of water . 

IT flowers on old wood SO it could be kept controlled  as it may take over your growing area. 

but with these flowers…who cares.

ceropegia

Ceropegia contains a diverse group of 160 named species distributed over a wide range including the Canary Islands, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, India, Ceylon, China, Indonesia, Phillipines, New Guinea and Australia (Queensland).

Some of these perrenial plants have succulent stems, which may be dwarf or vine-like and posess fibrous roots, while others have tubers and relatively thin stems, along which new tubers may form in some species. Species with fleshy thickened roots are the most difficult to grow. The leaves are opposite, but may be vestigal on species with succulent stems.   Flowers occur either singly or in umbel-like clusters and have a tubular corolla 2 or more times as long as its diameter and longer than the 5 lobes. The base of the tube is usually inflated and the tube may have downwardly orientated hairs on the inside and hairs on the outside and at the edges of the lobes. Colours include reds, purples, yellows, greens and mixtures of these. Flies entering the corolla may become trapped by the hairs until the flower wilts. The tips of the lobes are fused together to form a cage-like flower structure in many species, but are open in others.

THE AMAZING AND AWESOME TELEGRAPH PLANT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVBTqh37TGM


THIS VIDEO IS NOT TIME LAPSE...ITS REAL TIME...YOU ACTUALLY SEE THE PLANT MOVE
desmodium gyrans

AN AMAZING erect tropical Asian shrub whose small lateral leaflets rotate on their axes and jerk up and down under the influence of sunshine...vibration and sound.

LOOKING FOR A NEW SEED SUPPLIER FOR THIS SPECIES....ILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I FIND ONE

GUESS WHATS GOING TO BLOOM VERY SOON

Scientific name: Coelogyne dayana (Orchidaceae)
Origin: Borneo The diverse genus Coelogyne contains over 150 species of mostly epiphytic orchids widely spread throughout the Asian tropics. Coelogyne dayana thrives in cooler, bright light, and well-ventilated conditions. Flowers are numerous, cream AND YELLOW to pale brown and release a long-lasting musky fragrance. BLOOM STALK EXTENDS AND HANGS PENDULOUS ABOUT 1 TO 2 FEET LONG

TACCA...BAT FLOWERS

THE WHITE BAT FLOWER {Tacca species}
Current mood:  awake
Category: Blogging
Tacca
This genus of 30 species of rhizomatous perennials is widespread throughout tropical Southeast Asia and Africa. They have radical leaves close to the ground, from which rise a scape with greenish yellow flowers or black

surrounded by bracts.
the flowers  are so surreal....people dont believe they are real...when they come to my garden. The strange, almost bizarre flowers have earned members of this genus names such as bat flowers, cats’ whiskers and devil’s tongue.

HYDNORA africana

RARE PLANT SPECIES ...HYDNORA AFRICANA
Current mood:  creative
Category: Blogging

Family : Hydnoraceae
Common names : jackal food ( Eng. );


PHOTOS COMING SOON



Hyndora africana is one of the most bizarre-looking plants on the African continent and certainly not the most common of plants to be encountered in the veld on any casual hike., an unusual flesh-colored, parasitic flower that attacks the nearby roots of euphorbia in arid deserts of South Africa. The putrid-smelling blossom attracts carrion beetles.

image Credit: Martin Heigan (via creative commons)

Description 
Hydnora africana is a parasitic plant on species of the genus Euphorbia. It has such an unusual physical appearance that one would never say it is a plant. It looks astonishingly similar to fungi and is only distinguishable from fungi when the flower has opened
The plant body is completely leafless, void of chlorophyll and is brown-grey. As it ages, the plant turns dark grey to black. A network of thick rhizophores or subterranean stems and roots traverse the soil around the host plant. These fleshy, angular, warty stems bear a series of vermiform (shaped like a worm) outgrowths commonly referred to as roots, ± 10 mm that connect to the roots of the host. The plant body is only visible when the developing flowers push through the ground

THE ODD AND ALIEN Aristolochia

Aristolochia is an evergreen vine with unusual flowers and heart shaped leaves. It is a lifecycle plant for zebra swallowtails….one of the few butterfly plants that wont be eaten back to twigs…like most butterfly plants.

