I'm still probably over fond of the South American Oxalis and the (too) many hybrids. I grow them in pots outside, generally covered in winter, uncovered in spring. Grown that way the stems remain very short and both the leaves and flowers sit almost on the ground. I don't know the parentage of this particular hybrid but I suspect it is O. laciniata x enneaphylla.
As the summer proceeds I tend to move them into partial shade.
One of the first "proper" alpines I bought in the early 1970s, I still think Armeria juniperifolia Bevan's variety is a great plant. Much more compact than our native Thrift it forms a neat low mound and in the spring erupts into rose pink pom poms. When the flowers die the papery bracts remain often through the winter so that I only snip them off as the new buds start to show.
It grew fine in the rock garden for many years until some ants decided to nest under it and evn then I was able to salvage small bits off it. However I think it does look better in a trough or other small container.
I have also tried the white variety that I found a bit shy flowering and the miniature compact form but that died over the winter after I'd bought it so I think I'll stick with this form.
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One of my plants of Oxalis lobata (now O.perdicaria I think). This one has grown unprotected from an escaped bulb about 10 years ago in a sunny trough here, just outside of Oxford, UK. It’s one of my absolute favourite plants with the fresh green leaves and golden yellow flowers that glow in the later summer & autumnal sun.
This one is much more compact than in my shady greenhouse where it tends to sprawl so I’m now bringing the plants in pots out to flower. I made the mistake last year in assuming I could leave them out all year. The result was my two large pans were downsized in the spring to a single small pot. I don’t know whether they got too wet or cold or a combination of the two.
When I was a teen I read in the old books I got from the library about the problem of it going dormant in the winter and again in the summer, leafing up in the spring and then leafing up and flowering in the later summer. I’ve found that with me it only goes dormant in the summer. I think it was regarded as a novelty and desirable plant, I get the impression that it’s popularity has waned although it still seems to be readily available.
I'm back again. First there was the Inspiring Plants website in 1999 that got alot of visitors and some awards, then the platform changed and that went so I created a blog. Then I got locked out of that blog and started another Inspiring Plants site and then that got messed up by the hosting service so I'm back on the blog.
Alot has changed for hobbyist content over the decades. Free hosting has largely gone, blogging appeared, and then Facebook & Instagram are with us. Email lists have mostly disappeared and forums seem to be on their way out. Such is progress.
The national flower of Cyprus. It's a distinct species which despite it's appearance is said to be related to C.pseudo-ibericum and C. libanoticum.
Flowers in late autumn with very fragrant flowers. The auricles are very prominent and it is usually pure white with darker markings at the nose. Sometimes it opens pale pink but fades to white, more rarely the pink colour remains. It generally flowers in October but I find that individual flowers sometimes persist until February. The leaves are highly variable.
It is regarded as tender and so grown in a frost free greenhouse. It comes easily from seed.
This is my Arum
pictum grown from AGS seed, I think it's 4-5 years old now. It's the
first Arum I've grown (I thought it was about time to give them a go).
A.pictum is from the Balearics and is an autumn flowering species. It comes in various forms, the most usual has a dark spathe and spadix so this is one of the less usual forms. The flower doesn't last long, about a week, which can be a good thing if it decides to emit it's foul smelling "perfume". Some years it does, some it doesn't.
The Oxalis are a big and varied family, from pernicious weeds to alpine treasures from Chile and colourful South African low landers. Oxais lobata is from Chile but I think from low altitudes. Bright green lush looking leaves and golden yellow flowers. It's supposed to be autumnal but I find it starts flowering late summer.
I now have a couple of large pots in the greenhouse and an escape in a trough. In the trough it is a bit neater, in the greenhouse the flower stems tend to draw a bit. It's survived in the trough for several years now but has only grown quite slowly.
In old books people are warned that this has an odd habit of having two dormancies, in the summer and the winter. Apparently people used to complain that the plant had died to the nurseries. Seeing as it wasn't exactly easy to get except from specialists even then I'm suprised a prospective buyer would be unaware of this. Having said that, for me it only dies back in summer, it remains in leaf from late August until the late spring.
I'm still probably over fond of the South American Oxalis and the (too) many hybrids. I grow them in pots outside, generally covered i...