Blooming Time: Flowers are produced throughout the growing season. Flowers look almost like an alien pod or like strange pipes with elegantly curved stems.

Culture: Aristolochia \ like to grow in a light and airy place, but not in direct sunlight. Keep summer temperature from 68-78 degrees and winter temperature above 50 degrees. Water regularly during the growth period, once or twice a week. Water no more than once a week during winter. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer every third watering throughout the growing season.They grow best in rich, well-drained soil. Young plants need to be repotted every other year, older plants every 3-5 years. Propagation: Aristolochia is best propagated by cuttings, but it can be grown from seeds. Take cuttings in fall when flowering is nearly completed. Softwood cuttings should be 4 to 5 inches long. Treat with rooting hormones and place them in a fast draining propagating mix. Put them in a warm place, preferably with bottom heat. Softwood cuttings must be kept moist. Start seeds by soaking in water for 48 hours and surface sow them. Seeds need light to germinate.

Aristolochia .....an alien like flower

Aristolochia is an evergreen vine with unusual flowers and heart shaped leaves. It is a lifecycle plant for zebra swallowtails….one of the few butterfly plants that wont be eaten back to twigs…like most butterfly plants.

Blooming Time: Flowers are produced throughout the growing season. Flowers look almost like an alien pod or like strange pipes with elegantly curved stems.

Culture: Aristolochia \ like to grow in a light and airy place, but not in direct sunlight. Keep summer temperature from 68-78 degrees and winter temperature above 50 degrees. Water regularly during the growth period, once or twice a week. Water no more than once a week during winter. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer every third watering throughout the growing season.They grow best in rich, well-drained soil. Young plants need to be repotted every other year, older plants every 3-5 years. Propagation: Aristolochia is best propagated by cuttings, but it can be grown from seeds. Take cuttings in fall when flowering is nearly completed. Softwood cuttings should be 4 to 5 inches long. Treat with rooting hormones and place them in a fast draining propagating mix. Put them in a warm place, preferably with bottom heat. Softwood cuttings must be kept moist. Start seeds by soaking in water for 48 hours and surface sow them. Seeds need light to germinate.

dosst

YOU CANT SCREW WITH THE NATURAL ORDER/ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDE/

We can't and shouldn't try to control every
natural intruder ( insect or animal). Examples include mushrooms and other
fungi, (which are indicators of a healthy environment), frogs lizards squirrels and other animals trying to survive due to our destruction of their environment.
spider webs from spiders controlling insect
populations should be left alone .Nature benefits  us in most cases and we need to be less "sterile" in maintaining our yards and more accepting of the diversity
in our natural environment. How many insects have you seen in your back yard lately - another indicator of a healthy or  unhealthy environment! The predators of insects are found in various locations on plants, including underground as well as nearby in other plants

 ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDE

There are disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and
fungi that under some conditions, such as high humidity or high pest
abundance, these naturally occurring organisms may multiply to cause
disease outbreaks or epizootics that can decimate an insect population.
Some pathogens have been mass produced and are available in commercial
formulations for use in standard spray equipment. These products are
frequently referred to as microbial insecticides, biorational, or bio-insecticides.. Formulations of the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt, for example, are widely used by gardeners and commercial growers for the control of caterpillars. Most insect pathogens are relatively specific to certain groups of insects and certain life stages. One of the advantages of the microbial products is that they do not affect beneficial insects and none are toxic to wildlife or humans. The disadvantages being that to be effective, most microbial insecticides must be applied to the correct life stage of the pest, and that you must understand the target pest's life cycle. Microbial insecticides are unlike chemical insecticides because they can take longer to kill or debilitate the target pest. Some microbial insecticides must be eaten by the insect to be effective, consequently, good spray coverage is important.

Microbial insecticides are compatible with the use of predators and
parasites, which may help to spread it throughout the pest
population. Beneficial insects are not usually affected directly because
of the specificity of a microbial product, but some parasitic insects may be
affected indirectly if too many hosts are killed.

Strongylodon macrobotrys JADE VINE AND ITS PROBLEMS

Strongylodon macrobotrys JADE VINE AND ITS PROBLEMS Current mood: adventurous jade vine/Strongylodon macrobotrys A large, twining climber up to 70 ft (21 m) tall, this species is valued for its spectacular blooms. HERES THE PROBLEMS....MUST HAVE LEAVES IN FULL SUN ...ROOTS IN DEEP SHADE. ALSO PROPAGATION IS ONLY BY SEED...ENSURING A 8-10 YEAR WAIT FOR FLOWERS.. IF YOU HAVE THAT TIME..IT IS SOO WORTH IT...3-4 FOOT BLUE/GREEN FLOWERS..WITH A PEARLIKE IRIDESCENCE THAT FILM CANNOT CAPTURE...SEE IT can be seen LIVE AT FAIRCHILD TROPICAL GARDENS.... ITS A MUST SEE e

STAPELIA..12 INCH CARRION FLOWER

STAPELIA....CARRION FLOWER
Current mood: rushed

STAPELIA….THE FUN AND FOUL FLOWER

FROM THIS UNASSUMING TROPICAL SUCCULENT A 12 INCH WIDE FLOWER …..HAIRY.. AND ALIEN LOOKING…THIS STUNNING FLOWER IS POLLINATED BY FLIES…AND SO SMELLS LIKE ROTTEN MEAT….BUT ONLY IF YOU STICK YOUR NOSE IN IT.

ITS SOO FUN WHEN FRIENDS SEE IT….WE NATURALLY ASSUME A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER WILL SMELL NICE….WHEN YOU WARN PEOPLE…THEY DONT BELIEVE YOU…AND SMELL IT ANYWAY. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME………

AMORPHOPHALLUS TITANIUM

The botanical name of this genus of bulbous plants may bring a blush to the cheeks of some delicate souls (it means ‘deformed penis’), and their flowers might likewise be seen as gross and disgusting by those gardeners who believe that good taste in plants resides only in those of chaste pastel colors and delicate textures. Belonging to the arum family, the inflorescence structure is typical, with a large encircling bract (spathe) from the center of which emerges a fleshy spike of tiny flowers, the male and female flowers arranged in separate zones. The spike, as in many aroid genera, terminates in a bare portion called by botanists the ‘sterile appendage’. In the case of Amorphopallus it is large and often knob-like, and is the source of the foul smell given off by many of the species when in flower.

While many believe this is the largest flower in the world...it is not...it is a spathe...{multiple flowers) the largest single flower is listed earlier in my blogs. i grow the smaller species of this amorphophallus peoniflorus...in dormancy now...will photo when it flowers

heres a picture from kew gardens ......................................its about 6 feet tall

CARNIVEROUS PLANTS -SARRACENIA

CARNIVEROUS PLANTS -SARRACENIA
Current mood: sad
Category: Blogging

Sarraceniaceae Common name(s):Pitcher plant
The insect eating Sarracenia genus consists of about 8 species from the eastern part of North America; although they cover a wide area, they prefer to grow in peat bogs or in the sodden ground at the edges of pools. All the species have ODD flowers whose styles develop into a sort of umbrella. The flowers are greenish yellow or purple-red or a blend of these colors, and the same tints are found in the modified leaves, called pitchers, which are just as stunning as the flowers. Insects are attracted to the foliage colors and slide down the slippery sides, drowning in the rainwater that accumulates at the bottom.